NBC has announced that The Apprentice will be the big lead on Thursdays next season.
<p<now, this may seem like a minor note to the casual TV watcher, but the coupling of four sitcoms with a drama has been NBC's structure for Thursdays for decades now. It has frequently gotten them both great ratings and great respect. While it's easy to say that "oh, they're losing Friends, so it has to change”, it should be noted that this all predates Friends. It predates Seinfeld. That Thursday line-up was where America watched The Cosby Show, Night Court, Cheers, Taxi… and a bunch of forgettable filler shows that started at the half-hour mark.
Thursday used to be my big night at home. Get a large pizza, and watch NBC from the start of the first sitcom until the credits rolled on Hill Street Blues.
Ah, but nothing is permanent…
