‘Super Fun Night,’ can it evolve?

One in a series of Media Life previews of the new shows debuting this fall.

Show
ABC’s “Super Fun Night”

Timeslot
Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m.

Plot summary
After Kimmie (“Pitch Perfect’s” Rebel Wilson) gets a promotion, she is invited to go to a fun club for a night out with a fellow attorney, a man she is attracted to, and another attorney she really looks up to. The problem is she and her two best friends have a standing date that night, which they call Friday Night Fun Night.

There’s only one rule for their fun night, and that is they always stay indoors, never venturing out into the real world.

Kimmie must convince her pals (played by Liza Lapira and Lauren Ash) to accompany her on her night out so that she can network with her idol and spend time with the guy she likes.

But once they hit the street, chaos ensues.

Outlook
Yes, that plotline is extremely thin. And many media people are wondering how “Super” can maintain the story for a full season, let alone beyond that.

But the show has one major thing in its favor, and that’s Wilson, who had scene-stealing roles in “Perfect” and “Bridesmaids” and is considered one of the funniest young comedians in Hollywood.

ABC was eager to work with her. It’s playing up her film roles in trailers for the new show and even gave “Super” the plum post-“Modern Family” timeslot.

Still, that slot is not a sure thing. No show that has launched there over the past four years is still airing on ABC. The network is eager to find the right fit, and when it does that sitcom may have a place on the schedule for many years.

But is it “Super?”

The pilot is funny, but the premise could wear out after just a few episodes if it doesn’t gain more dimension.

That was the same problem facing “Cougar Town” when it launched five seasons ago. It thrived creatively after ditching its original one-note premise about an older woman dating younger men and becoming a show about relationships. TBS even picked up the show after ABC canceled it last year.

If “Super” can similarly find a way to evolve, it could become a hit for ABC, or at the very least solve the network’s post-“Family” problems.

What media people are saying
Buyers like the pilot and think Wilson is a real talent. They say the program is funnier than “The Neighbors,” the show ABC added to its Wednesday comedy lineup last fall, and has a better chance of succeeding creatively.

They also like that it skews female, as does ABC’s audience.

But they caution that airing after “Family” doesn’t guarantee success and that the show may not appeal to everyone.

“I thought the pilot was better than last year’s ‘The Neighbors,’” says Brad Adgate, senior vice president and research director at Horizon Media.

“Although ABC has a strong female audience profile, I’m not sure if all the women will find the show that appealing since the three girls are depicted as kind of ‘losers,’ and how much males can identify with the lead characters is another question.”

Our readers’ take
In a survey, Media Life readers voted “Super” the third-most-promising new show on ABC this fall, behind “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “The Goldbergs.”

Tags: abc, fall shows, new fall shows, rebel wilson, super fun, super fun night, tv previews