Shondaland's 'The Catch' Renewed, 'Still Star-Crossed' Ordered to Series at ABC
ABC is adding even more Shondaland to its roster for the 2016-17 broadcast season.
The network on Thursday renewed freshman drama The Catch for a second season and handed out a series pickup to Romeo and Juliet sequel Still Star-Crossed.
This season's fourth TGIT drama, The Catch's renewal is a bit of a surprise. The Shondaland drama, which took over How to Get Away With Murder's spot on the schedule in the prime Thursdays at 10 p.m. slot, was behind the proverbial eight ball from the start. Showrunner and series creator Jennifer Schuur disagreed with exec producer Shonda Rhimes on the direction of the Mireille Enos starrer, so Grey's Anatomy and Scandal alum Allan Heinberg was brought in to redevelop the ABC Studios series after it already had been sold domestically and internationally.
Parenthood alum Peter Krause became the new male lead as the drama also underwent a creative overhaul. Since launching in March, the series has averaged a 1.9 rating among adults 18-49 and 8 million total viewers including DVR — off dramatically from Murder. ABC insiders were said to be unhappy with the show's overall performance, but a renewal for the series and pickup of Still Star-Crossed could help accommodate Scandal star Kerry Washington's second pregnancy with rumors that the drama could be held for midseason.
Shondaland, meanwhile, still has its first comedy pilot, Toast, also in the mix. With the renewal and pickup, prolific producer Rhimes will have five series on the air next season — all via her longtime home at ABC Studios.
Keep up with all the renewals, cancellations and new series pickups with THR's handy scorecard and follow the pilot crop status here. For full upfronts 2016 coverage, go to THR.com/upfronts.
