THURSDAY
SHILO: 8:00 Superstore; 8:30 The Good Place; 9:00 Chicago Fire; 10:00 Chicago Med
CRAIG: 8:00 Superstore; 8:30 The Good Place; 9:00 Chicago Med; 10:00 Chicago Fire
SHILO: This night feels like it could be a mixed bag for NBC. The Good Place will have been off for 8 months by the time its premieres a second season and the second seasons of limited series don’t have a great track record on broadcast, so it might have to hope for some Emmy buzz (and a Superstore rebound) if it’s to avoid hitting some pretty deep lows. What could maybe help, though, is a strong 9:00 hour, which I think Chicago Fire would provide. It’s hung especially tough Tuesdays at 10:00 in worse situations than this and if ABC benches Scandal for a new show, it would have more than enough time to get a foothold on the night. Plus, it would take some pressure off of Chicago Med and allow that show to have a younger skewing lead-in, lowered ratings expectations, and a direct jolt whenever there’s a Chicago-verse crossover. Though I understand NBC wanting to spread the Dick Wolf shows around, they’re strong enough earlier in the week that pooling the Chicago shows more now makes scheduling sense.
CRAIG: Kind of like with Tuesdays, I have the same shows, but in a different order. Chicago Fire has always felt like a 10PM show to me, and since audiences are used to Med at 9, why not keep it there, for this year at least? It’s not the most revolutionary schedule or plan, but it might be something that can work. I know Thursdays at 10 for medical shows set in Chicago have done well for NBC in the past, but… not yet. Wouldn’t shock me if they go with your schedule instead, though.
