Tonight is an interesting night on NBC. With two of their most hyped shows struggling, they've decided to throw a little time slot voodoo at us and see what happens. Tonight's Studio 60 was scheduled to be a repeat, but instead the kids from Friday Night Lights are going to get a go in the post Heroes spot. I think that's a good idea. A repeat would almost guarantee a drop in viewers, and the last thing Studio 60 needs is another round of stories that say "ratings drop for the Xth week in a row." The situation with Friday Night Lights is a little different. Where Studio 60 has lost viewers every week, Friday Night Lights just never found them in the first place. The numbers have been fairly consistent, but when you premiere below expectations, consistent isn't exactly what you are looking for. And the fact that I use the word consistent is evidence that I really like the show. A more objective person might call the numbers stagnant.
Now, it would be easy to second guess NBC's move tomorrow after we have the ratings, but where's the fun in that? I'm curious to see what everyone thinks will happen beforehand. So, here are the numbers we are working with. Last week Friday Night Lights had a 4.0 rating and Studio 60 managed a 5.1. Those numbers lead to a some interesting questions. Will Friday Night Lights beat Studio 60's last outing in the time slot? If so, what does NBC do with the schedule? What kind of a number will give the slot to Friday Night Lights for good?
I think Friday Night Lights will beat Studio 60's last outing, garnering something in the 6.0 to 6.5 range. But wait... we have a flag on the play. Looking at the schedule, CBS is all repeats tonight. That's important because Horatio has been driving all over Studio 60 in his Hummer the last few weeks. So even though that would be a clear improvement for the slot, I think it leaves a lot of wiggle room for NBC to waffle. It will take something above a 7 to lock Heroes and Friday Night Lights together from here on out. Of course, that may also depend on what happens with the Tuesday Friday Night Lights episode as well. If those new viewers from Monday show up again Tuesday, that might be enough to convince NBC to stay there a while longer and see what happens when ABC is done with the dancing.
To finish the thought off, what does NBC do with Studio 60 in the event that the Friday Night Lights numbers are just too big to ignore? This is what I am actually hoping for. Heroes/Friday Night Lights is a much better match. And keeping Studio 60 in that slot is doing it no favors. What I would really like to see is Studio 60 on Wednesday at 9. Take another week to let the Lost mini season run it's course and then come back and go head to head with Daybreak. There is an opportunity to build an audience while Lost is on hiatus. That does mean that they would have to go up against Criminal Minds, but Jason Gideon is not nearly as fearsome as Horatio Caine.
Whatever the case, it will be interesting to watch. I do give NBC credit for having some patience with these two shows. Given the performance, I'm not sure that the other networks would have been so kind.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-30-2006 @ 12:24PM
John Frost said...
Yes to moving FNL to follow Heroes... no to putting Studio 60 on at the Wed 9PM Slot. Criminal Minds is a tougher show than you give it credit for... plus, I can only record two shows at once on my DVR and Lost/DayBreak and Criminal Minds is it right now. I'd have to break out the VCR if all three of my favorite shows were on at the same time.
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10-30-2006 @ 12:30PM
J-Spot said...
I'd be up for seeing Studio 60 in the Wed. at 9 slot. It'd give me something to Tivo and watch at 10, where The Nine has lost me. I'm certainly not going to be switching to CBS and its constant cavalcade of procedurals.
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10-30-2006 @ 12:39PM
Steve said...
I don't know; for any other show, this move would make a lot of sense, but something about moving a football show up against Monday Night Football on ESPN just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. If you're going to be interested enough to watch FNL, I'd think you'd probably be watching the real game instead, unless you're on the West Coast, where you can have the best of both worlds...
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10-30-2006 @ 1:03PM
Brett said...
John, I'm not saying Criminal Minds is a pushover, not by a longshot, just less troublesome than CSI:Miami. I picked Wednesday at 9 because there just aren't a lot of slots where they can move the show to and give it a good chance at succeeding. NBC has already announced that they are removing all scripted shows from the 8 o'clock hour, so those are out. So for 9-11 we are left with: Tuesday, I don't think they want to move around L&O again. Thursday, 9 is really crowded with CSI and Grey's, and I can't see moving ER when it has bounced back this year. Friday is Friday. I would like Las Vegas leading in to Studio 60, but I don't think it is the recipe to increase viewer numbers. Which leaves Wednesday. 10 is an option, but that would be taking on yet another CSI. I chose 9 because I expect ABC's numbers to drop once DWTS and Lost are off the schedule. Those people are goign to watch something, and it might as well be Studio 60.
And Steve, I'm on the west coast, but even on the east coast I would be one of those people interested enough to watch FNL, but not the real game. I think you hit on what is one of the big problems for the show though. People assume it is about football, when in reality it is more a family drama than anything.
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10-30-2006 @ 1:38PM
Porchland said...
Tuesday's "Friday Night Lights" at 8 will be a repeat of the new episode airing tonight at 10 called "Git 'Er Done."
I only posted this so I could type "Git 'Er Done."
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10-30-2006 @ 2:12PM
fleaLOve said...
i have got to get one of them there telervisions. maybe them i can git her dun
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10-30-2006 @ 5:01PM
MeT said...
The last episode was a perfect example of the what’s wrong with the show.
1. It’s not funny
2. Cliché characters
3. Talks down to the audience
1) Compare that to 30 rock. Same subject, half the time, much funnier.
2) I didn’t really like the first two shows. It was just a bash of republicans and Catholics.
The series has improved, but it’s really not that good.
It’s the quality I would expect from a first time writer, not some ‘legend’
Let’s look at the amazing character development from the last show:
D.L. Hugley the African-Americans back-story, he was born poor and could have wound up in jail and now is trying to save kids .
Nathan Corddry, the third member of the big three cast mates, doesn’t get along with his father. His dad doesn’t understand what he does, and wishes he was more like his brother who is off in Afghanistan.
Wow, welcome to cliché-ville
Amada Pete is one manipulative lady that is when she is not condescending to half the country.
Mat Perry, is a devoted Catholic hater
Bradley Whitford, is super-intellectual, with all the personality of a cold fish
Sarah Poulson, is the Catholic one.
*yawn*
About the only one who is interesting is Timothy Busfield
3) The moral of the last show was about the Blacklist.
It would have been much more enjoyable, to have the writers have to fight with the ratings board, and have to try to meet an arbitrary view of what’s ‘right’.
Culminating with the creative team not being allowed to show arab text, because people will not understand what it say, and instead convince TV sensors that the cast members are speaking a gibberish language, which instead is really a way to unleash a torrent of profanity on the air.
You can be clever and slip stuff past the censors.
(Come on, has none noticed how Peter Griffin face from Family Guy is drawn?)
Instead, hey lets have a long drawn out story about a guy who got blacklisted, and use it to instill the belief that our government will do the same thing to the current writing staff.
In summary, put this one in the trash heap, and save the few talented people in show.
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10-30-2006 @ 6:35PM
Sportsnightrocks said...
Some ppl can only have friends that kiss their ass. Some ppl cant take advice. Some ppl need their entertainment to be non threatening and non introspective.
Some ppl really cant handle the truth.
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10-30-2006 @ 10:32PM
David said...
#7
Sorkin has to have a charater on every one of his shows that doesn't get along with their father.
Dan on Sports Night.
The President on West Wing
Whats-his-name on this show.
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10-30-2006 @ 11:16PM
topmoo said...
Why would anyone think people who are football interested would rather watch fantasy land with friday night lights when they could watch real football monday's on espn? me thinks the lady douse protest too much.
topmoo
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10-31-2006 @ 12:11AM
MrsEldubya said...
Another option is to pull Studio 60 until the NFL is over with and put it back in West Wing's old spot of Sunday at 9 pm. Personally I would tape it on Friday or Saturday or whenever they want to air it because I like it but Wed at 9 pm seems wrong to me. I would put it on Wed at 10 pm against The Nine instead of 9 pm against Lost.
Also, will people finally understand that Studio 60 is a DRAMA, not a comedy, so it's not supposed to be funny like 30 Rock. It's supposed to be a sixty min drama. I'm so tired of hearing that Studio 60 isn't funny.
Do I think Studio 60 is Sorkin's best work? No I don't but it's still better than alot of stuff on TV right now. Alot of what drives this show for me is Matthew Perry and some of the other actors. Sure Sorkin needs to get over himself and stop trying to make this so personal. I'm still gonna keep watching the show.
I also enjoy Friday Night Lights and adore Kyle Chandler ever since he was in Homefront. He is great as the coach. We watch football on most Monday Nights so I tivo Studio 60 but it does seems silly to put FNL against MNF on ESPN. Soon Dancing With The Stars will be over and that might help FNL.
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