Fringe - Season 2

By Rappy
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Grand Master

Hurmoth

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someone took notes ;)

it was a good episode, everything seems to be on 2 week breaks!

The next two weeks are postseason for MLB, so I know that is on FOX, which is why it is on a two week break and I assume other shows are working their schedules around that as well.

Grand Master

Rappy Veteran

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The next two weeks are postseason for MLB, so I know that is on FOX, which is why it is on a two week break and I assume other shows are working their schedules around that as well.

Yeah crappy baseball :p

oh yeah how hot did Olivia look tonight in her t-shirt ready for bed look :shifty:

Grand Master

Rappy Veteran

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Did Fox blunder moving 'Fringe' to Thursdays?

"Thursdays are insane," complains a studio publicist. "I need, like, five DVRs."

It's a common complaint this fall. Thursday has gone from NBC's decade-old "Must-See TV" to "Must-Tivo TV."

The problem isn't that there's several popular shows on the same night. At least, that's not the only problem. Networks have always clustered their hits on Thursdays, an evening with the highest advertising rates as it helps influence consumer spending going into the weekend (ie. "Which movie do I see?")

The problem this fall is that there are too many trendy shows on Thursdays. In other words, too many shows likely to be watched by the same types of people.

This is subjective, of course. But when you look at what's on the night, you have two of the coolest soaps ("Grey's Anatomy" and "Vampire Diaries"). You have the two arguably hippest crime procedurals -- "Fringe" and CBS' "The Mentalist." You have two of the most fashionable comedies, NBC's "The Office" and "30 Rock." And you have the most geek-friendly freshman drama, "FlashForward." Also crowding things is "Survivor," a highly rated show fans tend to watch the night it airs lest they're spoiled the next day.

This doesn't read like a single-night's lineup, it's like a list of Entertainment Weekly cover stories. Very contemporary, wholly or semi-serialized, blog-friendly shows. And there's only so many titles a viewer will watch in a single night.

Compare to, say, snoozy Tuesday. "NCIS," "Dancing With the Stars," "Biggest Loser," "Hell's Kitchen," "The Good Wife." Well rated shows, well done shows ... but if you're having a pool party next week, they're necessarily not at the top of your invite list.

That's why when the DVR data came in for premiere week, it wasn't surprising that a disproportionate number of shows that gained the most from time-shifting were on Thursdays.

Which brings us to "Fringe." The show is taking a hammering this fall. It's been earning low 2s among adults 18-49, falling dramatically from its first season even as its quality has arguably risen (yes, yes, it had an "American Idol" lead-in for part of last season -- the point is Fox choose to protect the drama last season, and choose to expose it to the elements this season, it's the network's decision to do this, so you have to look at what the result is).

"Fringe" is drawing numbers that if it were any other drama ... in any other time period ... it would have triggered whispers of cancellation. It's only because of the perception that the decline is not the fault of the show that it's still considered safe. The crunch also has "Fringe" being time-shifted at a higher percentage than any other major broadcast show aside from Friday night geek-friendly series "Dollhouse." And "Bones" is nearly right behind it on the chart.

Fox points out each Friday morning the combo of "Bones" and "Fringe" on Thursdays has improved its night vs. last fall. In the case of "Fringe," the time period is up 26%. Last night the network touted a 71% increase vs. the same night last year. What Fox doesn't mention is that last year it aired an episode of "Hole in the Wall" and a repeat of "Kitchen Nightmares" -- which is like bragging that your boxing match vs. a kitten went well. And these "Fringe" declines are serious business since it's tougher to get viewers back on a partially serialized show like "Fringe" than on a wholly close-ended show.

The idea to put "Fringe" here was sound: "Grey's" and "CSI" and "The Office" are slipping. There's an opportunity to put a new sheriff in town. This move wasn't Fox devaluing "Fringe," this is Fox showing faith in "Fringe." But then ABC and The CW and CBS put their new cool shows on Thursday too.

So should Fox wave a white flag and move "Fringe" someplace safer?

This post has been sitting on my laptop for a week, getting longer (and longer, and longer) waiting for me to make up my mind on this. I think "Fringe" should stay where it is, but just barely. Once you invade a country, you don't want to retreat. Fox does have a toe hold on the evening, I understand not wanting to let that go. Thursdays are a huge prize. Also, and this is important, Fox has "American Idol," which could help resuscitate the show in the spring if its granted a lead-in again.

If "Fringe" can wait out some more declines from its competitors, it might rise up and give Fox the Thursday hit drama it's always wanted ... if its rivals don't crush it first.

Grand Master

Hurmoth

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I firmly believe the move was the worst idea in FOX's history. That and moving House to Monday nights. This is for me, not for anyone else, of course. Maybe it works for others, but on Monday's I watch CBS and now on Tuesday's I've got nothing to watch. Thursday's are jam packed now thanks to this move.

Monday = Heroes, House, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory (and three of those shows overlap, so there's the DVR at work)

Tuesday = Absolutely nothing (when it use to be House and Fringe)

Wednesday = Law and Order: SVU, CSI: NY, and Criminal Minds

Thursday = FlashForward, Vampire Diaries, CSI, and Fringe

I think that's all of them.

I would personally really, really like to see them move House and Fringe back to Tuesday nights. Maybe I'm a loner in that. It isn't like I don't have time now that I'm out of work to catch up during the day :p but it does make scheduling easier.

Grand Master

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Imagine if ABC threw Lost back to Thursdays....

As for the episode, it was nice and all, but again, the pattern or anything related to it were pretty much ignored. The entire premise was to investigate the pattern, but now we are seeing more and more non-patterns that coincidentally occur during the same time as the pattern... just doesn't seem that good imho. Maybe I'm asking too much from the show.

Grand Master

Hurmoth

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Imagine if ABC threw Lost back to Thursdays....

As for the episode, it was nice and all, but again, the pattern or anything related to it were pretty much ignored. The entire premise was to investigate the pattern, but now we are seeing more and more non-patterns that coincidentally occur during the same time as the pattern... just doesn't seem that good imho. Maybe I'm asking too much from the show.

NO!!! Don't give them any ideas!!!!

Grand Master

SMELTN

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I firmly believe the move was the worst idea in FOX's history. That and moving House to Monday nights. This is for me, not for anyone else, of course. Maybe it works for others, but on Monday's I watch CBS and now on Tuesday's I've got nothing to watch. Thursday's are jam packed now thanks to this move.

Monday = Heroes, House, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory (and three of those shows overlap, so there's the DVR at work)

Tuesday = Absolutely nothing (when it use to be House and Fringe)

Wednesday = Law and Order: SVU, CSI: NY, and Criminal Minds

Thursday = FlashForward, Vampire Diaries, CSI, and Fringe

I think that's all of them.

I would personally really, really like to see them move House and Fringe back to Tuesday nights. Maybe I'm a loner in that. It isn't like I don't have time now that I'm out of work to catch up during the day :p but it does make scheduling easier.

I agree 100%. I mean Tuesday is NOTHING. Monday we watch Heroes (but if it doesn't get any better we won't be watching it much longer) then 2 1/2 men, BBT, then we end up watching HIMYM or house or something. Its all screwy.

But you know what. Honestly. Look at this year compared to others. I think its AWESOME that we have the problem of TO MANY good shows to watch. And its also AWESOME that we are embracing DVRing a show instead of the RIAA or equivalent trying to ban them or carry us to court to charge us for watching shows on another night via DVR!

BTW BRING BACK CHUCK DANG IT!!! I can't wait till March

Grand Master

Rappy Veteran

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Imagine if they moved Lost AND Chuck to Thursdays...

:whistle:

Blasphemy!

Earthling - Thursday November 5th

Emmy Award winner Jon Cassar (24) directs as the Fringe Division takes on a puzzling investigation of victims who inexplicably disintegrate into ash. The shadowy case casts light on Special Agent Phillip Broyles' (Lance Reddick) past and leads the team to the possibility of foreign fringe science.

Of Human Action - Thursday, Nov. 12

When a kidnapping rapidly escalates into a hostage situation in New York, local authorities close in on the suspects only to discover that an unknowable force has mind-blowing consequences. The investigation intensifies and the mystery and threat deepen to unimaginable proportions when the Fringe Division identifies a link between the kidnapping and Massive Dynamic.

August - Thursday, Nov. 19

A peculiar abduction occurs in Boston, leading the Fringe team to uncover details of the mysterious man known as The Observer. While the bizarre case takes center stage, Walter (John Noble), Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Astrid (Jasika Nicole) hit the lab to analyze unusual evidence and deal with Walter's insatiable appetite for milkshakes.

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