Many shows expected to generate the most viewers do not air on Thursday, long considered the most important night of prime time TV by many marketers.
CBS already has a strong lineup with The Big Bang Theory and The Mentalist on Thursdays. If the network’s new show Person of Interest is a hit, then it will be tough to beat CBS on the night, even if Fox’s The X Factor is the big hit everyone is predicting. Media buyers and planners think CBS will lead on Thursday nights this fall among adults 18-49, though Fox and ABC will be contenders as well.
In scientific terms, the popularity of CBS’s The Big Bang Theory could be likened to an asteroid: It started out small, quietly orbiting Monday nights, ranking 59th for total viewers its first season. By 2009, it had risen to No. 42, and by last season it hit No. 12. This season, it got moved and Thursday nights have exploded. Now CBS is beating NBC at its own game: comedy. Big Bang is dominating Community in the ratings, and in its wake, the critically reviled $#*! My Dad Says is besting the critically worshipped 30 Rock.
