ABC revives Muppets, okays Rhimes drama

ABC kicked off the 2015-16 Upfronts week by ordering six dramas and three comedies, including a Muppets revival.

The network also renewed 22 primetime series, and cancelled four others.

The Muppets show is being billed as an aged-up documentary-style series in which the puppet characters’ lives are explored in detail.

The comedy comes from Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory) and Bob Kushell (3^rd Rock From the Sun) and has ABC Studios attached.

The other comedies are medical laugher Dr. Ken, which comes from Sony Pictures Television, ABC Studios and Davis Entertainment; and ABC Studios’ The Real O’Neals, which follows a family whose life is turned upside down when the youngest son comes out as gay.

On the drama front, ABC has handed Shonda Rhimes her fourth scripted show on the Alphabet Network in the shape of The Catch. The Shondaland-produced show is based around a female forensic accountant whoexposes fraud for a living.

Jenna Bans (Scandal) is behind The Family, which comes from ABC Studios and Mandeville Television. It follows a politician whose son comes back from the dead and the mailman accused of killing him.

There is also biblical-themed Of Kings and Prophets, another ABC Studios series that stars Ray Winstone as a weary monarch; and Wicked City (fka L.A. Crime), an anthology series that follows criminal cases from Tinseltown. ABC Studios produces.

Rounding off the slate is FBI drama Quantico, another ABC Studios show, which comes from Gossip Girl’s Josh Safran; and an unnamed drama (fka Boom) from Josh Pate and Rodes Fishburne from Disney-ABC cable production arm ABC Signature. It is set around a huge oil discovery and is being billed as a ‘modern day Western’.

Renewals come in the shape of Castle, Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Nashville, Once Upon a Time, Scandal, American Crime, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor, Shark Tank, Beyond the Tank, Agent Carter, Modern Family, Galavant, The Middle, The Goldbergs, Fresh Off the Boat, Blackish and Secrets and Lies.

New season scripted shows Cristela and Forever have been cancelled along with returners Resurrection and The Taste.