The Good Lawyer, The Rookie: Feds and Home Economics still have their fate pending on ABC, and Deadline gave us some news to think about. Ready?
Here we go!
In any other year by now, we would already know the fate of ABC’s backdoor pilot The Good Lawyer, The Rookie: Feds, and Home Economics. But this year is not like any other. Due to the studios’ refusal to pay their writers and actors fairly, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have been forced into a strike that is unlikely to end anytime soon.
Thus, the fate of The Good Lawyer, The Rookie: Feds, and Home Economics is still in limbo. And the longer this situation lasts, the longer the shows’ odds of getting a pickup get. According to rules about the SAG-AFTRA strike, any cast hold period is extended for the duration of the work stoppage.
According to information from Deadline, ABC and leading The Good Lawyer studio Sony Pictures Television had another month on the pilot actors’ options when the SAG-AFTRA strike started July 14, that time will be added when the strike ends.
For its part, Home Economics cast’s options were extended for 60 days when they were up June 30 so the actors will be under options for another month and a half after the work stoppage comes to an end.
However, the situation for The Rookie: Feds is different. The options on the cast are not up until the end of October so ABC can make a decision as late as December. Maybe this stoppage time isn’t necessary, since the studio can make calls about these shows earlier, though.
As reported by Deadline, Labor Day is a threshold for the writers’ strike to end for the broadcast networks to air meaningful seasons of their original live-action drama series spanning 13 episodes, with premieres in February for established shows and March for newer ones.
ABC had planned to premiere The Good Lawyer in the spring, so if the WGA or both strikes stretch into October/November, the pilot is not likely to get a series order but it looks promising if a WGA-AMPTP deal is made before that, as reported by Deadline.
On the contrary, The Rookie: Feds and Home Economics have it somewhat more difficult because an early fall end of the WGA strike does improve both shows’ renewal chances, with Home Economics, being older and half-hour in length, said to have a bit more leeway how late in the fall it could restart production to make a spring Season 4 return.
ABC is still interested in all three shows creatively, which is why they haven’t made the decision yet, just not enough to pay their actors and writers what they deserve. We said what we said.
