2013 FALL PREVIEW: Friday

Friday night has only a couple new shows premiering (as usual) while the networks made just slight tweaks to their night. Scripted programming has been able to carve out a presence on Friday despite many thinking it will go the way of Saturday, but it's a night for better total viewer shows and lower demo shows.

Past Friday Previews:   2012   2011   2010

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing (3rd season)
8:30 The Neighbors (2nd season)
9:00 Shark Tank (5th season)
10:00 20/20 (37th season)

ABC continues with a family comedy block at 8pm as Last Man Standing was acceptable enough for Friday 8pm numbers. ABC cancelled Malibu Country and replaced it with a different freshman from last year, The Neighbors. While The Neighbors surprised many with its survival to a second season, it's hard to imagine it doing as good or better than Malibu did in this slot so ABC's block made erode some here. At 9pm, Shark Tank is a huge success by Friday standards and I don't see any reason that will change. Will ABC be tempted to move it elsewhere if things fail? They've been resistant to so far. At 10pm is the long-running newsmagazine 20/20. It will not face Dateline NBC which should help both shows.

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss (5th season)
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (4th season)
10:00 Blue Bloods (4th season)

CBS has a trio of veterans on Friday night. The last two years they have tried three dramas in the fall and brought back Undercover Boss when one of them failed. That is not the case this year though as Boss will just be on from the start. A full season for this show could lead to burnout like it used to have on Sundays. Hawaii Five-0 moves over from the big Monday 10pm position to a sleepy Friday night slot after a year of big declines. There is less pressure in this slot but a move to this slot often means CBS has put it halfway out the door already. If it can match CSI: NY's numbers, I think it'll get at least one more season after this. Blue Bloods remains a reliable but older skewing performer that is perfect for Fridays 10pm.

NBC
8:00 Dateline NBC (23rd season)
9:00 Grimm (3rd season)
10:00 DRACULA

NBC has finally given Grimm a companion on Friday nights but first they will slide Dateline NBC to 8pm. As I mentioned, it will not have to compete with 20/20 which will probably help both shows. Grimm has continued to be a surprise on Fridays. Who would have two years ago that Grimm would be entering a third season now? It finally has a scripted partner in Dracula. Though conceived as a limited series, I'm sure success would lead to NBC wanting more but it's a tall order for a show that hasn't gotten much critical attention and is a period piece. The plan for now is for pirate drama Crossbones to take this slot at midseason.

FOX
8:00 JUNIOR MASTERCHEF
9:00 Encores

FOX has a plan for Fridays but we'll see if it comes to fruition. To start things off, they will air new reality series Junior Masterchef at 8pm which may be one too many Gordon Ramsey series but we'll see. At 9pm is encores of dramas, mostly Sleepy Hollow. The plan for now is Bones to move to 8pm in November and paired with double episodes of Raising Hope at 9pm (Enlisted was moved to midseason). I'm not really going to spend much time talking about that until it actually happens.

New Friday Show Survival Chances
Dracula (NBC) - Poor. I guess it could surprise like Grimm did two years ago but I think it's a tougher sell with the 1800s setting.
Junior Masterchef (FOX) - Fair. You can't count out Gordon Ramsey but this seems like just too much.