As media buyers expected, NBC has become the first network to make major changes to its fall schedule, days after two of its Wednesday series posted all-time lows.
The network will bring back long-running drama “Law & Order” a few months earlier than expected and revamp its Wednesday lineup, which lacked the flow of other nights concentrating on action or comedy.
As of Nov. 5, Wednesdays will focus on crime fighting. The night will lead off with “Knight Rider,” the only show to maintain its original Wednesday slot.
The cop drama “Life” will move from Fridays at 10 p.m. into the 9 p.m. Wednesday slot, followed by “L&O” in its traditional 10 p.m. Wednesday spot.
“L&O” replaces “Lipstick Jungle,” the frothy female-focused soap that fell to a 1.6 adults 18-49 rating in its most recent outing. “Lipstick” will move into “Life’s” old Friday slot.
The move comes five weeks into the new season, and it’s the first major programming shakeup at any network, despite a few shows going on early hiatus and many seeing steep ratings declines.
In a survey posted by Media Life two weeks ago, respondents predicted that NBC, the No. 3 network among 18-49s, would be the first to revamp its schedule. The network has also seen the biggest declines from last season, off 19 percent year to date according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day-DVR playback numbers.
A good part of those problems stem from underachieving returning shows like “Jungle,” “Life” and Monday’s “Chuck,” second-year shows that had briefer-than-usual runs last year because of the writers’ strike.
But the network has also seen many of its returning shows slip as well. “Deal or No Deal,” which had occupied the 9 p.m. Wednesday slot, has also dipped to series lows this year, averaging a mere 1.9 rating last week.
“Heroes,” “My Name is Earl” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” have also slid, meaning NBC has problem spots on nearly every night.
That led the network to give a surprising full-season order to the critically derided and low-rated “Knight Rider,” which averaged a series-low 2.1 rating last week. The network, which has five new shows on the schedule this fall but hasn’t seen any gain ratings traction, has a slew of new shows waiting to debut at midseason.
By relocating “Jungle” to little-watched Fridays, with the incompatible lead-in “Crusoe,” NBC seems to have essentially given up hope on the show. But “Life,” which has received critical kudos despite low ratings, could fare better on Wednesday, where it will face CBS’s old-skewing “Criminal Minds” and ABC’s female-, young-skewing “Private Practice.”
Now that NBC has become the first network to rip up its schedule, speculation shifts to which will be the second. It could well be ABC making more Wednesday night moves. Though “Practice” recently received a full-season order and saw week-to-week ratings growth, “Pushing Daisies” and “Dirty Sexy Money” have struggled.
