FALL PREVIEW 2018: Friday

Here is my Fall Preview for Friday!

ABC
8:00 Fresh Off the Boat (5th season)
8:30 Speechless (3rd season)
9:00 Child Support (2nd season)
10:00 20/20 (42nd season)

After an ill-advised year with Marvel shows and Once Upon a Time, ABC is going back to comedy on Friday night. They are even trying to re-start the TGIF moniker but they've moved some modest performers at best to kick-start the night. Leading off the night is Fresh Off the Boat. It has never been a big hit for ABC but has always done OK. ABC might be hoping that the smash success of summer movie Crazy Rich Asians might help since its star, Constance Wu, is the lead on Boat. Speechless follows at 8:30pm after two seasons on Wednesday. I think if ABC really wanted to carve out a comedy presence on Friday, they needed to bring over a stronger performer. At 9pm is game show Child Support, which had a quiet run last winter. 20/20 ends the night with its 42nd season.

CBS
8:00 MacGyver (3rd season)
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (9th season)
10:00 Blue Bloods (9th season)

CBS is keeping things the same on Fridays for a third straight season. This is a lineup that is slowly slipping each season, but it's continuing to be a solid, old-skewing lineup. MacGyver seemed the most in danger of falling off the map last season and with several shows in the CBS lineup that could seemingly join the Friday lineup, it might need to stabilize a little more. Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods continue to chug along with both entering their ninth seasons.

NBC
8:00 Blindspot (4th season)
9:00 Midnight, Texas (2nd season)
10:00 Dateline NBC (28th season)

NBC is gambling somewhat on Friday nights with some genre dramas. Blindspot surprisingly retains the 8pm timeslot despite a very modestly rated performance last season. It is entering its fourth season so at least its a known quantity for NBC. A bigger gamble is at 9pm where they will air season two of Midnight, Texas. Season one aired back in Summer 2017 and it hasn't been seen since then, when it delivered low ratings (but passable for summer). I can't imagine it will do much of anything here. It will have a short season and be replaced by The Blacklist in the winter. Dateline NBC continues its showdown with 20/20 at 10pm.

FOX
8:00 Last Man Standing (7th season)
8:30 THE COOL KIDS
9:00 Hell's Kitchen (18th edition)

FOX is overhauling its Friday night and trying to tap into broad comedy by picking up cancelled ABC sitcom Last Man Standing. This isn't really a reboot or revival as much as a continuation, but it did have a year off since it was cancelled on ABC following the 2016-17 season. This move seems partly made based on the success of Roseanne last spring and its appeal to conservative, heartland viewers. It will be paired with another broader sitcom, The Cool Kids, starring an old cast. This is definitely a different audience than FOX is usually looking for. It will be interesting to see if they can carve out an identity on Friday nights. Hell's Kitchen returns for its 18th edition at 9pm.

CW
8:00 Dynasty (2nd season)
9:00 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (4th season)

The CW is basically throwing in the towel on Friday nights especially since they have to worry about Sundays now. Dynasty somehow managed to get renewed despite a string of 0.1 demos last season. It doesn't even seem to be a show that is finding an audience on other platforms. But it will be tasked with leading off Friday nights for the CW. Maybe it will reach the elusive 0.0 demo this season. At 9pm is the fourth and final season of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The final season of Jane the Virgin will also air on this night at some point in the season.

New Friday Show Survival Chances
The Cool Kids - Poor. I'm mixed on how Last Man Standing will do, but I don't think that success will extend to The Cool Kids. I think a full season is about the best it can ask for.