ABC’s Two-Part Crime Thriller Hit Is Reviving TV’s Long-Lost Golden Age
ABC’s two-part crime thriller is jolting broadcast TV back to life, reviving the lost thrill of appointment viewing in a streaming-saturated era and proving network hits can still steal the spotlight.
Remember when a sharp oddball teamed up with a straight-laced cop to crack a fresh case every week? ABC dusted off that winning formula with High Potential, and viewers showed up. In a landscape where streaming eats most of the oxygen, this network procedural is quietly (and confidently) proving the old model still works when the characters click.
What High Potential actually is
High Potential is ABC's adaptation of the French hit HPI. It launched in 2024 and didn’t just debut well — it became one of the most-watched new shows of that TV cycle. Kaitlin Olson (yes, from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia ) leads as Morgan, a brilliant, chaos-friendly single mom who starts as a cleaning lady and ends up consulting for the LAPD. People inside the department aren’t exactly thrilled when she arrives, but she wins them over fast by, you know, actually solving things.
The throwback vibe (and why it works)
Procedurals never went away — NCIS and Law & Order: SVU are still institutions — but High Potential leans hard into a specific flavor that dominated the late 2000s and 2010s: the mismatched duo. Here, it’s Morgan paired with Karadec, the by-the-book detective who suddenly has to roll with a human hurricane. The show balances twisty cases with character chemistry and week-to-week momentum, plus a longer arc you can sink into. In season 2, ABC doubled down on that dynamic even more, and they’re slow-burning the will-they/won’t-they between Morgan and Karadec, which is catnip for this kind of series.
- Odd-pairing ancestors: Bones, Castle, White Collar, Psych
- Different lane (both cops, same world): The X-Files, Miami Vice
- Recent trend (ensemble-first): The Rookie, Will Trent, FBI, Chicago PD
How it fits with modern network TV
Most new procedurals lean on big ensembles where everyone rotates through the A, B, and C plots. High Potential has a solid bench too, but it keeps the spotlight on its core pairing. That tight focus is part of why it pops. It’s case-of-the-week comfort food with enough serialized spice to keep you bingeing if you fall behind — a very smart hybrid in an era when audiences mix live viewing, DVR, and streaming catch-ups.
The scoreboard
High Potential isn’t just a curiosity; it’s a hit. It’s drawn strong ratings and positive reviews, which is about as clear a signal as you can get that audiences missed this kind of show. ABC has already renewed it for a third season, giving Morgan and Karadec more room to evolve — professionally and, let’s be honest, romantically. If other networks are paying attention (they are), don’t be shocked if more odd-couple procedurals start popping up again. Sometimes the classic play still wins the game.