FOX and NBC mid season scheduling

NBC and FOX have announced changes to their schedules.

First, lets have a look at NBC.

MONDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “Chuck” 9-10 p.m. – “THE CAPE” 10-11 p.m. – “HARRY’S LAW’ (beginning January 17) 9-10 p.m. – “The Event” (returns on February 28, 9-11 p.m.; resumes in its regular time slot March 7) 10-11 p.m. — “Parenthood”(debuts in this slot March 7 with all originals)

The day start weak with Chuck whose best rating this season is a 2.0 demo 18-49 and 5.7 million viewers. not a great lead in to a new show, The Cape, which I'm afraid will go the same route that Heroes and No Ordinary Family went, down the ratings hill. Harry's Law should do better than Chase but this time slot change may kill Parenthood, a show that don't have much ratings going in its Tuesday time slot, average 2.2 demo 18-49, it open with 7.6 millions viewers but now it is under 5 millions viewers. As for The Event, that show is done, too many loses in demo and viewers.

TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. — “The Biggest Loser : Couples” (beginning January 4) 10-11 p.m. – "Parenthood” (beginning January 4 for four episodes) 10-11 p.m. — “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (beginning February 8 )

NBC would do better with just one hour on Biggest Loser. The ratings are down from last season, often BL would finished fourth in the ratings. Depending on what ABC will do with Detroit 187, Law & Order:LA may find an audience that is not interested in The good Wife AND want to stay up pass 10:00PM to watch another spin off of the old and tired franchise.

WEDNESDAYS
8-9 p.m. — “Minute to Win It” (beginning January 5) 9-10 p.m. - "Chase” (beginning January 12)
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (originals beginning January 5 with two-hour episode, 9-11 p.m. ET) 9-10 p.m. – “AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT” (beginning March 16)

Minute to Win is dead before starting. It will go against American Idol and a New reality show on CBS and the comedy block on ABC. Chase and American Great Restaurant are also dead shows walking. It goes against Criminal Minds, Modern Family and part of American Idol! Only move that may save part of the night for NBC is to have to send the falling Law & Order: SVU which will have lots of competition with ABC new medical drama Off the Map and maybe the new Criminal Minds Spin off.

THURSDAYS (all beginning January 20)
8-8:30 p.m. – "Community” 8:30-9 p.m. – “PERFECT COUPLES” 9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office” 9:30-10 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation” 10-10:30 p.m. – "30R Rock” 10:30-11 p.m. – "Outsource”

Until FOX announced its scheduling, I thought this was a good move from NBC, go all comedies all night even if some of those shows are pretty weak ratings wise ( community, 30 Rock, Outsource) and they have a new show that will have a lead in that is not up to compete with CBS the Big Bang Theory. Parks and Recreation didn,t do well last year either. Here NBC got a good idea but not the right shows to compete with CBS,FOX and ABC.

FRIDAYS

8-9 p.m. — “Who Do You Think You Are?” (beginning January 21)
9-11 p.m. – "Dateline NBC” (beginning January 7)

Not much to say here, dull programming, just there because NBC does have to put something but Dateline should bring some ratings to NBC .

Now, lets look at FOX

MONDAY

Monday, Jan. 10:

8:00-10:00 PM Lie To Me (Two-Hour Episode)

Mondays, beginning Jan. 17:

8:00-9:00 PM House (All-New Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM Lie To Me (All-New Episodes)

Mondays, beginning Feb. 7

8:00-9:00 PM House (All-New Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM The Chicago Code (Series Premiere)

House is not the powerhouse it use to be but it can still bring over 10 million viewers and a 4.0 demo 18-49. Lie To Me is at best a summer show, its ratings is pathetic. The Chicago Code may do well at 9H00 with the viewers who want something else then comedies, dancing shows and a comic book super hero. I know I do.

TUESDAY

Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 4:

8:00-9:00 PM Glee (Encore Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM Million Dollar Money Drop (All-New Episodes)

Tuesdays, beginning Feb. 8:

8:00-9:00 PM Glee (All-New Episodes)

9:00-9:30 PM Raising Hope (All-New Episodes)

9:30-10:00 PM Mixed Signals (Series Premiere)

On Tuesday FOX got Glee and not much else. Raising Hope satred with some decent ratings 7.309 million viewers and 3.1 demo 18-49 but it is now down to 5.772 million viewers and 2.5.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, Jan. 5 and 12:

8:00-10:00 PM Human Target (All-New, Two-Hour Episodes)

Wednesday, Jan. 19:

8:00-10:00 PM American Idol (Two-Hour Season Premiere, Part One)

Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 26:

8:00-9:00 PM American Idol

9:00-10:00 PM Human Target (All-New Episodes)

Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 16:

8:00-10:00 PM American Idol (Two-Hour Episodes)

Wednesdays, beginning April 6:

8:00-9:30 PM American Idol (90-Minute Episodes)

9:30-10:00 PM Breaking In (Series Premiere)

On Wednesday we get American Idol without Simon, will it still be a big hit? Last year AI started with a 37.44 million viewers and 15.8 but it went down as 'low' as 24.23 million viewers and 9.4. My guess is AI will start with a 27 million viewers and a demo of 12.0 and will go down all season maybe as low as a demo of 6.5. Human Target is done with, Fox is throwing it against Criminal Minds and Modern Family knowing full well it will not come back next season. Will Breaking In make it against ABC comedy block and Criminal Minds? I doubt it. Shows that have started after AI in recent years, Lie To Me, Human Target, have all fizzled out.

Since I am a big Criminal Minds fan, I'm more interested in what CM will do against AI. Last season it did well keeping a 3.2 against AI. This season CM will also have Modern Family to take on but I suspect MF will more affected by AI than CM. CM tend to go up in rating in its last half hour and AI will be over by then but MF will go against AI which will be in its last half hour and that is when AI is at its most lethal.

THURSDAY

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 6:

8:00-9:00 PM Million dollar drop out (All-New Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM Bones (Encore Episodes)

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 20:

8:00-9:00 PM American Idol (Season Premiere, Part Two)

9:00-10:00 PM Bones (Time Period Premiere)

On Thursday, FOX should take some ratings out of CBS The Big Bang Theory and NBC comedies. It will kill off Sh** my Dad says. I'm sure CBS didn't see this one coming when they did move off BBT. Bones should take some viewers from CSI but I do not think it will compete much with Grey's Anatomy.

FRIDAY

Friday, Jan. 7:

8:00 PM-CC ET A&T Cotton Bowl (Live)

Friday, Jan. 21:

8:00-9:00 PM Kitchen Nightmares (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM Kitchen Nightmares (Encore)

Fridays, beginning Jan. 28:

8:00-9:00 PM Kitchen Nightmares (All-New Episodes)

9:00-10:00 PM Fringe (Time Period Premiere)

Friday night is were Fringe go to die. It will be up against CBS CSI:NY. Kitchen Nightmares will do okay but nothing to write home about.

Looking at all the changes NBC and FOX made, for NBC only SVU moving at 10:00PM may get them some ratings but it will depend on what CBS does with The Defenders, if the Criminal Minds Spin off is ready then CBS may decide to schedule it after Criminal Minds. FOX did take the right decision and not move Glee from its Tuesday slot, it does very well there. Moving AI from Tuesday to Thursday, FOX will take some ratings from BBT. If I was FOX, I would have put AI at 9:00, taking out falling CSI and Grey's. By putting Bones at 9:00 it will take some ratings from CSI and that may force CBS to switch CSI and the Mentalist. The Mentalist got lots of viewers but demo wise is pretty low, 3.0 for 15 million viewers makes the Mentalist very old skewing. If I was CBS I would switch CM with CSI. CM is the only Drama on CBS that has been up demo wise this season. 3.7 average compared to a 3.6 from last year. CSI is averaging 3.2. CM would compete and may even take over Grey's . Only problem with this is where to put the CM spin off? I'm sure CBS wants to premiere it with CM as its lead in and I do not think CBS would want to move CSI and The Mentalist to Wednesday. Will be interesting to see what CBS will do.