It's almost the weekend, which means it's time for what is generally regarded as one of the best nights of TV, Thursday night television! What do Thursdays have in store this year that'll have you talking all weekend? Let's find out!
THURSDAYS:
8:00-9:00
The Big Bang Theory/Two and a Half Men (CBS, premieres 9/27), 30 Rock/Up All Night (NBC, 30 10/4, Up 9/20), The X Factor (Fox, 9/13), Last Resort (ABC, 9/27), The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 10/11)
9:00-10:00
Person of Interest (CBS, 9/27), The Office/Parks and Recreation (NBC, 9/20), Glee (Fox, 9/13), Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 9/27), Beauty and the Beast (The CW, 10/11)
10:00-11:00
Elementary (CBS, 9/27), Rock Center with Brian Williams (NBC, TBD), Scandal (ABC, 9/27)
The night starts off with a big battle. CBS made the bold move to swipe Two and a Half Men of its anchor position of Mondays at 9 and instead place it behind the network's biggest hit, The Big Bang Theory. Together, these two make a deadly combination. Their competition? NBC is going to try to attract the witty crowd with it's hour of the final season of 30 Rock and the returning baby comedy Up All Night. 30 Rock fans will stay loyal for the show's last thirteen episodes, but I don't know how well that'll bode for the overall ratings. Fox has the results show of The X Factor, which they are hoping will finally get them in on the Thursday ratings race, but results shows are generally lower-rated, and it faces severely stiff competition. ABC is hoping to launch Last Resort at 8, but the move is...questionable. The pilot has been getting great marks and comes from great auspices, but it feels more like a late night show, and I don't know if it'll succeed here. Finally, The CW has it's biggest show, The Vampire Diaries, returning to it's Thursday slot, and while the show probably won't beat out the other four broadcast networks, The CW will rely on it to bring in good ratings, which, after a dynamite third season, it definitely should. But as for an overall winner? CBS should take this hour.
The 9:00 hour has (almost) every network pulling out their big guns. Strangely enough, the crowds for each of these shows is different. The CW is premiering Beauty and the Beast, and given the title and subject matter, it seems like it would be a good fit behind The Vampire Diaries and could be a successful show for the network. But this is Thursdays at 9, so that'll be tough. It's most direct competition will come from Glee, since both attract a younger, female audience, although there is definitely a split between those obsessed with fantasy and those obsessed with music and dancing. After anchoring Fox Tuesdays for three years, Glee is moving to one of the most competitive time slots of the year. Can it find success? The Gleeks are a mighty force to be reckoned with, so don't count them out. CBS is returning Person of Interest which, after a slow start, became a big player on Thursdays last year. Can the momentum continue to build this year? CBS is certainly hoping so. NBC has it's two biggest comedies together at 9:00. The announcement of a final season of The Office could make way for a boost in ratings, and Parks and Recreation looks certain to take over as the network's highest rated comedy as it's popularity increases every season. The final competitor for the hour is its oldest veteran, Grey's Anatomy. Following a truly horrifying finale, the ratings for the premiere, at least, should be markedly higher, but the show will probably settle down after a few weeks. As far as how well it'll do compared to everyone else? I think CBS will also take the 9:00 hour, with ABC close behind and Fox making a good run for the 18-49 audience, who may opt for Grey's but probably won't go for Person of Interest.
The 10:00 hour is kinda surprising for a Thursday night. To think of all the hits that once inherited this timeslot, the networks have scheduled one new show (Elementary), a flop of a news program (Rock Center with Brian Williams), and a sophomore show whose first season only had seven episodes (Scandal). What?! First, I cannot believe NBC would be so stupid to give Rock Center this crucial timeslot, especially given it's truly awful performance last year in a better slot. Yikes! Scandal started off pretty well last year behind Grey's, and the ratings stayed pretty constant. The show itself got better and better every episode, and it looks like Shonda Rhimes might actually have a decent follow-up to Grey's and Private Practice (sorry, Off the Map!), so if the buzz carried over the summer, Scandal could return and be the surprise returning hit of the season. But part of me thinks CBS will win this hour (and thus, winning the night) with Elementary, the new Sherlock Holmes drama with Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu (as a female Watson, hello female audience!). The buzz is pretty good and if it can sustain quality over the season, I can't see why it wouldn't be a big hit for the network.
Well? What do your Thursdays look like this fall? I know mine are packed. Let's count: The Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, The Vampire Diaries, Parks and Rec, Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and Elementary. Eight! How about you? Let me know in the comments section below!
Evan
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