ABC’s summer play: Hitting the notes

ABC’s ‘Rising Star’ will air Sundays at 9 p.m. starting on June 22.

This summer ABC is hoping to launch a new signature show that could boost ratings for years to come now that its longtime top summer hit, “Wipeout,” has become a washout.

The network is making a big push behind “Rising Star,” a reality singing competition airing Sunday nights starting June 22.

ABC hasn’t launched a notable summer hit in years. It wants a program that generates similar buzz to CBS’s “Under the Dome” or NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” broad hits that draw in a range of demographics.

While ABC has a handful of solid summer shows, it lacks a show that can draw above a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating, and the network sees “Star” as a potential breakout in that vein.

Like “The Voice” did years ago, “Star” puts a new twist on the very old idea of a singing competition.

The program relies on real-time voting by viewers to determine which singers move into the next round. There’s no waiting around until the next week for the results.

Last summer’s only new hit was the scripted series “Dome,” and the top-rated summer reality shows have all been on for years, like “Talent,” “Big Brother,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and ABC’s own “The Bachelorette.”

Here’s a closer look at ABC’s summer lineup.

Top returning show

“Bachelorette” remains solid, though ratings are down from their peak a few years ago. It’s a great fit with lead-out “Mistresses,” giving ABC a strong Monday night among women 18-49.

New show most likely to succeed

“Star” has the most promise, and ABC has given it a strong promotional push, including featuring the show’s celebrity judges, Brad Paisley, Josh Groban, Kesha and Ludacris, on the recent Billboard Music Awards.

New show most likely to fail

“Sing Your Face Off” airs on Saturday night, where broadcast rarely bothers to program. It did okay in its debut but only relative to the other low-rated Saturday competition. If ABC had really believed in the show, it would have aired it on a weeknight.

Smartest programming move

Switching repeats of Tuesday’s “The Goldbergs” to Wednesday night behind “The Middle,” the timeslot “Goldbergs” will occupy this fall. It’s always a good idea to get viewers used to big changes like that as early as possible.

Reality show ready to be retired

“Wipeout,” now in its seventh season, was ABC’s top summer show for years, but there’s simply not enough variables in the obstacle course competition to keep viewers interested in the long term. This could be the program’s last season.

Wild card factor

ABC airs the NBA finals, which will lift the network to No. 1 over the next couple weeks. If the series goes to seven games, that will give the network a huge lead and it will take the other broadcasters a while to catch up.

Predicted finish

ABC could take first or second for the summer if “Star” draws decent ratings and the NBA finals go seven games.

Tags: abc, abc summer preview, rising star, sing your face off, summer tv, the bachelorette, tv