Why “Supernatural” and “Arrow” Have Nothing To Worry About on Wednesdays
Oh fandom, you crack me up. For years all I’ve heard is “Supernatural deserves a better time slot” or “Why doesn’t the network treat “Supernatural” with any respect?” Then, a milestone day in history happens at the upfronts. The CW does something that rarely, if ever, happens in network TV, let alone their young history. They moved our long running show from a death slot on Friday to a much higher profile slot on a Wednesday, traditionally a higher viewing night. “Supernatural” finally in it’s eighth season gets the respect fans have been screaming for.
Are fans happy? I think so for the most part. But online comments wouldn’t give the impression so. I’m hearing all sorts of worry that “Supernatural” is now under fierce competition and might not do as well on a Wednesday. There are even fears that this new slot might be sealing “Supernatural’s” doom. Given all the articles I’ve written about ratings on this site through the years, you all should know that all of that is farthest from the truth. As a reminder though, since the uproar won’t cease, I’ll list the reasons why “Supernatural” and it’s new companion “Arrow” are facing a golden opportunity and not certain extinction.
“Arrow” and “Supernatural” are taking over a night that has been a massive failure for The CW. “America’s Next Top Model” has not done ratings wise anywhere near as well as it once did, and the network has never been able to get a show to succeed when paired with “America’s Next Top Model” in the past six years (except “Gossip Girl,” which wasn’t there long). Most of the Wednesday slots have been used for airing repeats of existing shows, or for short term massive midseason failures like “Remodeled.”
“Supernatural” in this new time slot just has to beat the demo rating that “America’s Next Top Model” and “Remodeled” did last season. It doesn’t have to do better than it did on Fridays (although I most certainly believe it will), it doesn’t have to match ratings it pulled on Thursdays a few years ago, and it certainly doesn’t have to beat other networks. It just needs to hold up to its own network. Considering “Remodeled” was a massive failure, pulling a .3 in the 18-49 demo and around 700,000 viewers, and “America’s Next Top Model” just closed the season with a .5 in the 18-49 demo and 1.16 million viewers (which is why it’s going to Fridays), I think they can do it. After all, “Supernatural” was pulling an average of .8 in the 18-49 demo and 1.75 million viewers on a Friday, against similar type shows “Fringe” and “Grimm.”
“Arrow” has it pretty easy too. They have to match the average between low rated failure “H8R”, a slew of low rated repeats, and a decent 13 week outing of .8 in the demo for 13 weeks from “One Tree Hill.” There are huge advantages to being moved to a traditionally weak night for the network, pressure to perform isn’t that extreme. Imagine already the press releases from The CW touting how “Arrow” and “Supernatural” have drastically improved their timeslots.
I hear the argument though, “What about “˜The Secret Circle?’ That show got good ratings and was cancelled!” What happened to that show could possibly happen to “Arrow” (even though I think it’s not likely) but not “Supernatural.” “Arrow” skews 18-34 male in a time slot that does not cater well to male audiences on other networks. Their competition is “The X Factor,” “Survivor,” two new and very unproven NBC comedies, and “The Middle” and “Suburgatory” on ABC. Out of all those shows, “Survivor” is the most male oriented. That’s a reality show. It’s a tired, very long running reality show, and their audience is predominantly the 25-54 age group. “Arrow” hopes to grab the 18-34 audience, and age group far more attractive to advertisers.
“The Secret Circle” was a female skewing supernatural show up against fading yet female skewing demo winner “Grey’s Anatomy.” But it offered alternate genre programming, something the other nets didn’t have, which is exactly why it was a ratings success at first. By the end though, it had lost over half its audience and was only maintaining a 45% retention from “The Vampire Diaries.” When a show dips like that, something creatively has gone wrong. It was a first year show and the network likely didn’t see the potential in continuing it further. Remember, “The Secret Circle” was a Dawn Ostroff show, not a Mark Pedowitz show.
Why can’t what happened to “The Secret Circle” happen to “Supernatural?” That’s another big reason why there’s no reason to worry about “Supernatural’s” ratings. “Supernatural” is in its eighth season and is now in golden money making territory. Every episode made now will earn top dollar on the open market. Ratings pressure isn’t as important. Just look at “Gossip Girl.” It got renewed even though it was the lowest rated show on the network. It’s pure economics for them now. But this isn’t the first time, or the second, heck this is beyond the tenth time I’ve said that. So I won’t push the point any further.
“What about “Supernatural’s” competition? It’s fierce! Their ratings will sink.” True, the competition is heavier, but not necessarily tougher. They’re up against comedy “Modern Family” which is a huge show in not just ratings, but I believe #1 in 18-49. It’s also the top DVR’d show. It’s a half hour comedy. The show behind it is a new comedy, “The Neighbors.” Other comedies that have aired after “Modern Family” have struggled to do well. Look at “Cougar Town.” So ABC isn’t controlling the whole hour. “Supernatural” is also up against “The X Factor” on Fox, which I find laughable. I watched that show last year and it’s a train wreck. Singing competitions are getting stale. Their new judges, Britney Spears and Demi Lovato are going to save it? I think not. “American Idol” is bleeding viewers too and getting DVR’d more than ever. NBC has “Law and Order: SVU” and CBS has “Criminal Minds,” two fading procedurals that do not do well at all in 18-34 or 18-49.
There’s plenty of room for younger skewing sci-fi niche shows on Wednesday. For one, a lot more people watch TV on a Wednesday than a Friday. Two, that limited Friday audience had to choose from three genre shows competing with each other in one time slot. There’s not a genre show on the other networks anywhere on Wednesday. Plus, “Supernatural” fans are fiercely loyal. They will watch “Supernatural” live and DVR their other favorites. I think that the pairing with “Arrow” will make Wednesdays on The CW an event night, much like “Smallville” and “Supernatural” was on Thursdays and then Fridays. That kind of strong lead-in was missing this year for “Supernatural” with “Nikita.”
If people don’t watch live, DVR and online viewing count very much for The CW. “Supernatural” had routinely 50 to 60 percent increases in DVR on a Friday and it didn’t hurt them one bit. Timeslot is less important with the network than ever before. They are determined to count all forms of viewing. That’s exactly what saved shows like “Hart of Dixie.”
Hopefully this has put some minds at ease. I personally think “Supernatural” fans just love finding a reason to complain at times, but hey, that’s what makes the fandom so colorful. Worry not, just relax, and enjoy the kick ass Wednesday programming you’re about to get come October.
I wasn’t worried in the first place, but now I’m even less worried. You bring up some excellent points. I’m sure SPN will do really well in it’s new time slot, and it shows that the CW has great faith in it, well Mark Pedowitz does I’m sure. The only thing that saddens me is that I won’t be watching it live anymore, I’ll have to wait until the next day. So it’s purely selfish, otherwise yea for them!
Great job, Alice. I’ve seen those complaints, too, and scratched my head after all the bitching the general fandom has done about SPN being ignored for years and years. And here we have a vote of confidence, because the fandom has remained loyal to the J2s, and there’s griping?
I, for one, haven’t ever watched anything on Weds, and I swore I’d never get involved in another CW series. But, Mark’s decided to start later to cut all those obnoxious breaks, pair the show with a touted newcomer (which at first appearances seems to be a compatible match), and sent our guys to the Upfronts, so I’m going to even give Arrow a shot. It sure won’t hurt to turn the TV on an hour early if it’s help make Weds a good night for CW. That’s because I have more fear of the CW folding than I do of SPN being cancelled first.
It’s a ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’ sort of thing 😉 Mark’s is backing SPN (I know, it’s a good business decision), so I’ll do what I can do that much to support his efforts.
I’ve been typing myself hoarse saying these same things over at TVBTN (though not to other Supernatural fans, who were all on board, just to the usual denigrators over there.) I think some fans are just afraid of the unknown. We’re safe where we are, so Wednesdays seem like a risk.
I think it’s a brilliant bit of counter-programming, to have two genre shows with masculine appeal up against non-genre shows with non-masculine appeal.
And the thing is, we don’t need to win over any viewers from the other shows. We’ll hold on to most if not all of those we have, gain some more live viewers as less people DVR because it’s not on Friday and it’s an event night with Arrow, and maybe even gain new viewers from Arrow or from all the people catching up who were hooked through Netflix and TNT.
Even if our ratings don’t increase, we’d still be fine. Our present ratings handily beat 5 out of the 6 returning shows. And only 31% of new shows survive till second season, so maybe one or two new shows will have better ratings than us. (And that’s a big maybe, as no new show beat Supernatural this year.) That would still put us in third or fourth place, and sitting on a syndication gold mine. That’s plenty for renewal.
And as you said, WOOT! Wednesdays are going to be so badass!
Just pointing out that Ghost Hunters on SyFy comes on Wednesdays at 9. That’s what I usually watch, but will now record so I can watch Supernatural live. I have no problem with that since they usually take a break halfway through the season and air Ghost Hunters International(which I don’t care as much for), then come back in the spring…and that is a show that could be considered in the same genre. I’m excited for their new time slot and the lead in of “Arrow”. Looking forward to watching both on Wednesday nights. Always enjoyed the pairing of “Smallville” and “Supernatural”, so I’m glad to see these two shows together.
Thank you exactly what I’ve been saying, I am like pft this isn’t competition not compared to 5-6 years ago when we went against 2 shows pulling 20+ a week.
Let’s not forget NBC hasn’t had the best track record for their comedies either. They haven’t had a repeat success since Friends went off.
The comedies no doubt will kill each other, SVU is dying without Meloni sorry but he and Benson were the show it’s not the same without him. And let’s not forget Criminal Minds it will have some competition with SVU it won’t overlap with SPN.
X-Factor was indeed a train wreck and well I see it dying like The Voice did. It will premiere big due to Britney but then fade a few weeks later.
We will be fine, even if we get the same ratings as before it will still be a drastic improvement from ANTM and Remolded. Besides it’s great counter programming for all the comedies, cop shows and reality shows.
And for the first time in 5+ years I have something to watch on Wednesday’s.
They really need to market Wednesday’s in a whole new light now, that means promotions up the ying yang. =)
Great article, Alice. I don’t understand what all the “belly aching” is about in the first place. Personally, I’m ecstatic about the move to Wednesday and all the great attention Supernatural is receiving FINALLY from the network. I wasn’t really watching anything on Wednesday’s anyway…only NCIS re-runs. So, now I’ll have something new to do! That’s a win-win for me! 😀
Thanks for articulating this. I couldn’t have been more shocked that SPN was actually moved off of Fridays. The two shows I thought were cemeted in place for the 2012 schedule were TVD & SPN. And I’m so glad to be wrong!
I think Arrow has the potential to be the new ‘hit’ the CW needs. And based on the finale last night, SPN is left in a place where it will be easy for some new casual viewers to pick up and follow.
If Arrow is a hit, the Network might want to use it as a launching pad in 2013 but even if they do that – SPN will still be doing better than 90210, ANTM, HOD (probably) and Nikita – just like it is now. Mark P needs at least two, possibly three seasons to revamp the mess that Dawn O left. And SPN will be there the whole time. Heck, maybe we’ll get to try out Monday nights at some point . . . . . .
Can I just point out that Gossip Girl is not the lowest rated show on the network, over the coarse of the season Nikita was the lowest. In the first half of the season Nikita and HOD rated lower than GG. If we look at the second half of the season GG rated better than Nikita and Ringer, tied with Hart Of Dixie. In the last few months of the season GG had better ratings than Nikita, Ringer and TSC.
I was a little vague in that statement, but I was talking overall viewers, not demo viewers. Oh yes, Nikita was the lowest rated in the demo. In overall viewers though, it rated much higher than Gossip Girl. It’s the oldest skewing show in terms of viewers on the network.
Wednesday is fine with me because I don’t watch much on that night.
Yay for Wednesdays… although that gives me a blank on Fridays when I am bagged after work and want to veg in front of the tube…
Too bad it couldn’t do Tuesdays, that is a black hole for good shows on the tele.
Supernatural will do just fine, as you point out, what’s out there isn’t that hot stuff, with the exception of Modern Family, and Al Bundy makes that show. I think the time slot will bring it to a new audience of fresh viewers and then watch the Blu ray sales take off:D
Good times 😆
Woofâ„¢.
This is great Alice. I’m really excited about this change! It says a lot about our little show that it managed to bring itself back from a Friday night! Thanks for this article. I always enjoy these informative pieces.
I know most of you probably already have the DVD’s of all the seasons but just in case, I thought I’d share this info. I had been holding off buying them because I just really couldn’t afford any ‘extras” right now but my DVR was slammed full of the TNT repeats and was about to start deleting things so I decided to just start buying a couple at a time. Anyhoo – I went to the CW website and found everything on SALE. Love a sale! Got all 6 seasons on BluRay for $18.99 each. They have gone up a bit but still a great deal. $21 each for BR, $16 for DVD’s. Good way to share with friends so they can get hooked before next season!
MY BEST FRIEND FOR 40 YEARS, DOES NOT FOLLOW A SHOW. IF U LOVE A SHOW, IMO, YOU WILL FIND OUT WHAT NIGHT IT IS ON. NOW SHE IS NOT INTO THE ARTS LIKE I, BUT EVEN IF U JUST LIKE A SHOW, RIGHT?
THEY COULD PUT SPN ON THE MOON & I WOULD FOLLOW. SO GOOD INFORMATION BUT THE FANDOM WILL ALWAY BE THERE. THANKS