The Friday Night Death Slot

The socially awkward and we old married folks don't treat Friday night much differently than any other night. Sure, occasionally, we'll get our freak on. But more often than not, we're in front of our TVs, our computers or both. But the majority of television viewers are either not home, or not interested in TV on Friday nights. This has lead to a TV trope known as "the Friday night death slot."

That's where network executives stick sci-fi/fantasy shows, seemingly in an effort to kill them off. FOX is notorious for this, having killed numerous shows by placing them on Friday nights, and then cancelling them after they couldn't overcome the lack of viewership on that night. Only The X-Files seems to have overcome the situation.

Last year, two of my favorite shows were relegated to the TV hell that is Fridays. Surprisingly, one of them--Dollhouse--survived to a new season. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles wasn't so lucky. I'm one of a rare breed who was head over heels for both shows. Dollhouse has a limited amount of time to prove itself, and I'm desperately hoping that it pulls off a miracle. Joss Whedon's previous programs (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) didn't have to muster much of an audience on the defunct WB and UPN networks. But on FOX, Whedon failed with Firefly, an awesome show also relegated to the death slot, and now Dollhouse is in the same situation. Here's hoping.

[Excerpt]

Scott Brown on Saving Sci-Fi From the Friday Night Death Slot

Ah, the early '90s: that Eden. I was so innocent then, I barely knew which demographic I was. And I certainly didn't know that just by doing what came naturally—staying in on Friday nights and watching The X-Files—I was changing the world. I had no inkling that we, my nerdy ilk and I, were actually saving dozens of unborn science fiction shows from the Sarlacc maw of the Friday Night Death Slot. Surely you've heard of the Death Slot. It's a circle of programming hell traditionally reserved for the weak, the sick, the family- oriented—and the sci-fi-derived. . .

Read more at: Wired