Emma Bell and Laurie Holden in "The Walking Dead."

Credit: AMC

A review of tonight's "The Walking Dead" coming up just as soon as I stroll the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions...

Jimmy (Michael Pitt) takes his family out to enjoy the sights on "Boardwalk Empire."

Credit: HBO

A review of tonight's "Boardwalk Empire" coming up just as soon as I grab a tripod...

Is "Glee" the reason for all of FOX's other mid-season schedule changes?

Credit: FOX

For most of the last decade, the TV season for FOX has followed a familiar, wildly successful pattern: debut a bunch of shows in the fall, struggle with low ratings and baseball interruptions, then dominate the ratings once "American Idol" starts airing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in January.

That part of the FOX formula was nice, simple, uncomplicated and unstoppable. There might be ridiculous changes to the rest of the schedule - or changes promised but never fulfilled, like all those times they claimed "Bones" was gonna air on Fridays - but the "Idol" part remained a constant.

Nothing about "Idol" is constant anymore, though. Though still the number one show on TV last year, its ratings slipped from invulnerable and godlike to merely much better than everything else. Now the judging panel has had massive turnover, producer Nigel Lythgoe is back, and he's promising a lot of wacky (and so far silly) sounding changes, like eliminating the semi-final round and adding "challenges" for the contestants beyond "pick a song that won't bore the audience to death while trying to dance in rhythm to it."

So why not shake up the show's air pattern while we're at it? For years, the other networks have referred to "Idol" as the Death Star, but as we learned in the original "Star Wars," the Death Star can move, and in the complicated new mid-season schedule that FOX has announced - which includes "Idol" shifting over from Tuesday/Wednesday to a Wednesday/Thursday pattern - Thursday nights is apparently the equivalent of the fourth moon of Yavin.

Fienberg has all the details - including "Fringe" being banished to Fridays, "Human Target" getting a few post-"Idol" airings and "Bob's Burger" getting to air after "The Simpsons" - and after the jump I have some thoughts on the possible reasons behind and potential results of all these moves:

Callie Thorne and Jeffrey Donovan on "Burn Notice."

Credit: USA

A very quick review of last night's "Burn Notice" coming up just as soon as I have a loafer with a listening device...

Anna Torv on "Fringe."

Credit: FOX

A quick review of last night's "Fringe" coming up just as soon as a new church pops up...

Steve Carell and BJ Novak on "The Office."

Credit: NBC

A review of last night's "The Office" - which might be moving out of the regular blog rotation - coming up just as soon as I own a decommissioned lighthouse...

Jack McBrayer and Alec Baldwin on "30 Rock."

Credit: NBC

A quick review of last night's "30 Rock" coming up just as soon as I minor in Bible sexuality...

Annie (Alison Brie), get your gun on "Community."

Credit: NBC

A review of last night's "Community" coming up just as soon as someone sends me a tiny, thoroughly underwhelming message...

Dan Byrd and Brian Van Holt on "Cougar Town."

Credit: ABC

A quick review of last night's "Cougar Town" coming up just as soon as I put a seatbelt on my hammock...

Rico Rodriguez as Manny on "Modern Family."

Credit: ABC

A review of last night's "Modern Family" coming up just as soon as I cheat on you with choreography...