ABC at TCA: Executive Session Live-Blog

Paul Lee is about the hit the Press Tour stage to talk about all things ABC. Keep refreshing to find out the latest of what he has to say about the state of the network…

9:46 AM: We are treated to a special Jimmy Kimmel version of Celeb Read Mean Tweets. Lee reads some tweets about himself/his shows, and celebs like Kelly Ripa, Emily Van Camp, Eric Stonestreet and more read tweets about themselves.

9:49 AM: MIND GAMES will now premiere on February 25th.

9:52 AM: Speaking of the fall launch, Lee is very confident SHIELD and THE GOLDBERGS will be around on the network for a long time to come. He notes THE GOLDBERGS popped wherever they put it over the hiatus.

9:54 AM: We’re getting a look at RISING STAR…the sizzle reel is…um, odd.

9:58 AM: Now, time for questions. Lee says they’re pleased that DWTS worked on one night. No word yet on Maks’ involvement next season, though.

9:59 AM: Lee says the plan (for now) for the wholly viewer-voted reality show RISING STAR is that viewers on the west coast will get to stream performances through an app and vote that way, but won’t be able to see the full show until it airs on the west coast.

10:00 AM: Lee says they’re doing a lot to make sure people can watch THE NEIGHBORS over the next six months. They wish it was doing better.

10:03 AM: On LUCKY 7’s failure, Lee says they might have done better if they had aired it at 8 PM.

10:05 AM: Lee says that “gap programming” (AKA the shows that are airing while some of the shows are on a midseason hiatus) needs to do better than a repeat would have done.

10:07 AM: “That bodes really well for our ability to expand [comedy nights],” Lee says of THE GOLDBERGS’ success and leaving TROPHY WIFE there, versus putting either/both on Wednesday night with the comedy block.

10:09 AM: “KILLER WOMEN we’re ending slightly early because we want to give a launch to MIND GAMES,” but they will air KILLER WOMEN up until MIND GAMES’ new 2/25 premiere.

10:10 AM: “I think the reality is it matters, but it doesn’t matter the way it did in the ’80s,” Lee says of compatible lead-ins.

10:11 AM: “We put SUBURGATORY back there, we love SUBURGATORY, it’s done really well there,” Lee says of Wednesday comedies.

10:13 AM: “I should have stuck to the earlier plan,” Lee says of the original plan to put WONDERLAND on the air as a bridge between ONCE’s two halves of the season. He takes full responsibility for it not taking off the way he wanted it to.

10:15 AM: While Fox is trying to get rid of pilot season, Lee does think it has its merits.

10:16 AM: No decision on WONDERLAND’s future. Lee says they’ll have to decide on it soon, though.

10:17 AM: Lee says TROPHY WIFE needs to “raise its game” in terms of ratings if it is going to return for next season.

10:18 AM: Lee thinks that SHIELD picked up creatively when they started working more fully with their studio partners.

10:19 AM: Lee only has praise for REVENGE, saying that the show has a great final arc of the season planned. He also says they’ve talked a bit about what the next season will look like. (He also says the EPs are happy to be back at 10 PM.)

10:21 AM: SHIELD is the biggest male drama, Lee says.

10:22 AM: “I think we’re entering a period where we can afford to be more patient and I welcome that,” Lee says of ratings.

10:24 AM: “CASTLE is one of the greatest assets on the network,” Lee says of procedurals.

10:26 AM: “What traditionally happens is the launch isn’t quite as noisy and it takes a while for the bump to arrive,” Lee says of MODERN FAMILY joining syndication. He points to the bump they got from CASTLE as something they hope to happen.

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And we’re done!

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