ABC’s fall start will sprawl over four weeks

It will be an early start for ABC shows this fall. Or a late one.
Coming early are football; “Dancing With the Stars,” with a two-night opener Sept. 14-15; and “R.J. Decker” (shown here), Sept. 15.
But “Grey’s Anatomy,” as usual, will be late; it starts Oct. 15, alongside the “9-1-1” shows. Much later will be a wave of shows waiting for mid-season, led by “High Potential,” “Will Trent” and “Shifting Gears.”
The complicated ABC start, spread over a month, contrasts with the one Fox announced: Fox plans to start everything during one week, Sept. 21-27.
But the two networks do have one thing in common: They’ll start the season with zero new shows. ABC is planning spin-offs of “The Rookie” and “Grey’s Anatomy”; like Fox’s new shows, they’ll wait for mid-season.
The ABC plan:
— Mondays: Pro football most weeks, starting Sept. 14 with the Broncos and Chiefs. That’s also on ESPN.
— Tuesdays: “Dancing With the Stars” (also on Disney+), 8 p.m., and”R.J. Decker,” 10; both start Sept. 15.
— Wednesdays: On Sept. 16, there’s a second night of the “Dancing With the Stars” opener. Two weeks later, on Sept. 30, “Scrubs” opens with episodes at 8 and 8:30, then “Shark Tank” at 9 and 10. On Oct. 7, the regular schedule begins — “Scrubs,” 8 p.m.; “Abbott Elementary,” 8:30; “Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (continuing from summer), 9; “Shark Tank,” 10.
— Thursdays: “9-1-1,” 8 p.m., “9-1-1: Nashville,” 9; “Grey’s Anatomy,” 10; all start Oct. 15.
— Fridays: “20/20,” 9-11 p.m., starts Sept. 25; a week later, on Oct. 2, “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” starts in the 8 p.m. slot.
— Saturdays: College football starts Aug. 29, with Howard and Alabama A&M.
— Sundays: “America’s Funniest Home Videos” has a two-episode opener on Sept. 27, followed by “Wonderful World of Disney” movies, starting with “Inside Out 2.”
— Mid-season: Five dramas — “Will Trent,” “The Rookie,” “High Potential” and the new spin-offs — plus a comedy, “Shifting Gears.” Also, “Celebrity Jeopardy” (originally set for fall, then delayed) and “The Bachelor.”