FALL PREVIEW 2015: Wednesday

Here is my preview for Wednesday. It's a night where two lineups don't change at all, only two new shows premiere, and the biggest hit on TV begins its second season.

Past Wednesday previews: 2014   2013   2012   2011   2010

ABC
8:00 The Middle (7th season)
8:30 The Goldbergs (3rd season)
9:00 Modern Family (7th season)
9:30 Black-ish (2nd season)
10:00 Nashville (4th season)

ABC finally found the magic formula for its Wednesday lineup - all quality family comedies from start to finish. Hmm who would have thought? At any rate, the new comedy development was not too strong for ABC and they are returning this lineup completely in tact. This season will be pretty telling if The Goldbergs or Black-ish can be an anchor down the road especially with longtime anchors The Middle and Modern Family getting up there in years. I have no problem with the comedy lineup coming back as is but I do have a problem with Nashville continuing to air at 10pm. With a proven and successful comedy lineup beforehand, this was the time to launch a new drama at 10pm. A show like Blood & Oil or one of their buzzy midseason dramas may have been a good option. I don't really know why they are sticking with Nashville here when that could have easily gone to Sundays.

CBS
8:00 Survivor (31st edition)
9:00 Criminal Minds (11th season)
10:00 CODE BLACK

It seemed like last year's pairing of Criminal Minds and Stalker was a good one but Stalker wasn't a strong enough show and midseason entry CSI: Cyber got moved to Sundays so its back to the drawing board at 10pm. The 8pm and 9pm hours remain the same for a sixth consecutive year. Survivor continues to do well even though it has aired twice a year since 2001. It hasn't declined at the rate of a show like American Idol and there's no sign it's going to fall apart anytime soon. Criminal Minds was showing its age a little bit last year but is still a reliable 9pm option. It premiered ten years ago this month and has never aired in another slot. The new drama entry is Code Black, an intense hospital drama that seems a bit like a modern day ER. It seems like a quality drama at first glance but I'm not sure it'll be able to get traction at 10pm. It might be older skewing, maybe the Minds audience will enjoy it. It has a shot against two established but not very strong dramas.

NBC
8:00 The Mysteries of Laura (2nd season)
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (17th season)
10:00 Chicago PD (3rd season)

Just like ABC, NBC is keeping its schedule in tact for Wednesday and the brand name #WCW is returning after airing together all last season. The Mysteries of Laura wasn't a success but NBC had to renew something and Laura had a few decent moments in the ratings. I think this was a bit of a face-saving move and I wouldn't be surprised if NBC finds something different at midseason. Law & Order: SVU is entering its 17th season but still capable of putting up big numbers from time to time, when there's a major episode or a crossover. Chicago PD still can't quite seem to break out as much as NBC would like it to but it always spikes with crossovers. NBC still needs it to be a little more self sufficient. Overall, this lineup is unlikely to make NBC too competitive but also unlikely to become a huge problem.

FOX
8:00 ROSEWOOD
9:00 Empire (2nd season)

Wednesday nights are all about Empire as the breakout drama returns for season two and all eyes will be on it to see if it can do it again. FOX was not able to find an ideal companion for Empire this season (many thought the failed pilot Studio City was an option) so they will roll the dice with medical/crime procedural Rosewood at 8pm. This seems like a bit of a ho-hum drama and not one that is fitting of being a lead-in to a show that has almost single-handedly revitalized a network. It doesn't seem to have much in common with Empire besides an African American lead. If FOX thinks its hurting Empire at all, Rosewood won't be long for this world. But maybe it will surprise and get some pre-tune in audience.

New Wednesday Show Survival Chances
Code Black (CBS) - Fair. I'm a little more optimistic on this show than Limitless but it faces the same challenges. It's tough to launch at 10pm and its lead-in is not the show it once was and possibly not compatible. This might have been a better Sunday option for CBS.

Rosewood (FOX) - Poor. I don't know if it's going to tank, but I don't think it's going to do enough for FOX to leave it with Empire long. And if it goes anywhere else, I imagine it would tank outright. Either way, I think this is a one and done show.