Yahoo Lifestyle Reality Check! Which Networks Will Air the Least Scripted TV This Fall?
Whenever a favorite drama or comedy gets cancelled, or once a network unveils its Fall TV schedule, there are often cries of, “Too much reality-TV!!!!”
But which of the five broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW) actually are airing fewer scripted shows this fall than before?
More from TVLine
Sight Unseen Renewed in Canada; The CW's Plans for Season 2 TBD
Sight Unseen Finale Launches New Mystery for Potential Season 2
TVLine Items: Challengers on MGM+, Toni Collette Joins Wayward and More
TVLine broke out the abacus, then took a close look at the broadcast networks’ schedules for this fall (see our handy night-by-night grid), as well as Fall 2022 (the previous “normal,” non-pandemic/strikes one) and Fall 2019 (to compare to five full years ago). What you will discover, among other things, is that one network is airing 60% fewer (!) scripted shows than just two years ago, while another is serving up half as many comedies and dramas vs. Fall 2022.
You can also see that two of the five broadcast networks are impressively rock steady in their split of scripted, reality-TV/game shows, and sports. (If the percentages for any network don’t add up to 100, that is because newsmagazines, movie nights, docuseries and “drama encores” fall under “other.”)
Is The CW airing the smallest percentage of scripted shows, as new-ish owner Nexstar continues to make budget-trimming changes? Or is one of the Big 4 being even stingier with scripted fare?
Review the tale of the tape below, then weigh in with your surprised reactions or anti-reality TV grumbles.
CBS
Even after a pandemic and two Hollywood strikes, CBS continues to be a scripted beast, leading the broadcast-TV pack by a wide margin. This fall it is fielding no fewer than 14 hours of scripted fare, including all-scripted nights on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Its only reality-TV programming occupies Wednesday, where Survivor this time around will be paired with the new adventure competition The Summit.
If fans of an unceremoniously cancelled CBS drama were to have any quibble, it’s that CBS Sunday is now closing out at 10/9c with “drama encores” instead of original content.
64% Scripted
Fall 2022: 68% ◆ Fall 2019: 77%
14% Reality TV / game shows
Fall 2022: 14% ◆ Fall 2019: 5%
0% Sports
Fall 2022: 0% ◆ Fall 2019: 0%
NBC
CBS’ scripted output is only sorta rivaled by NBC’s, with the Peacock network unfurling 10 hours of scripted programming this fall — including, of course, #OneChicago Wednesdays, all-drama Thursdays and two one-hour sitcom blocks (leading off Tuesday and Friday nights). NBC fields at least six hours of sports each week in the fall, thanks to Sunday Night Football and now Big Ten Saturday Night, so the only reality-TV it needs is the usual three hours’ worth of The Voice.
48% Scripted
Fall 2022: 48% ◆ Fall 2019: 48%
14% Reality TV / game shows
Fall 2022: 19% ◆ Fall 2019: 14%
29% Sports
Fall 2022: 14% ◆ Fall 2019: 14%
FOX
It’s pretty much business as usual at Fox, which will be filling both Wednesday (The Masked Singer and The Floor) and Thursday (Hell’s Kitchen and Special Forces: WTT) with reality-TV fare. Sunday is as ever Animation Domination (with newbie Universal Basic Guys bumping Family Guy to midseason), while both Monday and Tuesday are all-dramas. The only other non-scripted content is a new Friday-night mish-mash of college football/college hoops/UFL replacing USA Network-bound SmackDown, and the usual Fox Sports Saturday.
42% Scripted
Fall 2022: 50% ◆ Fall 2019: 47%
29% Reality TV / game shows
Fall 2022: 21% ◆ Fall 2019: 7% (only Masked Singer)
29% Sports
Fall 2022: 29% ◆ Fall 2019: 47% (incl. Thursday Night Football)
THE CW
The new-ish CW is only airing two (2) nights of dramas this fall, on Wednesday (Sullivan’s Crossing Season 2 and the new Sophie Turner drama Joan) and Thursday (Superman & Lois‘ swan song and The Librarians: The Next Chapter). That’s a far cry from the 10 hours’ worth of scripted fare the netlet served up in fall 2022, let alone the 12 hours of dramas that completely filled its 2019 slate. New to The CW’s mix this fall is a night of “board games” (Trivial Pursuit, hosted by LeVar Burton, and Scrabble, hosted by Raven-Symoné) and USA Network transplant WWE NXT on Tuesdays.
33% Scripted
Fall 2022: 71% ◆ Fall 2019: 100% (12 out of 12 hours!)
21% Reality TV / game shows
Fall 2022: 29% ◆ Fall 2019: 0%
36% Sports (including WWE NXT)
Fall 2022: 0% ◆ Fall 2019: 0%
ABC
If ABC’s scripted output for this fall looks meager, it’s because… it is. Last year’s post-strikes Monday Night Football experiment worked, so football will again occupy that night. Dancing With the Stars, The Golden Bachelorette and Shark Tank claim another four-and-a-half hours of the week, and the Scamanda docuseries that seemed to materialize out of nowhere will air after Abbott Elementary on Wednesdays. Beyond Abbott, and with Will Trent and The Rookie on hold until midseason, ABC’s only other scripted fare this fall is the Kaitlin Olson dramedy High Potential (closing out Tuesday nights) and the usual all-drama Thursday slate (of 9-1-1, Ryan Murphy’s Doctor Odyssey and Grey’s Anatomy).
21% Scripted
Fall 2022: 41% ◆ Fall 2019: 55%
25% Reality TV / game shows
Fall 2022: 36% ◆ Fall 2019: 23%
27% Sports
Fall 2022: 14% ◆ Fall 2019: 14%
Best of TVLine
The Best Streaming Services in 2024: Disney+, Hulu, Max and More
What's New on Netflix in January — Plus: Disney+, Hulu, Amazon and Others
Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
