‘American Crime’, ‘Castle’ ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’, ‘Agent Carter’, ‘Galavant’, ‘Secrets & Lies’, ‘Nashville’ Among ABC Renewals

There was very little bloodletting at ABC this season, as the network renewed the vast majority of its existing series. With the exception of bubble freshmen Forever and Cristela, sophomore Resurrection and recently cancelled Revenge, all ABC shows are coming back. Underscoring the good season ABC has had, that includes a whopping eight freshmen: How To Get Away With Murder, Black-ish, American Crime, Secrets & Lies, Fresh Off The Boat, Galavant, Agent Carter and the unscripted Shark Tank offshoot Beyond The Tank. Compare that to three last year: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Resurrection and The Goldbergs.

John Ridley’s American Crime never found a wide audience, but it has been very well received by critics and is expected to get awards attention in the coming months. It also has been very well regarded within ABC. Ditto for Dan Fogelman’s fairytale comedy Galavant, which likely will get nominations for its music.

Both Marvel series made it back, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, despite some soft ratings for the latter (but the proposed S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff is not going forward). Also returning intact are all three Shondaland dramas, the highly rated Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and HTGAWM, to be joined next season by a fourth Shonda Rhimes-produced series, The Catch.

After dramatic negotiations between Lionsgate TV and ABC that went down to the wire last May, a very routine fourth-season renewal of country series Nashville.

Two of the renewed ABC freshmen, Secrets & Lies and American Crime, will return next season with new cases and new actors (save for Secrets & Lies‘ Juliette Lewis) as both are crime anthologies. Secrets & Lies sealed its renewal with solid ratings performance in the homestretch, steadily rising week-to-week, as well as strong DVR increases.

Castle‘s renewal comes with no showrunner on board, following the departure of David Amann, and with the return of female lead Stana Katic still up in the air as she is yet to agree to a new contract.

As expected, the entire ABC Wednesday comedy block will be back, including The Goldbergs, The Middle and Modern Family, as well as Once Upon A Time and reality staples Dancing With The Stars, Shark Tank and The Bachelor.

Here is the full list, which is missing veteran comedy Last Man Standing as its renewal is still being worked out:

DRAMAS

“CASTLE” (Season 8)

“GREY’S ANATOMY” (Season 12)

“HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER” (Season 2)

“MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.” (Season 3)

“NASHVILLE” (Season 4)

“ONCE UPON A TIME” (Season 5)

“SCANDAL” (Season 5)

“AMERICAN CRIME” (Season 2)

“SECRETS AND LIES” (Season 2)
“MARVEL’S AGENT CARTER” (Season 2)

COMEDIES