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[09/29/09 - 12:11 AM] The 10 Things You Need to Know About the New Season: #2 - Friday Night Is "The Death Slot" By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC) |
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Please note: As a courtesy, please do not reproduce these comments to newsgroups, forums or other online places. Links only please.
Welcome once again to "The 10 Things You Need to Know About the New Season," our annual feature about, well... the 10 things you need to know about the new season. The goal of this venture is to address not only common questions people have about television but to also demystify (or potentially reaffirm) stigmas out there about certain networks, time periods, genres and so forth. So with that in mind let us put on our journalistic caps and give you the cold hard truth about what's potentially ahead for some of your favorite new and returning shows...
2. Yup, it's true - Friday night is "the death slot."
No, it's not an urban legend - shows that air on Friday nights are less likely to be renewed than on any other night. Of the 100 shows that have launched on Friday night since the fall of 1999, only 15 - or just 15% - have made it to second seasons. Conversely, of the 69 shows that have bowed on Sunday nights during the same period - a whopping 28 (or 41%) made it to second seasons. Take a look at the numbers:
| day | abc | cbs | fox | nbc | upn | wb | cw | total |
| mondays | 6/22 (27%) | 11/19 (58%) | 8/28 (29%) | 14/32 (44%) | 6/8 (75%) | 1/4 (25%) | 0/2 (0%) | 46/115 (40%) |
| tuesdays | 10/36 (28%) | 6/16 (38%) | 9/19 (47%) | 10/38 (26%) | 3/22 (14%) | 5/8 (63%) | 3/4 (75%) | 46/143 (32%) |
| wednesdays | 16/49 (33%) | 7/19 (37%) | 10/34 (29%) | 4/23 (17%) | 2/11 (18%) | 3/11 (27%) | 1/6 (17%) | 43/153 (28%) |
| thursdays | 6/23 (26%) | 3/10 (30%) | 4/12 (33%) | 8/23 (35%) | 1/2 (50%) | 5/14 (36%) | | 27/84 (32%) |
| fridays | 2/21 (10%) | 6/20 (30%) | 1/23 (4%) | 1/15 (7%) | 0/5 (0%) | 5/16 (31%) | | 15/100 (15%) |
| saturdays | 1/2 (50%) | 3/8 (38%) | | 0/4 (0%) | | | | 4/14 (29%) |
| sundays | 8/13 (62%) | 1/6 (17%) | 5/15 (33%) | 8/14 (57%) | | 5/13 (38%) | 1/8 (13%) | 28/69 (41%) |
| various* | 1/7 (14%) | 4/6 (67%) | 3/10 (30%) | 1/5 (20%) | | 0/1 (0%) | | 9/29 (31%) |
| total | 50/173 (29%) | 41/104 (39%) | 40/141 (28%) | 46/154 (30%) | 12/48 (25%) | 24/67 (36%) | 5/20 (25%) | 218/707 (31%) |
With that in mind, the order from best to worst night to launch a show is Sunday (41%), Monday (40%), Thursday (32%), Tuesday (32%), Saturday (29%), Wednesday (28%) and Friday (15%).
Plus, as usual, said info reveals several interesting trends such as the fact "Dollhouse" is FOX's first Friday newcomer to be renewed for a second season in 10 years while CBS has the standard 30% success rate on the night. Conversely, Sundays have been a trouble spot for CBS (17%) while FOX averages nearly double that (33%) on the night. The night and network with the best track record: Sundays on ABC (62%) and Tuesdays on The WB (63%) and The CW (75%).
TOMORROW: Which time slot is the toughest to launch a new show?
* denotes the series in question either aired as a multi-night stunt or regulared aired in more than one time period
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[11/18/25 - 01:00 PM] Video: "Family Guy" Hulu Exclusive Holiday Special Trailer and Key Art Debut The Hulu exclusive special premieres Friday, November 28 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
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[11/18/25 - 01:00 PM] "Bridezillas" Returns with a Fresh "I Do!" Premiering Today, Exclusively on AMC Networks' New Streamer All Reality Tamar Braxton, known for her long-standing presence in reality television, brings new life, humor and her signature flair to the return of the pop culture phenom, which debuts with two episodes today, and new episodes dropping every Friday, beginning November 28.
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[11/18/25 - 12:01 PM] Netflix Top 10: Week of November 10 - "The Beast in Me" Plays Mind Games at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10 Those wishing to escape into fantasy opted for "The Witcher" Season 4, placing the series at No. 2 on the list with 3.6 million views in its third week in the Top 10.
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[11/18/25 - 12:01 PM] Disney, ESPN and the NBA Team Up to Present Second "Dunk the Halls" - The Real-Time, Animated NBA Game: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks on Christmas Day - Live from Main Street, U.S.A. The innovative alternate presentation will be available on ESPN2, Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and the new ESPN App via ESPN DTC or pay TV authentication.
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[11/18/25 - 11:01 AM] "Twisted Metal" Season Three Is Coming to Peacock The streaming service confirmed the news on social media this morning.
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[11/18/25 - 10:09 AM] Tubi Serves Up the First Look at "Mo' Waffles," a Wild New Comedy from TikTok Duo A Twink and a Redhead and Robin Jordan, Premiering December 19th When a hip hop legend vanishes before his waffle joint's opening, his oddball crew must crack the case, wondering if one of them could be the culprit.
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[11/18/25 - 10:02 AM] Video: Official Trailer & Key Art - "Dance Moms: A New Era" Season 2 The A+E Factual Studios series returns with all episodes on Monday, December 8 only on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers.
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[11/18/25 - 10:01 AM] TNT Sports Announces Commentators for GEICO Players Era Men's & Women's Championships Coverage of the GEICO Players Era Men's Championship on both Monday, November 24 and Tuesday, November 25 will begin on TNT at 12:30 p.m. ET.
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[11/18/25 - 10:01 AM] BET+ Original Film, "Son of the Preacher," Premieres Thursday, November 27 The film stars Gabrielle Graham, Chris LeBlanc, Darren Herbert, Rachel Crawford, Ronnie Rowe, Tkaia Green, and Karen Burthwright.
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[11/18/25 - 09:30 AM] Prime Video Sets the Heist in Motion: First Look and Premiere Date for "Steal" Unveiled All six episodes will be available on January 21, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[11/18/25 - 09:01 AM] NBC to Air 78th Emmy Awards Live on Monday, Sept. 14 from the Peacock Theater The date of Emmy Award nominations will be announced in the coming months.
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[11/18/25 - 09:00 AM] Reunion Announcement: Hulu's "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season 3 Reunion Special The special premieres December 4 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.
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[11/18/25 - 09:00 AM] The 28th Annual "Family Film and TV Awards," Hosted by Julie Chen Moonves, to Air Dec. 13 on CBS and Paramount+ Legendary magic and comedy duo Penn & Teller will receive the Outstanding Family Entertainers Award, celebrating 50 years of captivating audiences, and the night will feature special performances by country music superstar Blake Shelton.
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[11/18/25 - 08:16 AM] Ira Levin's Novel "The Boys from Brazil" Is Coming to Netflix Adapted by Peter Morgan and directed by Alex Gabassi, this five-part historical thriller stars Jeremy Strong, August Diehl, Daniel Brühl and Gillian Anderson.
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[11/18/25 - 08:02 AM] First Look Images and Premiere Date for New Game Show "What's in the Box?" Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris Giant boxes conceal jaw-dropping prizes, wild surprises and unexpected reveals in "What's in the Box?," a high-stakes arching game show that tests smarts, strategy and stamina.
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