ABC Renews Supermarket Sweep and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

Get ready to spin the big wheel and a run wild through the aisles as ABC has ordered more of it's two freshman gameshows, which also were the highest rated game shows on the network.

With the network upfronts on tap for next week, many networks are making announcements on renewals and cancellations. Today, ABC announced some decisions on a few of its unscripted shows, none of which were surprises.

In addition to Sweep and Wheel, ABC has renewed Shark Tank, American Idol, and America's Funniest Home Videos.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune ran for an eight episode limited run in January and quickly became ABC's highest rated game show, averaging an 0.91 with 6.5 million viewers. Supermarket Sweep, which premiered in October, averaged an 0.69 and 3.2 million viewers across it's ten-episode run. Sweep ran against football on Sunday nights, which makes those ratings even more impressive. ABC does have two slots open on Sunday nights in the fall and I imagine this is where one or both of the shows will land. We will find out on Tuesday when the network releases its fall schedule.

This leaves Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Match Game as the two remain game shows whose status is still in limbo. Deadline reports that Millionaire may return as an "event style" run. ABC has tried this before with 500 Questions and Duel but has had little success. Match Game is the network's third lowest rated game show (with only Millionaire and Card Sharks ranking lower) and has been out of production since the summer of 2019. Oddly enough, Match Game still has at least three episodes remaining from its current season, but the future looks bleak, as ABC left those episodes off the fall schedule. If either show was to be renewed, they likely would not air until sometime in 2022.

The only other remaining shows that haven't been renewed are Card Sharks and To Tell the Truth. While both of those shows are getting a summer run, these episodes are remaining episodes from the most recent seasons. Decisions about those shows will be made in the fall after their summer runs end. 

ABC did not announce any NEW unscripted pickups (besides what will premiere this summer) so you never know what might make it's way onto ABC's Fun and Games brand. Rob Mills, who oversees the unscripted content for ABC, hinted back in April that the network was looking to shake things up a little with the games. Of the remaining four shows, I expect only Match Game and Card Sharks to be cancelled.