ABC Fall Premiere Dates: ‘The Conners’ & ‘The Rookie’ Set For October

ABC has set its fall 2018 premiere dates, and Roseanne fans will have to wait a little longer for the Roseanne Barr-less spinoff series The Conners. The network’s Tuesday lineup, which includes The Conners as well as the new Nathan Fillion cop dramedy The Rookie, is slated to premiere on Oct. 16.

The bulk of ABC’s Tuesday night traditionally launches later as Dancing with the Stars typically starts its run with two weeks of Monday-Tuesday 8-10 PM episodes. Since Dancing usually kicks off its fall cycle a week before the official start of the fall season, ABC’s Tuesday (or at least the 8-10 PM part), debuts in Week 2 or 3. But this time, Dancing starts on the opening night of the fall season, and ABC has new reality series Castaways set for a late summer launch in the Tuesday 10 PM hour. Additionally, ABC has the American Music Awards on Tuesday, Oct. 9, on an atypical night and month. (It normally airs on Sunday in November.).

As a result, The Conners-led ABC Tuesday night will debut in Week 4 of the season. I hear that had been the scheduling plan even when Roseanne was slotted on Tuesday back in May, before the revival was canceled following Barr’s racial tweet. Still, the extra four weeks will give the creative team behind The Conners extra time to hone in on the premise for the new series.

Also delayed, though just by a week, is the regular premiere of The Alec Baldwin Show on Sundays. (It was sneaked after The Oscars on ABC last spring).

ABC’s top returning drama series will open during premiere week as usual, including The Good Doctor (Sept. 24) and Grey’s Anatomy (Sept. 27) , which once again launches its season with a two-hour premiere.

Here are ABC’s premiere dates:

MONDAY, SEPT. 24
8-10 PM: DANCING WITH THE STARS (Season 27 premiere)
10-11 PM: THE GOOD DOCTOR (Season 2 premiere)

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26
8-8:30 PM: THE GOLDBERGS (Season 6 premiere)
8:30-9 PM: AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE (Season 3 premiere; new time)
9-9:30 PM: MODERN FAMILY (Season 10 premiere)
9:30-10 PM: SINGLE PARENTS (Series premiere)
10-11 PM: A MILLION LITTLE THINGS (Series premiere)

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27
8-10 PM: GREY’S ANATOMY (Season 15 premiere; two hours)
10-11 PM: HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (Season 5 premiere)

SUNDAY, SEPT. 30
7-8 PM: AMERICA’s FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (Season 29 premiere)

THURSDAY, OCT. 4
9-10 PM: STATION 19 (Season 2 premiere)

FRIDAY, OCT. 5
8-8:30 PM: FRESH OFF THE BOAT (Season 5 premiere; new day and time)
8:30-9 PM: SPEECHLESS (Season 3 premiere; new day)
9-10 PM: CHILD SUPPORT (Season 2 premiere; new time)

SUNDAY, OCT. 7
8-10 PM: DANCING WITH THE STARS: JUNIORS (Series premiere; two hours)
10-11 PM: SHARK TANK (Season 10 premiere)

SUNDAY, OCT. 14
10-11 PM: THE ALEC BALDWIN SHOW (Series premiere)

TUESDAY, OCT. 16
8-8:30 PM: THE CONNERS (Series premiere)
8:30-9 PM: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT (Series premiere)
9-9:30 PM: BLACK-ISH (Season 5 premiere)
9:30-10 PM: SPLITTING UP TOGETHER (Season 2 premiere)
10-11 PM: THE ROOKIE (Series premiere)