2013 FALL PREVIEW: Wednesday

On to Wednesday! Despite their best interests, FOX is keeping things as is. CBS does too but that's more understandable. NBC is going with three straight dramas which is always tough and ABC is once again trying to shore up the half hours between comedy hits The Middle and Modern Family.

Past Wednesday Previews: 2012   2011   2010

ABC
8:00 The Middle (5th season)
8:30 BACK IN THE GAME
9:00 Modern Family (5th season)
9:30 SUPER FUN NIGHT
10:00 Nashville (2nd season)
ABC is keeping their anchor shows in place on Wednesday nights. The Middle and Modern Family have both been great Wednesday performers for years. They are now in syndication and ABC is hoping they benefit the way The Big Bang Theory has by the off-network exposure. ABC arguably has the best companion yet to The Middle in Back in the Game, a charming new family comedy that should appeal to the same audience as its lead-in. Suburgatory was a great fit here two years ago and this seems like an even more compatible show. The potential problem is at 9:30pm where the critically maligned Super Fun Night doesn't fit on the night at all and seems like it will be the next Happy Endings or Don't Trust the B. I really don't understand why ABC didn't put either The Goldbergs or Trophy Wife here because this just seems like a problem waiting to happen. At 10pm, ABC will keep Nashville in its slot despite only ok ratings in its freshman year. It might have a chance to grow if it improves in quality and if Ironside isn't as strong as Chicago Fire but the lead-in is likely not going to help.

CBS
8:00 Survivor (27th edition)
9:00 Criminal Minds (9th season)
10:00 CSI (14th season)

This is the oldest lineup on TV as every show has been on the air forever and this is the third year they are together on Wednesdays. Criminal Minds had some bigger drops than usual last year so that will be worth monitoring but other than that, things probably won't be too newsworthy on this night. CBS is taking some big gambles on Monday and Thursday so I expect they'll leave well enough alone here. CSI, which will celebrate its 300th episode this fall, is the only one of the franchise left.

NBC
8:00 Revolution (2nd season)
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (15th season)
10:00 IRONSIDE

NBC is going with three straight dramas on Wednesday night and that is always tough to do especially when the 8pm and 10pm entries are major question marks. At 8pm is season two of Revolution, which had a huge debut last fall and then slowly bled its audience all season long in its prime slot of Monday at 10pm. Now it is thrown to the wolves at 8pm Wednesday. The good news is that expectations will be lower. The bad news is it will have to avoid falling off the map and I think that's a tall order for this show. At 9pm, Law & Order: SVU continues to be an adequate performer for NBC as it is the oldest live-action scripted show on network TV. Chicago Fire was a great companion to SVU last year but it has moved to Tuesday and NBC has replaced it with a different new procedural, Ironside, a cop remake of the popular 1960s/1970s series. Reviews haven't been great but they weren't for Chicago Fire either and this does seem very compatible with SVU.

FOX
8:00 The X Factor (3rd season)

FOX is going forward with another two hours of The X Factor on Wednesday nights and another judging panel overhaul as Paulina Rubio and Kelly Rowland join Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato, replacing Britney Spears and LA Reid. The early results last week were far from encouraging and I really think FOX will regret devoting two hours to this show. My suggestion? Assuming Sleepy Hollow holds up OK on Mondays, don't move Bones to Fridays. Move it to 8pm Wednesdays to lead into The X Factor and cut the damage from Factor down to two hours. FOX cannot afford to keep giving three hours of its fall schedule to this show.

New Wednesday Show Survival Chances
Back in the Game (ABC) - Good. This seems to fit like a glove (pardon the pun) out of The Middle and should easily find an audience in a cushy timeslot.
Super Fun Night (ABC) - Poor. At best, I see this doing what Happy Endings did but that's at best. I actually think it'll be closer to an instant bomb.
Ironside (NBC) - Fair. If it can capture the procedural audience with Law & Order: SVU like Chicago Fire did last year, it might surprise just like Fire.