ABC is filling the holes on its primetime schedule by moving up its typical June summer unscripted fare to a late May debut.
The Disney-owned broadcast network on Tuesday announced that its annual "Summer Fun & Games" lineup would return in late May — earlier than last year's traditional June rollout. Holey Moley, To Tell The Truth, Celebrity Family Feud, Press Your Luck and Match Game will all return in May, while the seventh and final season of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD will debut next month, as well. Additionally, the network announced a new ABC News-produced series, The Genetic Detective, that will also launch in May.
ABC, like other broadcast networks, was left in a bind when the novel coronavirus crisis shut down production on a number of scripted and unscripted programs. That cut short a number of spring shows that would spill into summer and limited the number of programs that could be produced during the Safer at Home climate.
Utilizing summer fare earlier is but one of many strategies that broadcast networks are considering to help fill the void of episodes of flagship series — like Grey's Anatomy, for example — that were not able to wrap up their seasons.
Here's a full list of premiere dates and new time slots as ABC adjusts its primetime schedule to fill in the holes:
Thursday, April 30
8-9 p.m.: Who Wants to be a Millionaire (new time slot)
Tuesday, May 19
10-11 p.m.: The Genetic Detective
Thursday, May 21
9-10 p.m.: Holey Moley
10-11 p.m.: To Tell the Truth
Wednesday, May 27
10-11 p.m.: Agents of SHIELD
Sunday, May 31
8-9 p.m.: Celebrity Family Feud
9-10 p.m.: Press Your Luck
10-11 p.m.: Match Game
Thursday, June 11
8-9 p.m.: Holey Moley (new time slot)
