J
Joseph_Gallant
Guest
This year, most of the broadcast-TV networks will premiere their new shows within the span of a single week, September 19th through 25th.
It's a tradition that goes back about four decades.
Prior to 1963, the three broadcast networks at the time (plus DuMont prior to the mid 1950's) would premiere shows on a staggered basis between mid-September and early October with more new shows premiering during the first week of October than any other time.
The reason for much of that was probably sponsor commitments and the way advertising and business were run. I suspect many sponsor contracts were designed to end at the end of a fiscal quarter, which for most businesses meant the last day of March, June, September and December.
In 1963, ABC decided on a different strategy. Instead of premiering their new Fall shows over a period of several weeks, the network was able to launch the 1963/64 season and premiere it's new shows over the course of a single week: Sunday, September 15th through Saturday, September 21st.
The strategy worked; ABC had one of it's highest-rated weeks in it's history up to that time. I don't think ABC actually won the weekly ratings race that week; I always thought that ABC's first-ever weekly win in the Nielsens was not until October of 1968, and was due to the network's coverage of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
The next year, CBS also adopted a "premiere week" strategy, but used the week of September 20th through 27th, 1964. ABC had premiered it's new shows the week of September 13th through 19th. That year, NBC still staggered it's premieres over several weeks. For example (according to Brooks and Marsh), "The Famous Adventures Of Mr. Magoo" premiered on Saturday, Septermber 19th; but "90 Bristol Court" did not debut until Monday, October 5th.
In 1965, NBC decided it had to join the trend, and thanks to their publicity machine, was able to hype their premiere week (September 12th-18th, 1965) as being "NBC Week" even though ABC and CBS also premiered their new Fall shows that very same week!
It's a tradition that goes back about four decades.
Prior to 1963, the three broadcast networks at the time (plus DuMont prior to the mid 1950's) would premiere shows on a staggered basis between mid-September and early October with more new shows premiering during the first week of October than any other time.
The reason for much of that was probably sponsor commitments and the way advertising and business were run. I suspect many sponsor contracts were designed to end at the end of a fiscal quarter, which for most businesses meant the last day of March, June, September and December.
In 1963, ABC decided on a different strategy. Instead of premiering their new Fall shows over a period of several weeks, the network was able to launch the 1963/64 season and premiere it's new shows over the course of a single week: Sunday, September 15th through Saturday, September 21st.
The strategy worked; ABC had one of it's highest-rated weeks in it's history up to that time. I don't think ABC actually won the weekly ratings race that week; I always thought that ABC's first-ever weekly win in the Nielsens was not until October of 1968, and was due to the network's coverage of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
The next year, CBS also adopted a "premiere week" strategy, but used the week of September 20th through 27th, 1964. ABC had premiered it's new shows the week of September 13th through 19th. That year, NBC still staggered it's premieres over several weeks. For example (according to Brooks and Marsh), "The Famous Adventures Of Mr. Magoo" premiered on Saturday, Septermber 19th; but "90 Bristol Court" did not debut until Monday, October 5th.
In 1965, NBC decided it had to join the trend, and thanks to their publicity machine, was able to hype their premiere week (September 12th-18th, 1965) as being "NBC Week" even though ABC and CBS also premiered their new Fall shows that very same week!