SHILO: 8:00 Lethal Weapon; 9:00 The Gifted
CRAIG: 8:00 The Mick; 8:30 Dan the Weatherman; 9:00 9-1-1
SHILO: This Lethal Weapon drama, right? Prior to word breaking about tensions on the set, I thought it was a no-brainer renewal as it’s put up solid numbers in a tough slot and gives Warner Bros. a syndicatable piece of IP that’s (probably) doing well internationally. With the leads of Lethal Weapon, a show built around chemistry and banter, not speaking and being unwilling to work together, it’s bound to be vulnerable right now, especially since FOX doesn’t need the headache of a troubled set while the network is in flux. However, I think the show is too important to WB, and too solid a player for FOX, to be tossed out just yet, particularly when there are options on the table that could keep it moving (e.g. recasting, adding characters, screen time reduction, etc.). FOX managed to wring out an additional season of Sleepy Hollow at much worse ratings levels after one of its leads left, so I think they’ll figure something out that keeps the show on its feet for another season or two and then let it go.
As far as 9:00, I have The Gifted since the show already wrapped its first season in January and a year-long hiatus for something that wasn’t a huge performer to begin with and didn’t leave the air with a whole lot of buzz is asking for trouble. It skews along similar lines with Lethal Weapon and the show’s male audience could hold up against This Is Us, which has a predominantly female audience. I feel like one of the two genre dramas they renewed this year will be on in the fall but not both, with The Gifted getting the call up due to less post-production time required and despite X-Men reverting back to Disney under the impending merger.
CRAIG: 9-1-1 has been a surprise hit and it’s exactly the kind of counterprogramming that FOX needs to go up against This Is Us, assuming NBC doesn’t move it, so I’ve got it on at 9. The 8:00 hour, however, is more problematic. FOX comedies haven’t really set the world on fire ratings-wise, and having Roseanne to go up against makes it even worse, but I don’t know where else I’d put half-hours. Ultimately, that’s where I’ve put The Mick and Dan the Weatherman; FOX will just have to be happy beating only The CW in that time slot.
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“As far as midseason, I think they either put out a third season of music competition The Four, which moved to Thursday this summer following a successful midseason run on Wednesdays, or return to a two drama lineup.”
The Four run on Thursdays for its first season too. The X-Files and 9-1-1 were on Wednesdays this winter on FOX.