CBS is planning to switch a couple of their freshman dramas around for midseason. Blue Bloods, which currently airs on Friday nights at 10pm, will move to Wednesdays at 10pm beginning January 19th. The Defenders will shift from Wednesdays at 10pm to Fridays at 8pm beginning February 4th (filling cancelled Medium’s timeslot).
On Friday nights, Blue Bloods has been averaging a 1.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 11.22 million viewers. While that’s a lot of total viewers, the demo numbers are about what Numb3rs was averaging last season, before CBS cancelled it. The move to Wednesday nights will likely show the network whether or not the series is capable of doing better in the demo department. It’ll have four weeks in the timeslot before heading back to Fridays at 10pm on February 11th. Spin-off Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior takes over the Wednesday night slot on February 16th.
Things haven’t been looking too good for The Defenders and the move to Friday nights isn’t exactly a vote of confidence. You may recall that CBS ordered just five additional episodes in October, bringing the first season total to just 18 installments.
Defenders has averaged a 2.2 in the 18-49 demo and 10.02 million total viewers. It premiered at a 2.9 rating and has fallen as low as a 1.8 in the demo. Of CBS’ 18 scripted series, it currently ranks 15th, not far above Blue Bloods which has already been airing on little-watched Fridays.
What do you think? Will this move help or hurt these shows’ chances for season two? What do you think the end result will be?
While the demo numbers are not great for The Defenders, would a network really get rid of a show that has averaged 10 million total viewers?
@Craig: It’s all relative. Ultimately, Defenders is one of the worst performers on CBS right now. If it were on NBC, it would probably be safe.
I think both are very good shows, and watch (well, DVR them). As someone over 50 who works at night, I just can’t watch shows when the networks want me to; I watch them when it is convenient for ME. And I’m sick of them only seeming to care about viewers 18 to 49. haven’t they realized yet, that most viewers from 18-49 are NOT home watching TV at night, especially on Fridays? Do they not know they people 1849 especially single ones, are trying hard to be home watching TV at all? “Oh it’s the advertsiers.” What, my moneys… Read more »
The Defenders and The Good Wife are the only shows worth watching. They remind me of the good old days of Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Lou Grant and on and on and on.
CBS should be ashamed of some of its other grisly shows.
Don’t move it. That’s another problem with station managers. If they would originally set it up to follow a good existing program the tv viewers will most likely give it a chance. Start at the beginning and follow the scent. This is another reason that the cable stations are taking off with better viewership. Even TV Land has the idea.
You know what, that’s CBS’ problem, they care too much about ratings and not about quality. Blue Bloods may not be original, but it’s pretty damn good. The Defenders, meh. But if The Good Wife gets cancelled, i’ll be severly pissed
I love both Blue Bloods and the Defenders. No, I am not in the 19-49 age group, but what difference does it make how old a person is. I started watching several new shows and liked them only to find out they were cancelled. They are putting on too many reality shows. Some of them are okay and some are terrible. All the networks have lost some good shows in my opinion. Another thing, a lot of people DVR shows. I am one that does. Does anyone know if that comes into play? If not, they might be surprised that… Read more »
@Gail: Yes and no. Ratings are determined by a sampling of viewers (so-called Nielsen families) and their DVR viewing is counted. If you aren’t a Nielsen family your viewing, dvr or otherwise, isn’t counted directly.
I LOVE the Defenders and would be sad to see it go. It is about the only show that my husband and I both LOVE. We tell everyone we know, all the time, how it is the best new show this season. Jim Belushi is awesome. Hope it stays. I think it needs to stay on Wednesday nights.
I will watch “Blue Bloods” as long as they air it! I agree that it should just stay on Wednesdays once it’s moved! The switching back and forth is what ruins ratings! People expect it to be on at a certain time and date, then they can’t find it, and the real airing is missed – not because of the show, but simply because of the lack of continuity in the program scheduling! This has happened many times before and it’s a stupid mistake that could easily be avoided! NBC did it to “Mercy”, I would be extremely disappointed to… Read more »
Cancel them both. Put on something more worthwhile
CBS needs to leave Blue Bloods on the air and stop worrying so much about the demo
ratings. If they are going to move it to Wednesday, then they need to just leave it there instead of switching it back to Fridays again after 4 weeks. ALL of the networks need to leave these type of shows alone and get rid of all the stupid reality shows!!!!
All I can do is assure you that I will be watching, no matter where they move Blue Blood.
It’s a great series in my humble opinion.
Normally, all it takes is for me to develop a liking for a new series; the next thing I know, it has been canceled.
I like Blue Bloods chances of survival. I don’t think moving The Defenders to Fridays will save it unfortunately
Hard to say if it’ll help. We’ll see I guess. If CBS really is the most watched network, it can’t like be annilateing the other networks. Maybe just maybe CBS is just a little full of itself. Their thinking more their reputation then the shows. Call me crazy. I hope both shows survive. Their both really good.
This web site is way too obsessed with 18-49. Granted, we all know a lot of decisions are made around the 18-49 demo, but it’s not the only decision. Numb3rs was cancelled because it’s overall viewership had declined over the prior 2 seasons. Blue Bloods is pulling a strong number of total viewers on Friday nights and would seem to be safe from cancellation. No network is going to get 10 or more million viewers via the 18-49 route on Friday.
@David H.: We’re not “obsessed” with it but the networks are — because the advertisers are and will pay more money to reach them. It’s annoying and a bit maddening but that’s the reality. Yes, Numb3rs’ total viewership dropped but if the demo numbers had remained strong it would have stayed on the air. It was cancelled because its demo numbers dropped.
Both of those are untrue, to a point. Yes, ratings were heavily declining, but CBS were thinking of moving it to Tuesdays, but Krumholtz and Morrow went on to different projects, so they cancelled it.
@New York Groove: I don’t recall hearing that CBS was considering moving it. That doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense considering the network’s success with the Tuesday night lineup last season.
Also, as I recall both stars were contractually obligated to stay with Numb3rs. They did pilots for new shows because it was strongly believed that Numb3rs was ending. Had Numb3rs been renewed, they would have been back.
I love Blue Bloods, great choice in actors in it…
Defenders is ok but don’t got of my way to watch it..