As television ratings for the four major networks slip further and further into the boob tube abyss, certain things about the TV industry have been operating differently than in the past, most notably the timing with which shows are scheduled.
This was brought to my attention a couple months ago, as I was following the development of Dollhouse by fan-boy favorite Joss Whedon. Fox, a network known for its twitchy trigger finger when it comes to struggling shows with lots of promise (see: Arrested Development), was scheduling the show for Fridays at nine.
At first this didn’t faze me; I could think of many shows that were successful and critically acclaimed on the Friday night line-up. Much of my childhood revolved around watching ABC’s TGIF lineup and then switching over to the X-Files, which, looking back on it, explains a lot about who I am now. (Cue X-Files theme).
But a slow roar developed out in the blogosphere that Fox was trying to sabotage Whedon again, just as they had done with his cancelled series Firefly in 2002. That got me thinking: When was the last time a show survived on Friday nights?
The last show I can recall that did well was Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which shouldn’t really count since it’s just another iteration of the same mother show. After performing well in the ratings, SVU was offered a spot on the life raft and moved to Tuesday nights.
On the one hand, you could say this development is a good thing—it shows that people aren’t at home on Friday nights. People are out there interacting with other human beings. I guess that’s good news … if you’re into that sort of thing.
Pondering the barren wasteland that is Friday night television got me worried about the survival of Dollhouse. It seemed like Fox stranded it out there to die a quick, ignominious death.
But then again, I can see the slightest glimmer of hope. Since Fox slapped the show with a Friday night slot, it can’t be expecting much of it. Dollhouse, then, doesn’t have to do much to exceed those expectations.
The last bit of hope I’ve been clinging to is the current nature of television. Most people don’t actually watch television on a TV set anymore; the Internet and iTunes are much more convenient. As these begin to generate larger and larger revenues for the networks, broadcast performance will be less important. Case in point: Lost, which has seen its ratings steadily decrease over the past several seasons, has held steady due to DVRs, iTunes, and internet viewings.
While I know better than to get my hopes up over the fate of Dollhouse, I’m cautiously optimistic that it has a shot at making it. Like any good TV nut, all I can do now is sit back and watch.
Help Dan find something besides Law & Order on his Friday nights at dnewman@staff.georgetownvoice.edu
