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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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[09/02/26 - 10:02 AM] Shaquille O'Neal, Authentic Brands & TNT Sports' "Dunkman" to Expand in 2027, Introducing Team Competitions, Junior Division & Global Regional Qualifiers Series The world's first professional dunk league will officially return in 2027, highlighted by an expanded slate of premium events.
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[09/02/26 - 09:16 AM] New Series "Playing with Matches" Pits Undercover Couples Against Each Other In the upcoming unscripted series, a group of undercover couples from all walks of life will compete in the ultimate game of romantic deception.
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[09/02/26 - 09:01 AM] Nimesh Patel Makes His Netflix One-Hour Stand-Up Debut with "Buy the Dip" In this hilarious, no-punches-pulled special, Nimesh takes aim at the absurdity of parenting, the insanity of his Indian family, and the rampant corruption in DC.
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[09/02/26 - 08:14 AM] Prime Video Reaches Exclusive Agreement with National Hockey League to Provide Local Streaming Coverage for Six Teams Games for defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues will be available for in-market fans on Prime Video beginning with 2026-27 season.
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[09/02/26 - 08:01 AM] Video: HBO Original "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" Unveils Official Second Teaser The series will debut Christmas 2026 on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
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[09/02/26 - 08:01 AM] Apple TV Unveils First Look at Season Two of Animated Series "The Sisters Grimm" In season two, one year after their parents' mysterious disappearance, sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm continue uncovering the secrets of Ferryport Landing, where fairy tales and fairy tale creatures are real, as they face new adventures and mysteries.
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[09/02/26 - 08:00 AM] "90 Day Fiance: The Other Way" Returns October 4 with New International Love Stories and Returning Fan Favorites The new season features five new couples and two returning pairs as their journeys take them across Ghana, Singapore, France, Italy, Australia, and Mexico.
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[09/02/26 - 07:02 AM] Video: "You+Me - Against the World" - Official Trailer - Prime Video From the book of Emma Green, with Vittoria di Savoia and Lucas Barski, the film premieres September 18 on Prime Video.
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