Why Glut of Fiction Programming on Thursday Night?

aruzinsky

I am talking about OTA programs with actors that are supposed to be more expensive to produce than "reality shows." Traditionally, stores are open on Thursday night. I think the networks' decisions to compete with these stores for your attention is stupid. Or, do advertisers think that, after seeing a commercial on Thursday night, you will immediately jump out of your seat to go to a store to buy their product?

joekewl1971

I do not understand. Do you like these shows? Are you complaining? I like hour long dramas. I never watch reality TV. Thursday is okay by me. And what shows are you speaking of specifically?

aruzinsky

These are the daily tallies of hours fiction programming, excluding cartoons:

Monday - 7 hrs.
Tuesday - 3 hrs.
Wednesday - 1 hr.
Thursday - 10.5 hrs.
Friday - 3 hrs.
Saturday - 4 hrs.
Sunday - 3 hrs.

There are 10.5 hours of fiction programming on this Thursday night as follows:

CBS - Crime Scene Investigation, Mentalist - 2 hrs.
NBC - Parks and Recreation, Office, Community - 1.5 hrs.
ABC - Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice - 3 hrs.
CW - Vampire Diaries, Supernatural - 2 hrs.
Fox - Bones, Fringe - 2 hrs.

There are no other days with anywhere near this much fiction programming, except Monday, which is also while stores are open.

I am complaining because

1. The networks are competing for attention with stores that are open on Monday and Thursday night and thereby harming the economy.

2. Since I prefer fiction shows, I would prefer that they be aired opposite reality programs instead of each other.

Rick-F

"These are the daily tallies of hours fiction programming, excluding cartoons:"

You left out 24 hours of CNN and hours of ABC, NBC, CBS (and a host of others) news . . .

aruzinsky

No, I specified "OTA programs with actors." CNN is not OTA and news reporters are more like puppets than actors.

Furthermore, the general inaccuracy of news shows is more about what they don't report than report.

Loves2Watch

So what, may I ask, is your agenda with this question?

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Friends don't let friends buy Korean brand TV's.

aruzinsky

Ditto you.

1. I want to know the rationale of the network executives for doing this because it makes no sense.

2. If I call enough attention to this, maybe, it will change.

dantheman77

[quote=aruzinsky;936311]I am talking about OTA programs with actors that are supposed to be more expensive to produce than "reality shows." Traditionally, stores are open on Thursday night. I think the networks' decisions to compete with these stores for your attention is stupid. Or, do advertisers think that, after seeing a commercial on Thursday night, you will immediately jump out of your seat to go to a store to buy their product?[/QUOT

???? what "stores" are u talking about??? stores are open every night

bicker

Thursday is the most competitive night of television because advertising rates are the highest; advertising rates are the highest because Thursday night is the last heavily-watched night of television before the weekend, when more people go shopping and more people go to the movies.

Loves2Watch

Who cares...there are much more important things to do in life than figure out who does what in Hollywood. Read a book, listen to some music, watch a movie, get out of the house, etc.

__________________
Theater 1 - Panasonic TH-85PF12U Plasma TV, 6 Conrad Johnson LP275M Amps, Anthem Statement D-2 Pre/Pro, 6 Thiel SCS4 Speakers, 2 REL T-1 Subs, Infinity Interlude 120S Sub, Simaudio MOON Orbiter Universal Disc Player, ELP Laser Turntable, 2 Dish Network ViP 622 DVR's, Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Player, Onkyo DV-HD805 HD DVD Player.
Friends don't let friends buy Korean brand TV's.

bicker

See above.

Definitely not. If anything, calling more attention to to the fact that more people watch television on Thursday night would probably foster it further.

What will be most likely to get it to change (in situ) would be to get people to watch more television on Friday nights.

aruzinsky

Are you a network executive?

Regarding, "Thursday night is the last heavily-watched night of television before the weekend," how do you know that "heavily-watched " is the cause rather than the effect of the glut of fiction programming? If all Thursday's shows switched place with Wednesday's shows, then there would be opportunities to shop for advertised merchandise on both Thursday night and Saturday. Also, according to your rationale, Monday should have the least fiction shows instead of the second most.

aruzinsky

No, Friday night is date night for people young and dumb enough to be influenced by TV commercials.

bicker

No but I'm extremely talented as asking questions that start with, "Why would a company executive decide to . . . "

It isn't. Friday ratings suck. Every time they've tried to get people to watch television on Friday more, those efforts have failed.

You may want to keep your eyes on the industry press for a few years, and you'll see all the information you need to understand that this is anything but the kind of capricious decision you would like to be able to think it is.

Uh, last time I checked, Thursday was later than Wednesday.

It isn't my rationale. It is industry intelligence. You're welcome to ignore it, but don't expect the industry to do so. They have businesses to run and cannot afford to selectively believe only the facts they like and disbelieve the facts they don't like.

Probably without realizing it, you answered your own question about why Thursday is the night that advertisers favor.

aruzinsky

That is not at issue.

Capricious is not the same as stupid. Otherwise, a lot of corrupt politicians must have been elected by capricious voters.

I note that you have capriciously not addressed the fact that most stores are open on Monday and Thursday nights.

If Wednesday had many more viewers than Thursday and Friday, then Wednesday would be "the last heavily-watched night of television before the weekend." If Tuesday had many more viewers than Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, then Tuesday would be "the last heavily-watched night of television before the weekend." If Monday had many more viewers than Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, then Monday would be "the last heavily-watched night of television before the weekend." Duh!

No. As long as they ALL copy each other's mistakes, the incompetence of their competitors will help keep them in business.

I suspect that you do have the mentality of a network executive.