ABC Announces Midseason 2021 Scripted Premieres; NBC Announces January and February 2021 Schedule

Monday, November 23, 2020

ABC Announces Midseason 2021 Scripted Premieres; NBC Announces January and February 2021 Schedule

ABC announced early 2021 premiere dates for new and returning scripted series, including the debut of the empty-nester multi-camera comedy series Call Your Mother, from creator Kari Lizer (The New Adventures of Old Christine). The new year will kick off with an all-new season of The Rookie on Sunday, Jan 3 at 10pm. The network's Wednesday night comedy block will see the addition of the new series Call Your Mother as black-ish returns to Tuesday nights. Starring Kyra Sedgwick in her multi-camera comedy debut, the series is set to premiere Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 9:30pm, alongside midseason returns of The Goldbergs, American Housewife and fellow multi-camera sitcom The Conners. On Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 9pm, black-ish returns, followed by the sophomore season premiere of mixed-ish and the mid-season continuation of the David E. Kelley drama Big Sky at 10pm. The Good Doctor returns from a holiday break on Monday, Jan. 11 at 10pm, followed by For Life on Wednesday, Jan. 20 10pm, and the continuation of Thursday staples Station 19, Grey's Anatomy and A Million Little Things on Thursday, March 4. Alternative series premiere dates were previously announced. Additional midseason premiere dates will be shared at a later time including new drama Rebel starring Katey Sagal and game show return of $100,000 Pyramid.

Mr. Mayor

NBC is starting the new year on a high note with the launch of the new Robert Carlock and Tina Fey-created and produced comedy Mr. Mayor, the time period premiere of new Canadian medical series Nurses and the season two return of critically acclaimed Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Starting Jan. 4, Mondays will be a night of fun and games in January and February with the season premieres of hit game shows Ellen's Game of Games (8-10pm) and The Wall at 10pm (moves to 9pm on Jan. 11). A week later on Jan. 11, Weakest Link and host Jane Lynch join the party for its midseason premiere at 10pm. The Voice and Manifest will likely return in March. Tuesdays starting Jan. 5 will mark the celebrated season two return of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist at 8pm for 6 weeks, starring Jane Levy as a whip-smart computer programmer who hears the innermost thoughts of people around her through songs. The series will kick off the night and lead into This Is Us at 9pm. Tuesdays will conclude with Nurses, the network's new Canadian medical drama acquisition will run thru end of February. New Amsterdam is likely returning in early March.

Wednesdays continue with Windy City favorites Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., all season long. Mr. Mayor, starring Ted Danson and Holly Hunter, will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 7 with two episodes at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET/PT before moving to its regular 8 p.m. timeslot on Jan. 14 with Superstore shifting to 8:30 p.m. From Emmy Award winners Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, Mr. Mayor follows a retired businessman (Danson) who runs for mayor of Los Angeles to prove he's "still got it." Once he wins, he has to figure out what he stands for, gain the respect of his biggest critic (Hunter) and connect with his teenage daughter, all while trying to get anything right for America's second weirdest city. Both comedies are set to run through mid-March, as other comedies March will likely premiere in mid-March (options of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Young Rock and Kenan). At 9pm will be Law & Order: SVU for the rest of the season. Dateline NBC will hold the 10pm slot through mid-March until likely Law & Order: Organized Crime premieres. The eighth season of The Blacklist will resume Jan. 22 at 8pm and run all season long, followed by two-hour Dateline NBC episodes. Saturdays will be encore performances of Ellen's Game of Games, followed by Dateline Saturday Mystery and SNL Vintage. And finally on Sundays after NFL ends, January and February will see repeats (of series such as Weakest Link, The Wall, and SVU) until after the Golden Globes on Feb. 28. Sunday line-up beginning in March will be announced at a later date.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.