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Thoughts on ABC working on a Scrubs reboot as well as another new spin-off of The Rookie – both attached to 20th Television

by Sports Benches

Today, ABC secured not one but two additional development projects in the last month of 2024 – one is yet another spin-off of The Rookie being set in Washington State and the second is the Scrubs sitcom reboot originally aired in the 2000s.

Right now, all of their current scripted shows are taking the mid-season break – with more coming back (Will Trent & The Rookie) and another coming in (Shifting Gears soon and later The Conners’ one last ride), while management is thinking about their next move going into 2025.

Here’s a list of projects that currently on the table lately:

Sitcom

  • Sisters-In-Law
  • Do You Want Kids?
  • A Scrubs reboot

Drama

  • 9-1-1 spin-off in Hawaii
  • Vital Signs
  • The Rookie spin-off in Washington State

We all know Scrubs has been one of the now former ABC Signature’s popular property of sitcoms (previously it was Touchstone Television until 2007 followed by ABC Studios until 2020) throughout the 2000s – firstly on NBC for the first six followed by ABC during the last two seasons. 

Now they would want to try it again and see if this will work in this decade, so 20th TV can get the opportunity under the microscope since they will oversee all of ABC’s scripted programming from now on.

It’s bit of a surprise since someone like Bill Lawrence wants to work on this by setting the scene where it left off back in 2010, even though he currently has huge links with Warner Bros TV. ABC already has Tim Allen back as one of their star personnel on Shifting Gears, so better to build on Abbott as surely not another revival would make things work when Scrubs already run its race a long time ago. 

Gotta say, probably a non-starter I guess even if it makes into pilot.

The same would say for yet another spin-off of The Rookie & this time it would have to do with a cop starting his new job in Washington State. I guess they’re trying to mirror a more comedic version of the NCIS franchise from CBS but with more cop work rather than something different like the Feds spin-off which only lasted one season amid the strikes last year. 

Maybe that would work in another Disney led platform like Hulu but there’s more than enough content to fit on ABC across every day of the weekend — don’t think another Rookie spin-off is gonna benefit their audience that much either as well as to the show’s fan base. The fans already have been hurt once before and they don’t want to get run over yet again for a potential spin-off that may not last long.

Considering the new season of The Rookie starting soon next month, they may not be finished just yet but maybe it’s best to finish things off where it all began at some point rather than bringing up another spin-off whose plot looks very similar but under a new location. Why they can’t just make this happen for some time as part of the show, not go completely separate from it under a new project.

All in all, I’d pick either or even any two of the new sitcoms over a Scrubs reboot as well as a brand new 9-1-1 spin-off & move Grey’s Anatomy back to Sundays over the other two as above. 

It would be great if ABC can find one that is legally awesome having overlooked The Good Lawyer 12 months ago also due to the strikes holding back unfortunately but that could wait until the time they feel is right – we’ll have to find that out soon enough.

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Thoughts on ABC picking up a new medical drama project about a female fan who gets her wish to be part of the show as a Doctor called Vital Signs from Brian Tanen

by Sports Benches

One week ago, ABC has added another drama project in the works (most likely for season 25/26) alongside a completely new Hawaiian 9-1-1 spin-off called Vital Signs. 

So this is yet another medical drama but this time it’s all about someone named Emmy, who loves watching a medical show gets her wish to be part of a medical show as a doctor on Vital Signs, after being so unhappy with her life & wants to be inspired as one of the members on their medical staff. 

She loves seeing them save lives of patients while forging romantic relationships along the way – something we always see on TV as fans in real life.

Then one day, she is thrown into the deep end when Emmy is transported and has woke up at the hospital by surprise as a newly hired doctor, but having watched every episode of it, she knows what it takes to actually save lives that happens around the clock 24/7.

Just didn’t know it’s possible that you can perform to try save patients’ lives on a medical drama show like Emmy is doing after she being so inspired by it but not in the real world unless you apply and then get to be part of everything else reality TV that isn’t medical related like MasterChef (cooking), The Block (house/renovation), etc.

Although if you are medically qualified to practice and perform being a doctor, nurse or surgeon that would usually take place after years at Medical School, then yea, go for it. 

But hey, there’s one right there in the form of Vital Signs; yes, you can perform CPR while providing first aid as this is true without needing any qualifications. But when it comes to surgery and all other extreme cases to diagnose/fix, please don’t try this at home – not recommended.

Gotta say though this is the best yet to come if Vital Signs does make it to the pilot stage at some point within the year-long development guidelines.

Should the show be a series order at some stage, I guess they can be an excellent complement to Grey’s Anatomy if they stay on albeit at a new time slot like Sundays or have it aired on Wednesdays on its own or else come out mid-season in place of The Rookie if they don’t get an 8th series renewal at season’s end. 

That’s because Thursday nights would most likely be dominated by a slate of Ryan Murphy shows like 9-1-1, Doctor Odyssey and possibly 9-1-1 Hawaii since he and Disney have a great relationship together.

This project will be led by Brian Tanen, 20th Television and Kapital Entertainment after they saw ABC as the perfect fit ahead of other networks across different offers. 

Tanen worked with ABC before across multiple shows like Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Devious Maids (on Lifetime when it was originally rejected by ABC) and Grand Hotel which was attached under the former ABC Studios arm. 

Although he had his first touch with 20th TV in recent years when it comes to Love, Victor on Hulu that ran for three seasons & no doubt he will work with them again since 20th TV has now taken over ABC Signature. They will be one who will oversee most of the network’s future scripted both drama and sitcom projects going forward as time will tell sometime in 2025.

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Bali 2002 four-part mini TV drama series finally arrived on Nine & 9Now tonight – two years from its original premiere via Stan

by Sports Benches

It’s been two years since the Bali 2002 mini drama series was originally released on Nine’s paid streaming platform Stan & you can still see the 4 x hour-long episodes right now on-demand. In the meantime, the free-to-air airing has finally just arrived on the Nine Network to finish off the Labor Day public holiday – depending on which state you currently live in tonight – when other countries like ITV in the UK and New Zealand’s TVNZ have already aired this for free early last year.

This plot is based on the events from the actual Bali 2002 bombings that affects not just the locals but also the visiting Aussies who stop by as their biggest holiday hot spot every year where 88 visitors unfortunately lost their lives, 22 years ago. 

Not sure if we will get to see some on-demand content on 9Now after this 1st episode at 10pm but 9pm Mondays would now be the time throughout this month (over the next three weeks) if you wish to follow the whole story from start to finish. They also had a huge cast with the likes of Saskia Archer, Sophia Forrest (the daughter of Andrew Forrest), Claudia Jessie, William Lodder, Rachel Griffiths, Richard Roxburgh and Sean Keenan. 

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Grey’s Anatomy Season 21, Episode 1 “If Walls Could Talk”

by Admin

Grey’s Anatomy has returned with its 21st season. The longest medical drama in history just breaks ground on another round of medical crisis laced with emotional ruminations, hospital politics, and interpersonal drama. 

The premiere episode is directed by longtime guest player Debbie Allen. We pick up where the last season left off. Our anchor characters, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Bailey (Chandra Wilson), are out of their jobs at Grey Sloan Memorial after being sacked by Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) – Mer over her illegal research, Bailey after coming to her intern’s defense. 

With such massive changes in the hospital, the doctors must keep going. The premiere episode sees the usual retinue of dramatic patients: protester falling off the sky into the windshield of a car driven by a minor, an injured radical activist crawling through the vent to evade police. It’s just another day at Grey Sloan Memorial. 

No longer the chief at Grey Sloan, Bailey tries to play it cool and busy herself at her clinic, but she cannot help it when her former residents come calling for aid. Meanwhile, Mer is in legal trouble with Catherine for her unauthorized Alzheimer’s research. Jackson Avery (returning fan favorite Jesse Williams) comes back to mediate the situation, but by now we already know these ladies ain’t gonna make it easy. 

Things take a surprising turn when Meredith finds Catherine collapsed at her office. It turns out that she has a spinal tumor and warns Mer against telling Jackson and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr).

Soapy drama is always at the center of Grey’s Anatomy. And it continues to deliver exactly that for its loyal audiences. The novelty has worn off a long time ago (probably around the time they got Lexie Grey killed while trapped under an airplane), but the show consistently knows what audiences want from it. As usual, the hot blooded young interns serve up the relationship drama. This season, we have Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis) and Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane)’s budding romance, while Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd) faces uncertainty as Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) must make the choice between leaving or staying to repeat his first year. These storylines do not have quite the same bite as the heydays of MerDer or the Alex-Izzie-George love triangle, but they remain on brand: push and pull chemistry, denial, misdirection, sexual tension. 

At this point, Grey’s has an established playbook that people will latch on to for as long as possible. The banters remain heated, the music remains stirring, the scenario as loopy but heartwarmingly wrapped as always. It does feel same old, same old, but Grey’s Anatomy is an establishment now – people tune in out of habit. Those yearning for some spice might no longer be satiated, but as long as the formula sticks, it’s a comfort food that people keep coming back to.  

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Looking back at the debut of Doctor Odyssey on ABC starring Joshua Jackson, Phillipa Soo, Sean Teale & Don Johnson on a cruise ship

by Sports Benches

Following High Potential last week, Dr. Odyssey had their turn on the biggest stage as the next newest ABC drama to arrive earlier today. The next future ABC dramas will have to wait until sometime next year or in 12 months time depending on other series renewals since Will Trent & The Rookie will take over mid-season.

Now it’s been quite a long introduction from the start, but at least there was a bit of fun like that breakdancing scene & Joshua Jackson’s Max love interest with Phillipa Soo’s Avery right in between rescuing a bunch of patients around this cruise ship. Speaking of that breakdancing scene, didn’t know Rachel Dratch – who portrayed Rachel Gunn aka Raygun (Aussie Olympic breakdancer who competed in last month’s Paris 2024) on Jimmy Fallon’s late night talk show last month – was actually there as one of the guest stars in this pilot episode. 

But then she played in a totally different scene though as the wife of that patient whose husband got hit in the neck after she came off the slide at the pool. Glad he’s okay though thanks to Max & his small medical team as sure they had one hell of blast & will of course be back with more fun surprises on deck next time.

Other than that, things will have to take time with a couple more episodes before Season 1 is done (probably until the end of this year) where the feedback of this episode plot here has been mixed of both good and bad compared to High Potential’s debut which received lots of good reviews.

Remember this is a straight-to-series order thanks to the creators of 9-1-1’s Ryan Murphy following 9-1-1’s successful move to ABC during its shortened prime-time TV season earlier this year when most of 2023 were held up for the most part due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes & ABC thought Dr. Odyssey would be the perfect replacement for the departed Station 19.

Yes, episode 2 called “Singles Week” is set to spice things up next Thursday at 9pm but will this be enough though to warrant a Season 2 renewal? We shall wait and see as this is bit like a reality show but full of scripted cast and storylines with no host.

Other than that, it’s great to see Joshua back on-screen whose character is great against all odds. So does Sean Teale who shares a mix of humor and in-action rivalry alongside Jackson’s character as the third wheel (Tristan Silva) to both Jackson and Soo’s IT on-air couple with Don Johnson (Captain Robert Massey) getting to steer this cruise ship even in the toughest of circumstances.

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US’s version of the original hit Haut Potentiel Intellectuel French drama High Potential finally made it to ABC & Hulu last night with more episdoes to come on Tuesday nights

by Sports Benches

The US version of the original French hit crime-comedy drama Haut Potentiel Intellectuel has finally made it on the big ABC last night called High Potential when the series was first ordered 18 months ago and then the writers’ and actors’ strikes have put them on hold until the start of this 2024/25 TV season. But glad to hear the feedback turned out to be really good by their audience with little to no negativity so far across social media that should really translate into their season’s ratings success right from the word go ahead of episode 2 next Tuesday straight after Dancing With the Stars at 10pm ET/PT.

High Potential is led by Kaitlin Olson as Morgan Gillory alongside Daniel Sunjata as Adam Karadec (good to see US’s HPI put his first name on it rather than being just known as Karadec) including Javicia Leslie (Daphne), Judy Reyes (Selena) as well as Garret Dillahunt (Melon) & Taran Killam (Ludo Radovic) – such a strong cast to pull off likewise with the French show.

Some of the setting we saw there for the pilot episode does look like the one we first saw on social media from 18 months ago when ABC was putting them in pilot mode against several other dramas like Judgement, The Hurt Unit & even a Good Doctor spin-off called The Good Lawyer.

Although the pilot filming location was in Vancouver, Canada at the time before US’s HPI relocated its set to LA’s Fox Studios earlier this year since they’re allowed to film more episodes that covers season one (think it’s 10 episodes for fall). 

However, what we do really know is that US needs someone who can be like Morgan the mom of three & an unconventional crime solver from sweeping floors — and yet High Potential didn’t disappoint anyone so far along the way as we shall see how this ends up between now and the end of this year. 

We can also think HPI (first half season) and The Rookie (second half season) are going to be a great match to pass over the baton or even air alongside each other at some point that can power up some crime-solving fun on Tuesday nights if High Potential gets renewed for season 2 & The Rookie gets to stay on for a possible 8th season ahead of the 2025/26 season.

We can even see some comparisons there when it comes to pitting US’s HPI v The Mentalist (CBS) that ran from 2008-15, one of ABC’s former shows in Castle from 2009-16, Sherlock Holmes’s inspired Elementary (CBS) between 2012-19 & don’t forget Bones (FOX) too from 2005-17. All of those shows had great success that ran for a few great years before they ended things at the right time and no doubt High Potential can follow this path without any bad reason at all following their debut on-air pilot episode.

Congrats to the behind the scenes crew like Drew Goddard & its creators on the original HPI show on making this happen that wowed ABC management while it’s great seeing some actors/actresses back on TV after all this time when a few others from other failed pilots that didn’t make it had to move on as you never know what could happen in the TV business. If you want to give US’s HPI a shot then why not head over to Hulu & all you need is a subscription to start watching at any time. Sure the same will apply with Disney + (can’t find a release date there just yet) for those outside the US/Canada.

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Thoughts on 2023 ABC legal drama pilot Judgement ft. Sarah Shahi finally showed its concept art for its opening titles on IMDB

by Sports Benches

While both current ABC comedy pilots may have finished filming their respective pilot presentations in front of a studio audience over the last week or two, there’s some key concept art for the opening sequence/intro finally being shown into the world of IMDB a day or two ago for one of ABC’s failed drama pilots from early last year called Judgement. It was a legal drama being made by Joey Falco who ran the reboot of Charmed from 2018 with actress Sarah Shahi as the main cast leader of this project in the form of her character Mia Bahari. You can tell by the title sequence of Sarah wondering with her eyes wide open on top of backdrops through the town of Washington DC (fictional setting there as the pilot was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia) as well as a series of wording such as “In the Supreme Court of the United States” & “United States Court of America” before you can finally see such a killer logo towards the end there in the wording called Judgement. That’s all to tell by its cover as the full pilot show access is only limited to cast members and behind the scenes staff involved unfortunately, not even going to a certain studio building would help to watch this pilot in-person either unless you’re really lucky. It’s only appropriate when showing off a piece of work like a part of your resume/CV as if you continue to seek your next opportunity.

It would’ve been a great promo for the public to see as if Judgement did make it into a series order but then the writers and later actors’ strikes have delayed pretty much everything for most of last year from April to October-November. Even if there wasn’t any revolt from people working behind the scenes in the scripted TV business, Judgement wouldn’t be given an advantage anyway when trying to get ahead of others like The Good Lawyer (also eventually being overlooked because the Strikes held them up for far too long). Yes, I understand about the split timelines part but then it’s 100% just about Mia whose professional reputation was on the line after being nominated for a seat in the Supreme Court off the back of her poor personal and love life other than what she did 15 years ago (was last year in fictional terms to its present day 2038).

So having an excellent line-up of cast members featuring team leader Shahi wasn’t bad alongside the key production art where the ABC management gave them some good grades which was largely well received, it’s just the plot when applying it in a pilot presentation from a year-long development script and its planned storyboards was something they didn’t like and therefore, Judgement didn’t make it at the end of the day. Although Judgement was given the chance to being given a lifeline by other networks following its original rejection by ABC but then these lifelines very rarely succeed unlike this one here. It’s not easy to make TV by first writing your story idea via a script, work with them for a year to make changes in the hope of making this script suitable for TV if you’re lucky, then assemble a cast and a location to film for a certain period of time hoping for the best by sending a copy back upstairs before you can finally go all in for the big screen if accepted – that’s life for y’all.

The good news is that the so-called “Pilot Season” most likely a thing of the past where it’s a bit like a knockout contest during February-March ahead of its final selections for the networks to showcase its annual May upfronts but it seems filming pilots where some go and some being eliminated and then archived in a vault or even all go and all not go isn’t changing anytime soon for now except FOX who nearly relies on straight-to-series orders off development scripts. I guess networks would want to double check everything first depending on axed shows and how these pilots would best fit their audience if they do make it as this kind of method have worked best for them across Fall and Mid-Season cycles in recent years.

Other than that, you never know when you will be able to watch an episode of Judgement one day if you’re lucky but 99.9% impossible. Judgement was produced by 20th Television alongside its Disney subsidiary studio ABC Signature and The Detective Agency as you can see it for yourself online at anytime on the pilot’s IMDB page here. And if you’re a huge fan of watching past pilots that never made into TV, I recommend you follow The Media Garage on both YouTube and Patreon. The same goes with JQ’s YouTube Channel here where they had tons of closing credit clips from various unaired TV pilots.

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Thoughts on the ABC teaming up 9-1-1’s Ryan Murphy again in a brand new straight-to-series medical drama Dr. Odyssey with Joshua Jackson onboard for late 2024

by Sports Benches

ABC has just made a big call today and it’s going to be a brand new straight-to-series drama show being led by 9-1-1’s Ryan Murphy that will begin later this year alongside High Potential called Dr. Odyssey. If they need a new medical drama to fill in for the soon-to-be-finished The Good Doctor, it’s gotta be at the right place at the right time in none other than this show where 9-1-1 meets The Love Boat on a cruise ship. More details will come at a later date including filming dates with Joshua Jackson playing the main character (definitely Dr. Odyssey who relies on charms to get what he wants) and will also do a bit of behind the scenes work as an executive producer with Murphy under the Disney owned 20th Television studios umbrella.

Great to see 9-1-1 finding its strong ground at ABC after Season 7 began last Thursday, having been with FOX over the first couple of seasons and ABC going for a new medical show with someone (Murphy) who can craft all about medical/first responders stories well is simply excellent timing after a few unsuccessful medical pilots over the past few years such as Triage and The Hurt Unit. I can see this replacing the also soon-to-be-outgoing Station 19 fire drama soon enough and have it sandwiched between 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday nights or like for like in place of the Good Doctor on Tuesdays.

Let’s hope since there has been another restructure within the network executives upstairs over the past year, I’m sure they won’t make another reverse cancellation of these straight-to-series orders like it has been in the past & instead give these new ones like Dr. Odyssey a go. Now with two upcoming series order dramas & two new comedy pilots being lined up for Fall in September/October, we have yet to see any involvement from ABC Signature other than the guaranteed High Potential show regarding the choice of these next pilot orders (comedy and/or drama) with the main network but it will come sooner rather than later. For now, congratulations to Ryan Murphy and Joshua Jackson with the new medical drama show Dr. Odyssey.

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After the actors’ strike was finally over, CBS replaced The Late Late Show last week with a revival of @midnight while ABC just binned both The Rookie: Feds & The Good Lawyer

by Sports Benches

Glad that the actor’s strike is finally over after 118 days between July and this week as well as six months when it comes to the strikes as a whole that affected the writers from around April until the end of September. All late night and some daytime talk shows are up and running again, as well as seeing CBS finally replace The Late Late Show franchise last week for the 12.37am timeslot with a new version of @midnight called After Midnight after James Corden left also in April this year to return back to the UK where it might not be another talk show, but this time it’s going to be a panel game show that will target a young audience alongside a young comedian at the helm named Taylor Tomlinson based on the up-to-date events off the internet.

Now ABC today has finally made their decisions regarding the last two shows that have been hanging in the balance for months, such a possible Season 2 of the Rookie: Feds & a potential spin-off on The Good Lawyer following its backdoor pilot episode of the flagship The Good Doctor medical drama show back in March this year. Unfortunately, neither of them will be going forward since it’s almost the end of this year thanks to both strikes along with the end of comedy sitcom Home Economics who won’t be getting a 4th season not long after the writers’ strike has over. That means, the only new show from this year’s pilot intake that got a series order other than rescuing 9-1-1 from FOX was High Potential, a comedy-crime police drama adopted from France whose plot involving a mother of three who has extraordinary ability to solve crimes, will still go ahead but has since been pushed back to a year from now in order to get their returning scripted shows back on the air first ASAP through March 2024. If it wasn’t for the writer’s & actors’ strikes, A full season of The Good Lawyer would’ve been on the air by now last month or early March next year if both strikes did end sooner before October which sadly took a month longer than anticipated. Plus, while fans did enjoy watching the Rookie spin-off show (The Rookie: Feds) with sound ratings, they can only focus on the main show moving forward as there is no room for Season 2 with also unfortunate thanks from the strike.

While there is nothing ABC can do about this no matter how disappointed the usual TV fan is feeling at the moment, all they can now is honour their existing strike-proof commitments between now and February before all of their existing scripted programming can come back in life. Then we’ll wait and see which next batch of in-development projects will be up for a pilot screening come mid-2024 as I expect they will choose quality over quantity when it comes to picking up series orders. So scripted programming is here to stay but their library shelf won’t fill in that much since The Golden Bachelor for the elderly and the return of Dancing With the Stars on free-to-air (this time on Tuesday nights) has been their main headline acts since this prime-time TV season. Although I still haven’t heard much detail or official confirmation about the return of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition since June/July, but as it stands, it looks like The Home Edit duo of Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin will be hosting the show rather than Ty Pennington who hosted the original version on this network between 2004-2012.

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