PBS’ “pilot schedule project” will go beyond its previously announced end date of early March and continue at least until fall, PBS programming chief John Wilson said recently.
The scheduling initiative, which began Oct. 1, involves seven PBS stations, WTTW-Ch. 11 not among them. Designed to be more “viewer friendly,” the public network’s first-ever such experiment made some bold moves.
The boldest: Relocating “Masterpiece Theatre” from Sundays, its home for 30 years, to Mondays, swapping with “The American Experience.” Right behind: moving “Nature” to Fridays and “Mystery!” to Tuesdays.
While acknowledging that longtime PBS viewers might be upset with the new schedule, “we wanted to prove we could change it without causing the Earth to spin off its axis,” Wilson said.
Reason for the pilot project extension is that PBS needs more data before it rolls out its national schedule.
Thus far, PBS is most perplexed by the performance of crown jewel “Masterpiece,” Wilson said. It’s doing about the same numbers on Mondays in the pilot markets as it is on Sundays in the rest of the country. PBS expected the female-skewing “Masterpiece” to fare better against football on Mondays.
As for the rest of the week in the pilot markets, Sundays are up, probably because of the addition of the hugely popular “Antiques Roadshow,” Wilson said. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are flat; Thursdays (with “Frontline”) and Fridays (“Nature”) are up. Saturdays are not included in the project.
Calling all teens: Looking to build a teen audience, PBS will air “Senior Year,” a new 13-part documentary series about students at a Los Angeles high school, in addition to “American High” and the national TV premiere of Frederick Weisman’s acclaimed 1968 documentary, “High School,” filmed at Philadelphia’s Northeast High School.
“Senior Year,” set for the fall, follows the lives of 15 diverse seniors at L.A.’s Fairfax High. “American High,” dumped by Fox after four episodes in August, will premiere in April with its full 13-episode run, plus updated footage. “American High” shadowed 14 seniors from Highland Park High.
“High School,” will air this summer. In other PBS programming news, the early life of pioneering psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud will be explored in “Young Doctor Freud.” David Grubin (“Napoleon”) will produce the two-hour broadcast. No air date.
Speaking of Grubin, his next presidential biography subjects will be Ulysses S. Grant, Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter.
