Thursday Night is going to be the most watched night of Primetime TV this Fall – and it’s not just because of football. The four networks are showcasing some of their most successful series and most-anticipated new shows of the season. Here’s the lineup:
ABC
TGIT returns with “Grey’s Anatomy”, heading into its 14th season, at 8pm. “Scandal”, which will air its 7th and final season at 9. And now Oscar-winner Viola Davis returns for “How to Get Away with Murder” at 10.
CBS
For the first chunk of the TV season, CBS will air Thursday Night Football games, along with NFL network. Starting in Nov. TV’s #1 Comedy “The Big Bang Theory” will move from Mondays to Thursdays to begin the night at 8pm. Then at 8:30, it’s the highly-anticipated “Big Bang” prequel, “Young Sheldon” (Special Premiere Monday Sept. 25; Returns Thursday Nov. 2).
At 9, Allison Janney and Anna Faris’s comedy “Mom” returns, followed by “Life in Pieces” at 9:30. And at 10 is the new drama series “S.W.A.T.”, based on the 70s ABC series and the 2003 film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell.
FOX
The DC Comics series “Gotham” moves to Thursdays following its run on Mondays, kicking-off the night at 8. And at 9 – Seth MacFarlane’s new space dramedy “The Orville”. It’s essentially a “Star Trek” spoof, with MacFarlane in the lead “captain of the ship” role. There are reportedly dramatic elements in the series, though none are hinted at in the first trailer FOX released. “The Orville” will debut with its first episode on a Sunday night following an NFL double-header before moving to Thursdays.
NBC
The Peacock is bringing back its “Must-See TV” tagline – beginning with the revival of “Will & Grace” at 8. TV news comedy “Great News”, executive produced by Tina Fey, will return for a second season at 8:30. The critically-acclaimed and audience-obsessed drama “This is Us” moves from Tuesdays to Thursdays and will air at 9. The new “Law & Order” spinoff miniseries “True Crime: The Melendez Brothers” will follow at 10pm. This lineup ends in Nov. when NBC airs some of the final Thursday Night Football games of the regular season.
So basically, Thursday nights this Fall are divided in half. Will any of the scripted series pose a challenge to the monstrous NFL? Here’s the month-by-month, hour-by-hour breakdown:
September-October
8pm Hour
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”
CBS – Thursday Night Football
FOX – “Gotham”
NBC – “Will & Grace”, “Great News”
9pm Hour
ABC – “Scandal”
CBS – Thursday Night Football
FOX – “The Orville”
NBC – “This is Us”
10pm Hour
ABC – “How to Get Away with Murder”
CBS – Thursday Night Football
NBC – “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Brothers”
November-December
8pm Hour
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”
CBS – “The Big Bang Theory”, “Young Sheldon”
FOX – “Gotham”
NBC – Thursday Night Football
9pm Hour
ABC – “Scandal”
CBS – “Mom”, “Life in Pieces”
FOX – “The Orville”
NBC – Thursday Night Football
10pm Hour
ABC – “How to Get Away with Murder”
CBS – “S.W.A.T.”
NBC – Thursday Night Football