NBC shifts "Firm" to Saturdays

[Bob in Jersey]

And plugs in the new drama "Awake," which frankly I believe will turn
off viewers even more...

http://goo.gl/BON62



--
BOB

[PGage]

Couple of things on that...
1. As I think I noted here a few weeks ago, The Firm is a really, really weak show. Everyone involved seem like they are pretty solid in their discipline, but this program really does not work.

2. As the linked article on Deadline notes, NBC gave the Firm a 22 episode commitment, so this stinker will I guess just moulder for another 4 or 5 months in its new Saturday night purgatory (unless they decide to hold it at some point, and then rerun and burn off the whole thing over the summer).

3. As the TVBYTHENUMBERS guys point out, something odd happened to NBC Thursday night (which was the first night of Sweeps): The Program description for 30 Rock then got used by many cable/satellite providers was the same or similar to the used for the previous week's episode, leading many DVRS not to record it, thinking it was a rerun (this in fact is what happened to me). This may be one reason 30 Rock's numbers were down, and may have added drag to the rest of the night's schedule. (Still does not change the fact that The Firm sucks and was destined to move off its vanity slot).

4. I am not familiar with Awake, but it sounds a little like Life on Mars, and I am curious enough to want to see it get a chance. But NBC really needs to rethink its approach to the Thursday night 10:00 slot. They seem to still think they are programming "Must See TV", with broad appealing comedies from 8-10 and a quality/popular drama at 10. But they have not been doing that for a while. The 8-10 comedies are funny (I watch them regularly), but none of them (not even The Office at its height) have the kind of broad appeal that a Family Ties, or Cosby Show, or Cheers, or Seinfeld, or Friends or Frazier had. Parks and Rec, and Community, and 30Rock and even The Office are niche "hits" (if hits they be), and can not support a highly rated "quality" drama. Add to that the decreased audience available for 10:00 dramas anyway, and they are just not going to get anything like Hill Street Blues/LA LAW/ER kinds of numbers from any "quality" drama they put on in their current 10:00 environment. At the very least they need a sitcom along the lines of one of one of the CBS ones at 8:00, then a show like The Office (with better ratings), and then a drama that generates a little buzz (as opposed to the approving nod "Prime Suspect" earned) from the critics. And even then, the 10:00 ratings would only be ho hum. Either they just subsidize Thursday from 9 - 11 for vanity, critical acclaim (and find some broader based sitcoms for 8-9 to try to build some support for them), or they need to rethink the entire night.

[Mark Jeffries]

Which is exactly why they put on "Whitney"--and then got so many whinings from the quirky crowd that they had to move the show to Wednesday nights (and they still complain about "Community" not being on).

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't get "30 Rock" on my DVR Thursday night--I found it interesting that the VOD description for that episode is exactly the same as the previous week.  I wonder if they'll change it when they repost it tomorrow with the 23 minute, fewer ads (and mostly cross-promos), full-screen credits, no logo bug (and especially not one saying "SMASH MONDAY NIGHT 10/9C") version.

Mark Jeffries
Saints Spotlight Editor
spotl...@gmail.com

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[PGage]

On Sun, Feb 5, 2012 at 9:45 AM, Mark Jeffries <spotl...@gmail.com> wrote:

Which is exactly why they put on "Whitney"--and then got so many whinings from the quirky crowd that they had to move the show to Wednesday nights (and they still complain about "Community" not being on).

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't get "30 Rock" on my DVR Thursday night--I found it interesting that the VOD description for that episode is exactly the same as the previous week.  I wonder if they'll change it when they repost it tomorrow with the 23 minute, fewer ads (and mostly cross-promos), full-screen credits, no logo bug (and especially not one saying "SMASH MONDAY NIGHT 10/9C") version.

I was one of the Whitney whiners, but I would understand if shows like Whitney and the Chelsey Handler thing from 8-9 Thur drew big ratings, and supported shows like  Parks and Rec & Community from 9-10 (and then NBC put The Office and 30 Rock on some other night) and a quality drama at 10. But I don't think NBC really moved Whitney because of niche whiners - they moved it because it was not crossing over like they hoped it would. In fact, even in its new slot, I see the TVBYTHENUMBERS guys have down graded it to a toss up for getting renewed.