Most stations air infomercials and movies in this time slot, and they often have little viewers. In the past, these slots were used for regional lifestyle and educational programs. In Texas, this has included Texas Country Reporter, which has been a staple of the weekend for decades. Reality shows like Million Dollar Mind Game and Dateline NBC were often aired in this time slot. In the past, these shows were often reruns.
Graveyard slot
In the United States, the graveyard slot is often the premiere time slot for content available on demand. Netflix and Amazon Prime release content worldwide in this time slot, which is considered non-prime time. Hulu, on the other hand, releases its programming at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time. These channels also broadcast some content that is more adult-oriented. This makes the graveyard slots popular among younger viewers.
The graveyard slot is a time when many prime-time programs are suspended, particularly on election days. This time slot is a common lead-in to local morning newscasts. Because the audience for prime-time programming is typically much smaller, graveyard slots are not used for highly popular series. However, some network programming can air during this time, including government-mandated public affairs programs and in-house programs. If the programming is high-quality, it may attract a larger audience and be more lucrative.
There are notable exceptions to the rule, however. Shows such as Crusoe, Sanford and Son, Full House, and Homicide: Life on the Street have all been shown in the graveyard. In addition, a few popular shows have also been shown in the graveyard slot, including Shark Tank and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. In addition to the graveyard slot, there are some notable shows that have been shown in the graveyard, such as The Right Side.
Although graveyard slots are not necessarily a bad thing, they can be very unpopular. The most prominent graveyard slots occur on Friday nights. Many popular Friday series aired in this time slot, such as Miami Vice and Dallas. But this has been changing since the early 1990s. Fewer viewers are at home on Friday nights, so the death slot is becoming increasingly unpopular. However, the media conglomerates are no longer letting it happen anymore.
Overnight time slot
In Australia and New Zealand, the overnight time slot is from midnight to six in the morning. Traditionally, the overnight time slot is filled by American dramas and sitcoms, many of which fail to attract a large audience in their domestic markets. However, many anime-oriented streaming services have negotiated exclusive rights to air new episodes at the same time as their domestic airings. The broadcasters then delay their morning programmes to fill the time slot.
This is also when sports teams preempt programs. In the prime access hour before primetime, broadcasters are free to air these preempted programs without penalty, while the overnight time slot allows stations to air network programming. During this time, local-interest programs, breaking news and weather can air without being preempted. In addition to local and national shows, broadcasters also air local, regional, and educational programming during this time.
In the 1990s, the term “death slot” was used to refer to a non-traditional overnight time slot. Many channels broadcast former series during these hours and consider these slots to be graveyard slots. Programmers generally view graveyard slots with lower interest than prime time, and as a result, these slots often are filled by non-traditional shows. But with the advent of Internet-TV, overnight time slots have become the norm for television.
The afternoon time slot is often filled by a variety of programs. For example, CBS offers The Young and the Restless at noon Eastern, but its availability depends on local programming. Often, the stations that do not have local news instead air syndicated fare or infomercial programming. Before the 1970s, Jeopardy! was a popular show in the noon time slot. And it is still popular today. That is why this time slot is sometimes considered “midday.”
NBC’s Dateline NBC
NBC’s Dateline is a weekly American television newsmagazine and reality legal series. The show is centered on true crime stories and is currently aired on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET. The show also occasionally airs a special edition on Saturday or fills a primetime vacancy. In addition, the show is frequently rerun on other networks. In some regions, such as Australia, the show is aired on the Seven Network.
During its first half-hour on Friday, Dateline NBC was up 50% in adults 18-49 and 29% in adults 25-54 compared to its previous episode. It also grew 22% week-to-week in total viewers. NBC hopes the second half of the show will fill the void created by the end of Grimm. NBC’s Dateline Timeslot continues to perform well despite the decline in the network’s other primetime dramas.
NBC’s Dateline timeslot has plenty of room for more shows, including an upcoming three-part crime drama. The first part of the show will air on Monday, while part two will air on Friday. Part three will air on Sunday. While NBC has not asked “the Widower” cast to move up two slots, the network is confident that the new schedule will be a huge success. It’s still unclear if NBC has approached Wells for a guest spot.
Despite the competition from CBS’s The Hustler, “Dateline” is still the top show of the night among adults 18-49 in households with more than $100K in income. “Food Fighters” garnered a 0.6/3 in the 18-49 demo in its timeslot, but it grew 3% week-to-week. With “Clarice” on the air, NBC has a chance to make up ground.
Fox’s ‘Til Death
After two seasons, ‘Til Death was pulled from FOX’s primetime schedule due to low ratings. However, the show was renewed for a fourth season with 22 episodes, based on a deal Sony TV had with FOX to sell the show into syndication. In the third season, the series averaged 4.54 million viewers, a slight drop from season two’s 5.4 million. The remaining 10 episodes are currently on the shelf and could be aired around American Idol.
The ratings for ‘Til Death’ were not as bad as its producers had hoped. The show’s first few episodes got a solid response from viewers, but it quickly lost its appeal after the second season. Its writers tried to justify the show’s low ratings by claiming that it was “an ugly show,” but the public quickly turned away from it. Moreover, ‘Til Death’ was more risqué than its competitors, with its raunchiness and bitterness.
After two seasons of lackluster ratings, Fox has pushed the sitcom from competitive Thursday nights to a sweet post-‘American Idol’ Wednesday timeslot. Though this is a step up for the show, it may be a wise decision for the network to reconsider the writing. The show stars Joely Fisher and Brad Garrett. It follows a couple, Eddie and Joy Stark, who have been married for 23 years. The series also features their little brother, played by J.B. Smoove.
Besides its ‘Til Death’ timeslot, Fox has also moved the Michael Rapaport comedy “The War at Home” to Sunday nights. The move was reported by the Hollywood Reporter on March 4.
The network has also renewed all three editions of “Law & Order: New York” and “Vanished,” proving the show’s longevity. Executives from both networks have watched the pilots and are excited about the potential of both shows. However, they will also be reviewing the available producers and directors. If the show is picked for ‘Til Death,’ it may have a better chance of being renewed for a fifth season.
