ABC’s Kaitlin Olson Drama Pushed to Fall 2024 — A Sign of Post-Strike Things to Come?
In what may be the first of many big delays in this dual-strike era, ABC has decided to hold High Potential, its new, Kaitlin Olson-led detective drama, for fall of next year.
In the wake of the WGA strike being settled but SAG-AFTRA still at the hypothetical bargaining table, there has been speculation that the broadcast networks may opt to forego fast-tracking abbreviated seasons of 13 (or far fewer episodes) that dribble out in late winter/spring and instead sit tight and launch full, robust seasons next fall.
Based on a popular French series, High Potential stars Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Mick) as Morgan, “a single mom with an exceptional mind, whose unconventional knack for solving crimes leads to an unusual and unstoppable partnership with a by-the-book seasoned detective,” per the official description.
Daniel Sunjata (Graceland) co-stars as Karadec, the aforementioned seasoned detective, while Javicia Leslie (Batwoman), Judy Reyes (Claws), Deniz Akdeniz (The Flight Attendant), Amirah J (Shameless) and Matthew Lamb round out the supporting cast.
High Potential thus far is ABC’s only springtime pilot to score a series order, while the Good Doctor spinoff The Good Lawyer remains “in consideration.”
Previously, ABC nixed the prospective Ben McKenzie medical drama The Hurt Unit, the Ellie Kemper comedy Keeping It Together (fka Drop-Off), the Sarah Shahi legal drama Judgement, and the comedy Public Defenders (co-starring Anthony Anderson).
ABC also announced on Friday that the sitcom Home Economics has been cancelled.
Makes sense, focus on getting returning shows back for a shortened season and then save new shows for next season. Having a shortened season may hurt a new show’s ability to build an audience
It also will probably have more marketing money then. By the time shows return, networks will be promoting returning shows that have been off the air for months – perhaps even a year in some cases (FOX’s Alert for instance ended at the end of February and some estimates have the dramas back in March). So there will be a lot at ABC, for instance, saying, “Hey, come back to network TV for more The Good Doctor! The Conners! Station 19!” Come fall, any returning scripted series would hopefully been off the air for only a few months, and they can put more of the marketing might into promoting the new shows per usual.
American networks should adopt the offshore practice of 8 – 10 epsode seasons. This leaves room for a variety of different shows and more work for aspiring actors.
Yeah, I completely understand. Brand-new shows tend to premiere better in the fall and I’m pretty sure ABC’s priorities are bringing its current series and launching 911 on their network.
The way I read this article is that the rumours are that even returning shows like 911 won’t be returning this season.
Oh boy! The 500th iteration of quirky detective who sees things other people can’t. I could literally never see anything like this again and be so happy. Every time I see this premise now I think it has to be a joke. They can’t seriously be doing it again, but no.
It never ceases to amaze me what shows are called ripoffs of previous ones and which are not. I remember the “controversy” over Cold Case supposedly being a ripoff of Canada’s Cold squad because both featured a lead detective who was a blond woman solving cold cases, even though the shows were different in style and tone, like Chicago Med versus ER and Chicago Hope, or Dick Wolf’s FBI shows versus Without a Trace or Criminal Minds. Yet, no one (else) seems to bat an eye at these endless quicky, exceptional detective procedurals.
This tells me they believe in it, they want it to get a normal Fall launch
Why can’t we just have good shows at all times of the year?
Do the networks just assume that people only watch tv when its cold outside? Maybe if there was something worth watching in the summer, their viewership wouldnt drop so much.
“Low Potential” more like it. Olson should be getting better parts than this. I suppose it’s a steady paycheck if you can get it, but this kind of bland “It’s a living” type gig is just sad for Sweet Dee to resort to.