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TV This Week

Come fall, ‘The Goldbergs’ gets a promotion

The comedy, which has thrived since moving to Wednesday, bumps to 8

By Louisa Ada Seltzer

May 18, 2016

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“The Goldbergs” has become one of ABC’s steadiest shows, and the network will reward it this fall, when the comedy moves into the 8 p.m. anchor spot on Wednesday nights.

The show, which airs its third-season season finale tonight at 8:30 p.m., will be used to help launch “Speechless,” one of two new comedies on the network’s schedule this fall.

“Goldbergs” has averaged a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating this season, down slightly from last season but ranking fourth overall among the network’s scripted shows.

ABC has had difficulty launching strong new shows in recent seasons, but “Goldbergs” has been the exception. It posted okay numbers in its first season, airing behind “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” on Tuesdays, but it proved a much better fit on Wednesday, where it has aired behind “The Middle” the past two seasons.

It often posts better numbers than its lead-in, and it should provide a good launching pad for “Speechless,” if that program is any good.

A look at this week’s top TV draws
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	ABC	“The Middle” (C)	It’s a night of season finales for ABC’s Wednesday comedy stalwarts “The Middle” (it’s 7th), “The Goldbergs” (3rd), “Modern Family” (7th) and “black-ish” (2nd). Let your sitcom-loving freak fly high.
8 p.m.	CBS	“Survivor” (R)	The 32nd (!) season finale of CBS’ reliable reality franchise is the perfect lead-in for its own live 10 p.m. reunion special, which doesn’t get recognition for birthing post-show programs like AMC’s “The Talking Dead.”
9 p.m.	Fox	“Empire” (D)	It’s not the roaring Nielsen beast it was during its debut season, but the second season finale of Fox’s primetime soap opera (featuring Hakeem and Laura’s wedding) should have no trouble being the No. 1 show of a very busy TV night.
9 p.m.	PBS	“Genius by Stephen Hawking” (N)	In the debut episode of his new science PBS series (which, like the network’s “Sherlock,” consists of only three episodes), Hawking explores the humorous implications of pop culture’s (and scientists’) love affair with time travel.
9 p.m.	TLC	“My 600-Lb Life” (R)	In this super-sized (get it? Thank you, try the veal… better yet, don’t) 122-minute season finale, the emotional weight (ahem) of realizing who he truly is threatens to sink Chay’s (and Pauline’s) efforts to become fit and healthy.
10 p.m.	USA	“Royal Pains” (D)	Season premiere. The final year of USA’s breezy summer drama (a far cry from the network’s current edgier fare like “Mr. Robot”) starts with Hank prescribing meds to a politician before Eddie returns to The Hamptons.
THURSDAY, MAY 19
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	CW	“DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” (D)	This rookie superhero show ends its debut season with Rip making a decision with lasting consequences for the team. A sharp contrast with perennial ABC Thursday powerhouse “Grey’s Anatomy” wrapping its 12th season on the same night and time slot.
9 p.m.	NBC	“The Blacklist” (D)	Season Finale. With a Famke Janssen-starring spin-off on NBC’s upcoming roster, Reddington and his team experience betrayal from within while getting close to nabbing the person responsible for ____’s death.
9 p.m.	ABC	“The Catch” (D)	Two-hour season finale. Blessed with producer Shonda Rhimes’ magic touch and ABC’s Thursday night support, this is a network anomaly this year: a rookie show earning a second season with relative ease. Flat is the new up, indeed.
9 p.m.	Discovery	“Sonic Sea” (N)	Network premiere of 2015 documentary about dire effects of military and industrial ocean noise on marine life. Repeated at 10:30 p.m.
9:01 p.m.	CBS	“Mom” (C)	Season Finale. It’s no “Big Bang Theory,” but this Chuck Lorre-produced sitcom offers some tasty comedy (pathos?) meat at the center of a (burn off?) sandwich of “Odd Couple” episodes airing before and after it.
10 p.m.	Comedy Central	“Inside Amy Schumer” (C)	Amy gets her hand sewn to her face after going without sex for the duration of her bus tour. Paraphrasing Dr. Venkman from “Ghostbusters”: Back off, man! I’m a messenger!
FRIDAY, MAY 20
Time	Network	Program	Description
3 a.m.	Netflix	“Lady Dynamite” (C)	From Mitchell Hurwitz, creator of “Arrested Development,” comes this surrealistic comedy about comedienne Maria Bamford playing a self-aware version of herself at different stages of her constantly-shuffled life.
8 p.m.	NBC	“Grimm” (D)	Two-parter season finale entitled “The Beginning of the End” finds Nick fighting back against Black Claw after the latter makes a move against Hank that changes everything.
9 p.m.	The CW	“The Originals” (D)	Season finale. After centuries of being a carefree evil bastard, Klaus has to pay the piper for his cruelty; Elijah, Freya and Kol set out to save their families while Marcel receives an unexpected visit.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Shark Tank” (R)	In the seventh season finale of Friday night’s reigning demo king, a returning entrepreneur gets a second chance to make a good impression with the sharks… again!
9 p.m.	Showtime	“All Access: Quest for the Stanley Cup” (S)	Series premiere. Cameras are allowed behind-the-scenes access to players in team locker rooms as they compete in the NHL’s 2016 postseason. If you can’t get enough hockey watching the NBCSN playoff games…
10 p.m.	Cinemax	“Banshee” (D)	The conflict between Lucas, Calvin, The Brotherhood and Proctor reaches a (bloody?) point-of-no-return climax in the final episode of Cinemax’s violent, pulpy series.
SATURDAY, MAY 21
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 p.m.	Fox	“MLB Baseball” (S)	Regional coverage of either Chicago Cubs at San Francisco, the Texas showdown between Rangers and Astros, or the Washington Nationals paying a visit to the Miami Marlins. For sports fans who want a primetime network alternative to NBC televising game four of the Western Conference Finals between the Blues and the Sharks.
8 p.m.	HBO	“All the Way” (M)	Playwright Robert Schenkkam, director Jay Roach and star Bryan Cranston bring to life the first tumultuous year of LBJ’s presidency in this made-for-TV HBO adaptation of the Tony Award-winning play. Co-starring Frank Langella, Anthony Mackie, Melissa Leo, Bradley Whitford and Joe Morton.
8 p.m.	Lifetime	“Marriage of Lies” (M)	A woman (April Bowby) is the main suspect of her husband’s (Corin Nemec) disappearance, forcing her to investigate and discover who the man she married really was. Makes a great double-bill with HBO’s “All the Way,” so fire up those DVRs!
9 p.m.	NatGeo Wild	“Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER” (R)	Third season premiere finds Dr. Kelleher’s South Florida ER for animals tending to a bunny with an ear infection, a marmoset with a difficult pregnancy and a macaw suffering from acute blood loss.
9 p.m.	Hallmark	“Date with Love” (M)	A small town teen invites celebrity crush to his prom; star accepts when a red carpet meltdown forces the actress to try to soften her public image, only to end up falling for her prom date’s teacher. If you got room in the DVR for HBO’s and Lifetime’s Saturday movies, go for it.
11 p.m.	Fox	“Party Over Here” (C)	While Fred Armisen (host) and Courtney Barnett (musical guest) help close “Saturday Night Live’s” 41st season, Fox’s latest crack at a late night comedy show wraps its rookie season with a “best of” compilation of its best sketches.
SUNDAY, MAY 22
Time	Network	Program	Description
1 p.m.	NBC	“French Open Tennis” (S)	Three hours of first-round live coverage of the second of tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments for the season. From Roland Garros in Paris
7 p.m.	CBS	“60 Minutes” (N)	The show ranks fourth on CBS among total viewers this season.
8 p.m.	ABC	“2016 Billboard Music Awards” (A)	Ludacris and Ciara host this music awards show, with scheduled live performances by Justin Bieber, Pink, Britney Spears, Shawn Mendes, DNCE, The Go-Go’s, etc. Preceded by the 7 p.m. 26th season finale of ABC’s “AFV.”
8 p.m.	Fox	“The Simpsons” (C)	It’s a night of sitcom season finales (27th for “The Simpsons,” 14th for “Family Guy” at 9 p.m. and sixth for “Bob’s Burgers” at 9:30 p.m.) as well as farewell to one-season-and-out Animation Domination reject “Bordertown” (7 p.m.) and NBC’s “Crowded” (9:30 p.m.).
9 p.m.	CBS	“Undercover Boss” (R)	Back-to-back episodes of CBS’ utility reality program features the CEOs of two companies going undercover alongside employees that, seven seasons into the show’s run, should know better by now.
10 p.m.	AMC	“Preacher” (D)	Sandwiched between the spring finale of “Fear the Walking Dead” at 9 p.m. and a delayed-until-11:30 p.m. “Talking Dead,” AMC’s latest original series (an adaptation of the Gareth Ennis/Steve Dillon graphic novel) gets a 90-minute premiere. Preach on, brother Jesse.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety sh