ABC Explains Why 'The Mandalorian,' 'Loki' and More Disney+ Shows Won't Join the Schedule
ABC's "strike-proof" fall schedule is jam-packed with game shows and reality series, with the only scripted shows being repeats of Abbott Elementary. The network does not plan to air Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Loki, or any other Disney+ series to fill up air time. ABC executive Ari Goldman explained why that was, pointing out that broadcast and streaming are still very different beasts.
Goldman, ABC Entertainment's Senior VP of content strategy and scheduling, told The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 podcast that it would be difficult to plan any Disney+ series when ABC is working with strict 30- and 60-minute blocks. "From a scheduling standpoint... there are things we have to work through," Goldman said, via TVLine. "The formats of these shows that are not designed for broadcast."
The issue is that Disney+ shows are not planned or edited for broadcast, where programs have to worry about ads. The Mandalorian has episodes as short as 33 minutes long, with some as long as 59 minutes. WandaVision had episodes ranging between 31 and 51 minutes long. Within those blocks, someone at ABC would have to figure out where to put the commercials and how to squeeze them into the timeslots. A typical 60-minute block might have 41 minutes of showtime. If you want to get a 59-minute Mandalorian episode on air, you might need to use a 90-minute block.
"We have a certain duration we have to fit to and accommodate our ad load," Goldman explained. He also added that there could be "standards and practices concerns" to address. Sure, Disney+ shows aren't as gory or filled with curses as Netflix series, but there is still some stuff in Marvel and Star Wars shows that might not be easy to air in primetime. (Disney did air an episode of The Mandalorian back in February, as well as episodes of Andor around Thanksgiving.)
Goldman noted that "everything and anything" is still on the table if the Writers Guild of America's strike goes on, but he doesn't think the situation is there yet. He also pointed out that viewers love the reality shows ABC has scheduled for the fall. Dancing With the Stars will be back after a one-season experiment on Disney+, while fans of The Bachelor will have The Golden Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise to watch. Celebrity editions of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune will also hold down the fort at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. ABC also set aside a three-hour block on Sunday nights for Disney movies.
"The alternative shows we're airing this fall are [successful] linear performers," Goldman explained. "The ABC audience, they love these game shows. They watch Wheel and Jeopardy! every night [during drive time], so I think we should acknowledge there is a wide swath of older-skewing viewers who do love exactly the product we're putting forth. That said, we'll see what happens."
The WGA began a strike on May 2 after it and the studios were unable to reach a new contract. One of the union's major demands includes a pay increase and ensuring compensation throughout the production of shows and movies to ensure writers are paid a living wage. Writers are also demanding better residuals from streaming programs. Since the strike seems likely to last into the summer, when writers would usually begin work on scripted shows for the fall, ABC put together a schedule made entirely of game shows and reality competitions to prepare.