ABC’s summer schedule: fluffier than cotton candy
ABC’s summer schedule gives new meaning to mindless. Which of these will you be staying home for? No, seriously, beyond “The Goode Family,” which? Anybody?
ABC announces its summer schedule, with the return of “The Bachelorette” on Monday, May 18; “Here Come the Newlyweds” on Monday, May 25; “Wipeout” on Wednesday, May 27; and “I Survived A Japanese Game Show” on Wednesday, July 8. Also premiering are three new series: animated comedy “The Goode Family” from Mike Judge, on Wednesday, May 27; “The Superstars,” based on the classic Wide World of Sports series, on Tuesday, June 23; and alternative series “Dating in the Dark” on Monday, July 20.
Following is a list of the upcoming programming in chronological order (all times ET):
THE BACHELORETTE – SPECIAL TWO-HOUR PREMIERE MONDAY, MAY 18 (9:00-11:00 p.m.), AND REGULAR TIME PERIOD PREMIERE MONDAY, MAY 25 (8:00-10:00 p.m.) – Jillian Harris, the intelligent, independent, passionate woman who fell just short of her goal – hoping that Jason Mesnick could be her best friend, soul mate and future husband on the just completed hit series of “The Bachelor” – will have her own opportunity to find true love, starring in the fifth edition of “The Bachelorette.” An instant fan favorite on “The Bachelor,” Jillian, 29, a restaurant interior designer, will get to choose from among a group of the country’s most eligible bachelors and is confident that she can find the love of her life on the series.
Hosted by Chris Harrison, “The Bachelorette” is produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton are the executive producers.
HERE COME THE NEWLYWEDS – PREMIERES MONDAY, MAY 25 (10:00-11:00 p.m.) — The one-hour romantic comedy alternative series returns for a second season with nine just-married couples competing for a life-changing cash prize to help kick-start their new lives together and realize their dreams. Hosted by comedian Pat Bullard, “Here Come the Newlyweds” is all about relationships, the differences between men and women and the universal issues that every couple must face. In this eight-episode series, each couple faces a variety of mental and physical challenges that will test the love and passion they have for one another, as well as their competitive spirit. At the end of each episode, the field will be narrowed as the newlyweds vote to send one couple home. The stakes get higher as the potential nest egg grows, until one couple ultimately wins the grand prize.
WIPEOUT – PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) – Bigger, better, wilder than ever! ABC’s hit series “Wipeout,” the No. 1-rated summer series across all networks, returns for Season Two as wide-eyed and energized contestants compete in the world’s largest extreme obstacle course, providing the biggest spills and best wipeouts ever seen on television. The Qualifier boasts amazing new obstacles, including Plank in the Face, Hurtles and Gyro Sweeper. Brace yourself in the all new Wipeout Zone with the Catapult, Gears of Doom and more high stakes challenges. And the fan favorite obstacle – the Big Balls – will return, but with a twist: “The Motivator,” a massive anvil, sneaks up on contestants propelling then onto the Big Balls if they hesitate. Each week, 24 daring new contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes go head to head through four rounds of demanding but hilarious obstacle courses to win the title of “Wipeout Champion” and the $50,000 grand prize. In the end, only one contestant will win, while everyone else will Wipeout!
THE GOODE FAMILY – PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 (9:00-9:30 p.m.) – “The Goode Family” is a new animated series from Mike Judge (“King of the Hill,” “Beavis and Butt-head,” “Office Space”), John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky (“King of the Hill,” “Blades of Glory”). With standards always changing, no matter how hard you try to be good, it’s virtually impossible these days . . . especially for the Goode family. Meet Gerald and Helen Goode, a couple who live by the motto WWAGD (“What Would Al Gore Do?”). Gerald, a college administrator, and Helen, a community activist, are determined to obliterate their carbon footprint on the planet: They’re zealous vegans, drive a hybrid, and recycle everything possible. Even the family dog, Che, is vegan. In the words of Helen, all the Goodes want to do is buy organic apples and call minorities by their right names. But despite their best efforts, something always goes haywire with their politically correct plans. “The Goode Family” is voiced by Mike Judge as Gerald, Nancy Carell as Helen, Dave Herman as Ubuntu, Linda Cardellini as Bliss and Brian Doyle Murray as Charlie.
THE SUPERSTARS – PREMIERES TUESDAY, JUNE 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) — “The Superstars,” a fresh take on an old favorite, is based on ABC’s classic “Wide World of Sports” series, “The Superstars,” which pitted athletes from all different sports against each other to determine the best athlete in the world. Eight celebrities are paired with eight professional male and female athletes to compete against each other in varying sporting events. Each week a team will be eliminated until one team is ultimately crowned the winner. Competitors’ athletic prowess will be put to the test with events including swimming, biking, running and kayaking, in addition to other head-to-head athletic challenges that will test strength, speed, stamina, agility, as well as an element of strategy. The six-episode series will be shot entirely on location at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.
I SURVIVED A JAPANESE GAME SHOW – PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) – Going into its second season, “I Survived A Japanese Game Show” is an unscripted reality/game show — actually a show within a show – that takes an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at 12 Americans who are whisked away to Japan to compete in the ultimate Japanese game show. The results are sure to be hilarious, as this season will be even bigger and funnier than the last. The final winner will take home $250,000. Returning will be the witty game show host Rome Kanda (“Pink Panther,” “Saturday Night Live”), who leads the contestants through all of the zany challenges; Mamasan, a house mother and resident pot stirrer; and Judge Bob, the rarely dynamic but always entertaining referee of the games.
DATING IN THE DARK – PREMIERES MONDAY, JULY 20 (10:00-11:00 p.m.) – “Dating in the Dark” is a unique alternative series that asks the age-old question, “Is Love Blind?” Each week, three single men and three single women, all looking for love, will move into a house together, but be totally sequestered from the opposite sex. While they will have no chance of seeing each other in the light, they will have the opportunity to date in a completely dark room. Looks will be taken out of the equation as the men and women get to know each other and form bonds in total darkness. After several days of dating in the darkroom, the participants will select the one member of the opposite sex that they want to see revealed in the light. For the first time, the participants will see whom they’ve been dating, wooing, kissing, snuggling with and forming bonds with. And after they see each other in the light for the first time, they have to make the difficult decision…do they stay with the person they fell for in the dark, or leave them behind? Hosted by Rossi Moreale (“Can You Duet?,” “Temptation”).


It seems ABC has forced me to take back my previous post about how TV is better now than it was in the 70’s. Not shocking that it was ABC that was the worst offender in the 70’s. Battle of the Network Stars anyone? But, I will check out the Goode Family. That sounds like it could be brilliant. Tweeking the noses of “do gooders” is always good for a laugh. It sounds like it could be based on any number of families in U. City.
None of those listed will tear me away from:
1. playing golf
2. sitting on my porch, listening to the crickets
3. READING
right when I thought it couldn’t get any dumber on television these days, I was wrong…they canceled shows with brains for this kind of fluff junk…..when will the programmers grow a pair and schedule something with any writing, plots and all the other factors that makes television the media that people want to watch…their initials say it all Awful Boring and Childish programing…of course this is the slop people want…as for me, I will avoid them and go back to my DSL programming….maybe not the best things but better than this rubbish…..I have watched television since it came into being….it can be a great media when it is right and total rubbish when its bad….too bad this is the bad now……not just them but the other channels are just as bad at times….
It’s hillarious stupid how the three major networks think, They claim that no one wants to watch TV in the summer or the weekends so they put junk on which no one will watch, which inturn makes the networks put even worse junk on then before, a vicious circle their stupid greedy executives created.
This kind of schedule makes it very easy to watch the Cardinals every night.
I will also check out “The Goode Family” I love King of the Hill and very disappointed that FOX decided to axe it after 13 seasons and keep stuff like Family Guy and American Dad on the lineup-it goes to show they are aiming to keep their teenage audience share alive on Sunday night.
The plot is interesting and if Judge does a great job with developing his characters, then The Goode Family may satisfy my fix for a smart, relevanr animated comedy with no vomit scenes, racism or fart jokes (ala Family Guy).
Whoops, my bad: I meant to say relevant.