We found out a couple weeks ago that this spring will bring a whole new night for our vampire obsessions. Here are just a few reasons why this move to Fridays is nothing but good news for fans of The Originals.
Your first instinct may be to worry about our beloved Mikaelsons, as Friday has gained the reputation of the day networks use as a stepping stone to cancellation. We don’t believe that will be the case with The Originals and here are a few reasons why.
Thursday nights have been ruled by Shonda Rhimes and her collection of female driven dramas a lot longer than it has been known as TGIT. Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal have been Thursday night staples long before the CW considered airing its vampire super-block there. While it was easy to be encouraged and excited by the CW putting its faith in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals airing back to back on such a competitive night, it all but ensured lower ratings.
Season 2 of The Originals averaged 1.31 million overall viewers with 590,000 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. So far in season 3, The Originals ratings have only averaged 994,000 overall viewers with 420,000 of those being in the 18-49 demographic. We also know that, “both shows more than triple their audiences when viewing beyond the night of air is tallied, across DVR, digital, and VOD platforms,” per the CW’s press release regarding the move to Fridays, which is why their initial ratings have hardly begun to display the franchises’ value to the network.
A lot of things could explain the downward shift in ratings, but it’s hard to deny that the competition for viewers between Shondaland shows and the CW’s vampire dramas could be to blame. When The Originals was airing on Monday nights last season, its competition included shows like Fox’s Gotham, and Dancing with the Stars, which pull at different demographics. It just seems that Thursday nights are not the ideal place for our favorite vampires.
Fridays this spring provide a promising landscape for The Originals fanbase to grow and prosper. While official schedules have yet to be released for all networks, The Originals 9 p.m. timeslot’s biggest competitors should be Shark Tank on ABC, and Hawaii Five-O on CBS, neither of which appeal to the same demographic. With less direct competition, The Originals will have a place to blossom and prove that it deserves its place in the CW’s lineup for years to come.
We should never forget that Supernatural moved to Friday nights for its seventh season and has been going strong ever since on whichever night the CW has placed it.
Basically, fans shouldn’t worry about The Originals fate just yet. Fridays on the CW are not the graveyard that other networks have created. More than anything, we all just need to remember to tune in, and the Mikaelsons will have as long as they need to tell the stories that Julie Plec and company have cooked up for them. No matter what happens to The Vampire Diaries after this season (Will it be renewed? Should it be renewed?), The Originals can have a long and happy reign Fridays on the CW. We just have to show the network what loyal fans we are to the Original family.
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.