Question: Do you think Fox moving Fringe to Fridays is the kiss of death for the show? What's the reasoning behind the move? — Troy
Matt Roush: In most circumstances, I'd say without hesitation that a move like Fringe to Fridays is a harbinger of failure. But Fox is confronting the situation head-on, cutting an entertaining promo refudiating (as they say in some parallel universe) the gloom-and-doom prognosticators. Fox isn't doing this blindly. They know the challenges of getting an audience on Friday, and they also know Fringe's small but fierce fan base is a loyal one, so the hope is that if Fringe can carry enough of its audience to Fridays, factoring in strong DVR playback numbers as well, the network might still see this as a win. Not that anyone who has championed the show during this remarkable season is happy about this. But you ask why this happened, and the answer boils down to two words: American Idol. Nothing is more important to Fox's bottom line than this show, and with its new scheduling on Wednesdays and Thursdays, something had to give. And that something was Fringe. Which probably has the best chance among any of Fox's cult series to do business on Fridays, and those with long memories remember that The X-Files did OK on that night (although it did better once it was moved to Sundays). But honestly, spinning this positively is a case of desperately trying to find a silver lining in a pretty dark cloud.
Source: TV Guide
