Trends in Fall TV, The Battle for Thursday Nights

Fall TV season on the broadcast networks is just around the corner. On this episode of The Spin-Off, we talk new shows premiering and old shows returning, take a look at which networks are shaking things up with their nightly lineups, and which ones are hoping for success with more of the same.

It may not feel like autumn in LA, but the changing TV schedules signal that fall is indeed approaching. We look at a couple of nights set to duke it out, the biggest battleground being on Thursdays. For eight weeks this fall, CBS will have football on Thursdays, while ABC will be offering back-to-back-to-back Shonda Rhimes shows at the same time.

CBS has made an interesting decision for their Monday nights. For the first time since the 1950’s, they will not have a sitcom on at 9pm. Instead, they’re going with the drama Scorpion.

And shifting to the end of the week--have networks given up on Friday nights, or are they strategically cultivating a night of family-oriented viewing?

We also take a look at some of the trends going into this fall season. "Diversity" is one big buzzword, along with shows based on comic books. After having success at the box office, there’s hope the comic book series can also find a home on the small screen.

Finally, a quick round of Fall TV predictions--we’ll take a guess at what could be a sleeper hit, and which shows will be the first to fail.

End of show Downloads:

Joe: Praise for the show Outlander on Starz. The network has finally released a show Joe wants to watch, and one with a strong female lead at that!

Lesley: FX’s You’re the Worst is actually the best.

Mike: The Late Late Shownames new host James Corden, and Comedy Central offers lots of great light-hearted options through VOD.