The ratings are in from Friday night -- that was the Friday after Thanksgiving, a night when the major networks were showing movies and reruns -- and, not surprising, the numbers are pretty low.

Oh, wait, one network had new shows, ABC. But the ratings for a new Ugly Betty at 9 p.m. were dismal. Ugly Betty came in dead last with just a 0.9/3, only 3.39 million viewers for that timeslot.

A few weeks ago, I thought -- hoped -- things were looking up for Ugly Betty. It looked like the show was going to get a timeslot switch to Eastwick's Wednesday at 10 p.m. Alas, ABC has done nothing. Eastwick is not picked up for the season and it's still losing in that spot -- it had a 1.2/4 and just 3.89 million viewers this past week. That said, why isn't ABC giving Betty some love with a time change?

Okay, I couldn't resist the nod to Abbott and Costello's Who's On First. But the fact is that Sports Illustrated has spread the word that The Who will star in the Super Bowl big, overblown half-time pageant. This follows the safe pattern the NFL has been employing since the Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake costume malfunction; that is, stick with classic rock stars who are guaranteed to do their hits and not disrobe. That's why we've had Prince, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and now The Who. All superstar acts, no controversy.

CBS has a killer Monday night lineup. The sitcom block from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., followed by the very popular CSI: Miami consistently delivers in the Nielsens. The only vulnerable, flexible and soft spot is 9:30, after Two and a Half Men, before Horatio Cane and company.

The network apparently isn't sure that Worst Week has earned that coveted spot -- even though it's doing well enough in the ratings -- or else they're wondering what they have in Gary Unmarried.

Next Monday, Gary Unmarried will get a shot at 9:30. The pilot episode of Gary Unmarried -- which was pretty good -- will be rerun in that cushy timeslot with the idea of getting more people to sample it.

Interesting news out of CBS this morning. On the heels of renewing The Big Bang Theory last week, the network has now announced that when Bang returns with new episodes on March 17, it will be leading off the night. How I Met Your Mother, in its third year, is also returning with new shows that night, but will be taking over Bang's 8:30 slot. On a side note, The New Adventures of Old Christine will be replaced by new episodes of Rules of Engagement on Monday, April 14.

Conventional wisdom has become official word. Andy Barker P.I., the half-hour comedy starring Andy Richter and produced by Conan O'Brien, will make its broadcast debut on Thursday, March 15th at 9:30 on NBC. That's 30 Rock's time slot, but they'll be back after a five week run of Andy. In addition to Andy Richter, the show stars Tony Hale - Buster of Arrested Development fame. Writer Jane Espenson, who announced the show's premiere date on her website, also revealed that Amy Sedaris will be stopping by for a guest stint.

I had a chance to sit down and read the Andy Barker pilot script last week, and I'm happy to report that this is charming, Richter-esque comedy. It's stylized, understated and a touch absurdist - the fancy word for goofy. It's firmly in the Lookwell school, the failed P.I. pilot produced by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel in the early 90s. You can check out Lookwell on YouTube while you wait for Andy Barker's March 15th debut.

Tonight is an interesting night on NBC. With two of their most hyped shows struggling, they've decided to throw a little time slot voodoo at us and see what happens. Tonight's Studio 60 was scheduled to be a repeat, but instead the kids from Friday Night Lights are going to get a go in the post Heroes spot. I think that's a good idea. A repeat would almost guarantee a drop in viewers, and the last thing Studio 60 needs is another round of stories that say "ratings drop for the Xth week in a row."

The situation with Friday Night Lights is a little different. Where Studio 60 has lost viewers every week, Friday Night Lights just never found them in the first place. The numbers have been fairly consistent, but when you premiere below expectations, consistent isn't exactly what you are looking for. And the fact that I use the word consistent is evidence that I really like the show. A more objective person might call the numbers stagnant.

There are more details about NBC Universal's extreme cost-cutting measures, and this time they effect you, the viewer. Yesterday, Jeff Zucker announced that the network will no longer air comedies or dramas in the 8 o'clock hour because they're too expensive. Zucker says that advertisers just won't pay enough money during the 8 pm time slot to cover the costs of comedies and dramas. Instead, the network will air game shows and reality shows during that hour. What does that mean for The Office and My Name is Earl? Hopefully all it means is a later time slot. Or I will be forced to replace the first letter in Jeff Zucker's last name with an 'F' everytime I mention him in a story.

Remember way back in August, when Ugly Betty was moved from Fridays to Thursdays? Even though it was only two months ago, people have already forgotten the names of the two new shows that were displaced by the move. Well, here's a refresher: one of the shows was called Big Day, a serialized comedy that takes an entire season to explore the ins and outs of a young couple's wedding day. According to this press release, the show will finally debut on Tuesday, November 28 at 9. That was the time slot that was reserved for The Knights of Prosperity before ABC decided to delay its premiere until midseason. Considering how little-regarded Big Day show was when ABC sent the pilots out over the summer (Anna said in her preview, "I don't think I laughed at all."), it seems like Knights might end up back in that timeslot sometime around Christmas.

Oh, the other displaced show, Notes from the Underbelly, has yet to be rescheduled. Don't rush with that one either, ABC.

[via The Futon Critic]