THURSDAY
SHILO: 8:00 MasterChef Junior; 9:00 Sleepy Hollow
CRAIG: 8:00 Bones; 9:00 Frankenstein
SHILO: Thursdays for FOX were pretty rough this season, so I think they’ll be more defensive than they were in 2014-2015, especially with the moves they’ll be making earlier in the week. MasterChef Junior is good counterprogramming to what the non-football networks will likely be doing, and is too important for them to keep on Fridays, while Sleepy Hollow wouldn’t be the worst lead-out at 9:00. It being more episodic and airing after a more compatible lead-in might offset whatever declines it’d face from moving nights and facing tough competition. Plus, moving to Thursdays will allow the series, which is becoming more episodic due to its ratings declines this season and its proximity to syndication, to bank episodes before its inevitable final season(s) on Friday.
CRAIG: Oh, how wrong I will be here if Bones is done by the time FOX announces their 2015-16 schedule. Assuming it keeps going for one more (I assume final) season, I’d keep it where it’s been, and let it serve as a lead-in to Frankenstein, which doesn’t really borrow much from the classic tale but does have a very intriguing pilot script that I liked a lot. Counterprogramming to Shonda Night, of course. If Bones is indeed finished, maybe Sleepy Hollow can move into that Thursday at 8 slot.
