Symptomatic of Network TV Issue

9-1-1: Nashville joined the 9-1-1 universe this week with a massive opening episode, but the series’ three-part premiere event spans over weeks, and is indicative of a larger issue at play in the network TV ecosystem. While many were excited for 9-1-1: Nashville to join ABC’s Thursday lineup, seeing that the series would be debuting with a three-part premiere event was a surprise.

While each of 9-1-1: Nashville season 1’s three opening episodes will stand alone, they’ll be interwoven in a way that may be shocking to viewers who are new to the franchise. Banking on the fact that viewers will be seated for Nashville after watching the original 9-1-1, the show is spreading its first set of stories across a trio of episodes in good faith.

Treating the premiere like a major network TV event isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as 9-1-1 has been a successful series since its beginnings on Fox, but ABC choosing to give its newest spin-off a breath of fresh air was somewhat surprising. Sitting in the 9 p.m. Thursday slot, 9-1-1: Nashville is getting the powerhouse treatment before its proven its worth.

Supporting new shows is the job of the network, and ABC choosing to put its best and brightest resources behind the rollout of the new series is a positive sign, but overselling the premiere is indicative of a larger issue at play in network TV as a whole. 9-1-1: Nashville may be an incredible achievement for the network, but its rollout raises some concerns.

It Assumes 9-1-1 Fans Will Be Watching

ABC via MovieStillsDB

9-1-1: Nashville’s premiere event, which was revealed to be a three-week long stretch after its series premiere ended on a major cliffhanger, is going to be a far more long-spanning affair than originally expected. While it’s an interesting idea to bring to fans who are just getting into the show, it asks them to be incredibly invested in 9-1-1: Nashville without much prior knowledge.

Knowing that 9-1-1 fans are incredibly dedicated to the show, it appears the franchise felt comfortable bringing 9-1-1: Nashville into the fold and, in some ways, assuming its success as the show got started. 9-1-1’s fanbase, which includes viewers who watched 9-1-1: Lone Star as well as the original, have been able to balance two shows in the past, and it was assumed they’d want to again.

While it’s clear that some 9-1-1 fans were immediately prepared for 9-1-1: Nashville’s arrival, others may not have been as interested in adopting another show. With a three-week event to open things up, ABC assumed that viewers would be ready to watch and jump in, but didn’t give them the chance to engage with just one episode to decide.

While Viewers Know 9-1-1, Nashville Is A Whole New World To Learn

Nashville’s Cast Doesn’t Intersect With 9-1-1’s Yet

ABC

Although there will absolutely be overlap between those who are watching 9-1-1 and those who are watching 9-1-1: Nashville, assuming that viewers of the original series will be ready to jump in quickly isn’t necessarily the right move for ABC. 9-1-1: Nashville doesn’t have any carry over from the 9-1-1 universe yet, meaning it’s a whole new show for viewers to learn.

While it didn’t take long to jump into the world and learn the characters’ lore, asking viewers to take on a whole new universe can be tricky work, especially when the pilot of the show is stretched across three weeks worth of episodes. Though 9-1-1: Nashville’s viewers could choose not to continue with the event, making a decision without seeing everything the show will do feels incomplete.

Network TV Expects Viewers To Support Franchises They Enjoy Without Question

Spinoff Shows Are Expected To Be Embraced

ABC via MovieStillsDB

As 9-1-1: Nashville’s three-episode event proves, networks have moved into a space where asking viewers to come along to a new franchise show is expected rather than questioned. The loyalty of some fandom spaces does dictate that viewers will jump into whatever new show is created within a universe, but networks shouldn’t be relying on that loyalty to make programming decisions.

For example, when The Rookie’s spinoff, The Rookie: Feds, debuted, it was clear that the network felt viewers of the original series would jump in after the show’s backdoor pilot had been a success. Ultimately, The Rookie: Feds fell flat as a series of its own, and viewers who the network assumed would be on the bandwagon didn’t find themselves interested in tuning in.

Network TV Needs To Refresh Their Expectations

Letting Viewers Make Up Their Minds Makes More Sense

ABC

Rather than allowing fan loyalty to dictate network decisions when it comes to what shows to make, networks should be looking more at the quality of the shows they’re being presented. The jury is still out when it comes to whether 9-1-1: Nashville will be of the same caliber as 9-1-1 itself, and locking viewers into a three-week premiere means it’ll take longer to tell.

9-1-1: Nashville is only one of several spinoffs coming to fruition in the upcoming TV season, and with shows like Fire Country spinning off as well, networks have clearly been making decisions based around what’s already doing well for them. Rather than taking risks, networks have been banking on safe bets. 9-1-1: Nashville’s three-week premiere may work out, but makes it clear there’s a bigger problem looming.

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