If you're into emotional ensemble TV dramas, there's a pretty good chance you've checked out A Million Little Things [1], ABC's new drama this season. The series, focused on a group of friends unraveling the aftermath [2] of one friend's suicide, was one of the most buzzed-about shows [3] out of the network's new lineup in the Fall of 2018. As the season has worn on, however, we were beginning to worry about whether the show would return for a second season next year. Fortunately, ABC has finally confirmed the good news: A Million Little Things has been renewed for season two [4]!
Before the news was official, the drama was in the unenviable position of being a "bubble" show. According to TVLine, the Jan. 24 episode hit 5.4 million viewers [5], including 1.1 in the key demo (viewers 18-49), which is a respectable, if not excellent, number. For comparison, its ABC Thursday night lineup companions earned 6.9 million viewers and 1.6 in the demo (for Grey's Anatomy [6], currently in its 15th season [7]) and 2.74 million viewers and 0.6 in the demo (for a new episode of How to Get Away With Murder). A Million Little Things' numbers were the second highest of the night overall, second only to Grey's Anatomy [8]. Because of its comparative strength in the schedule and the lack of a runaway hit on other networks, A Million Little Things seems to have found a bit of a groove since its move to Thursday nights.
That move itself is another signal that ABC, at least, is hopeful for the prospects of A Million Little Things as it moves into a second season. Its Thursday night lineups [9] have long been the crown jewel of its drama schedule, typically the home of network favorite Shonda Rhimes and her steady stream of twisty original dramas. By moving A Million Little Things to the middle of the former "TGIT" lineup, sandwiched in between two buzzy Rhimes-created shows, ABC seemed to be signaling its confidence in the show to continue on and prop up a crucial part of the lineup. It's also worth noting that the successor to A Million Little Things' previous Wednesday night time slot, the game show Match Game hosted by Alec Baldwin [10], has fared much worse, dropping to around 2.2 million total viewers for its Jan. 23 episode.
Even with all these signs of a season two renewal, we were still a little hesitant about what ABC network execs would ultimately decide regarding the fate of A Million Little Things. After all, although it's not a hard and fast rule, the major networks typically don't release their renewal decisions [11] until the Spring, around April or even May sweeps. Fortunately, both this series and The Good Doctor made the cut [12]!
If the ratings hold up around where they are now when season two arrives, it seems pretty safe to say that A Million Little Things will be around for quite some time.