New Shonda Rhimes series, “Roseanne” revival & “Bachelor” spin-off highlight upcoming ABC season

ABC/Jay Goldman(LOS ANGELES) — News of Katy Perry joining American Idol and confirmation that Scandal will be ending after next season weren’t the only revelations ABC had Tuesday.  The network also announced a spate of new shows including another Shondaland series, spinoffs from two of its high-profile reality competition shows, live specials and a reboot of a classic family sitcom.

The Bachelor Winter Games will see past Bachelor and Bachelorette cast members move into a luxury winter resort and compete in various winter-themed sports challenges, and Dancing with the Stars Junior will pair celebrity kids with professional junior ballroom dancers.  The Bachelor Winter Games will premiere next February with DTWS Junior arriving in the spring of 2018.

The new Shonda Rhimes drama is a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy and will focus on firefighters in a Seattle firehouse. No word on when it will air.

The network is getting into the live musical game, with a hybrid live-animated TV version of the Disney’s The Little Mermaid.  No cast announcements yet, but the network promises high-profile celebrity artists. The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live! will air Tuesday, October 3.

Another live project comes from late night host Jimmy Kimmel and actor Justin Theroux that will re-enact scripts from classic sitcoms of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, featuring contemporary actors and comedians. “This is a way for a new generation of viewers to discover these classics and a new generation of actors to play characters they love, live in front of a studio audience,” Kimmel said in a statement.

And speaking of classic sitcoms of the ’80s and ’90, one is coming back.  Iconic comedy series Roseanne will return for an eight-episode reboot featuring the original cast – including Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert and Laurie Metcalf.

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