ABC Renews a Pair of Dramas Amid Cancellation Influx

ABC fans will be pleased to hear that the scripted shows they were looking forward to are returning. The network has renewed two dramas and three comedies for the 2022-2023 season: A Million Little Things, Big Sky, The Conners, Home Economics, and The Wonder Years.

These series join the previously-renewed ABC scripted dramas, including The Goldbergs, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, Abbott Elementary, The Good Docter, and The Rookie. Queens and Promised Land (which ended its run on Hulu) were canceled, while black-ish ended after Season 8.

Before this announcement, the network had renewed five unscripted series for additional seasons: America’s Funniest Home Videos, American Idol, The Bachelor, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, and Shark Tank. Card Sharks, Celebrity Dating Game, The Hustler, and Match Game were canceled. ABC also announced that Dancing With the Stars would move to Disney+ for Season 31 and 32.

The Wonder Years was recently in the news after Fred Savage was fired from his role as executive producer and director for the show after the conclusion of an investigation into “inappropriate conduct.” Disney investigated multiple complaints about the child actor and successful TV director and, on May 6, decided to let him go.

Based on the original 1988 series starring Savage, the new show follows a black family in Montgomery, Alabama, during the 1960s.”Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of The Wonder Years,” 20th Century television told Deadline. 

The outlet added that while the nature of the allegations against Savage hasn’t been made public, reports indicated “verbal outbursts” and “inappropriate behavior” as the frequent causes. Page Six reported on May 13 that sources close to Savage told the outlet that he is “committed to reflecting on any wrongdoing.” They added, “Fred has really taken this issue very seriously and is doing a lot of self-reflection about how he could and should have handled different circumstances better.”

According to the source, 45-year-old Savage “knows he can be an a-hole at times,” adding, “There are some unresolved issues that Fred wants to deal with.” The source affirmed that Savage had received “overwhelming support” from colleagues and friends on the Wonder Years production. The source also said that Savage’s wife, Jennifer Lynn Stone, with whom he has three children, has “fully supported” him throughout this controversy.