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TV Nets Try New Tricks At 10 p.m.

  • Variety, Monday, March 23, 2009 9:30 AM
These days, the 10 p.m. slot is inhabited mostly by so-so drama performers and fading franchises--a far cry from the days when "ER" was posting 40 shares, "Law & Order" was at its height and "NYPD Blue" also soared.

The networks have been frustrated in their attempts to capitalize on the success of their 9 o'clock shows. With the exception of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" leading into "Grey's Anatomy" five years ago, no 9 o'clock series in recent years has helped launch a stand-alone success. NBC won't even program the slot with scripted fare anymore, moving "The Jay Leno Show" into the slot.

Sensing an opportunity, CBS and ABC are on the move. ABC is launching three new dramas in the hour this spring--"Castle," "Cupid" and "The Unusuals." CBS will bow the thriller "Harper's Island" in the spot. The 10 p.m. hour has been the domain of mostly procedural dramas, but the quirky romantic comedy of "Cupid" and the horror/thriller tone of the limited-run "Harper's" shows that the nets are trying something. CBS may also use one of its D.C.-themed projects, like "Washington Field," "House Rules" or "The Good Wife," to serve as a lead-in to news.

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