Comments on: Nets Toss in Towel on Friday Scripted Development http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/09/29/nets-toss-in-towel-on-friday-scripted-development/5366/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:34:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Holly http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/09/29/nets-toss-in-towel-on-friday-scripted-development/5366/comment-page-1/#comment-24601 Holly Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:03:48 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=5366#comment-24601 I agree that highly serialized shows probably won't work as well on Friday, but with a few exceptions highly serialized shows aren't doing well overall right now anyway. That doesn't mean that Fridays have to be a wasteland of repeats and reality. The choice isn't serialized shows you must watch each and every week in order to keep up or cheap reality. There is a middle ground between Lost and Supernanny. What about more episodic scripted shows like comedies and procedurals? CBS has success because of its procedurals. NBC is trying both a procedural (Life) and a serialized show (Crusoe). ABC could use a couple good procedurals in its lineup (just like CBS could use a couple non-procedurals), why not start with Fridays? I'm not saying they should spend as much money on Fridays as they do on Thursdays or Sundays, but I don't think they should just give up either. I agree that highly serialized shows probably won’t work as well on Friday, but with a few exceptions highly serialized shows aren’t doing well overall right now anyway. That doesn’t mean that Fridays have to be a wasteland of repeats and reality. The choice isn’t serialized shows you must watch each and every week in order to keep up or cheap reality. There is a middle ground between Lost and Supernanny. What about more episodic scripted shows like comedies and procedurals? CBS has success because of its procedurals. NBC is trying both a procedural (Life) and a serialized show (Crusoe). ABC could use a couple good procedurals in its lineup (just like CBS could use a couple non-procedurals), why not start with Fridays?

I’m not saying they should spend as much money on Fridays as they do on Thursdays or Sundays, but I don’t think they should just give up either.

]]> By: Bill Gorman http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/09/29/nets-toss-in-towel-on-friday-scripted-development/5366/comment-page-1/#comment-24597 Bill Gorman Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:50:30 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=5366#comment-24597 Holly, I'd say that it makes sense to program only "ad hoc" viewing options on Friday. Shows that you can watch one of every now and then and not have to follow start to finish. That seems logical in an attempt to get younger viewers who may or may not be out on a Friday night. However, the fact that it logically makes sense (at least to me) in no way means that it's going to be successful. ;) Holly, I’d say that it makes sense to program only “ad hoc” viewing options on Friday. Shows that you can watch one of every now and then and not have to follow start to finish. That seems logical in an attempt to get younger viewers who may or may not be out on a Friday night.

However, the fact that it logically makes sense (at least to me) in no way means that it’s going to be successful. ;)

]]> By: Holly http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/09/29/nets-toss-in-towel-on-friday-scripted-development/5366/comment-page-1/#comment-24592 Holly Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:30:59 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=5366#comment-24592 If I remember correctly, the chart Bill and Robert put up last season with nightly HUT averages showed that while fewer people are watching TV on Friday, the difference isn't nearly as bad as the broadcast nets make it out to be. I think this will be a self-fulfilling prophecy because if the nets give up and broadcast reality and repeats like they do on Saturday, the audience will simply move to cable. The article (or at least the quotes here) leaves out that NBC is planning to air two scripted shows on Friday. Granted, neither has a great chance at success, but at least they haven't given up altogether like Fox and ABC. If I remember correctly, the chart Bill and Robert put up last season with nightly HUT averages showed that while fewer people are watching TV on Friday, the difference isn’t nearly as bad as the broadcast nets make it out to be. I think this will be a self-fulfilling prophecy because if the nets give up and broadcast reality and repeats like they do on Saturday, the audience will simply move to cable.

The article (or at least the quotes here) leaves out that NBC is planning to air two scripted shows on Friday. Granted, neither has a great chance at success, but at least they haven’t given up altogether like Fox and ABC.

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