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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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[09/16/26 - 01:01 PM]
"Saturday Night Live" Adds Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter as Featured Players to the Cast for the Upcoming 52nd Season
"SNL" returns September 26 at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT, live on NBC and Peacock with host Jalen Brunson and musical guest KATSEYE.
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[09/16/26 - 12:50 PM]
CBS Presents "The Amazing Race: 25 Years Around the World," An "Entertainment Tonight" Special, Tuesday, Sept. 29
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[09/16/26 - 12:46 PM]
Madonna to Open the "2026 Video Music Awards (VMAs)" with Her First "VMAs" Performance in 23 Years, Airing Sunday, Sept. 27 on CBS
Madonna last performed at the "VMAs" more than two decades ago, when Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera joined her for their now-iconic 2003 opening performance.
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[09/16/26 - 12:20 PM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of September 7
"Reacher," "The Grand Tour," "Sterling Point," "Off Campus," and "LOL Next" led all original series worldwide.
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[09/16/26 - 12:17 PM]
Jefferson White Joins Season Two of CBS' Hit Series "Marshals" in a Recurring Role as Jimmy Hurdstrom
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[09/16/26 - 12:08 PM]
Brendan Morgan, David Tomlinson, Gerry Dee, Michelle Mylett, Lauren Chan, and Nick Stahl Join the Cast of "Heated Rivalry" Season 2
Draft picks: confirmed.
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[09/16/26 - 11:34 AM]
Investigation Discovery Chronicles the Unique Bond Between a Survivor and a Serial Killer's Ex-Wife in "The Serial Killer Connection"
Rolling out over three weeks, the three-part docuseries airs Wednesdays at 9:00/8:00c on ID beginning on October 7.
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[09/16/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Max Orders New Drama Series "How to Survive Without Me"
The drama, from Berlanti Productions, stars series regulars Ray Romano, Kaley Cuoco, and Joshua Jackson.
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[09/16/26 - 11:01 AM]
On the Heels of Seven Primetime Emmy Award Wins, Peacock Announces Three Additional Seasons of "The Traitors," Produced by Studio Lambert with Alan Cumming Returning as Host
Peacock concluded its most recent season of "The Traitors" with its biggest ratings to-date, as viewership surged +72% over the prior season.
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[09/16/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: Love Is Hell. Growth Is Worse in Prime Video's Official Trailer for Season Three of "Helluva Boss"
The first part of the third season consists of seven episodes, with three episodes premiering on October 14, followed by two episodes weekly through October 28.
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[09/16/26 - 10:08 AM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - October 2026
"Coven Academy," "VisionQuest," and "Phony" are among the featured premieres.
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[09/16/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - Hulu Original Documentary "The Swan: Behind the Mirror"
The film premieres on September 29 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.
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[09/16/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Kate Berlant: Parmesan" Debuts October 16
Seamlessly weaving through personal stories and stream-of-consciousness epiphanies, Kate offers up razor-sharp reflections on everything from the moon, to her destructive relationship to technology, to the evolving nature of sexuality.
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[09/16/26 - 09:50 AM]
Video: They're Back on Call! "Scrubs" Debuts Its Season 2 Trailer
The two-episode premiere of the "Scrubs" revival airs Wednesday, September 30, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
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[09/16/26 - 09:41 AM]
Breaking the Deadlock "AI: Who's in Control?" - Broadcast and Streaming Premiere October 27 on PBS
In this new episode, eight panelists face a series of challenging dilemmas.
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