• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 3, 2005

Looking to get a jump after the slow holiday TV period, NBC and Fox are fighting to gain back their rightful spots among the leading networks.

NBC and Fox ended the November sweep period as the respective third and fourth rated networks in the race for adults 18 to 49 viewers.

NBC will launch a psychic-themed drama this week, "Medium" and a seemingly cutting-edge comedy, "Committed" (in its latest effort to find another "Friends").

Fox wants more from its big hit "American Idol" and will undergo major changes by going to three shows a week - Tuesday, Wednesday, and now, Monday -- during the February sweeps. Fox will also add celebrity judges in the early rounds of the singer contest program.

CBS and ABC have stolen the biggest honors so far this season with CBS capturing the No. 1 spot in adults 18 to 49 in the November sweeps, and ABC, surprisingly, nailing down the second place spot.

Though NBC and Fox will be quick to draw first blood this year, they are still leaning on the safe and predictable past. NBC goes to its traditional drama and comedy roots; Fox heads towards its safe and big franchise, "Idol." Both aren't taking any big chances like that of ABC this year, which -- out of nowhere -- launched two big shows: "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives."

The concern is that Fox is doing what ABC did with "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" a few years ago, when it ran the show multiple times a week, according to Daily Variety. That got ABC drunk with success, and moved it to cut back much primetime development.

Fox has, for the last few years, suffered in the fourth quarter only to rebound sharply in the first quarter. So give it credit. Fox hasn't missed much after its New Year's celebration.

It's new territory for NBC, however. And it now has to get into the Fox game plan. In the past, successful mid-season shows would have been a bonus to the former No. 1 network. Now, it's a requirement.