Fall TV: 'Designated Survivor' and 'Speechless' Get Full Seasons

ABC has moved to declare two of its new fall series winners by ordering a full season of episodes from both of them. Designated Survivor and Speechless will both be around for the entire 2016-2017 season thanks to strong performances by their early episodes.

Designated Survivor, a political drama starring Kiefer Sutherland as a cabinet member who unexpectedly becomes President of the United States, debuted strong for the network and has held on to a significant audience through its second episode. The series is averaging a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 age demographic and is doing even better when delayed viewing is factored in.

Speechless, a family sitcom starring Minnie Driver, is doing nearly as well, with an average rating of 1.9 through two episodes. Both series air on Wednesdays and have thus far made the night a strong one for ABC.

The full-season orders from ABC included an additional nine episodes for each series beyond those the network had already ordered. That means that both shows will deliver a total of 22 episodes to the network, enough to keep them going until the spring.

The full-season orders for these two series are among the earliest for broadcast series this season. This week, NBC also ordered a full season of This Is Us; that comedy/drama has pulled in the strongest ratings of any new scripted series so far this fall.