FALL PREVIEW 2012: Friday

And here we are at Friday! This year, Friday has scripted programming on all four networks, which hasn't happened in awhile. If interested, check out my Friday preview from last year and 2010!

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing (2nd season)
8:30 MALIBU COUNTRY
9:00 Shark Tank (4th season)
10:00 20/20 (36th season)

This schedule is ABC's plan for November. Right now, they are running Shark Tank/Primetime: What Would You Do?/20/20. With Shark doing so well, this lineup might be altered but this preview will go ahead with the planned schedule as it appears ABC might be trying to revisit TGIF. Tim Allen's return to TV last year was successful at first but faded down the stretch. It will now be sent to Friday but that might work for the show and its old fashion appeal. It will be paired with a comedy that should have similar appeal - Reba McEntire's Malibu Country. Bad reviews probably won't hurt a show like this. I wonder if ABC might want to shift these shows to 9pm with Shark Tank doing so well. Speaking of Shark, it has its first full season and is a real solid option for Fridays. At 10pm is the veteran newsmagazine 20/20 in its 36th (!) season.

CBS
8:00 CSI: NY (9th season)
9:00 MADE IN JERSEY
10:00 Blue Bloods (3rd season)

CBS is adjusting its semi-successful Friday night schedule a bit and will have three New York-themed shows. CSI: NY cheated death once again and will return for a ninth season, this one at 8pm for the first time. Though it beat out CSI: Miami to return, the Miami cancellation showed that CBS is not averse to cancelling shows in the franchise. Unless the unlikely scenario of all of CBS's new dramas failing happens, I could easily see this being the final season of the long running procedural. At 9pm is the new Made in Jersey. With ho-hum reviews, it seems an odd placement between two grittier dramas. If A Gifted Man couldn't work on Friday nights, I'd be surprised if Made in Jersey could. At 10pm is season three of Blue Bloods which does about as well as a 10pm Friday drama could do.

NBC
8:00 Whitney (2nd season)
8:30 Community (4th season)
9:00 Grimm (2nd season)
10:00 Dateline NBC (22nd season)

NBC is trying comedies on Friday night for the first time in decades but it's with the narrowly renewed Whitney and cult favorite but ratings challenged Community. I doubt NBC has any sort of expectation for this night so that may help their case but I have a really hard time believing these shows will make it on Fridays. If they survive past this season, I think it will be because they have moved nights. Then again, I didn't think Grimm would be back for a second season but it continued to overperform on NBC's low expectations. When Fringe ends, there won't be any other genre shows to compete with in the slot so it might continue to stake a claim on Fridays. At 10pm, the veteran newsmagazine Dateline NBC will once again compete with 20/20.

FOX
8:00 Touch (2nd season)
9:00 Fringe (5th season)

FOX Friday has the final season of cult favorite Fringe. I don't expect any better ratings for its final season but I also think people who have stuck around this long will stick around for the end. I think FOX is in big trouble at 8pm with Touch as that show seems to have no traction now that it's not airing behind American Idol. FOX may be back to unscripted on this night sooner rather than later.

New Friday Show Survival Chances
Malibu Country (ABC) - Fair. ABC might be able to get the audience it needs with this show and Last Man Standing. Both shows are old fashioned and their audiences might be willing to watch it live. It's the comedy genre's best hope to return to Friday. But still, it's Friday.
Made in Jersey (CBS) - Poor. I don't see this fitting with CSI: NY and Blue Bloods. It seems like it will be the next new failure for Fridays even though it's being tried at 9pm. I expect the first 13 episodes to air then it will disappear.