Good news: ABC gets “Only Murders” reruns

In this fractured season, there’s good news for people who still watch broadcast networks:
“Only Murders in the Building” (shown here) – Hulu’s much-praised, Emmy-nominated comedy-mystery series – is coming to ABC. Its first season will run from 9-11 p.m. Tuesdays, starting in January.
That’s part of the patch-up phase, as ABC waits for its post-strike shows to be ready.
The network has been plugging Tuesdays with “Dancing With the Stars.” After the “Stars” finale (Dec.. 5), it has seasonal shows, including a couple two-hour nights of “The Great Christmas Light Fights.” On Feb. 21, an all-drama line-up begin, with “Will Trent,” “The Rookie” and “The Good Doctor.”
In between is the spot for “Only Murders,” from Hulu (which, like ABC, is owned by Disney). Most episodes are fairly short, so three of them will generally be squeezed into a two-hour slot.
The show centers on an old Manhattan apartment building, filled with eccentrics. Steve Martin plays an actor who had one success, as a TV detective; Martin Short plays a theater director with few successes. They have little in common except proximity, age, ego and a love of true-crime podcasts.
That’s when a murder in their building introduces them to a young woman (Selena Gomez, shown here), temporarily in a relative’s apartment. The three people launch a podcast.
In its first two seasons, “Only Murders” totaled 28 Emmy nominations. There were three wins in the first season — for the sets, the sound-mixing and guest star Nathan Lane. The second-season results arrive Jan. 15; the third season will be eligible next year and a fourth has been ordered.
Each of the first two seasons drew a nomination for best comedy series, for Short as best actor and for a script. In the first season, Martin had two nominations – best actor and as co-writer of a script.
In addition to Lane, the first season included guest roles for otherstars, including Tina Fey, Amy Ryan, Sting (as a fictional version of himself), Jimmy Fallon, Cara Delevingne and Roy Wood Jr.