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 Julianna Margulies in her new show The Good Wife. |
Attention all women: Global wants you, and it wants you specifically weekdays at 10 o'clock.
Canwest has announced the fall schedule for the Global TV network and what jumps out prominently is the strategy at 10 p.m.
"We think we have a big opportunity because the competition is really changing at 10 o'clock," said Barb Williams, Canwest's executive VP of content. "With Jay Leno in that slot, we think there's some room.
"Women sit down at 10 o'clock and want to get involved in a big, beautiful, lush drama. Right across the week - with Brothers & Sisters (from ABC), and then The Good Wife (new from CBS, with Julianna Margulies), and then Melrose Place (new from CW), and then 90210 (from CW) - we're offering that consistently."
Leno, who until last Friday was the host of The Tonight Show, debuts his controversial 10 p.m., late-night-style show on Sept. 14, on Citytv and NBC. Meanwhile, CTV's 10 p.m. slot on weekdays this fall is heavy on police procedurals: CSI: Miami, Law & Order: SVU, CSI: New York, The Mentalist and Flashpoint.
"We wanted to be pro-active about this opportunity and I think there's a real win to be had there (by targeting women)," Williams said.
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With a few of its 10 p.m. shows, Global is making the bold move to forego simulcasting. That's the term for when a Canadian network runs an American show at the same time an American network does, which allows the Canadian network to superimpose its ads on the American feed, too.
The male-oriented Heroes now will air Sunday at 10 p.m., a day ahead of NBC; and Brothers & Sisters will air Monday at 10 p.m., a day after ABC.
"Yes, I would say it is bold, because you're right, as Canadian broadcasters, we kind of start with simulcast and figure that always is the maximum opportunity," Williams said. "But sometimes it's important just to manage your own schedule to your own viewers.
"Really, it's about flow. When you look at Sunday night and that strong young male demo (with animated shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy), the truth is, that never has led successfully into Brothers & Sisters."
For all the talk about the economics of the TV business changing, Williams said some constants remain.
"My sense is there is a layer of responsibility, probably across the whole business, in terms of not letting any of it go wild on any front," Williams said. "But at the end of the day, there's power in a top-10 show and there's a premium price attached.
"If there was some sort of shifting in how the dollars were spent, I think that happened more down in the lower-ranking shows. I don't think the business changed really anywhere near as much as some might be claiming."
Canwest did not announce any scheduling for its on-the-block E! stations yesterday.