A Good Argument To Move Supernatural To Fridays

Wednesday, 03 February 2010 14:16 |

Written by Alice Jester |

Ah, it must be TV pilot and series renewal negotiation season. That familiar feeling is in the air. The time of year where TV networks start forming their fall schedules, holding the not so secret negotiations in backrooms. The time where bozos with a Droid or iPhone and a Twitter account become eager to start some trouble with just 140 characters. All the rumors, wild speculation, misinformation running amok, fans going nuts over things that aren’t there…it’s truly magical.

So naturally my attention is tuned The CW. It has been for sometime obviously. Lately the network has been getting some press and it’s strangely positive. According to an article in Broadcasting and Cable, “How The CW Stays Undead” , the network has a future. After all, they’ve got a hit show on their hands this year with The Vampire Diaries. The new pilots being greenlit are a little more adventurous than in the past and have a WB feel to them. It’s all good.

Or maybe not. You see, fan bases love going nuts about things. None more than Supernatural fans. The rumors flying flop back and forth daily and it’s like I’m watching a freaking soap opera. Season six is confirmed. Season six is not confirmed. Season six is a lock. Oh, season six might not happen. Kripke is signed for season six. Kripke is not signed for season six. The CW hates us (okay, that’s always been said by fans).

The one that spikes my interest lately though is the speculation that Supernatural will be moved to Fridays. Now, I have no idea if that is in actual serious discussion, but I’m sure it’s come up. Probably because it did last year too. I can’t imagine it’s a serious discussion right now considering the pilot landscape is still being put together. However, it does make an intriguing argument. It also sounds like a good idea.

Around April last year, before The CW upfronts, rumors started swirling about either Smallville or Supernatural was being moved off from Thursdays. Why? This new show, The Vampire Diaries, was generating so much excitement among the execs that they knew it would be a huge hit on the network’s strongest night. It would help bolster their future. Yes, messing with a formula that works is never a good idea, but this young network needed to grow and form its own identity. Aging shows not started by the network, especially one going into the 9^th season, couldn't hold up forever. Fresh blood (pardon the pun) must work its way into successful nights. NBC had that figured out with Thursdays for years until they imploded.

The show ultimately moved was Smallville. It made perfect sense. The show had an established fan base. It wasn’t growing anymore. Moving it to Fridays would help a night that otherwise had no audience. Would they lose overall viewers? Yes. But the show already has been making money for the corporate parent Warner Brothers for years. Let it continue. Plus, the DVR numbers would hold up. Which they have BTW. Everything the network predicted about Smallville’s move to Friday has come true.

You know what? It’s even better. Smallville beat Dollhouse in the ratings and actually put the network number in the #4 slot for the hour. It wasn’t too far off from #2 and #3 either. Where other networks have been downsizing and letting their Friday night lineups go, here The CW is actually bolstering theirs. The main issue became Friday at 9pm, where all they had was a repeat to follow a strong lead in. A golden opportunity missed.

So, back to Thursdays. The Vampire Diaries is a huge smash hit, easily becoming this young network’s most successful show. The show also bolstered Supernatural’s 18-34 female demo, which is where the network earns their premium in ad revenue. However, it hasn’t been all good news for Supernatural. Overall ratings are down over 20%. DVR ratings overall are down too. Supernatural routinely used to hold around a 90 percent retention rate out of Smallville. For the competitive 9pm hour, that was pretty remarkable. Sadly, the retention rates out of The Vampire Diaries have been 65 to 70 percent.

There is one reason for the drop in viewers. Fringe was moved to the Thursday 9pm slot on Fox. Putting two genre shows together in the same slot is never a good idea. Supernatural has suffered but Fringe has been decimated. The other reason is that those viewers that routinely watched Supernatural after Smallville for the four years they were together aren’t there anymore. They’re either catching up by DVR, online, waiting for the DVD, or they just might miss it entirely. Changing viewing habits does have an effect on an established show.

Let’s look at the other networks on Friday night. Everyone is abandoning it except for CBS. ABC moved and cancelled Ugly Betty. NBC put on Dateline over their scripted options. Fox cancelled Dollhouse. The speculation is the major networks will do with Friday night what they do with Saturday, reality and repeats. My Network TV is doing well with wrestling but that’s hardly a broad audience. The CW has this golden opportunity to get some share on a night that no one else wants to consider. Using veteran shows with established fan bases is the best way to do this. Considering how well Smallville has worked, what would happen if the power duo of Smallville and Supernatural were together again?

Just think, an all genre night on an evening where very few are even making an effort. As long as DVR is considered to be an important measurement, it would work. Of course The CW would highly risk having to fall on their sword for Thursdays at 9pm. Very few shows can hold up in that timeslot. A young female skewed show wouldn’t work because Grey’s Anatomy gobbles up that demo. 18-34 is even tough because of The Office. It’s not impossible though and if something can be found that’s unique and compatible with The Vampire Diaries (80 to 90 percent retention), the network would be crazy not to take that chance.

There are too many other risk factors right now though to make this idea more than speculation. For one, Smallville season ten and Supernatural season six are not locks yet. Supernatural season six is looking very good, but Smallville has other issues. Officially, the only actors on board for season ten are Tom Welling and Erica Durance. The network wants it back, but the negotiations are tough this go around. If Smallville season ten doesn’t happen, then Supernatural might be Friday night’s only hope. The question also remains whether Supernatural season six will be with or without Eric Kripke. While he’s open to the idea of returning, and as much as I hate to say it, showrunners have been replaced before. Is that the preference, no. But it has been done and this show does have others that could take over. Remember, that did happen to Smallville in season eight.

Of course the other big factor is there is no show right now to replace Supernatural on Thursdays. So take this all to be “what if” speculation more than anything, but I’m sure I’m not the first person to go through this scenario. I won’t be the last either. Happy pilot season everyone and try to make sure you take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Rock salt that is.

Last Updated (Wednesday, 03 February 2010 14:30)

Comments (12)

If Kripke were to magically vanish to count his vast cache of Hollywood riches, as long as someone like Sera Gamble or Ben Edlund were to become show runner, I could live with a Kripke-less season six. I can't foresee a big thematic change like there was between the first two seasons of Millennium when Carter left to concentrate on The X-Files.

It's not as if the actors are suddenly going to become crap, and they've got a fantastic set of writers as it is.

As long as they don't move it to Sundays to interfere with my football, Friday Night Is Alright For Watching.

Oh, and as long as, you know, the show does come back, ha ha.

Here's another thing I heard. If the online original shows on WBTV.com take off, they're fair game for The CW. Could you imagine this for Fridays down the road, Supernatural paired with the Ghostfacers spinoff?

Yeah, that's way too much speculation there. Very Happy

Personally, I'd love to keep it on Thursdays, for one simple reason - sometimes I'm on call on Saturday,so I would not be able to watch it probably before Sunday, and that would suck for me.
There really seems to be a lot of speculation, eh?

When do we expect a confirmation or dismissal of a sixth season?

Interesting thoughts, Alice, thanks, Jas

I don't know, Thursday would seem strange without SPN. And spinoffs are always good...many time the original stars visit the spin-offs. Whoa... can you imaging the boys being on two night the same week once in a while! Surprised

As for Kripke, I guess it all depends on what he has going elsewhere. With the economy, I don't think there is much money out there for new shows. And yes, with or without Kripke, SPN will continue. If it makes money, it stays.

I can't imagine Supernatural on Fridays. I honestly don't know if it would be a good thing or not. I'd love to be able to watch both Supernatural & Fringe again but I'd rather they move Fringe back to Tuesdays. But whatever it takes to keep Supernatural around for possibly another season I'm all for.

I'm with you, Jas ... I can't get near the computer at weekends so a Friday night slot would mean no glimpse 'til Monday ... I can live with that though, at least I get to watch at some point.

The UK fan sites are full of wailing and lamentation as ITV2 have lost S5 to Virgin. This is good for the show as Virgin are giving it lots of plugs and showing the previous seasons and all sorts of nifty stuff, unlike ITV2 who never seemed to have a clue what to do with any program that didn't feature orange slappers with Tourettes and gravity defying frontages.

The downside is that Virgin is a pay-per-view channel so anyone who doesn't have cable or a dish is sh*t out of luck.

When can we expect the skinny on S6? Shocked

Hmmm, Fridays, ha? Here in Croatia it used to air on Fridays. At 1 a.m. I don't understand how moving to Friday would benefit the show. Isn't Friday night a time when people go out, instead of sitting in front of the tv?

Just keep the show uploaded online and I'm happy Smile

Here in holland we just started season three... It airs on sundaynight, around 10.30. Needless to say, nobody watches it around here. Unless they borrow my DVD's.
I am watching season four with my mom now. She's getting a little scary, she shouts at the tv... We skipped through season three in a few days, my dad hates us right now.

I don't know how things are in the US, but here in Holland there is nothing good on tv on fridays and saturdays. Just reruns and bad movies. Last friday they had 'House' reruns on two different channels... Around here, moving to friday night would be a really bad idea.

I don't know if I like the idea of moving Supernatural to Friday night, but I'll watch it whatever night it is on.

It would be nice though if SPN didn't have as much competition on Thursday - I'm with Tlieso, let's get Fox to move Fringe back to Tuesday night (or any other night, just not Thursday).

Thursday is the busiest night for TV (for me at least) and one less show to watch/tape on Thursday would be nice.

I believe the Vampire Diaries lead-in has boosted the A18-49 for Supernatural as well as the W18-34. I've been watching the ratings, both on PI Insider and on TVbythenumbers and I don't think that Supernatural averaged a 90% retention out of Smallville. It hit that level on occasion, yes, particularly when SV viewers were down, but not routinely.

I have always thought of it as a sort of backhanded compliment that the CW leaves SN at 9 on Thursdays - going up against the big guns.

I just don't think that the CW can launch anything on Thursdays at 9 that won't get decimated -- like Fringe did on Fox.

They have two hours of repeats on the schedule already, Melrose Place gasping out its last, America's Next Top Model declining, nothing on deck and critically acclaimed Life Unexpected barely doing as well as aged One Tree Hill on Monday. Personally, I think they have enough to worry about without shuffling SN off to Fridays.

I think it depends on what they would have to replace SPN in the 9pm slot, it's a tough spot and SPN has held its own quite well against some powerhouse shows.

Suze - i know what you mean, living (the station on virgin that has SPN S5 in the UK) have ads everywhere - there are posters of the boys in loads of central london tube stations, makes my morning commute so much better Wink

(i might have walked into a post one morning) there are ads in papers, magazines they're really going for it here, it's just a pity i don't get that station. I always made a point to watch it when it aired in the UK even though I'd already seen it once it aired in the US.

I think that SPN might be a logical choice to move because their fanbase is loyal and more likely to stay with the time change then other shows, but then it depends on so much. Whether the pilots are any good, whether there is a season 6, etc etc.

I had to admit that I would be somewhat nervous of a season 6 without Kripke but if Robert Singer and Sera Gemble, Ben Edlund, Jeremy Carver (love him!) and co were still there I think it would be ok.

Also if there is a season 6 i think it's a pretty safe bet that it will be the last so a move to fridays wouldn't exactly kill the show if the CW wanted to put one of it's new shows up to bat in the thurs 9pm slot.

Owner's reply:

There's a good chance Jeremy Carver won't be back for a season six. He just signed on as a writer with his wife on a brand new series on SyFy. I think it's a pet project of his. It's always possible he'll do both, but we'll see.

Great article Alice,

I caught something today about CW ordering some more pilots and that one of them sounded quite a good fit with VD. It would not surprise me at all if Supernatural moved and really, who cares.

Let's face it, as much as I love my boys (yeah, I said it) I do not want them to continue forever simply because quality does suffer (Swap Meat is a good example f what can happen with filler filler and filler, if that's not enough, watch the many subpar seasons of Smallville we now have)

Further, (as I know many still think Smallville is top notch and likely just as many think Swap Meat was an awesome episode) if SPN makes it to S6, what do ratings matter? The main mytharc has been completed (don't let me down Eric) and anything after that is simply gravy -- or extra frosting. Now, I love gravy and extra frosting but I no longer sweat that we'll not know what happened after the Impala was T-boned or Dean was sent to hell or Lucifer rose. I can enjoy a season of extra frosting as long as the quality is high. And what a way to end the week, Friday nights with SPN. On a night where there is nothing to watch (I catch The Dog Whisperer or Forensic Files) SPN would be extra tasty.

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