‘Scandal’ Season 6 Air Date, Latest Updates: Why ‘Scandal’ Is A No-Show On ABC’s ‘TGIT’ Lineup

Since the fall of 2013, "Scandal" has always been a part of ABC's "TGIT" aka "Thank God It's Thursday" lineup, along with "Grey's Anatomy" and "How to Get Away with Murder." Unfortunately, the upcoming "Scandal" season 6 was a no-show when the aforementioned shows premiered on Thursday.

Even though "Scandal" season 6 didn't premiere as expected, a new show titled, "Notorious," took its place at the 9 p.m. timeslot on Thursday, Sept. 22. According to Romper, the new ABC series was not really a political drama but it surely caught the attention of some "Scandal" fans as it follows the quest of defense lawyer Jake Gregorian (Daniel Sunjata) and TV producer Julia George (Piper Perabo) to control the media and the justice system.

The publication also explained that "Notorious" is quite similar to "Scandal" in terms of the dishonesty and deception in the show. But why is "Scandal" season 6 not a part of ABC's "TGIT" lineup?

Earlier this year, ABC made an announcement that "Scandal" season 6 premiere will be delayed to midseason of 2017 and will be reduced to 16 episodes. Even though some fans hinted that the delay may have been due to the upcoming 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections, ABC said in a statement that the delay has something to do with the production schedule.

Bustle, however, suggested the changes in "Scandal" season 6 production timetable might be because of lead star Kerry Washington's pregnancy. Washington, who plays Olivia Pope in the series, is currently pregnant with her second child with former American football cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

Despite Washington's pregnancy, E! News revealed that "Scandal" season 6 won't include the 39-year-old actress' baby bump in the storylines. As a matter of fact, the team will be hiding Washington's pregnancy just like the time when she was pregnant with her first child during the third season of the series.

As for the things to be expected in "Scandal" season 6, ABC President Channing Dungey already revealed a return-to-form season with a fantastic script. As previously reported, there's also a possibility that the sixth installment may turn into a "bloodbath" as Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry) uses his treacherous maneuvers to destroy Mellie's (Bellamy Young) dream to become the next president of the United States.

Meanwhile, "Scandal" season 6 is reportedly set to premiere in early 2017. However, some reports hinted the series' air date will be on Feb. 11, with its usual 9 p.m. timeslot on Thursdays on ABC.