NBC in 2006-07:
Changes on Five Nights; 10 Series Shuffled

Although the move of upcoming dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was expected, NBC will make changes to its just announced fall 2006 primetime schedule on five nights of the week, impacting 10 series. Only Saturday and Sunday (movies and football) will remain unchanged.

Beginning with Monday, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip will move to 10 p.m., replacing sophomore drama Medium, which will return Sunday at 10 p.m. in midseason (in place of the new drama Raines). Law & Order: Criminal Intent, originally scheduled Friday at 10 p.m., will shift to Tuesday at 9 p.m. out of new drama Friday Night Lights and into veteran Law & Order: SVU. Kidnapped, originally scheduled Tuesday at 9 p.m., will shift to Wednesday at 10 p.m. in place of incumbent Law & Order, which moves to Friday at 10 p.m. The Wednesday 8-10 p.m. block has also been revamped, with new sitcoms 20 Good Years and 30 Rock now leading into The Biggest Loser.

In a move that is sure to prematurely kill the current “golden goose,” the Friday 8 p.m. edition of game show Deal or No Deal has been shifted to Thursday at 9 p.m. opposite CBS’ CSI and ABC’s relocated Grey’s Anatomy. Friday will now open with Crossing Jordan, originally on hiatus, into Las Vegas and the relocated Law & Order.

While it’s never a surprise for any network to make a change (or two) after the schedules are announced, shifting eight hours (or 36 percent) of the schedule sends a message of panic into the marketplace. Although it is obvious that Law & Order is no longer a priority for NBC, wouldn’t it have been better to put The Apprentice back into the Thursday 9 p.m. hour and leave Deal or No Deal Friday at 8 p.m., where it was winning the time period?

Here is NBC’s revised fall 2006 primetime line-up (with new shows capped and changes noted in parentheses).

Monday
8:00 p.m. Deal or No Deal
9:00 p.m. HEROES
10:00 p.m. STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP (new day and time)

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (new day and time)
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. 20 GOOD YEARS (new time)
8:30 p.m. 30 ROCK (new time)
9:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser (new time)
10:00 p.m. KIDNAPPED (new day and time)

Thursday
8:00 p.m. My Name Is Earl
8:30 p.m. The Office
9:00 p.m. Deal or No Deal (new day and time)
10:00 p.m. ER / THE BLACK DONNELLYS

Friday
8:00 p.m. Crossing Jordan (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. Las Vegas
10:00 p.m. Law & Order (new day)

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Dateline
9:00 p.m. Drama Series Encores

Sunday
7:00 p.m. FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA
8:00 p.m. SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Source: http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters ... /index.jsp

Uuuuhhhhhhhhh...

Holy crap.

All this just because they want Studio 60 have a shot. Weird.

There really are no words for how much they've screwed the schedule. Two proven Law and Order hits on one night, leading into each other? Two new dramas (that are far from guarantees) on Monday night? Moving a successful game show against two of the biggest shows on television on Thursdays? Leaving three hit dramas on Friday nights, instead of making them lead-ins to their new shows?

Wednesday night... is a COMPLETE disaster. Three new shows (two coms, one drama) as the bread surrounding NBC's average-rated reality show, The Biggest Loser?

I think NBC wants to fail this season. There's no other just reason as to why they would make huge mistakes on almost every night of the week. I'm more than shocked that they've kept Earl and Office in their current time periods. We're awfully lucky that they didn't send the comedy duo to Friday night. Right now, NBC is poised to have continued hits with their current shows, but I would not be surprised at all to see NBC without ANY new shows still on the air by midseason.

Haha, NBC is fricken retarded.

I hope the CW can challenge them on a few nights here and there next season, it'd be hilarious. Wednesday would be the best bet, ANTM should be able to beat those sitcoms, then the OTH retention will decide the winner between the two.

Completely horrible. They just went from somewhat promising to guaranteeing another 4th place finish next year.

Honestly, from the little I've seen and heard, Stidio 60 doesn't even look that great that they'd want to shift a good deal of their schedule for it.

Deal or No Deal at 9pm is a completely stupid move but I'm interested to see what will happen lol.
CSI vs. Grey's Anatomy vs. Deal or No Deal vs. The O.C.

The 9pm hour could potentially have around 60+ million viewers every week.

Well that's horrible.

When are they airing the next season of The Apprentice?

I'm pretty sure The Apprentice is still on for midseason on Sunday nights, once Football ends, along with Season 3 of "Medium" and the Jeff Goldblum drama, "Raines".

Tuesday night is a bonafide disaster. Why lead the night with a new show? So incredibly dumb.

So CBS, ABC, and NBC are have their #1 shows at the same timeslot on Thursday 9pm. If only Fox moved American Idol to that time slot as well...

Isn't AI on Tuesday through Thursday for an hour, every week until the show gets down to 12?

I'm kind of wishing they'd move Earl and Office back to Tuesdays. As this night gets higher pressure you know they might end up with laugh tracks by the end of the season.

I believe that would be airing at 8pm, but it would be very interesting if it'd still get first place if it were at 9pm.

God, I hope they never put laugh tracks in. I'm now completely biased against them. I can't watch Red Dwarf because of the damn laugh track.

NBC done lost its mind. I figured they would move Studio 60 but what gives with all the other seemingly random, idiotic moves? Perhaps we will be seeing NBC & the CW joining forces at the end of the next TV season.

That would be really cool.

PEACE, Mike.