Night-by-Night Overview

 

Monday
Last Season
The New Season 
  • NBC: As expected, Crossing Jordan was able to capitalize on Jill Hennessy’s established popularity from her days on Law & Order
  • UPN: Per our prediction last year, One on One found a comfortable place in UPN’s Monday night urban lineup
  • FOX: Although we had expressed some concern regarding the survival of Emma Brody (later re-titled American Embassy) in its original incarnation, the situation became even worse when FOX restructured the show to focus more on her job at the embassy post 9/11

 

  • ABC has promised that 8-9pm Monday-Friday will be a family hour. They are leading the week with what has been promised as a toned-down Drew Carey. Football returns at 9pm
  • CBS retains their strategy of a night of sitcoms followed by a drama while sister network UPN returns with a night of urban comedies
  • FOX and WB have scheduled proven dramas at 8pm followed by new dramas at 9pm
  • In a trend that holds true for multiple nights in 2002/2003, NBC returns with an unchanged schedule
Go to The New Monday Night Programs
2001/2002 Survivors
Crossing Jordon (NBC)
One on One (UPN)
2001/2002 Casualties
Emma Brody/American Embassy (FOX)
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Tuesday
Last Season
The New Season 
  • ABC: We predicted that Philly could not compete with Judging Amy among women. In terms of Bob Patterson, we felt it would face a challenge in its time slot, but expected more from Jason Alexander
  • CBS: We liked The Guardian, but were not sure how it would face off against all the hype associated with 24. In reality, 24’s premiere was delayed, providing The Guardian with a chance to establish itself
  • FOX: As expected, 24’s unique format greatly benefited FOX. As for Undeclared, we felt it was a quality show (as did the critics) but were not sure how it would fare in the long run itself
  • NBC: As predicted, Emeril was quickly off the menu, while Scrubs proved a viable alternative to Spin City
  • WB: As expected, Smallville quickly built a base of loyal fans
  • ABC returns NYPD Blue to its established 10pm time slot preceded by a night of mostly new sitcoms
  • Both CBS and WB return with identical schedules in 2002-2003
  • FOX is back with That '70s Show and 24 with the relocated Grounded for Life as an 8:30pm sitcom
  • NBC is returning with a night of sitcoms followed by Dateline
  • Once again UPN is airing sci-fi/fantasy on Tuesdays with new show Haunted replacing the departed Roswell
Go to The New Tuesday Night Programs
 
2001/2002 Survivors
According to Jim (ABC) - Moving from Wednesday
24 (FOX)
Scrubs (NBC)
Scrubs (NBC) - Moving to Thursday
2001/2002 Casualties
Bob Patterson (ABC)
Philly (ABC)
Undeclared (FOX)
Emeril (NBC)
 
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Wednesday
Last Season
The New Season 
  • ABC: We liked the cast on According to Jim, but were unsure of the chemistry between Courtney Thorne-Smith and Jim Belushi. However, just like with The King of Queens, the audience did not share our concerns
  • CBS:As predicted, Wolf Lake quickly left the air (airing the final episodes on sister network UPN), while Amazing Race managed to be one of the winning entries in the ever-growing reality category
  • FOX: To FOX’s credit, Bernie Mac was re-tooled after critics (as well as we) complained that he was too harsh to the children in the pilot
  • UPN: Enterprise boldly went where we predicted and quickly established itself as the latest success in the Star Trek franchise
  • WB: Glory Day’s premiered as a radically different series (albeit short-lived) than what we initially previewed
  • ABC returns with mid-season success The Bachelor bookended by a returning hour of sitcoms at 8pm and the first of two Wednesday 10pm medical dramas
  • CBS’s schedule remains unchanged from 8pm-10pm with the second new Wednesday medical drama airing at 10pm
  • FOX retains sitcoms from 8pm-9pm, but has foregone sitcoms at 9pm in exchange for a new action hour
  • NBC’s schedule returns intact while UPN maintains a night of sci-fi with The Twilight Zone replacing departed Special Unit 2
  • WB returns once again with a night of dramas
Go to The New Wednesday Night Programs
2001/2002 Survivors
According to Jim (ABC) - Moving to Tuesday
Amazing Race (CBS)
B ernie Mac (FOX)
Enterprise (UPN)
2001/2002 Casualties
Wolf Lake (CBS)
Glory Days (WB)
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Thursday
Last Season
The New Season 
  • CBS: Last year, we felt that CBS’s strength on Thursday night (Survivor/C.S.I.) would help to launch The Agency
  • FOX: As predicted, The Tick was not able to overcome the challenges of its time slot
  • NBC: While we thought the pilot of Inside Schwartz was amusing, we did not feel that it would be able to hold on to enough of Friends’ audience (especially with the likely male skew of its sports premise)
  • WB: Per our expectations, Elimidate Deluxe did not survive its challenging time slot

 

  • ABC is moving to an entirely new strategy on Thursday night in counter-programming the other networks with high-concept dramas
  • CBS retains its 8pm-10pm schedule while also maintaining a dramatic presence at 10pm
  • Post-baseball, FOX is counter-programming 8pm-9pm with reality/game programming while airing a younger skewing drama at 9pm
  • NBC returns with the same Must See TV Thursday schedule with Good Morning Miami replacing the relocated Just Shoot Me and Scrubs moving to 8:30pm
  • UPN is back with their same schedule, while WB has moved from dramas to a night of sitcoms
Go to The New Thursday Night Programs
2001/2002 Survivors
Agency (CBS) - Moving to Saturday
Scrubs. (NBC) - Moving from Tuesday
2001/2002 Casualties
Tick (FOX) 
Inside Schwartz (NBC)
Elimidate Deluxe (WB)
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Friday
Last Season
The New Season 
  • ABC: As expected, Thieves was unable to build a following in the 9pm time slot
  • CBS: Per our predictions, neither The Ellen Show nor Danny are returning this season
  • FOX: Last year, we did not feel that there was much chance that Pasadena would find ratings success
  • WB: Among the three new sitcoms introduced last year, we had felt the most positive about Reba (which has been renewed) and the least positive about Raising Dad (which has been canceled, along with Maybe It’s Me)

 

  • ABC has returned with the bookends that became their mid-season schedule (Videos and 20/20), along with another drama at 9pm
  • CBS has reprogrammed Friday night with 48 Hours moving to 8pm followed by a night of crime dramas
  • FOX is back with sci-fi on Friday night - this year filling both hours
  • NBC and UPN have returned with their same 2001/2002 schedules/strategies
  • WB returns with a night of sitcoms with returning shows Sabrina and Reba joined by two new series

Go to The New Friday Night Programs

2001/2002 Survivors
Reba. (WB)
2001/2002 Casualties
Thieves (ABC)
Ellen Show (CBS)
Danny (CBS)
Pasadena (FOX)
Maybe It's Me (WB)
Raising Dad (WB)
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Saturday
Last Season
The New Season 
  • CBS: Last year, we had expressed concern over Citizen Baines’ ability to craft a compelling, long-term storyline that would bring in ratingst

 

  • ABC and NBC are once again offering movie nights
  • CBS continues programming a night of dramas with The District moving to 9pm and the relocated Agency moving in at 10pm
  • FOX returns once again with a night of reality programming
Go to The New Saturday Night Programs
2001/2002 Survivors
Agency (CBS) - Moving from Thursday
 
2001/2002 Casualties
Citizen Baines (CBS)
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Sunday
Last Season
The New Season 
  • ABC: Last year, we had noted that Alias was well done and sandwiched between established programs
  • CBS: We had predicted that Bickford would have a chance if it could appeal to a Touched by an Angel audience. The appeal never came and the show is gone
  • NBC: As expected, Law & Order: Criminal Intent is back while UC:Undercover is not
  • WB: While we thought Men, Women, and Dogs could not survive against Malcolm, we had noted that Off Centre, the other new sitcom, would benefit from an amusing pilot
  • ABC is back with their 2001/2002 schedule while CBS’s schedule returns practically intact with one exception: sitcoms replace a drama from 8pm-9pm
  • FOX has replaced The X-Files with an extension of their 7pm to 9pm animated/unusual sitcom block
  • NBC returns with Dateline and Law & Order: C.I. with a new drama replacing The Weakest Link at 8pm and another new drama replacing UC: Undercover at 10pm
  • WB has given up on sitcoms and instead moved to an all-drama Sunday night
Go to The New Sunday Night Programs
2001/2002 Survivors
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC)
Off Centre (WB) - Moving to Thursday
2001/2002 Casualties
Education of Max Bickford (CBS)
UC:Undercover (NBC)

Lost in the U.S.A. (WB) - Never Premiered

Men, Women, and Dogs (WB)
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