GLAAD 5/18/2015 By Megan Townsend, GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Strategist
Last week, the five broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX, and NBC) held their annual upfronts event to present their upcoming fall and midseason lineups to press and advertisers. During this week the networks also reveal which of their series will be renewed for new seasons or cancelled. While broadcast will be losing several LGBT-inclusive shows, they’ve also renewed a good number of inclusive series and ordered some exciting new content as well.
Check back this fall for GLAAD’s full Where We Are on TV report analyzing the overall diversity of primetime scripted series regulars on broadcast networks and looking at the number of LGBT characters on cable networks for the upcoming 2015-2016 TV season.
While there isn’t a lot of information out yet – particularly about series with large ensemble casts – we do know of a handful of new LGBT-inclusive series coming to broadcast in the fall or midseason schedules.
ABC has ordered a new comedy series, The Real O’Neals, to premiere in midseason. The series, which is loosely based on the life of Dan Savage, follows a seemingly perfect Catholic family whose lives take an unexpected turn when middle son Kenny comes out. The rest of the family reveal their own surprising secrets and the honesty inspires the family to stop pretending to be perfect and start being real with each other. The new drama Quantico, airing Tuesdays at 10 on ABC, follows a group of recruits going through training at the FBI’S Quantico base when one of them is suspected of being the mastermind behind a devastating terrorist attack on American soil. The group includes FBI trainee Simon who is seen kissing his boyfriend in the series trailer. Check out the trailers for The Real O’Neals and Quantico below.
The CW has ordered a new superhero show, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, from out executive producer Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash, CBS’ upcoming Supergirl, NBC’s upcoming Blindspot) to the network’s midseason schedule. Legends of Tomorrow will see Caity Lotz return as Sara Lance, a bisexual character who died on Arrow, but is now the “White Canary” after having been resurrected through the mythical Lazarus Pits. White Canary will team up with several other heroes to defeat an immortal threat, and perhaps reunite with her former love Nyssa. Legends will also feature out actors Victor Garber and Wentworth Miller in regular roles. Check out the trailer below.
FOX has ordered two new LGBT-inclusive series for the fall; the half-hour comedy Grandfathered (Tuesdays, 8pm) and Miami-based procedural Rosewood (Wednesdays, 8pm). Grandfathered stars John Stamos as the ultimate bachelor and a successful restaurateur who suddenly finds himself going from single to father and grandfather in one fell swoop. Kelly Jenrette stars as his lesbian assistant restaurant manager Annelise. Rosewood follows brilliant private pathologist Dr. Beaumont Rosewood (Morris Chestnut) who does for-hire autopsies to find what the police miss. Rosewood’s sister Pippy (Gabrielle Dennis) is the “toxicology queen” of the practice and her fiancé Tara Milly Izikoff (Anna Konkle) works for the practice as a DNA specialist.
NBC has announced that the long-awaited Neil Patrick Harris variety show Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris will air live on Tuesdays at 10 starting in the fall and wrapping in November. The series will combine comedy, music, and game show elements.
Several LGBT-inclusive series were also renewed for new seasons. On ABC, the sitcoms Modern Family and The Middle will return, and reality series Dancing with the Stars will be back for a new season with the out judge Bruno Tonioli. The “Thank God It’s Thursday” block has all been renewed: Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal will return for their twelfth and fifth season respectively, and How to Get Away with Murder (which recently took home the GLAAD Media Award in Outstanding Drama Series) is returning for a second season. Country music drama Nashville was also renewed for a fourth season, and the most recent season finale included aspiring star Will finally coming out publicly. Canadian police drama Rookie Blue‘s fifth season will premiere this summer.
On CBS, Person of Interest was renewed for a new truncated season, while the third season of the supernatural drama Under the Dome, which includes a lesbian attorney, will premiere June 25. The CW picked up new seasons of The 100, Arrow, The Flash, Jane the Virgin, and The Originals. Cycle 22 of America’s Next Top Model will return August 5.
FOX ordered new seasons of Empire, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bones, Gotham, New Girl, and The Simpsons. NBC has renewed reality series The Biggest Loser and the Jane Lynch-hosted Hollywood Game Night, as well as scripted series The Mysteries of Laura and The Night Shift. NBC has also renewed the comedy Undateable, but the third season will be aired entirely live. Hannibal‘s third season will premiere next month.
In less happy news, broadcast is losing several LGBT-inclusive series. ABC’s Revenge, which boasted one of TV’s few bisexual male characters in fan favorite Nolan Ross, wrapped its fourth and final season this month. ABC also officially cancelled the sitcom Manhattan Love Story which featured a recurring gay character, Tucker. The CW officially cancelled Hart of Dixie with this month’s fourth season finale serving as the series finale. CBS axed the LGBT-inclusive comedies The Millers and The McCarthys.
Glee‘s final season wrapped up on Fox in March and it was announced that The Following‘s current season will be its last. The network has also cancelled freshman comedies Backstrom, Mulaney, and Weird Loners, as well as freshman drama Red Band Society. Fox also cancelled The Mindy Project which has included lesbian and gay recurring characters, but Hulu picked up the series and ordered a 26-episode new season. NBC cancelled their LGBT-inclusive freshman comedies Marry Me and One Big Happy, and drama Parenthood‘s final season wrapped in January.
Don’t forget to check back with GLAAD this fall when we release our full Where We Are on TV report analyzing the overall diversity of primetime scripted series regulars on broadcast networks and looking at the number of LGBT characters on cable networks for the upcoming 2015-2016 TV season.
Let us know: what are you going to be tuning in to this fall?
http://www.glaad.org/blog/upfronts-2015-see-what-lgbt-inclusive-shows-are-coming-broadcast-tv