It’s why 9-1-1 moved from Fox to ABC and why CBS canceled and then reversed course on SWAT.
With advertising set to rebound, broadcasters shy away from taking risks on unfamiliar material after the pandemic accelerated audience declines. Above, a scene from CBS’s FBI: Most Wanted, one of three shows in the FBI franchise.
Upfront Brings New Big 4 Scheduling Tactics
Broadcasters are more frequently embracing the cable TV idea of limited run series, of taking favorites off the air for a time instead of showing reruns, and of not treating summer as an afterthought.
As the end of the fourth quarter draws near and the networks get ready to roll out their midseason schedules, there are a number of questions facing the networks. Among them: Can American Idol return to form? Will NBC maintain its lead? Will DVR viewership keep growing? And will there be any new hit shows this year?
Many have made it to midseason. Now the question is whether they can make it to next year. In a typical year a quarter to a third of new shows will stick around for at least one more season. But this year that total is likely to be much lower. Here are their odds.
Exclusives
Some expected hits have tanked, while certain overlooked shows have stood out. Among the biggest disappointments have been NBC’s The Playboy Club, ABC’s Pan Am and Fox’s prehistoric drama Terra Nova.
