And “The Office,” too, for that matter.
Thursday nights used to be killer for NBC. Friends, followed by Seinfeld. Or was it the other way around? In any case, that one-two small screen punch blew away everything else in their time slots for years.
But those days are gone, and now the Peacock is looking to retake Thursday night with a couple hot shows that have made NBC the place to be on Tuesday night (especially when they lead up to Law and Order). The Office and My Name is Earl are moving to Thursday night.
What does this mean for the viewers at home? Not much, probably, at first. The shows are popular and already have strong followings that’re likely to come along to the new night. I guess NBC wants to move Joey and Will & Grace (one a new show that’s doing pretty well, the other a tried and true earner) to another night, and in the process put The Office and My Name is Earl up against Survivor, The O.C., and Head of State on CBS, FOX, and ABC, respectively.
I’m no marketer, and I’m SURELY not a TV exec, but I am a bit staid when it comes to messing with things I like. The Office and Earl ain’t broken, so they’re not in need of fixin’. I anticipate that Leah and I will make the jump to Thursdays without batting an eye, especially since the shows Leah likes to watch on MTV on Thursday normally don’t begin until 9. I just hope the schedule change doesn’t hurt these new shows.