Abc

Kenya Barris, the creator of the ABC sitcom “Black-ish,” is rumored to be the “next prolific producer to move from the broadcast studio system to Netflix,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. If that bears out, he will be following in the footsteps of both Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, who both recently signed multi-million dollar deals with the streaming network.Barris might have some good reasons to get out of his deal with ABC Studios. More on that in a moment.What I want to focus on is what gets lost when executive producers — like Barris, like Rhimes, like Murphy — who have specifically focused on bringing diversity to their shows, both on camera and off, move from broadcast television (free if you access it with an antenna) to a subscription streaming service.Broadcast TV is available to everyone, regardless of income. Enough people still watch — millions actually — that this feels important. And when shows are only available … [Read more...] about The potential downside as rumors mount that ‘Black-ish’ creator may leave ABC

I will happily watch the actor Steve Zahn ("That Thing You Do," "Treme") in just about anything. I have had cause to regret this willingness in the past — never because of the actor, who sits easily on the screen — but not in the case of "The Crossing," which debuts April 2 on ABC. It is watchable, even diverting television; but it is definitely good Zahn.(The pilot has also been playing online since March 20, suggesting an attempt to build an audience ahead of the reviews.)Hundreds of bodies, 47 of them alive, wash up on a strip of beach in the vicinity of an Oregon fishing village, with no crashed airliner or sunken freighter to account for their presence. Zahn plays the sheriff, Jude Ellis — it’s nice to see him in a central, solid, essentially heroic role, not a spot he usually lands — and, naturally enough, he gets involved.Also, naturally enough, his involvement is curtailed by a higher authority in the person of Sandrine Holt's Homeland Security … [Read more...] about ‘The Crossing’ on ABC: The refugees are coming, but from when?

ABC has wasted no time securing a second season of its “new” hit comedy.The broadcaster announced Friday that it has renewed “Roseanne” for what it’s calling the show’s 11th season. The move comes just three days after the multi-cam revival starring Roseanne Barr debuted to massive ratings that shocked the industry and observers and drove national news.“We’re thrilled that America has welcomed the Conner family back into their homes,” ABC president Channing Dungey. “The show is as fresh and relevant today as it was when it left the air 21 years ago. We can’t wait to see what the ‘Roseanne’ team has in store for next year.”Returning to TV this week 21 years after ending its initial nine-season run on ABC, “Roseanne” averaged a 5.1 rating and 18.2 million viewers over an hour with back-to-back episodes. Those numbers out-distanced the ratings for the original season series finale in 1997.They … [Read more...] about ABC renews ‘Roseanne’ for another season