ABC Gives Greenlights to Three Comedies

ABC has given full season, nine episode orders to three fall comedies: "Modern Family," "Cougar Town" and "The Middle."

The trio have all performed well as part of ABC's new Wednesday comedy block, and their renewals were expected. Still, given the Alphabet's years of woes in launching new comedies, the group pickups border on historic.

Not yet renewed: ABC's Kelsey Grammer half-hour "Hank." It's been the Nielsen weakling of the bunch, but it also has the unenviable task of leading off a night at 8 p.m.

There's still plenty of time for ABC to order more "Hank" down the road.

The network is also likely to order more episodes of drama "FlashForward," though that decision isn't expected to come before ABC sees how episode three of the series performs tonight.