NBC Won't Move 'This Is Us' to Thursday Nights
May 31 2017 - 2:25AM
Dow Jones News
By Joe Flint
NBC has gotten cold feet about moving one of its biggest hits to
a new night.
Just two weeks ago, NBC unveiled its 2017-18 prime time schedule
to advertisers that included moving the popular family drama "This
Is Us" to Thursdays at 9 p.m. from Tuesdays at the same time. But
now, the network has said "This Is Us" will stay put on Tuesdays.
NBC is a unit of Comcast Corp.
It isn't unprecedented for a network to tinker with its schedule
after it has been shown to advertisers. However, NBC made moving
"This Is Us" to Thursday the centerpiece of its presentation
earlier this month at Radio City Music Hall. NBC Entertainment
Chairman Robert Greenblatt said in detailing the move that, "we
wanted to go after Thursday in a big way."
Because Thursday is closer to the weekend, it is seen as a more
important night for many advertisers to reach consumers,
particularly movie studios and car companies. For decades, NBC
dominated Thursday nights, but now it often trails CBS and ABC,
which air some of their most popular shows at that time.
NBC declined to comment on the decision. An executive at the
network said after further evaluation, it was decided that the show
would be best served if it remained on Tuesday. One reason was if
it moved to Thursday, it would have been pre-empted for five weeks
by National Football League games. And when NBC didn't have
football, "This Is Us" would have been competing with CBS's
Thursday football programming.
All that was known to NBC when it initially said it would move
the show. At that time, Mr. Greenblatt played down the
interruptions, noting that all networks have to deal with schedule
disruptions and "This Is Us" was strong enough to withstand CBS
football. The move, he said, was well reasoned and not a case of
"just throw it in there and hope for the best."
One company that will be happy with NBC's backtracking is
Twentieth Century Fox Television, the production company that makes
"This Is Us." It is a unit of 21st Century Fox Inc. Executives
there weren't happy with NBC's plan to move the show, people
familiar with the matter said. Although NBC has already committed
to two more seasons and episodes have been sold to the online
streaming service Hulu, producers often fear that moving a show
that is working on one night can be an unnecessary risk.
"This Is Us" isn't the only show being pulled from Thursday. NBC
is also moving its newest crime drama "Law & Order True Crime:
The Menendez Murders" to Tuesday at 10 p.m. from Thursday. "Chicago
Fire," a drama, and comedies "Superstore" and "The Good Place" will
move to Thursday.
Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 31, 2017 02:10 ET (06:10 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024