Pat Plays Scheduler! The CW - Part Two

With upronts less than a month away, I will use my television expertise (and imaginary crystal ball) to predict what the new network schedules will look like. Tonight:

The CW:

Thursday

8:00PM: The Vampire Diaries

9:00PM: The Secret Circle

Analysis: The first breakout hit to come out of The CW since 90210, Diaries will remain in its slot for its third season. Circle, another young-adult-novel-adapation by Diaries show-runner Kevin Williamson will most likely follow the drama, and hopefully duplicate the success that Diaries has had.

Friday

8:00PM: Supernatural

9:00PM: Nikita

Analysis: Supernatural and Smallville single handedly saved the net on Fridays, improving their respective time-slots by double digits, and outrating most other dramas on the net. With Smallville ending, Supernatural will slide back to 8PM, leading into the sophomore run of Nikita, the only surviving CW freshman.

Midseason

The only guaranteed Midseason entry will be a second cycle of ANTM, and, as is customary, a really awful (see: low-rated) reality premiere.

Pat Plays Scheduler! The CW - Part One

With upronts less than a month away, I will use my television expertise (and imaginary crystal ball) to predict what the new network schedules will look like. Tonight:

The CW:

Monday

8:00PM: 90210

10:00PM: Gossip Girl

Analysis: While neither drama is doing extremely well here, they aren’t doing any worse than the dramas on other nights, so nothing will change on Mondays

Tuesday

8:00PM: One Tree Hill

9:00PM: NEW DRAMA

Analysis: Hellcats, current 9PM occupant, is all but dead, but the 8-years-young One Tree Hill is alive and well....for at least one more season.

Wednesday

8:00PM: America's Next Top Model

9:00PM: NEW DRAMA

Analysis: While fading, ANTM is still one of The CW's highest rated series, so it'll conitnue to lead off Wednesday nights. The net will try a new drama out of the reailty vet, but for years they have tried and failed to get a show to catch on in this slot.

Pat Plays Scheduler! NBC - Part Two

With upronts less than a month away, I will use my television expertise (and imaginary crystal ball) to predict what the new network schedules will look like. Today:

NBC:

Thursday

8:00PM: Community

8:30PM: NEW COMEDY

9:00PM: The Office

9:30PM: Parks & Recreation

10:00PM: 30 Rock

10:30PM: NEW COMEDY

Analysis: Outsourced and Perfect Couples are sure to be cancelled. This will leave two slots open for new comedies. Airing 30 Rock in the 10PM hour has greatly improved the hour, even though the vet's rating have dropped a bit. To be fair, Rock is more about prestige than ratings, so as long as it stays at its current level, which is about a 30% improvement over what the net was averaging this fall, its likely to stay put.

Friday

8:00PM: Who Do You Think You Are?

9:00PM: Dateline

Analysis: Who Do You Think You Are? Has done well for a cheap-Friday-night reality skein, so it will lead off the night. A two-hour Dateline will fill the rest of the night.

Saturday

8:00PM: Repeats

9:00PM: Repeats

10:00PM: Repeats

Analysis: Like every other network, NBC has pretty much given up on this night, so no new programming will crop up on this night.

Sunday

7:00PM: Sunday Night Football

Analysis: Sunday Night Football is huge for NBC, so it will obviously be back in the Fall. The Spring schedule will be decided later, but will almost certainly include Celebrity Apprentice, which is NBC's highest rated show.

Midseason

Minute To Win It may return for filler, but with the weak ratings lately its not a done deal.

Pat Plays Scheduler! NBC - Part One

With upronts less than a month away, I will use my television expertise (and imaginary crystal ball) to predict what the new network schedules will look like. Today:

NBC:

Monday

8:00PM: Chuck

9:00PM: NEW DRAMA

10:00PM: Harry's Law

Analysis: Chuck has fallen to new lows lately, however it's still the highest rated show on it's Monday Schedule most weeks. Harry's Law does well with older viewers, and does ehhhhh with the 18-49 crowd. Either way, with LOLA DOA, Law should be a lock for a second season. A new drama will round out the night.

Tuesday

8:00PM: Biggest Loser

10:00PM: Parenthood

Analysis: NBC's Loser ironically continues to be one of the lone bright spots on it's schedule, however it has been seriously waning lately. Hopefully they can build some kind of buzz for the next season, and bring back the fans who've strayed this season. Parenthood straddled the bubble for most of the season, but the finale got the highest rating (2.5) for an NBC drama since The Event premiered last Fall, so it will be back.

Wednesday

8:00PM: NEW REALITY SHOW

9:00PM: NEW DRAMA

10:00PM: Law & Order: SVU

Analysis: Minute to Win It was doing well for the net earlier this year, but something happened this Spring, and the show has been at series-lows for the last few months. It won't be back, except maybe for cheap filler at some point this Summer. Since the ill-fated Jay Leno experiment in Fall 2009, NBC has started every season with SVU at 9PM with a new drama leading out. And every season, the 10PM drama dies, and SVU is pushed back an hour later, where it flourishes. HOPEFULLY, NBC will start it off at 10PM, so it can build some ratings momentum in its 13^th(!) season. So, a cheap reality show will fill the 8PM slot, and a new drama will follow at 9.

Pat Plays Scheduler! FOX - Part Two

With upronts less than a month away, I will use my television expertise (and imaginary crystal ball) to predict what the new network schedules will look like. Tonight:

FOX:

Thursday

8:00PM: THE X-FACTOR/American Idol

9:00PM: UNTITILED BONES SPINOFF

Analysis: The results shows for the reality series will play in the 8PM hour, while the lead-in will be used to launch a new series, most likely the Bones spinoff. Once again, FOX could use a new hit drama, so hopefully this will develop into that hit.

Friday

8:00PM: Bones

9:00PM: Fringe

Analysis: Bones has been an extremely consistent performer for the net since its debut in 2005. FOX has been toying with the idea of moving the series to Fridays for years, and with The X-Factor likely taking up residence with in its current 8PM time-slot, now may be the time. Bones finally gave FOX decent ratings on the most important night to advertisers, Thursday, and, while a modest hit, if it could bring those viewers to Fridays, FOX would be ecstatic. Fringe somehow escaped cancellation, and will be back for a full 22-episode season next year. So it will likely stay in this low-profile time-slot.

Saturday

8:00PM: Cops

8:30PM: Cops

9:00PM: America's Most Wanted

Analysis: Maybe this will be the night when FOX makes some big changes! Oh wait, this night hasn't changed in two decades. Next!

Sunday

7:00PM: Bob's Burgers

7:30PM: American Dad!

8:00PM: The Simpsons

8:30PM: NEW ANIMATED COMEDY

9:00PM: Family Guy

9:30PM: The Cleveland Show

Analysis: Fox has done well with Animation Domination for years, so other than shuffling the comedies around a bit, this night won't change too much.

Midseason

Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares will likely make an appearance on the schedule at some point. These shows work great as filler, and can be moved anywhere, so FOX will keep these two as a contingency plan.

Pat Plays Scheduler! FOX - Part One

With upronts less than a month away, I will use my television expertise (and imaginary crystal ball) to predict what the new network schedules will look like. Tonight:

FOX:

Monday

8:00PM: House

9:00PM: NEW DRAMA

Analysis: House has, like most formerly strong vets on broadcast has weakened considerably as of late, however it still manages decent ratings and will probably stay put. Nothing has really flourished after House since Fringe, so FOX will likely try something new – for the umpteenth time – and try to actually launch a new hit out of House while its still a viable lead-in.

Tuesday

8:00PM: Glee

9:00PM: Raising Hope

9:30PM: NEW COMEDY

Analysis: Glee exploded in its second season, becoming FOX's number one scripted show. To toy with the time-slot now would not be wise, so Glee isn't going anywhere. Raising Hope is the first live-action sitcom to reach a sophomore season on FOX in years, so they will look to expand its audience this Fall. A new comedy will round out the night.

Wednesday

8:00PM: THE X-FACTOR/American Idol

9:00PM: TERRA NOVA

Analysis: With The X-Factor premiering this Fall, FOX may finally be able to have a stable schedule. Every season since American Idol began airing from January to May, the Fall schedule changed radically as soon as the juggernaut premiered. However, if The X-Factor can air alternately with AI, then they can share a time-slot, and present a stable schedule. Terra Nova, the big budget project from Steven Spielberg needs to be a hit, so FOX will give it the biggest push possible by airing after X and AI.

Using Twitter To Advertise on Television: Smart or ANNOYING?

          So many people, myself included, likely follow their favorite celebrities to see what they are doing right now. “I'm making some eggs, I wonder if Eric McCormick is doing the same thing?”, or something like that. Oh course, these people aren't stupid. They realize that their fan base will hang on their every word, and what better time to advertise an upcoming project! For every Busy Phillips, who tweets about her daughter, cast members on Cougar Town, and just general goings on during the day, there's an Alyssa Milano, who is CONSTANTLY hawking the new movie she's doing, or the TV show she just taped a guest spot for. Don't get me wrong, it makes is a lot easier to catch her few and far between guest stints on this week's Castle, but still, I'd like to hear more about her daily activites than what she's working on. Of course, I just proved the point. By seeing what she'll be on this week, I make a concious decsion to watch that episode of Castle, giving that show a boost in ratings, and showing Alyssa that its a great idea to advertise via Twitter.

          As a person who hates to see someone pandering for an audience, I should stop following celebrities that do such things......Oh, shoot, Alyssa just posted about a new television movie she's starring in....Do as I say, not as I do, OK??