Ugly Betty Moving To Fridays Next Fall
May 19, 2009 by Tom
This Thursday is the season finale of Ugly Betty, and it will be the last time it will air on Thursday nights.
ABC has released their 2009-2010 Fall Schedule, and they have moved Betty to Friday night at 9/8c. Ironically, Friday was the original scheduled night for the show when it premiered.
I have mixed feelings about this. If the show was to be moved, a lead-out or lead-in with Dancing With The Stars would have been ideal (yes, I know that might mean going up against American Idol). It would be nice for the show to grab a few of those 22 million who watch DWTS.
But, Friday isn’t a total disaster (even though it’s scheduling purgatory). If Ugly Betty can maintain the 6-8 million viewers it currently has, it should contend to win its timeslot, something it would never do on Thursdays against Survivor. The biggest downside is the that the target demographic of young women usually has something to do on Friday nights. Of course, there’s the new factor of DVRs (which also factor into ratings).
I’m pretty much in shock, because I didn’t see this coming (I should have, though).
I have the full schedule for ABC next season, after the jump:
DAY TIME SERIES
MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (two-hours)
10:00 p.m. “Castle”
TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “The Forgotten”
WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Hank”
8:30 p.m. “The Middle”
9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”
9:30 p.m. “Cougar Town”
10:00 p.m. “Eastwick”
THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Flash Forward”
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Private Practice”
FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Supernanny”
9:00 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”
SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”
SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”
Image: Bauer Griffin
SitcomsOnline predicted this last week so I sort of saw this coming. I’m checking out other sites/boards and fans seem to think this move will be the DEATH of Betty.
Ew.com Ausiello story about Ugly Betty Move:
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/05/scoop-abc-defen.html
“Ugly Betty fans are pretty peeved.
ABC’s announcement this morning that it’s banishing moving the once-mighty comedy to Fridays next season to make room for its buzzy new drama Flash Forward on Thursdays at 8 p,m. has elicited a chorus of “WTFs?!” from the show’s rabid followers. But Alphabet president Stephen McPherson insists shifting the show to the TV graveyard known as Friday should not be interpreted as a sign Betty is on her last legs.
“I love the show,” McPherson says. “America [Ferrera] is one of our biggest stars. [But] you look at what [Betty's] done [ratings-wise] Thursday night and we think we have a big opportunity with Flash Forward. You have to make some bold moves sometimes. To me, I’d love to see [Betty] have a great run on Friday night the way Ghost Whisperer has [for CBS].”
I don’t think that this move bodes well at all. I hope that I’m wrong, though. A move to Friday night is like sending Dumbo off to the Elephants’ Graveyard. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think that Betty’s placement against “Survivor” has always been one of its saving graces. I don’t think that ABC ever expected “Ugly Betty” to beat the “Survivor” juggernaut, so since it has always held its own against a proven ratings powerhouse it has proven itself to be a solid and steady performer. Being in a position of steep adversity is what has given “Ugly Betty” its chance to shine, but moving the show to primetime’s wasteland (although not as bad as Saturday night) is possibly going to cripple the show in a manner from which it might not recover. I will try to be sunny and optimistic, though, and convince myself that it is very possible that “Ugly Betty” might be exactly what Friday night’s need. The good thing is that I have no conflicting commitments on Friday nights, as far as TV goes, and haven’t had anything to look forward to on Friday TV schedules for years. I won’t get myself all worked up until I see how things go after the first month or so.
That great news and no one on tv for me on Friday Night.I’m glad Ugly Betty moving on Friday Night.
I hope that ABC knows what they’re doing about Ugly Betty. I seriously hope that this move doesn’t turn out to be a total failure.
I was kind of surprised by this annnouncement when I read this..I was just expecting it to come back in it’s usual timeslot on it’s usual day..Everyone knows Fridays are the kiss of deaths for shows..Now I have to program myself the show is shifting to Fridays.. I wonder what the cast thinks about this move..
Oh Haiiiiiiil No. GoodBye Betty. I have no idea what’s even on TV on Fridays because nobody stays home Fri nights. This is so ghetto.
I don’t know why ABC even wasted the money to keep UB one more year just to burn off the episodes on a Friday.
I said last year that this show would be cancelled after its fourth season. Looks like I was right.
I’m actually quite happy, sure I might have things to do, but I will still watch on the Website, or buy from iTunes, which I really think should start having an impact on shows ratings, plus I’ll actually be able to watch Bones again! =D
No problem, it’s 2009, DVR Betty if you’re going to be out Friday night. But yeah, that is time-slot hell.
Did you see in the upfronts where they said “Ugly Betty has been a tent-pole on Thursday nights!” LOL!! Okay, dirty mind, I’m sorry.
I’m pretty psyched. I get to watch Bones… and on Fridays I’ll actually have sth to watch besides Ghost Whisperer. It’ll be hard to wait longer for my ugly betty fix, but i’ll manage. glad to see it renewed
We should sign a petition on this one! What the heck? Who stays home on a friday night to watch tv? Seriously? Guess I will have to find it online or something. Crazy. This better not be the death of Betty.
Betty fans better let their voices be heard!
it is so sad that it will be on fridays it is my and my families and friends est show. but Fridays is a day out and we have misted the one last week and we are devastated.On Thrusdays we will do everything to make it stop to see Betty. but Fridays.m.m
that’s too bad! i’m already devoted to other shows on friday night. i’d hate to see ugly betty disappear like lipstick jungle. it’s seems there’s not much left for us girls on tv anymore.
Everyone knows that moving a show to Friday is the proverbial kiss of death. I don’t see this being a success for the show. All we can hope for is to be pleasantly surprised.