Fox is moving “Fringe” to Fridays next week, leading some to speculate the show is in danger of cancellation.
However, Fox claimed at the TCA’s this week that the show wasn’t doomed yet; if it could duplicate its Thursday ratings it would perhaps stave off cancellation.
One of the interesting things here, is that “Fringe,” one of the few fantasy shows on television, will now be heading into competition with “Supernatural,” which staked out the Friday at 9 time slot earlier this season. But Fox exec Kevin Reilly doesn’t see a problem.
“Even in genre, that show is not a ratings powerhouse. By the way, is Supernatural on Friday? I’m not sure.” Reilly paused to laugh. “Good to know. So, there’s your answer.”
“Supernatural” has been a steady performer on the CW for years, though doesn’t hit the networks target audience of females 12-34 quite as much as many of its other shows, such as “Gossip Girl” and “Vampire Diaries.” The show was moved to Friday’s this year to make way for “Nikita.” However, the show’s ratings have held steady, and “Supernatural,” along with “Smallville,” have powered Friday to the network’s top rated night in terms of viewers and adults 18-49.
“Fringe” is now in its third season, and has seen considerable declines in its short lifespan. In its first season, it was the top rated new show in the adults 18-49 demo. However, last year it was moved from its post-“House” timeslot, and moved into the much more competitive Thursday at 9 pm timeslot, the same time period occupied last year by “Supernatural.”
So far this year, “Fringe” is one of Fox’s lowest rated television programs, along with “Lie to Me” and “Running Wilde,” which has not received an order for additional episodes, signaling cancellation. “Lie to Me” has also not received an additional order for episodes. It seems “Fringe” has the best shot to survive. If it can bring in about the same ratings it does now, it will represent more than a 40% increase over Friday’s usual fare.
“It’s a fantastic show, and honestly I’d be heartbroken if it went away,” Reilly said.
What do you think? Can “Supernatural” and “Fringe” both survive on Fridays?
“Supernatural” is an amazing show! As for “Fringe,” can anyone say ‘yawn’? Who cares “Fringe” is moving to Friday’s? “Supernatural” will always be #1, since it’s the best show!
I love Fringe and adore Supernatural! They are apple and oranges. (Well-written, exciting, trippy apples and spooky, fun, sexy, sexy oranges) There are lots of reasons to think Fox execs are jerks, but this is a big one. Why dis another show? The airwaves are clogged with CSI rip-offs and 100s of so-called ‘reality’ shows. Cant we have a couple of shows that are quirky and different without staking them against each other? Thank heaven for Tivo!
Good post. 🙂 I have enjoyed Supernatural more than I have any other show…ever. It’s epic in so many ways. The cast and crew are gems. Man I love this show! HOWEVER…Fringe is also a great show, and I think FOX needs to have their pee-pee slapped for shoving this into a Friday slot, and trying to start a fandom war. Fringe doesn’t deserve either of these. What Reilly said was classless and will only fire up the fans.
Has everyone forgotten that in the last season (2010) both shows were on 9pm Thursday? So really its a mute point.
Thank you! I personally have never watched Fringe but I’m not gonna get all panicky about it following SPN to Friday. They’ve battled it out on Thursdays already. Both shows will be fine.
“Supernatural” has been a steady performer on the CW for years,
That is because it is a good show and has a very loyal and devoted fan base.
Do you need proof? Supernatural won the veiwer’s choice cover of TV guide based on fan votes.
But Fox exec Kevin Reilly doesn’t see a problem.
“Even in genre, that show is not a ratings powerhouse. By the way, is Supernatural on Friday? I’m not sure.” Reilly paused to laugh. “Good to know. So, there’s your answer.”
I hope Reilly is playing dumb for the sake of his network, otherwise he needs to be replaced by someone paying attention to business.
I have seen no evidence that Fringe has a loyal fan base, like Supernatural.
Need more proof check out fan sites. Like fan fiction net or live journal and see which shows spark the creativity of fans.
Rating (Nielson) is controled by a select few and geared toward the major networks. It is no longer an accurate picture of veiwing or fandom
“I have seen no evidence that Fringe has a loyal fan base, like Supernatural.”
Fringe won this years People’s Choice Award for best Sci-fi/fantasy show.
Supernatural won that award last year.
Maybe ‘cuz fans like me voted of Supernatural last year and Fringe this year. Sam’s stupid soulless storyline bored me right over to Fox.
am i the only teen girl that watches supernatural?
haha, no, no you are not.
eighteen and completely in love with spn; as for fringe? i’ve never watched an episode of that show and i don’t think i’ll ever watch it. this fox exec can suck his own bollocks for all i care.
i also love supernatural best show ever i hate fringe it is retarded
Idiot. Fringe is SO much more intelligent than Supernatural. I love both shows, I really do and while Supernatural has a great story and awesome characters, Fringe has a great story and is /smart/. There are hints of what’s going to happen in the third season, the hints being somewhere in the background of the FIRST season. And the amazing acting of John Noble. Oh, I could go on and on. But please, give Fringe a chance before you say it’s retarded? Because I assure you, it’s anything but.
I love Supernatural but I’m also in love with Fringe and I gotta say Fringe will get the live viewing for me.
I can miss “Fringe” BUT I absolutely cannot miss “Supernatural” It is THE best show on televsion! Jared and Jensen and Jim and Misha ROCK!!
When both shows were on Thursday, Fringe didn’t seem to effect Supernatural’s ratings much. SPN held up to the competion in the hour much better than Fringe did. (Relatively speaking — SPN is a stronger performer for CW than Fringe is for FOX)
Do you really think that Reilly didn’t notice what CW show was beating his Friday 9PM show? (The Good Guys)
I expect that Fringe will do better than The Good Guys and it may even do ‘better’ than SPN, but at the end of the day, SPN will still be one of the CW’s strongest shows looking forward to season seven and Fringe will still be one of FOX’s weakest staring at cancellation.
You said it better than I could. That’s pretty much everything I wanted to say, along with: what a stupid move by a network executive to irritate a fanbase that anyone in the industry, who’s head is not up his you-know-what, knows is a) aggressive b) of the same genre, and c) legion. Why would you risk alienating potential fans of a show you know is struggling on your network and can use all the love it can get? Honestly, the only show this remark harms is ‘Fringe.’
Can people stop trying to spark a fucking Fringe versus Spn war? It’s stupid. Both shows are awesome and keep me entertained. Both shows will be fine. And as for Kevin, someone tell him to eat my crap. Nah, I’ll just tell him to his face myself. Classless, he is.
Either this guy needs to be fired, or he was joking. Has he ever seen anyone belonging to the Supernatural fandom? That was a really low blow and in the end of all things, true Supernatural fans will watch their show and Fringe fans will watch theirs. Fans of both, will watch both (and hopefully Supernatural live). But NONE of them will like what he said. Also, he must not have a clue how powerful the SN fanbase can be (TV Guide front cover, E!online poll). Dumb move Fox. I have never watched Fringe and now I will go out of my way not to watch it.
Well, why is Supernatural NOT a ratings powerhouse? It should be! It is the best show ever, and all of my friends agree. So who said that it’s not? I think it’s time to kick some butt.
What’s a Fringe? Supernatural rocks & always will.
is this guy kiding ???!!!! Supernatural is the best and will always remain the best duuuhh !!! Fringe can go rot in the pit with Lucifer……
In what universe are you in, buddy?! o___O
I’m ditching Supernatural fro Fringe. I never would have said that a year ago, but the CW show has steadily gone down the crapper this year while Fringe has only gotten more intriguing.
BTW Jason. Congrats on figuring out how to keep the SPN mouth-breathers coming back. At least you’ll get lots of hits along with the death threats. 😉
For the sake of good tv they need to cancel both shows immediately.
Fringe may have a larger fanbase (I just checked it’s ratings, and yeah…avg viewers are around 8 million vs. SPN’s 2 or 3) but personally I believe smaller shows such as Supernatural have a more dedicated fanbase.
I personally haven’t watched Fringe (except for half of the pilot x_x) so I’m not going to hate on it. I don’t understand fans that bash other shows when they HAVEN’T EVEN WATCHED THEM. Of course you’re going to say your show is better if you have no idea what the other is about!
Bottom line: people need to chill the fuck out. I freaking love Supernatural, I respect Fringe. I’m proud to be part of SPN’s fanbase, because, few though we may be, we still manage to rock the boat and make our presence known.
# of Nielsen families watching a show =/= size of fanbase
By that token Jersey Shore must have the largest ‘fanbase’ of them all.
You know, the fact that Supernatural isn’t getting many of the CW’s “target audience” says something about the show. Supernatural really doesn’t belong with the rest of the shows on the CW. It just doesn’t. People tend to group and judge it with other shows from the network, which may contribute to how fans of so-called “real television” view it.
I love Fringe, but Reilly’s disparaging comments do nothing to garner respect from me for Fox. Do not underestimate Supernatural.
I just love some people (seriously…). I mean, what is the point of commenting on a TV show in which you have no desire to watch? People have different tastes on shows, so why put down a show that you know other people enjoy? It is really only just fanning the flames of hatred. I mean, I really dislike the comedy (if you can even call it that) “Two And A Half Men” – but I don’t go to websites just to write about how much I hate it, or say that it should be canned ASAP. The only thing that I would succeed in doing is making people mad. So yeah, I just “love” people sometimes.
If they want shows to do well then they shouldn’t move it into timeslots competing with other good shows.
My DVR can only record 2 shows at a time, i can’t see the possible reason why networks compete for the 8-9 timeslot on monday when there are 4 other days during the week i would love to fill my nighttime tv watching with.
I loved fringe the first season, then it totally lost me in convuluted weirdness- it didn’t build the relationship that keeps me involved in SPN. I have been nonplussed with season 6, but at least I still feel compelled to watch and see where it goes. I dropped Fringe totally.
I do think the Fox execs comments were intended to do exactly what they did, get press and stir up viewers in an attempt to improve ratings, but he obviously knows exactly when SPN is, so it’s kinda lame.
Also, little trivia, but did any onotice that the star of Fox’s megahit Glee was a guest star on what show, season 2- Supernatural….
I watched one episode of Fringe and didn’t care much for the characters. I hate horror shows, flinch at bloody scenes and yet 6 seasons later, I’m still watching Supernatural, because Eric Kripke drew me into the story from the beginning.
Jensen and Jared kept it going even when I didn’t like the story direction. (My favorite seasons were 1-3, then I thought the storyline lost its strength because the brothers didn’t seem to care for one another as much.) Supernatural, yes. Fringe, not so much.
I sound negative on both. I really truly love supernatural.
Some of these posts really make me burst out laughing to myself. I enjoy and record both shows. But, I’m not going to go into convulsions (like some people think they will), if either is canceled.
Supernatural is probably my favorite show, and Fringe next. But, they ARE TV shows. They cancel good shows, for stupid reasons, all the time. I’m sure Supernatural is getting close to the end of it’s run. And these guys are probably eager to move on to other projects.
On Fringe, they seem to be trying to keep it fresh, and go with different ideas, and expand the story lines, which to me, is good.
If people would take all this enthusiasm they have for TV shows, and use it toward the good of their own families, we would all be better off. Hell, we might even be able to get along with one another.
Have a great one everybody!