Sci Fi TV Network Scorecard: ABC

Network Scorecard: Scoring the networks based on their history of airing and supporting sci fi and fantasy television shows.

Network Overview

ABC is one of the oldest broadcast networks, having first started broadcasting over the television airwaves in 1948. Over the years, it has aired some notable sci fi TV shows including Space Patrol, The Six Million Dollar Man, the original Battlestar: Galactica, Lost, Agents of SHIELD, and more. The network is now owned by Disney, with that company influencing much of the programming on the network these days. After Lost became a huge hit for ABC, the network was more receptive to sci fi and fantasy shows, though often ones that tried to replicate the same formula. Over the past ten years, the network has been willing to greenlight genre entries, even taking some chances, but the ones without notable connections to other Disney properties have not had much success.

What Type of Sci Fi Shows Does the Network Air?

Unlike the other broadcast networks, ABC has not been as focused on forcing its genre entries into Prime Time-friendly formats. The procedural formula has been less common among sci fi and fantasy shows on ABC over the past ten seasons, with only Forever fully fitting into that category. And the two comedies it tried–The Neighbors and Galavant–were anything but your standard sitcoms. Of course, the formula most commonly found among the network’s genre entries is the Lost-style mystery, though typically lacking the edginess of that hit series. Shows like The River, Resurrection, Emergence, and Zero Hour all fall into that category. And of course, there are the Disney tie-ins. Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, and Inhumans are all linked to the MCU. And shows like Once Upon a Time and Galavant definitely incorporate common Disney themes and/or characters. So for the most part, you can expect shows that tie back to other properties from the Mouse House or that attempt to be the next Lost breakout.

How Quick is the Network to Cancel Sci Fi Shows?

Most in the sci fi community believe that the broadcast networks are more likely to cancel sci fi shows than other scripted programming. And while the numbers do not always support that, the fact is that ABC has been quicker to give the ax to genre shows over the past ten years. Of the new sci fi and fantasy shows that have premiered since the 2011-12 season, 67% have been cancelled after one year with an additional 22% getting yanked by their second season. Only 11% (two total shows) have lasted for four seasons or longer (Agents of SHIELD and Once Upon A Time, both tied to Disney properties). Those numbers are definitely lower than the 59% cancellation rate of all scripted shows during the same time period after one season and 18% after two. In general, 17% of the network’s new shows have lasted for four seasons or longer. ABC has been less willing to greenlight genre entries over the last few seasons, and if you look at the cancellation rate of new sci fi/fantasy shows going back to the 2016-17 season, it is 100% (Time After Time, The Crossing, Inhumans, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, and Emergence).  [Note: The numbers below have been updated from the original post to include the Summer series The Whispers.]

ABC New Scripted Programming 2011-12 Season thru 2020-21 Season

Network Score

I give ABC a score of 1 ½ on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). It has been willing to greenlight sci fi and fantasy shows over the past ten-plus years and it was considering adding a couple for the upcoming season with one I believe to still be in contention. But the network has been shying away from genre entries of late for the most part, and, as mentioned above, they have cancelled every new one that has premiered since the 2016-17 season. I expect few sci fi TV shows from this network going forward as MCU or other Disney-related projects will likely get pushed to the Disney+ and/or Hulu streaming platforms. And based on recent history, any new genre show that does land on ABC does not have a good chance of surviving.

Sci Fi/Fantasy Shows Over the Past Ten Years

This is a list of the sci fi and fantasy shows that have debuted on ABC since the 2011-12 season sorted by how many seasons they lasted. Note that the network is not currently carrying any genre entries over to the upcoming 2021-22 season because it did not have any on the schedule in the 2020-21 season.

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