FOX previously announced that Fringe was headed for Friday nights, beginning January 28th. The network has now adjusted their plans and the sci-fi series will debut in the timeslot one week earlier.

Many fans of the series are understandably concerned about the move. Shows that are moved to Friday nights are typically in grave danger of being cancelled, particularly ones that attract a niche audience. The ratings for Fringe have taken a real hit this year, dropping nearly 20%.

Last season, the series averaged a 2.3 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic and 6.36 million total viewers. This season, Fringe’s averaged a 1.9 rating in the demo and 5.12 million viewers. Last week’s installment brought a 1.8 rating.

FOX’s Entertainment President, Kevin Reilly, maintains that “We are not killing the show… It’s been such a loyal fanbase. I will be really disheartened if the viewer base decides to not watch because it shifted one night. I hope they go with it, and if not they have the option of picking it up on their DVRs. If it does anywhere near what it did on Thursdays, we can glue that show to the schedule because it can be a big win for us.”

Of course, Fringe getting the same ratings on Fridays as it’s been getting on Thursdays is easier said than done. We’ll have to wait to see how the ratings story unfolds but the show’s got an uphill battle ahead.

Here’s the press release about the Friday premiere…

HOT FROM FOX…”FRINGE” TRAVELS TO NEW NIGHT AND TIME BEGINNING FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, ON FOX

Christopher Lloyd (“Back To The Future”) Guest-Stars in Midseason Premiere

Special “Tweet-Along” Event During All-New Episode of FRINGE This Thursday

The midseason premiere of hit series FRINGE will air Friday, Jan. 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), following the season premiere of KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

In the “Firefly” midseason premiere, which kicks off a string of six all-new episodes of FRINGE, an Observer makes contact with the Fringe Team to help rectify a mistake. Meanwhile, WALTER (John Noble) befriends one of his musical heroes (guest star Christopher Lloyd).

Be sure to tune in to the all-new “Marionette” episode of FRINGE, airing this Thursday, Dec. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. When the Fringe Team investigates a case where a victim had his heart extracted, it’s just the beginning of a series of mysterious and reanimating events tied together. Meanwhile, PETER (Joshua Jackson) comes to terms with the reality of his relationship with OLIVIA (Anna Torv).

As part of a special “Tweet-Along” event, John Noble will be tweeting LIVE during this Thursday’s all-new episode. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/FringeTweet. Follow John on Twitter at www.twitter.com/labdad1, and use #FringeLiveTweet to submit your questions directly to him on Thursday.

FRINGE is a procedural thriller that follows the Fringe Team as they investigate unbelievable events and mysterious occurrences linked throughout the world in pursuit of a larger, more shocking truth. The series stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown and Jasika Nicole.

Created by J.J. Abrams & Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, FRINGE is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Jeff Pinkner, J.H. Wyman and Joe Chappelle serve as executive producers, while Kurtzman and Orci are consulting producers. Additionally, Pinkner and Wyman serve as the series’ showrunners. Become a fan of the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fringe and follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fringeonfox.

What do you think? Is Fringe doomed to be cancelled or will it survive to see season four?

Image courtesy FOX.