NEW YORK (AP) - ABC is adding a fourth drama next season from its favorite producer, Shonda Rhimes, and bringing the Muppets to prime time in a series with both adult and kid appeal, the network said this week.
The Shondaland production company's fraud investigation drama "The Catch," starring Mireille Enos, is one of 10 new series for ABC's 2015-16 schedule.
"The Muppets" is a mockumentary style comedy - in the manner of "The Office" and "Modern Family" - that looks at the famed puppets' personal lives.
"It's a grown-up Muppets," said ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee.
The major broadcast networks are unveiling their new season line-ups to advertisers in New York this week.
WHAT'S NEW
ABC's freshman slate will include six dramas and four comedies. Sharing network space with the Muppets is the drama "Wicked City," which aims to capitalize on L.A. history with such cases as a 1982 murder set in the "rock "n' roll, cocaine-infused revelry of the Sunset Strip," as ABC put it. In comedy, there's a remake of the 1989 John Candy movie "Uncle Buck," with Mike Epps in the role of an irresponsible cutup.
WHAT'S GONE
The network is bidding farewell to canceled dramas "Forever" and "Resurrection" and the Latino family comedy "Cristela," part of the network's diversity push.
SHONDA TIME
The influence of Rhimes' work at ABC can't be overstated. The megaproducer is already responsible for ABC's entire Thursday night lineup of "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal" and "How to Get Away With Murder." All of them will return next season. "The Catch" will be slotted into the "Murder" time slot next winter when that show has completed its run of new episodes.
At its presentation to advertisers Monday, ABC joked - sort of - about her pull. It posted a mock schedule with several time slots marked off for TBA Rhimes series.
"I really should give credit to the person who's paying for this shindig," said ABC President Ben Sherwood. "Shonda Rhimes, where are you?"
In his annual comedy routine before the advertisers, Jimmy Kimmel noted that in a recent interview, Lee had said ABC's success this year was partially due to Rhimes. He said that's "like saying the success of "Thriller' was only partially due to Michael Jackson."
DIVERSITY
ABC is extending the emphasis on diversity that brought "black-ish" and "Fresh Off the Boat" to its schedule last season. Both shows were renewed, and will be joined by the new "Dr. Ken," starring Ken Jeong of "Hangover" fame as a cranky doctor, and casting Epps as the star of "Uncle Buck."
The sensitivity made it all the more awkward when Jeong and Epps took to the Avery Fisher Hall stage in front of the advertisers and joked about mistaking the other for being involved in other shows with primarily black and Asian casts.
They couldn't exit the stage fast enough.