Is Fox Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Tuesday's Ratings
Wednesday's Ratings

Tuesday night, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? premiered to the largest audience any series premiere has seen in the past nine years. Wednesday night, its numbers held up for the most part. The game show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy was given the coveted post-American Idol spot for both nights. So far this season, the only other show to lead-out of American Idol is House. House and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader both have had retention levels out of American Idol of over 80% in total viewers.

While this must make Fox extremely happy, it also proves their failings in scheduling. Right now, Fox has two really great nights, ratings-wise. With the help of American Idol, Tuesdays and Wednesdays will continue to put Fox on top. But they aren't quite so successful the rest of the week. Sunday's animation brings in a very nice amount in the demo, though total viewers and households leaves something to be desired, particularly when compared to past seasons' ratings. Mondays are rather average, with Prison Break and 24. 24 may still have lots of hype, but its ratings seem to have been affected by airing against Heroes.

That leaves Thursdays and Fridays. Both these days are huge holes in Fox's schedule. Friday comes in fifth place more often than not, losing to CW, and Thursday just barely beats out CW for fourth place most weeks. Considering the fact that CW is hardly a real network, this is completely unacceptable for a network like Fox. The solution should have been obvious at the beginning of the season. House was one of the highest rated series in the first half of the season, even without the boost from American Idol. Fox should have moved House to Thursdays at 8, where it would likely have continued to do just fine, and beat out all the competition for the hour. This would have guaranteed Fox a respectable spot on Thursdays, most likely ahead of NBC, and left an opening on Tuesdays for Fox to launch a new series which could have received similar ratings as Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

When Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? moves to its regular time spot, Thursdays at 9, Fox may begin handily beating CW, at least, but, considering the competition at that hour, and the lack of lead-in support, I doubt Thursdays will do much better than they have been so far.