ABC slates five midseason shows

Delays in production caused by the writers strike prevented ABC from ordering as many series as it normally does in May, but after the filming of pilots this summer, the network said Tuesday that it had picked up three dramas and two comedies for midseason.

The hourlong shows are “Castle,” starring Nathan Fillion as a mystery novelist who gets involved in solving real-life crimes; “Cupid,” a remake of a 1998-99 series about a man (played by Bobby Cannavale) who may or may not be the Roman god of love; and “The Unusuals,” a comedic procedural set in a New York police precinct.

On the sitcom front are “Better Off Ted,” an office comedy starring Jay Harrington and Portia de Rossi, and “Single With Parents,” in which Alyssa Milano plays a woman whose divorced parents (Annie Potts and Beau Bridges) lean on her heavily for emotional support.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez