This writer poses an interesting question, but we think it answers itself. Yep, we’re crazy about “anecdotal evidence.” Studies, stats, “research,” that, you know, just gets in TVWriter™ ‘s way:
Are TV Time Slots Now Completely Irrelevant? – by Josef Adalian
Kids, back in the days before humans were blessed with DVRs, TV nerds greeted the arrival of the networks’ new fall schedules with the sort of (blood-)lusty enthusiasm hoops fans assign to the unveiling of the March Madness brackets. The big grid of shows was a blueprint for battle, all the tiny boxes promising schedule smackdowns of epic proportions: ER vs. Chicago Hope! Frasier vs.Home Improvement! Moesha vs. Buffy! Alas, these once-thrilling match-ups increasingly seem as antiquated as VCRs and rabbit ears. DVRs and digital downloads are so common now that an entire generation seems to be growing up in a world beyond the (timeslot) thunderdome, where download speed and TiVo queues have replaced time slots and lead-ins as the key deciders of what we watch and when. For most viewers, there’s no reason to fret about The Big Bang Theory battling 30 Rock; you can watch the former show live and stream the latter at your convenience, or vice versa. But are time slots and schedules completely irrelevant? Maybe not. Vulture talked to the heads of scheduling at three broadcast networks, and while they agreed things have changed, they aren’t quite ready to start looking for another line of work. With the 2012-13 TV season set to officially launch on September 24, we break down the new rules of scheduling.
Networks Don’t Care About Winning Timeslots (As Much) Because It Takes So Little to Be a Winner…
Networks Aren’t As Concerned With How Everyone Else Is Doing…
Lead-ins Still Matter…
Time Slots Are Recommendation Engines…
Um, so how do we know you’ll learn something? ‘Cuz we did. (Oh, how we hate it when our world gets expanded! Comfort zone problems and all that.)