Fridays aren’t the most exciting night on the broadcast network schedule, but there are some interesting changes coming next fall. We’re following our predictions for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with a look at what Fridays have in store. These projections cover the September 22-December 7 period, before holiday reruns and specials kick in, and our forecasts on new series are based on each show’s auspices and trailers.
On to the fall’s Friday:
ABC: SHARK TANK has given ABC control on Fridays, and that won’t change next season. 20/20 has done exceptionally well this spring (fueled by some big “gets” like its Shelly Sterling interview), and if it can continue that record, it should be able to hold onto its spring gains. LAST MAN STANDING is holding on at 8PM, but in no way exceptional. However, we like its pairing with the working-class multi-cam sitcom CRISTELA a lot better than last fall’s high-concept, single camera The Neighbors, and that should both hold down Last Man‘s decline and give Cristela a decent launch.
CBS: The move of THE AMAZING RACE into the 8PM hour from Sunday should give that slot a modest lift. Both HAWAII 5-0 and BLUE BLOODS will continue their gradual slides downward.
NBC: DATELINE and GRIMM should stay more or less as-is. Last fall, DRACULA started with a bang but then slumped as its season continued. The new demon-hunter fantasy-thriller CONSTANTINE may not have as big a launch, but it looks like it could be a more consistent match with Grimm, and we give it a fair shot at a spring back-order. (Dracula was designed for a short fall-only order from the start, but NBC canceled it entirely.)
FOX: MASTERCHEF JR was successful in the Friday 8PM hour last fall, and should continue to be. As we said in our Tuesday column, we’re not encouraged by anything we’ve seen about UTOPIA–and FOX’s decision to virtually throw away the week’s second half in such a low-rated hour may suggest that the network itself is less than certain.
CW: WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY will give CW a big upgrade from last fall’s woeful The Carrie Diaries, and AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL should hold steady.
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