TV Boy Knows All
A few weeks ago, I offered to NBC (via this blog) some completely unsolicited advice regarding their severely-sagging Thursday night lineup. As I saw it, the key to any potential peacock resurgence on Thursdays would be to get its most-promising new comedy, My Name is Earl, into the all-important 9:00 anchor slot (and thereby shuttling The Apprentice off to another night). Also of vital importance (in my humble opinion) would be to shore up the 8:00 time slot by dumping the ready-for-cancellation Joey and sliding current 8:30 occupant Will & Grace into that lead-off slot. With Will & Grace at 8, NBC would be able to hammock a strong new comedy at 8:30; my suggestion was to use Max Mutchnick’s new Four Kings in this slot. Lastly, I proposed dropping midseason’s Scrubs into the 9:30 slot, leading out of Earl.
The reaction among those in my social circle was mixed at best, with most telling me that such a radical move was highly unlikely. Several thought that if any shift were to occur, then the more likely scenario would be a move of Earl from Tuesdays to the Thursday at 8 slot; in fact, this sentiment was shared by numerous industry pundits nationwide. But even this much-lower-risk "move it to 8" scenario was regarded by many as not likely to happen; the consensus was that NBC wouldn’t risk damaging its one true new hit show of this season (Earl) by moving it at this early stage of its electronic life.
Today, NBC announced a sweeping revision of its Thursday night lineup…
8:00 Will & Grace
8:30 Four Kings
9:00 My Name is Earl
9:30 The Office
10:00 ER
This new lineup is effective on January 5.
Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? Admittedly, I did suggest to NBC to slot Scrubs at 9:30 (instead of The Office), but recent demographic profiling has shown that The Office draws one of the most affluent and upscale (read: highly-desired-by-advertisers) audiences in all of prime time… so I can understand and even defend that move. As for Scrubs…NBC will double-run it on Tuesdays at 9:00 and 9:30. Therefore, unless some kind of divine miracle falls upon the shoulders of this show, this will undoubtedly be the final season for Scrubs.
As I mentioned in my earlier entry, these changes will not suddenly return NBC to the dominant role that it held on this night for the past 20 years. But these changes WILL provide all-important building blocks on which the network can, over time, return to its Thursday glory-days of old.
You're welcome, NBC. My consulting bill is in the mail.
The reaction among those in my social circle was mixed at best, with most telling me that such a radical move was highly unlikely. Several thought that if any shift were to occur, then the more likely scenario would be a move of Earl from Tuesdays to the Thursday at 8 slot; in fact, this sentiment was shared by numerous industry pundits nationwide. But even this much-lower-risk "move it to 8" scenario was regarded by many as not likely to happen; the consensus was that NBC wouldn’t risk damaging its one true new hit show of this season (Earl) by moving it at this early stage of its electronic life.
Today, NBC announced a sweeping revision of its Thursday night lineup…
8:00 Will & Grace
8:30 Four Kings
9:00 My Name is Earl
9:30 The Office
10:00 ER
This new lineup is effective on January 5.
Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? Admittedly, I did suggest to NBC to slot Scrubs at 9:30 (instead of The Office), but recent demographic profiling has shown that The Office draws one of the most affluent and upscale (read: highly-desired-by-advertisers) audiences in all of prime time… so I can understand and even defend that move. As for Scrubs…NBC will double-run it on Tuesdays at 9:00 and 9:30. Therefore, unless some kind of divine miracle falls upon the shoulders of this show, this will undoubtedly be the final season for Scrubs.
As I mentioned in my earlier entry, these changes will not suddenly return NBC to the dominant role that it held on this night for the past 20 years. But these changes WILL provide all-important building blocks on which the network can, over time, return to its Thursday glory-days of old.
You're welcome, NBC. My consulting bill is in the mail.
posted by TV Boy at 8:07 PM
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