Quick reactions to NBC's 2010-2011 fall schedule
Why is 'SVU' going back to 9? Is there hope for 'Outlaw' at 10?
Jimmy Smits of 'Outlaw'
Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC
I awoke on this Sunday morning to find that NBC had already decided to leak its 2010-2011 fall primetime schedule to the trades six or seven hours ahead of when the network was already supposed to leak the schedule ahead of its upfront presentation on Monday.
That wasn't really fair, NBC. All I ask is one morning of sleep per week and you have to go and mess that up? Sigh.
In that spirit, somewhat grouchy and not fully caffeinated, here are a few initial thoughts I had looking over NBC's schedule. Sepinwall will have more exhaustive analysis, including quotes from the evening NBC press conference, later...
[Click through for said thoughts...]
Why move "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" back to 9 p.m.? As Seth & Amy would say, REALLY? NBC was forced to move "SVU" to 9 p.m. last fall due to The Unspeakable Jay Leno Experiment. It didn't work. The show's ratings plummeted. Then NBC moved "SVU" back to 10 p.m. after The Unspeakable Jay Leno Experiment ended and its ratings went back up. You know why? Because a show about cops investigating grisly sex crimes in New York City is better suited for 10 p.m. then 9 p.m. That's not so complicated. Also, they went up because CBS already has a more successful (not nearly as good) show about law enforcement investigating crimes (often of a sexual nature) airing at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. Unless NBC knows CBS is moving "Criminal Minds" and unless NBC has some research showing that last fall's 9 p.m. "SVU" ratings drop was just an aberration, this slotting makes zero sense.
Why not try "Chuck" elsewhere? Just for fun. We know NBC has no interest in ever giving "Chuck" a proven lead-in and that's OK. But if you look at Monday nights, "Chuck," "The Event" and "Chase" all seem pretty compatible. Where would the harm be in spending the summer promoting "The Event" and generating buzz and then trying that out at 8 p.m. and maybe moving "Chuck" to 9? NBC *knows* what "Chuck" will do at 8 p.m. and it's unclear if a well-promoted freshman show would do any worse. Instead, "Chuck" will have to lead-off the night, again, which doesn't really help "The Event" and doesn't really help "Chuck." Still it's good to see "Chuck" back for the fall.
Time to program Wednesdays at 8 p.m. NBC has thrown down the gauntlet here. It's been a couple years since there was an actual hit show on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. (unless you count the times "Idol" has aired there). By programming J.J. Abrams' relatively anticipated new drama "Undercovers" in the hour, NBC is saying "We think that's vulnerable territory." And the network is correct. Now we'll see if CBS, ABC and FOX follow suit and things get really interesting in one of the softest hours for my DVR.
"Parks and Recreation" gets hosed, a little bit. Sepinwall's got a lot more to say here. I actually somewhat understand the decision and the need to move "30 Rock" and try something else after "The Office" while "The Office" is still capable of providing a lead-in. Still, I've grown to love "Parks and Recreation" and it'll be disappointing not to have it on Thursdays in the fall. Looking at NBC's Thursday, I'm actually more intrigued by the difficulties "Love Bites" will face going up against ABC's "Private Practice," a strong performer in the young female demos. It's my guess that NBC will emphasize the "comedy" aspect of "Love Bites" and use that as a selling point, rather than the "romantic anthology" aspect. Then again, NBC's most recent attempt to follow up on studies showing that viewers want comedy at 10 p.m. didn't go so well.
"Outlaw" is on an island. So NBC picks up a show from Conan O'Brien's production company, which seems pretty shocking. Then the network schedules the Jimmy Smits legal drama "Outlaw" for 10 p.m. on Fridays. Ouch. If you can figure out the flow of NBC's "Who Do You Think You Are?," "Dateline" "Outlaw" Fridays, let me know. I guess "Dateline" covers legal issues sometimes. Regardless, that's a tough slot for "Outlaw," especially if CBS decides to transplant an established drama to the 10 p.m. hour to replace "Numb3rs." Like if CBS decides to move "Good Wife," for example, to Fridays at 10 p.m.? NBC might as well pack it in.
Anyway, those are just a few quick thoughts. Sepinwall will have more later...
What do you think about NBC's primetime schedule?
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupRyan
May 16, 2010 at 2:44PM EST Reply to CommentOutsourced better be damn good if it's robbing me of new P&R until 2011.
May 16, 2010 at 2:44PM EST Reply to CommentWouldn't Seth and Amy say "Really?"
I give you a pass since it's a Sunday, though.
dan Matthew - Yup. Really, Dan? You're trying to write an analysis piece before the coffee kicks in? REALLY? Fixed! -Daniel
May 16, 2010 at 3:05PM ESTtrensetter
May 16, 2010 at 2:47PM EST Reply to Comment"gristly sex crimes"? Are those sex crimes involving tough-to-chew cartilage?
dan trensetter - Another typo I'm gonna blame on rolling out of bed on a Sunday and trying to process analytic thought. I *think* "gristly" is a better version of that typo than if I'd somehow written "grizzly," but it's been corrected... -Daniel
May 16, 2010 at 3:07PM ESTJeff W "Grizzly sex crimes" will be handled by Law & Order: Parks and Recreation. Coming 2011.
May 16, 2010 at 3:28PM ESTAdam B. As opposed to the bristly sex crimes investigated by L&O: Dudes With Beards.
May 16, 2010 at 3:57PM ESTHatfield Wouldn't bristly sex crimes be *perpetrated* by dudes with beards, not investigated?
May 16, 2010 at 7:48PM ESTlarcollins
May 16, 2010 at 2:55PM EST Reply to CommentMaybe they leaked it early to get reactions and still have time to switch things around accordingly by Monday.
LJA
May 16, 2010 at 2:58PM EST Reply to CommentI'm pissed about Parks. Is The Office still a strong lead-in? Really?
dan LJA - "The Office" is still a tremendous lead-in, by NBC standards or any standards. It reliably beats "CSI" in the 18-49 demo and remains competitive with "Grey's Anatomy" and without it, "30 Rock" ratings go into the tank. Heck, without it, "Community" ratings went into the tank. -Daniel
May 16, 2010 at 3:09PM ESTLJA I know, it just seems unlikely, quality-wise, that The Office is still the leader of the ratings pack on Thursdays.
May 16, 2010 at 5:42PM ESTSo back to P&R, does this mean Parks will only have something like 10-13 episodes next season? That breaks my heart.
mrbilliam So Parks and Recreation and Cougar Town are two shows that greatly improved this year, and viewers (at least Nielsen viewers) did not notice this.
May 19, 2010 at 5:27PM ESTActually, does drastically improving your show ever bring in higher ratings? It didn't work for the OC. The Office's ratings turnaround in season 2 was propelled at least as much by the success of 40 Year Old Virgin that the improvement of the show's quality. Stunt-casting and changing time slots can help, but can anyone think of examples where a show's ratings went up based on a change of quality alone?
Raj
May 16, 2010 at 3:02PM EST Reply to CommentI am with you on the 8 pm vs. 9 pm Chuck and The Event switch. I love Chuck, but can't ever see it growing there. I am glad they didn't pair it with Undercovers. Obviously they have similar premises, but they are really so different (at least I assume they will be, only having seen a short teaser on Undercovers). Chuck being more sci-fi/cartoon spy, with Undercovers being more Alias type spies. I love JJ Abrams, but will have to see this to buy into it - but I will see it. I am a bit surprised he is going to the CIA well again after seemingly running out of decent spy stories in Alias.
The Event is intriguing to me and they have a good actor in Ritter in that. Lets just hope it is a conspiracy theory show that doesn't get too complicated. I have no interest in Outlaw, the short peek of Outsourced didn't pack a lot of laughs and seemed to be mining for comedy by making fun of foreigners.
I am also disappointed that Fran is gone from Friends with Benefits, he as the only thing of interest for me on that. Ryan from Party Down, I don't see as a male lead - more of a supporting funny guy.
The Chase has its super producer, but its peek turned me off already. Casting Metcalf doesn't bode well and the female lead doesn't seem to pop. Obviously could be a great his with its self-contained Without a Trace type style, but to me Without a Trace had great casting that sustained interest.
So I guess I am ever-hopeful for Chuck to continue and gets its back-order (but not holding my breath), somewhat hopeful for The Event, will watch Office and Parenthood and I guess thats it.
Liz
May 16, 2010 at 3:15PM EST Reply to CommentIsn't possible that Parks and Rec is being held to mid-season to accomodate Amy Poehler's pregnancy?
sepinwall No. The show deliberately didn't go on hiatus between production on season 2 and season 3 so they would have enough episodes completed to be on the air in the fall even with Poehler's pregnancy...
May 16, 2010 at 3:21PM EST...and then NBC didn't put them on in the fall.
dan Liz - NBC gave "P&R" an early pickup to accommodate Amy's pregnancy and then the show transitioned directly from Season Two production into Season Three production to accommodate Amy's pregnancy. They're going to shoot at least six S.3 episodes this spring/summer pre-birth and that was all planned specifically so that "P&R" *wouldn't* have to be delayed next season. -Daniel
May 16, 2010 at 3:23PM ESTflashman
May 16, 2010 at 3:26PM EST Reply to CommentLooks like the only solution is to let Outsourced die a quick death so they have to bring P&R back earlier. If any of the NBC Thursday shows deserves being pushed back, it's 30 Rock since Community and P&R have been great and The Office has had good ratings.
Tuchman Marsh Judging from these clips, Outsourced looks like NBC's worst show since Kath & Kim: http://www.spoilertv.com/2010/05/outsourced-episode-101-pilot-sneak.html
May 16, 2010 at 3:56PM ESTRaj
May 16, 2010 at 4:01PM EST Reply to CommentWell lets be honest, Community and P&R, while critically praised for the most part, get not great ratings. 30 Rock gets better, but I would look for them to drop at 8:30. I love P&R, (Community, not so much), but am just glad its coming back at all. They do need to take advantage of Office while they can, after all if this is Steve Carrel's last season, they might not have it too much longer. I just doubt Outsourced is the one to do this. If it fails, maybe slip P&R in there at mid-season and see what it can do with a lead in.
kbh
May 16, 2010 at 4:36PM EST Reply to CommentI hoped Harry's Law would be in the fall schedule. Now I'll have to wait till midseason. Really disappointing.
May 16, 2010 at 4:51PM ESTLJA Is that the new David E. Kelly show?
May 16, 2010 at 5:48PM ESTDawn
May 16, 2010 at 7:23PM EST Reply to CommentI wouldn't mind comedy at the 10pm hour (I used to switch to Office reruns on TBS at 10pm Tuesdays back when I had cable). NBC has just never had anything remotely resembling comedy airing at 10pm. *cough*
Aaron
May 17, 2010 at 2:32AM EST Reply to CommentI 100% agree with everything you said especially Chuck. I mean, NBC should have tried Chuck on another night. It's getting destroyed in the ratings by Dancing With The Stars and CBS' comedies on Monday and should deserve to get a stronger audience.