CRAIG: 8:00 Bones; 9:00 The Frankenstein Code
SHILO: 8:00 MasterChef Junior; 9:00 Sleepy Hollow
ACTUAL SCHEDULE: 8:00 Bones; 9:00 Sleepy Hollow
SHILO: Well, between us both, we figured out FOX Thursdays. I wasn’t sure how much life Bones had in it while making my own schedule, but it makes sense to return the show to the slot it had this past season rather than being tasked with promoting yet another move. Bones and Sleepy Hollow had a pretty good thing going on the season before last and while their pairing in 2015-2016 won’t approach those numbers, it’s a steady pairing that should be able to ride out the Thursday storm without too many problems for FOX. As long as Sleepy Hollow can right itself creatively, both shows should be able to continue banking syndication episodes and allow FOX to tinker with more troubled nights earlier in the week.
FRIDAY
CRAIG: 8:00 MasterChef Junior; 9:00 Sleepy Hollow
SHILO: 8:00 Bones; 9:00 Drama Encores
ACTUAL SCHEDULE: 8:00 MasterChef Junior; 9:00 World’s Funniest Fails
SHILO: To me, it feels like MasterChef Junior is back in the role it had this past season – scheduled for Fridays but very clearly acting as a first-off-the-bench option for when something goes wrong. I assumed that the show’s performance this past season, as well as the dearth of reality competition on Thursdays, would give it a time slot upgrade, but it’s not a total surprise to see FOX holding pat on a low-priority night. What I’m most curious about, though, is what FOX does after MasterChef Junior runs out its short episode order, regardless of what night it may air on.
CRAIG: I think you’re right about MasterChef Junior being first off the bench to move. I actually wouldn’t be surprised, either, if your prediction of “drama encores” on Fridays comes to fruition sooner rather than later. As with every year, FOX Fridays usually can and do change.
Next: Superlatives… and how we did!
