ABC\'s Friday-Night Bet Pays Off

When ABC announced last spring that its fall schedule would include a Friday-night lineup pairing Reba McEntire's new show, “Malibu Country,” with Tim Allen's returning “Last Man Standing,” the plan evoked memories of the “TGIF” family comedy block that drew in a large number of viewers young and old for much of the 1990s. The only problem was that ABC had not been able to replicate that success since.

Based on the early ratings for those shows, however, the move has paid off.

On Nov. 2, the series premiere of “Malibu Country” reached 9.1 million total viewers and gave ABC its highest rating in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic in that time slot in almost five years. The season premiere of “Last Man Standing” also did well, drawing 8.1 million total viewers.

But the real secret to ABC's Friday nights may be the performance of its reality series, “Shark Tank.” The show, now in its fourth season, features a rotating panel of venture capitalists like Mark Cuban who listen to the business pitches of aspiring entrepreneurs and finance the idea if they like what they hear.

In a story worthy of the show's concept, “Shark Tank” has slowly but steadily grown its total audience since its first year by more than three million viewers, climbing to an average of 6.6 million this season. It has also managed to convince an increasing number of adults between the ages 18 and 49, the group of viewers deemed most important by advertisers, to stay at home on Friday nights and watch television. An impressive trick in the DVR age.

To make room for “Last Man Standing” and “Malibu Country,” ABC moved “Shark Tank” to 9 p.m. on Nov. 2 and the show responded with its best ratings ever in both total viewers - 7.4 million - and adults 18-49.