Mid-season replacement

In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after a show that was in the fall schedule was canceled or put on hiatus, outside factors such as an actor's family emergency or personal illness led to a delay in the program's debut, a program was deliberately scheduled for mid-season (for example, shows NBC airs on Sunday nights after the NFL season ends, as it only takes up the first half of the television season), or a program had a shortened season for some other reason which resulted in a time slot that needed filling. A few shows in American television history have been perennial mid-season replacements. For example, American Idol aired from January to May each year from its second season onward, to great ratings success. CBS put reruns of the first season of Land of the Lost (1974) on its Saturday morning schedule in June 1985 (running to the end of December) and June 1987 (running until the new season began in September).[1]

An older and related concept is the summer replacement, which debuts between May and August, when a network's fall schedule is on hiatus. Summer replacements tend to be lower-profile shows with either low budgets or minimal prospects for renewal.

Notable mid-season replacement shows edit

Series Original network Original air date Series replaced
24: Live Another Day Fox May 5, 2014 The Following
3rd Rock from the Sun NBC January 9, 1996 NewsRadio
The American Embassy FOX March 11, 2002 Ally McBeal
A.P. Bio NBC February 1, 2018 The Good Place
Airwolf CBS January 22, 1984 Hour #1 of The CBS Saturday Night Movies
Alcatraz Fox January 16, 2012 Terra Nova
Alex, Inc. ABC March 28, 2018 Speechless
Allegiance NBC February 5, 2015 Parenthood
All in the Family CBS January 12, 1971 To Rome with Love
American Dad! Fox February 6, 2005 The Sketch Show
Andy Richter Controls the Universe Fox March 19, 2002 That '70s Show
Are You There, Chelsea? NBC January 11, 2012 Free Agents
Awake NBC March 1, 2012 The Firm
B.A.D. Cats ABC January 4, 1980 Fantasy Island
Barnaby Jones CBS January 28, 1973 Mannix
Barney Miller ABC January 23, 1975 The Odd Couple
Batman ABC January 12, 1966 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Baretta ABC January 17, 1975 Kung Fu
The Bionic Woman ABC January 14, 1976 When Things Were Rotten
The Black Donnellys NBC February 26, 2007 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Blind Justice ABC March 8, 2005 NYPD Blue
Blossom NBC January 3, 1991 Ferris Bueller
Bob's Burgers Fox January 9, 2011 The Cleveland Show
Body of Proof ABC March 29, 2011 Detroit 1-8-7
Boston Common NBC March 21, 1996 The Single Guy
The Book of Daniel NBC January 6, 2006 Inconceivable
Breaking In Fox April 6, 2011 American Idol
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 6 relaunch on NBC NBC January 10, 2019 I Feel Bad
Buffy the Vampire Slayer The WB March 10, 1997 Savannah
CHAOS CBS April 1, 2011 The Defenders
The Cape NBC January 9, 2011 The Event
Castle[2] ABC March 9, 2009 True Beauty
The Catch ABC March 24, 2016 How to Get Away with Murder
Champions NBC March 8, 2018 Great News
The Chicago Code Fox February 7, 2011 Lie to Me
City of Angels CBS January 16, 2000 Cosby
Coach ABC February 28, 1989 The Wonder Years
Conviction NBC March 3, 2006 The Book of Daniel
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior CBS February 16, 2011 Blue Bloods
Cuts UPN February 14, 2005 Second Time Around
D.C. The WB April 2, 2000 Felicity
Daddio NBC March 23, 2000 Jesse
Daktari CBS January 11, 1966 Rawhide
Dallas CBS April 2, 1978 The Carol Burnett Show
Dawson's Creek The WB January 20, 1998 Syndicated programming
Deception NBC January 7, 2013 Revolution
Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman CBS January 1, 1993 Brooklyn Bridge
Dollhouse Fox February 13, 2009 Don't Forget the Lyrics!
Do No Harm NBC January 31, 2013 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 ABC April 11, 2012 Happy Endings
Dynasty ABC January 12, 1981 Monday Night Football
Eight Is Enough ABC March 15, 1977 Rich Man, Poor Man: Book II
Ellen ABC March 29, 1994 Grace Under Fire
Emergency! NBC January 15, 1972 The Good Life
Empire Fox January 7, 2015 Red Band Society
Falcon Crest CBS December 4, 1981 The Incredible Hulk
Fam CBS January 10, 2019 Murphy Brown
Family Guy Fox January 31, 1999 The X-Files
Fangbone! Disney XD July 5, 2016 Counterfeit Cat
Fashion Star NBC March 13, 2012 Parenthood
The Firm NBC January 8, 2012 Prime Suspect
The Following Fox January 21, 2013 The Mob Doctor
For the People CBS January 31, 1965 My Living Doll
For Life ABC February 11, 2020 Emergence
For Your Love NBC March 17, 1998 NewsRadio
Fresh Off the Boat ABC February 4, 2015 Selfie
Friends with Benefits NBC August 5, 2011
Futurama FOX March 28, 1999 That '70s Show
GCB ABC March 4, 2012 Pan Am
Getting By ABC March 5, 1993 Dinosaurs
George Lopez[3] ABC March 27, 2002 According to Jim
Good Advice CBS April 2, 1993 Bob
Grapevine (2000 revival) CBS February 28, 2000 Ladies Man
Great News NBC April 25, 2017 Trial & Error
Grey's Anatomy ABC March 27, 2005 Boston Legal
Grounded for Life Fox January 10, 2001 Normal, Ohio
Happy Days ABC January 15, 1974 Temperatures Rising
Hannibal NBC April 4, 2013 Do No Harm
Happy Endings ABC April 13, 2011 Mr. Sunshine
Harry's Law NBC January 17, 2011 Chase
High Incident ABC March 4, 1996 Monday Night Football
Hill Street Blues NBC January 15, 1981 NBC Saturday Night at the Movies
Homicide: Life on the Street NBC January 31, 1993 Seinfeld
Human Target Fox January 17, 2010 So You Think You Can Dance
Imaginary Mary ABC March 29, 2017 The Real O'Neals
The Incredible Hulk CBS March 10, 1978 The CBS Friday Night Movies
In Case of Emergency[3] ABC January 3, 2007
It Takes a Thief ABC January 9, 1968
In the Heat of the Night NBC March 6, 1988 J.J. Starbuck
The Jeffersons CBS January 18, 1975 Friends and Lovers
JAG Season 2 relaunch on CBS CBS January 17, 1997 Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Just Shoot Me! NBC March 4, 1997 Men Behaving Badly
Kate & Allie CBS March 19, 1984 AfterMASH
Kate Brasher CBS February 24, 2001 Walker, Texas Ranger
King of the Hill Fox January 12, 1997 Ned and Stacey
Knots Landing CBS December 27, 1979 Hawaii Five-O
LA to Vegas Fox January 2, 2018 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
LateLine NBC March 17, 1998 Just Shoot Me!
Laverne & Shirley ABC January 27, 1976 Welcome Back, Kotter
Law & Order: Trial by Jury NBC March 3, 2005 Medical Investigation
Living Biblically CBS February 26, 2018 9JKL
Mad Love CBS February 14, 2011 Rules of Engagement
Malcolm in the Middle Fox January 9, 2000 Futurama
Making History Fox March 5, 2017 Son of Zorn
Man from Interpol NBC January 30, 1960 It Could Be You
Married... with Children Fox April 5, 1987 Syndicated programming
Medium NBC January 3, 2005 LAX
The Mick Fox January 1, 2017 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
The Millionaire CBS January 19, 1955 Strike It Rich
Moesha UPN January 23, 1996 Deadly Games
Miss Guided ABC March 18, 2008
Moonlighting ABC March 3, 1985
Mr. Belvedere ABC March 15, 1985 Webster
Mr. Sunshine ABC February 9, 2011 Cougar Town
My Wife and Kids ABC March 28, 2001 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Nanny and the Professor ABC January 21, 1970 The Flying Nun
Napoleon Dynamite Fox January 15, 2012 Allen Gregory
Nash Bridges CBS March 29, 1996 American Gothic
The Nick Cannon Show Nickelodeon January 12, 2002 The Brothers Garcia
Night Court NBC January 4, 1984 Family Ties
The Norm Show ABC March 24, 1999 The Secret Lives of Men
Notes from the Underbelly ABC April 12, 2007 George Lopez
Numb3rs CBS January 23, 2005 Dr. Vegas
NYC 22 CBS April 15, 2012 CSI: Miami
The Odd Couple CBS February 19, 2015 Two and a Half Men
Parenthood NBC March 2, 2010 The Jay Leno Show
Parks and Recreation[n 1] NBC April 9, 2009 Kath & Kim
Perfect Couples NBC December 20, 2010
Perfect Strangers ABC March 25, 1986 Growing Pains
The PJs FOX January 10, 1999 Costello
Quantum Leap NBC March 26, 1989
Raines NBC March 15, 2007 ER
Ready for Love NBC April 9, 2013 Smash
The Real O'Neals ABC March 2, 2016 The Muppets
Red Widow ABC March 3, 2013 666 Park Avenue
Rob CBS January 12, 2012 Rules of Engagement
Roseanne (revival) ABC March 27, 2018 Fresh Off the Boat
Rules of Engagement CBS February 5, 2007 The New Adventures of Old Christine
Sanford and Son NBC January 14, 1972 The D.A.
Schoolhouse Rock! ABC January 15, 1973 commercials
Scrubs Season 8 relaunch on ABC ABC January 6, 2009 According to Jim
Social Studies UPN March 18, 1997 Homeboys in Outer Space
Some of My Best Friends CBS February 28, 2001 Welcome to New York
SpongeBob SquarePants Nickelodeon May 1, 1999 First hour of Nick-at-Nite
Superior Donuts CBS February 2, 2017 The Odd Couple
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Fox January 13, 2008 K-Ville
That '80s Show Fox January 23, 2002 Malcolm in the Middle
The Bob Cummings Show NBC January 2, 1955 The Hunter
The Bridge[4] CTV March 5, 2010
The Carrie Diaries The CW January 14, 2013 90210
The Deep End ABC January 21, 2010 FlashForward
The Enemy Within NBC February 25, 2019 Manifest
The Finder Fox January 12, 2012 Bones
The Knights of Prosperity[3] ABC January 3, 2007
The Lone Gunmen Fox March 4, 2001 FreakyLinks
The New Adventures of Old Christine CBS March 13, 2006 Courting Alex
The Oblongs The WB April 1, 2001 For Your Love
The Office NBC March 24, 2005 Committed
The Others NBC February 5, 2000 Freaks and Geeks
The Practice ABC March 4, 1997 NYPD Blue
The Return of Jezebel James Fox March 14, 2008
The River ABC February 7, 2012 Wife Swap
Three Sisters NBC January 9, 2001 DAG
Thunder Alley ABC March 9, 1994 The Critic
Titus Fox March 20, 2000 Time of Your Life
Scandal ABC April 5, 2012 Private Practice
Schooled ABC January 9, 2019 American Housewife
Show Me the Money[3] ABC November 15, 2006
The Simpsons Fox December 17, 1989 Totally Hidden Video
Sister, Sister ABC April 1, 1994
The Six Million Dollar Man ABC January 18, 1974 Room 222
Smash NBC February 6, 2012 Rock Center with Brian Williams
So Weird Disney January 18, 1999
Southland NBC April 9, 2009 ER
Space Cases Nickelodeon March 2, 1996 All That
Splitting Up Together ABC March 27, 2018 The Mayor
Stacked Fox April 13, 2005 Quintuplets
Station Zero MTV March 8, 1999
Twenty-One (2000 revival) NBC January 9, 2000 Third Watch
Twin Peaks ABC April 8, 1990 The Young Riders
The Outsiders Fox March 25, 1990 Booker
The Unit CBS March 7, 2006 Love Monkey
The Unusuals[2] ABC April 8, 2009 Life on Mars
The Village NBC March 19, 2019 New Amsterdam
The Wonder Years ABC January 31, 1988 Growing Pains
Three The WB February 2, 1998 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Three's Company ABC March 15, 1977 The Tony Randall Show
Traffic Light Fox February 8, 2011 Raising Hope, Running Wilde
Trial & Error NBC March 14, 2017 This Is Us
Unhappily Ever After The WB January 11, 1995 Syndicated programming
Walker, Texas Ranger CBS April 21, 1993 The Hat Squad
Wanda at Large Fox March 26, 2003 Cedric the Entertainer Presents
Watching Ellie NBC February 26, 2002 Three Sisters
What About Brian ABC April 16, 2006 Miracle Workers
Work It ABC January 3, 2012 Man Up
Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane The WB January 17, 1999 Unhappily Ever After
Zero Hour ABC February 14, 2013 Last Resort

Notes edit

  1. ^ Parks and Recreation was a mid-season replacement in its first, third, and seventh seasons. It was introduced as a mid-season replacement in the third season, to accommodate Amy Poehler's pregnancy, which was not written into the show. It was used as a mid-season replacement in its season finale to meet contractual obligations.

References edit

  1. ^ Alex McNeil. Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. 4th Edition. New York: Penguin, 1996, 462.
  2. ^ a b Diamond, Ilana (2008-12-11). "Midseason Replacements 2009 - News". TV.com. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  3. ^ a b c d Diamond, Ilana (2007-01-01). "Midseason Replacements - News". TV.com. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  4. ^ Paul William Tenny (2010-05-14). "CBS 2010 upfronts: Mid-season replacements". Mediapundit.net. Retrieved 2012-01-05.