Will ABC Add Disney+ Shows To Its Lineup?
As ABC prepares for a fall season of television without scripted programming, the network released its “strike-proof” schedule.
This autumn, in lieu of popular scripted series such as The Rookie, The Good Doctor, or Grey’s Anatomy, viewers will be tuning in for a slew of game shows and reality shows.
This, of course, is all due to the ongoing WGA strike, which has shut down production throughout all of Hollywood.
While it will come as no surprise then that ABC is leaning into un-scripted options, what is interesting is what the network has chosen not to utilize — Disney’s vast streaming library.
Photo: Variety
Should ABC Lean Into Disney+?
One option that ABC had to replace its usual lineup, was to dip into the Disney vault and broadcast some of Disney+’s most popular shows.
Specifically, many insiders had questioned whether or not ABC would bring Marvel and Star Wars to broadcast television. Shows like Loki, WandaVision, and The Mandalorian have proven to be big hits on streaming and would certainly find an audience on network television.
Source: Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
According to Ari Goldman, Senior VP of Content Strategy & Scheduling at ABC Entertainment, however, bringing streaming shows to the network was a possibility.
“Certainly, we had conversations — and we’ll continue to have conversations about the Disney portfolio,” Goldman said.
Photo: Justin Lubin/Lucasfilm Ltd.
“Not Designed For Broadcast”
With that being said, moving shows from Disney+ to ABC is easier said than done, especially due to the programs’ fluctuating run times. WandaVision, for example, has episodes that run anywhere from 31 to 51 minutes.
“From a scheduling standpoint,” Goldman explained, “there are things we have to work through.”
Source: syfy.com
According to Goldman, the biggest issue is “the formats of these shows that are not designed for broadcast.”
While an elongated strike could lead ABC to change their mind, for now, at least, it doesn’t appear as if Grogu and Loki will be joining ABC’s primetime lineup anytime soon.
Photo: Star Wars
“We have a certain duration we have to fit to and accommodate our ad load,” Goldman said. There also can be “standards and practices concerns that we have to address.”
“Everything and anything is on the table. But I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Richard Drew, File
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