ABC Adds a New Drama About Suicide Loss, 'A Million Little Things,' to Its Fall Lineup

If you’ve ever lost someone to suicide, you’re probably familiar with the grief and unanswered questions that come after their death. There’s a lot to process when someone dies by suicide, and a new drama coming to ABC this fall seeks to address how suicide loss survivors come to terms with the loss of a loved one.

In the trailer for “A Million Little Things,” Eddie, speaks at the funeral for his friend Jon, who died by suicide. Eddie, played by David Giuntoli, says Jon always said everything happens for a reason, but he can’t find an explanation for Jon’s death.

Editor’s note: The trailer implies Jon’s suicide method and shows another one of the friends (Rome) attempting suicide. If you struggle with suicidal ideation or are grieving the loss of a loved one, you may want to skip the trailer. 

By showing a suicide attempt, the trailer does not follow media guidelines for reporting on suicides. Reporting on suicide guidelines state that media shouldn’t show the method used. Though the show is not journalism, depicting suicide methods can lead vulnerable people to attempt suicide. Guidelines also state media shouldn’t show grieving friends and family or funerals, but grief is a component of the show which may be talked about constructively.

Suicide loss survivors often deal with the unanswered “why” after a loved one’s death, though there rarely is a straight-forward answer. Based on the trailer, it doesn’t seem like the show will focus on looking for answers. Instead, the show appears to be about Jon’s friend group trying to find meaning in their own lives.

In the clip, Jon, played by Ron Livingston, tells his friends that friendship is about having hard conversations and being willing to listen. Talking about suicide can be hard and uncomfortable, but it can help prevent suicides, Screening for Mental Health, a nonprofit partner with The Mighty, wrote, adding:

The majority of people who die by suicide tell someone or give warning signs beforehand. Your words and actions could be life-saving. Those who have thoughts of suicide often feel a loss of connection to others. Your willingness to have an open conversation with them could make a huge difference. The more we, as a public, talk openly about suicide, the more people don’t feel like they are going through this alone.

“A Million Little Things,” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. eastern time starting Sept. 26.