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Several ABC Sitcoms Are Scoring Extra Episodes

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Some of your favorite ABC sitcoms are set to get a little bit richer, story-wise, in the coming season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, six series from the network’s lineup are growing by one or two episodes. The freshly Golden Globe–nominated Black-ish and fan favorite The Goldbergs are bumping from 22 to 24 episodes, while Speechless, Fresh Off the Boat, The Middle, and American Housewife are getting an extra episode apiece, up from 23 to 24. The expanded episode count is an expression of ABC’s confidence in its comedy slate, which, as THR notes, has seen greater success than its hour-long dramas of late. One might also argue that this bump is a subtle but powerful message that diversity in a network-TV comedy lineup is not only good storytelling but also good business. And now all of these shows have some extra minutes to prove that theory true.