What does a move in the timeslots mean?

[Triton]

It seems like we collectively have a little information here about everything hence this question...

What does a network moving a show from one timeslot to another mean? Of course I recognize that if a show is doing poorly in one slot it may be moved to another where they think it might do better, or I suppose if a network wants to dominate a particular timeslot they would move a show to that slot. What slots are "the" slots to be in though? Is there any indication if a show is doing good or bad based on a particular move?

The reason I ask is because my favorite show The Amazing Race was moved from a Tuesday 8:00 timeslot to a Wednesday 7:00 timeslot. I assume that means that it is doing well... but don't know for sure???

 

[cosine]

What does a network moving a show from one timeslot to another mean?

It means that when they move a show to another timeslot they mess up my schedule. I hate when they do that. :grumpy:

Not really the answer you wanted, eh?

 

[Triton]

It means that when they move a show to another timeslot they mess up my schedule. I hate when they do that. :grumpy:

Not really the answer you wanted, eh?

Lol, no but an answer I definitely agree with. Now the kids want to watch it with us... and I never noticed how much foul language The amazing race had it in before now.

 

[Bob W]

It could mean the show's doing well and the network thinks it can compete in a tougher slot.

It could also mean that the show's doing poorly. I've often noticed that some shows get bumped around just before being cancelled.

Have you noticed how FOX starts all of their new shows on Sunday nights, where FOX dominates? Then once the shows develope a fan base, they get scattered throughout the week.

Personally, I have a very difficult time following a moving schedule (I'm not mentally capable?). Once I 'lose' a show, I rarely watch it again. Since I don't watch t.v. very much anyway, it's not a big deal. NYPD Blue was famously dependable, Tuesday night at 9pm for twelve years. I also liked Arrested Development, but they moved from Sunday night to a mysterious new time slot and I've never seen it again.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

 

[Triton]

It could mean the show's doing well and the network thinks it can compete in a tougher slot.

It could also mean that the show's doing poorly. I've often noticed that some shows get bumped around just before being cancelled.

Have you noticed how FOX starts all of their new shows on Sunday nights, where FOX dominates? Then once the shows develope a fan base, they get scattered throughout the week.

Personally, I have a very difficult time following a moving schedule (I'm not mentally capable?). Once I 'lose' a show, I rarely watch it again. Since I don't watch t.v. very much anyway, it's not a big deal. NYPD Blue was famously dependable, Tuesday night at 9pm for twelve years. I also liked Arrested Development, but they moved from Sunday night to a mysterious new time slot and I've never seen it again.

Best Wishes,

-Bob

Yeah I do the same thing. I used to watch Crossing Jordan religiously, but haven't seen it in years now although I think it is still hanging on. The Amazing Race is of limited duration anyway so they probably wouldn't cancel this one unless it just totally tanked, but there might not be a next one if this one did not do well. That's my concern really. I was just thinking about what I watch four shows it seems:

CSI Miami
The Amazing Race
Without a Trace
Numbers

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Sundays is mainly Fox. King of the Hill, Simpsons if I catch them on TV, always make time for Family Guy. Simpsons has been on at 8 on Sunday for what, the past 5 years at least.

Mondays, I could care less whats on TV. I might watch Two and a Half Men is I'm eating dinner late.

Tuesdays, always make time for NCIS. 8pm since its inception. The Unit hasn't been the barn buster it claimed to be, but its still watchable. I would be surprised if they moved it, might move it to Thursdays, although CBS already has Survivor and CSI there. I might watch Law and Order SVU if I'm up that late, I normally try to get to work at 6am. I believe that that moved from Friday nights.

Wednesday, Criminal Minds I might watch, is that warring for viewers with Lost? Can't get channel 2, which is the ABC affiliate in Baltimore.

Thursday, I'll watch CSI if its a new episode. I don't know where it started at on the lineup, but I think that show owns the 9pm slot until it goes off the air.

Friday, I might watch Ghost Whisperer just to see JLH bouncing around, I might also check out Numbers. Both of these look like they'll be up for prime slots soon.

Saturday, if I'm home, Cops, maybe CSI repeats if I get home early when I'm out. CBS and Fox pretty much rule the dial IMHO, NBC has really gone downhill. I do admit to flipping to My Name is Earl when CSI goes to commercial, but I don't really make a point of watching any shows on TV either than Family Guy and NCIS. Don't have cable either. I would say that most of CBS' lineup have good time slots.

 

[DaveH]

The other thing they do is temporarily put a new show in a strong shows spot in an attempt to get you hooked on it.

It also depends on what "market" they trying to reach, they won't put "American Idol" at 10 p.m. because all the teenage girls that watch the show would be in bed by then.

There's several shows that I no longer watch because they kept hosing the schedule up, the networks seem to think I'll follow shows forever to a new night.

 

[Andrew Taylor]

The prime slots are 8 to 9 for general viewing and the prime time for adult viewing is 9 (which is the 'watershed' time) to 10. 6 to 7 is news and entertainment, then everyone goes for dinner. For my money, if it moved from 8 to 7 is isn't doing as well or they are targeting a younger audience. But I'm no expert and am from another country.

 

[JohnG]

Slotting TV shows is a complex bet by the networks to maximize not just the ratings but to get the best "demo"--short for demographic, the right kind of viewer--to max out ad revenues, the real bottom line.

It's complex because even if one show is a hit, broadcast networks have to take into consideration what the other channels are doing not just directly opposite but before and after. Why run new episodes of a program if they are going to get crushed by the Oscars, or the Superbowl--or maybe we'll attract the crowd that's sick of those events.

If one show is a big draw, does that viewership flow over into the next program? Should we run a comedy before CSI or a look alike show--will the eyeballs stick to our channel or do they move when we go to commercials? (One reason why TBS and TNT started running programs 5 minutes before or after an hour--in theory less chance of losing people at the top of the hour)

Changing time slots is another big gamble. They'll look at a show like "King of Queens", a steady player on Weds, but decide maybe the show is past its peak of drawing new viewers. The fans will follow it to Monday, where it fits in at 8 PM nicely and hopefully draw some people into "How I met Your Mother", a new show that has maybe half a season to draw acceptable numbers, and not lose too much for KoQ. But if HIMYM is good, then as KoQ slowly draws to an inevitable close, they have a replacement and new fans in place.

It's a big gamble since the channels put a lot of money into development and promotion of these shows, and as we all know, people develop viewing habits that are actually pretty hard to change in the short term.

Add in the cable channels, pay on demand, DVDs, HBO, and things like the internet, which is drawing more and more eyeballs away from the traditional networks. To me it's an interesting problem since they all have different strategies: HBO is 'event' TV--you'll seek out the Sopranos, which is a great lead in for "Big Love", a new show that you'll hopefully try. HBO doesn't need to worry abour ratings per se, and they only reach who knows how many homes, but a network show needs to do "x*" in the ratings to stay on, period.

Networks, where the programming is free, have other issues. They need to fill x amount of hours every night, even as attention spans and working hours have changed. The old formula--sitcoms and cop shows, solid since the sixties--is doing ok but they're getting sniped at every corner.


(*"X", by the way, has fallen dramatically. I read that Seinfeld, at its absolute peak, drew fewer viewers than original Star Trek, cancelled in 1969 for low viewership. Over the last decade when syndication was a viable option for shows we saw lots of shows like Xena or ST:Voyager that had actually very low viewerships versus traditional networks but are successful because they had a cost structure and a demo base that supported the stations that showed them)

 

[DaveH]

mmmhmhmhmhm, xena

I'm probably getting old but I'd rather watch the original startrek, xena, Hill street blues, over american idol or any reality TV show.

 

[Triton]

Slotting TV shows is a complex bet by the networks to maximize not just the ratings but to get the best "demo"--short for demographic, the right kind of viewer--to max out ad revenues, the real bottom line.

It's complex because even if one show is a hit, broadcast networks have to take into consideration what the other channels are doing not just directly opposite but before and after. Why run new episodes of a program if they are going to get crushed by the Oscars, or the Superbowl--or maybe we'll attract the crowd that's sick of those events.

If one show is a big draw, does that viewership flow over into the next program? Should we run a comedy before CSI or a look alike show--will the eyeballs stick to our channel or do they move when we go to commercials? (One reason why TBS and TNT started running programs 5 minutes before or after an hour--in theory less chance of losing people at the top of the hour)

Changing time slots is another big gamble. They'll look at a show like "King of Queens", a steady player on Weds, but decide maybe the show is past its peak of drawing new viewers. The fans will follow it to Monday, where it fits in at 8 PM nicely and hopefully draw some people into "How I met Your Mother", a new show that has maybe half a season to draw acceptable numbers, and not lose too much for KoQ. But if HIMYM is good, then as KoQ slowly draws to an inevitable close, they have a replacement and new fans in place.

It's a big gamble since the channels put a lot of money into development and promotion of these shows, and as we all know, people develop viewing habits that are actually pretty hard to change in the short term.

Add in the cable channels, pay on demand, DVDs, HBO, and things like the internet, which is drawing more and more eyeballs away from the traditional networks. To me it's an interesting problem since they all have different strategies: HBO is 'event' TV--you'll seek out the Sopranos, which is a great lead in for "Big Love", a new show that you'll hopefully try. HBO doesn't need to worry abour ratings per se, and they only reach who knows how many homes, but a network show needs to do "x*" in the ratings to stay on, period.

Networks, where the programming is free, have other issues. They need to fill x amount of hours every night, even as attention spans and working hours have changed. The old formula--sitcoms and cop shows, solid since the sixties--is doing ok but they're getting sniped at every corner.


(*"X", by the way, has fallen dramatically. I read that Seinfeld, at its absolute peak, drew fewer viewers than original Star Trek, cancelled in 1969 for low viewership. Over the last decade when syndication was a viable option for shows we saw lots of shows like Xena or ST:Voyager that had actually very low viewerships versus traditional networks but are successful because they had a cost structure and a demo base that supported the stations that showed them)

A very informative and interesting post John, thanks!

 

[JohnG]

You're welcome, Triton. The folks always said I watched too much tv, but it finally came in handy

(DaveH)I'm probably getting old but I'd rather watch the original startrek, xena, Hill street blues, over american idol or any reality TV show.

Me, too. Competition, via the new networks and cable etc seems to have helped programming(my theory is it's due to Fox, who innovated with The Simpsons, Married With Children, 90210, Melrose Place up thru and including The OC and American Idol, who has been the trendsetter since like 1987 and proved trying new things would work in a traditional network setting).

But then again I realize that even if the technology had been in place in
1970, The Sopranos would not have been conceivable; then again, I don't believe that an All In the Family, which started around that time, would be possible now for just the same reasons(even though The Meathead, for some reason, is still on the scene ).

 

[braddy]

Lol, no but an answer I definitely agree with. Now the kids want to watch it with us... and I never noticed how much foul language The amazing race had it in before now."

Years ago I watched the "Terminator" with my mother at her home,( I rented the tape), I had never noticed the gritty sex scene.