CBS Gives ‘Survivor’ a Thanksgiving Break
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) – CBS is making some last-minute sweeps shifts that will give “Survivor” Thanksgiving off, and have the Victoria’s Secret models take it off a little earlier than planned.
CBS has decided to move the planned Thanksgiving evening edition of “Survivor: Thailand” from Thursday, Nov. 28, to the previous night at 8. Last year’s Turkey Day episode of “Survivor” took a noticeable Nielsen dip, and network executives didn’t want to make viewers decide between seconds on stuffing and seeing the Survivors squabble.
More importantly, since the November sweeps end Nov. 27, the move means CBS will get five rather than four episodes of its hit reality franchise on the air during the ratings frame. CBS made a similar scheduling move in May.
CBS has also confirmed that the season finale of “Survivor: Thailand” will air Dec. 19.
In other sweeps scheduling news, CBS has blinked in the face of ABC reality juggernaut “The Bachelor.”
Until last week, CBS had been planning to air its Victoria’s Secret fashion show special Nov. 20 at 10 p.m. But after ABC confirmed plans to air a two-hour “Bachelor” finale from 9-11 p.m. that night, CBS executives decided to shift the Secret special to 8.
No doubt the same critics who howled when ABC aired a Victoria’s Secret special last year in a 9 p.m. slot will howl even more now that it’s airing at 8. A CBS spokesman, however, said the program will carry plenty of viewer advisories.
“Everyone will know in advance what this special is and where it’s going to air,” he said.
As for moving away from “The Bachelor,” the CBS rep said it was simply a matter of smart counterprogramming.
“The Bachelor” has been “building momentum over the last few weeks, and it didn’t make sense to make viewers choose,” he said.
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