It's Looking Ugly for Ugly Betty, Southland and Medium - Friday Night Death Slot

Friday night in the television industry is notoriously known as the Friday Night Death Slot. No joke, if you google it, it has an entry in Wikipedia.

ABC, in releasing their new schedule, has moved Ugly Betty from it's 8pm time slot on Thursday to Friday at 9pm. The show, a ratings grabber in it's first few seasons, has been declining in its ratings and so ABC has decided to put it on its death march! It will be replaced by the new show Flash Forward followed by , of course, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.

Ugly Betty isn't the only show being moved to Friday. NBC has not renewed Medium. Fortunately for us Medium fans, it was picked up by CBS and will air after Ghost Whisperer on Friday nights at 9pm. This could actually be good for Medium because it will follow a similar themed Ghost Whisperer (I happen to be a fan of both of them) . CBS Friday night line up has actually been an exception to the Friday night death slot rule in having been mildly successful with Ghost Whisperer and Numbers (if these shows received the ratings they have received on any other night against other more popular shows, they probably wouldn't have lasted). The Ex List, a newcomer last season that filled the 9pm time slot, didn't survive and was canceled. I'm really hoping Medium holds it's own. I would hate to see it canceled. It is so very good.

Probably the most disappointing move to Friday for me is the new show Southland. It originally took over the ER slot on Thursdays. Apparently it started out strong in the ratings, but then fell off and so was moved to the 9pm hour between Law & Order (also moved to Fridays) and the Jay Leno Show. I think a new show starting the fall season on Friday is, well not so great for it's future. It's a shame. It really is a good show with lots of grit. Keeps me waiting for something to happen and on my toes. Kind of reminds me how ER used to make me feel when it was really good (it's been boring the last 2 or 3 seasons but I've stuck with it out of loyalty).

So.. my Friday night DVR will be recording:
8pm - Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
9pm - Medium (CBS) , Ugly Betty (ABC) & Southland (NBC)
10pm - Jay Leno (NBC)
Missing from Friday nights is Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles which has been canceled (bummer.. I loved that show too). Another example of a victim of Friday night time slots. I personally can't believe that Dollhouse was renewed. I thought the show was terrible. I don't think it will last very long and may be finished by the 2009-10 fall season end.

As further evidence that Friday night can signal the death of a TV show, the following shows were successful until they were moved to Friday night:

• Diff'rent Strokes
• 8 Simple Rules
• Life with Bonnie
• Step by Step (actually moved to CBS and put on Fridays and was it's last season)
• Family Matters (suffered same fate as Step by Step)
• Jag

Other Friday night failures included:

• Robbery Homicide Division
• Close to Home
• Moonlight (great show that no one was watching)
• Dr. Vegas
• Swingtown
• The Ex List

Evidence of how Friday night time slots for new shows affect a shows ability to capture an audience; at the start of Everybody Loves Raymond in 1996-97 season it aired on Fridays to low ratings. CBS kept the show, moved it to Mondays and, well, we all know how well that show has done (9 seasons). CSI also started on a Friday, performed poorly and was moved to Thursday and has been one of the most successful CBS shows catapulting CBS into the #1 watched network (knocking NBC from that slot).

All in all , if you are an Ugly Betty Fan, Medium Fan and you enjoyed Southland, it could very well be that they may not be around for much longer. Let's hope that that is not the case, but if TV history is any indication well it doesn't look good. I'll be watching the Nielsen numbers to see how they are holding up and whether they will be able to stick it out to stick around and of course I'll be blogging about it.