Networks leaving viewers in the cold with winter schedule
Don’t get too cozy this winter with your personal television schedule. It’s about to implode.
With warnings of “fall finale,” “winter finale” and “mid-season finale” preceding many popular series over the last few weeks, we should have known the networks were up to no good. We would be correct.
In the networks’ strategy to avoid repeats, many hit shows, especially dramas, already have concluded their 2015 runs, with a second team taking over in January and February.
Evidently, the fact that those are the two months in which viewers watch the most television doesn’t matter. We’re supposed to be content gathering around the fire for “Galavant,” “Master Chef Jr.” and “My Diet Is Better than Yours.”
Meanwhile, at least eight current series won’t be seen again until March, including “Rosewood,” “Once Upon A Time,” “Quantico,” “Fresh Off The Boat,” “Agents of Shield,” “Nashville,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “Empire” (30th). Let’s not forget that “Empire” is the most popular series on any network, so pulling it at this point and not airing it again until the spring is akin to the Steelers benching Big Ben until the playoffs.
By the way, last spring’s “The Odd Couple” doesn’t show up on CBS’s schedule until April 7, which is nothing less than a vote of no confidence.
As you probably have noticed, most network series have bundled up for a long winter’s night, leaving viewers with a tattered patchwork quilt of low-rated series airing their few remaining episodes, new “filler” series, holiday specials and award shows. Don’t expect any semblance of normalcy until February.
The most blatant rude finger was extended by CBS, which decided to give quick, six-week runs to “Mike and Molly” and the forever-moving “2 Broke Girls” on Wednesday. Even if the sitcoms muster decent ratings, they will be unceremoniously whisked off the schedule Feb. 17 in favor of another season of “Survivor.” The same network’s “Person of Interest,” a series that clearly plays to CBS’s older core audience, has apparently been designated as summer filler, as evidently have Fox’s “Bones” and “Last Man on Earth.”
There’s plenty more finger-pointing – and finger-raising – to go around. When Fox recently “renewed” “The Muppets” and CBS gave additional episodes to “Code Black” and “Supergirl,” it appeared to be a vote of confidence. It wasn’t.
Instead, it looks like the networks are just using those ratings-deprived shows to provide some fresh on-air content until new series can be unleashed this spring.
Other low-rated shows are being moved to low-viewership Fridays, including “Sleepy Hollow” (Feb. 5), “Vampire Diaries” (Jan. 22) and “The Originals” (Jan. 22). before an inevitable cancellation.
Veteran TV viewers know networks have played havoc with schedules before – the late comedian Alan King did an exceptionally memorable routine on the stupidity of it all in the ’60s and ’70s. But with networks losing ground to cable every year, the relatively new, divided season concept is absurd.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to have a series run September through February without reruns, and then replace it with a new series in March? Why yank your biggest draws off the air during the two highest viewing months? And let’s not forget that viewers forget – many “hit” series have taken extended breaks only to return to find their fans have moved on.
Here’s a synopsis of when current series will be returning prior to March. NBC has yet to unveil its complete plans, but it’s likely its biggest hit, “The Voice” will be shelved until early spring.
Current series: “NCIS: LA” (Jan. 4), “New Girl,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med,” “NCIS,” “NCIS: New Orleans” (Jan.. 5), ABC’s two-hour Wednesday sitcom block, “Chicago PD” and “Mike and Molly” (Jan. 6), CBS’s Thursday lineup, “Blacklist” (Jan. 7), “Hawaii 5-0” and “Blue Bloods” (Jan. 8), “Criminal Minds,” “Code Black,” (Jan. 13), “Grimm” (Jan. 22), “The Muppets,” (Feb. 2), ABC’s Thursday lineup (Feb. 11), “Amazing Race” (Feb. 12) “Survivor” (Feb. 17), “Blindspot,” “Gotham” (Feb. 29).
Moving: “The Grinder,” “Grandfathered” and “Brooklyn Nine Nine” to Tuesdays (Jan. 5), “Two Broke Girls” to Wednesdays (Jan. 6)
Second team arrivals: “Undercover Boss” (Dec. 20), “Galavant” (Jan. 3), “The Bachelor” (Jan. 4), “American Crime” (Jan. 6), “My Diet Is Better Than Yours” (Jan. 7), “Masterchef Jr.” (Jan. 8), “Bob’s Burgers” (Jan. 10), “Hell’s Kitchen” (Jan. 15), “Agent Carter” (Jan. 19), “The 100” “The X-Files” (Jan. 21)
New series: “Cooper Barrett’s Guide To Surviving Life,” “Bordertown” (Jan. 3), “Superstore” (Jan. 4), “Angel From Hell” “Shades of Blue” (Jan. 7), “Second Chance” (Jan. 13), “Legends of Tomorrow” (Jan. 21), “Lucifer” (Jan. 25), “Madoff” (Feb. 3), “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” and “The Real O’Neals” (March 2), “The Family” (March 3)
Season finales: “Code Black” (Feb. 24), “The Muppets” (March 1), “How To Get Away With Murder” (March 17).