Fairly Legal: Season 2 on Showcase (and NBC -- but only S2 Episode #1)

[PokerFace]

Although the USA Network website allows Americans to stream the TV series Fairly Legal, I have to wait to see it on broadcast television. Yes, I'm a dial-up Internet service dinosaur.

NBC will be the first to air Season 2: Episode 1 of Fairly Legal in Canada on Saturday March 24th at 8pm ET (subject to change -- perhaps a Harry's Law rerun). However, for most of the following Saturdays, that timeslot will instead be filled by an Amazing Race-type series called Escape Routes.

Showcase will begin airing Season 2 (13 episodes) on Thursday April 5th at 10pm ET (my birthday -- I'll be 22 years young ... in my dreams). I'm not sure when or if Season 1 (10 episodes) will be shown again on Mystery TV, Showcase Diva, etc., but we'll find out soon enough.

Extra note: The Region 1, DVD set of Fairly Legal: Season 1 is now available as a Target exclusive in America. I don't think it's available in any Canadian stores at the moment. The region 2 UK DVD release is in mid-May, so perhaps Canada will also get a later release date.

http://www.showcase.ca/blog/archive/...l-5-at-10.aspx
[Showcase Blog: Fairly Legal Season Two to Premiere April 5 at 10]

[hercules130]

So episode 1 of season 2 is the only episode NBC will air? If that is the case I will not bother watching the show. And I do not want to watch it on Showcase since over here Showcase is not available in HD.

[PokerFace]

Apparently, just the one episode of Fairly Legal on NBC is scheduled, but since NBC appears to be having trouble deciding what to do with its Saturday night lineup, you might as well flip a coin to determine whether more episodes of Fairly Legal, or perhaps even another USA Network TV series will appear on random Saturday nights, or not.

NBC's new reality show Escape Routes is scheduled to take over NBC's Saturday 8pm-9pm timeslot for the next 6 weeks (March 31st to May 5th) following Fairly Legal's one episode airing (this coming Saturday, March 24th at 8pm).

NBC often uses Saturday nights for its own Encore programming, mixed in with content from some of NBC Universal's sister channels (USA Network, Bravo, Syfy, etc.). Saturday nights are also often used to burn off episodes of low-rated TV shows, like NBC's The Firm (Global now airs The Firm on Saturdays at 10pm). If the content from any of the sister channels boosts NBC's Saturday night ratings enough, that might lead to more frequent NBC network appearances for Fairly Legal (etc.), as a way to provide a stronger lead-in for various NBC network shows that air in the Saturday 9pm or 10pm timeslots (as well as making more people aware of the content on NBC Universal's sister channels).

[NOTE: No need to read any further, but since I can't stop myself from rambling, consider that you've now been "fairly" warned.]

NBC is NOT proud as a Peacock when it comes to The Firm.

The Firm (Saturdays at 9pm) is a rating's bomb for NBC, but I think that once the first 13 (of 22) episodes of Season 1 are aired (Saturday April 7th should be the approximate air date for episode 13), NBC will wait a while before airing the final 9 episodes (a few of those 9 episodes were most likely filmed this month). According to wiki, the filming of The Firm's 22 episodes should be finished by the end of April, 2012.

It's also possible that NBC might eventually move The Firm to the USA Network, due to poor ratings.

Or perhaps a few episodes of another USA Network court-of-law series, Suits, might pop up on NBC in July (Season 2 of Suits begins airing July 16th on the USA Network -- Bravo Canada aired Season 1 of Suits). Harry's Law has moved to Sundays (though some repeats might also pop up on Saturdays).

Since The Firm's future isn't necessarily linked to bad ratings (NBC basically got 9 free episodes as part of its sweet deal), it might be the perfect excuse to bring about a rotating "Saturday Night Court" block of programming to help promote the USA Network content and also provide a stronger lead-in for The Firm (assuming that it returns to the NBC lineup).

Perhaps it's time to say goodbye to The Firm on NBC by moving it to the USA Network ... and then say hello to Fairly Legal and Suits on NBC's "Saturday Night Court." If that possible scenario is rejected by NBC, how about bringing back the USFL to NBC? Are you ready for some Football in July? Are you listening to me, NBC?

http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/th...turdays-22428/
[The Firm: To Be Cancelled on Saturdays Too?]

[PokerFace]

Not surprisingly, NBC Buffalo (WGRZ) has decided not to air Fairly Legal. It's showing community programming instead.

Seattle's NBC affiliate (KING TV) is apparently going to show the movie The Punisher instead of Fairly Legal and the low-rated series The Firm.

NBC Buffalo still has The Firm listed for 9pm, but who knows what will happen next week.

As for any USA Network programming that might appear on NBC in the future, I doubt that NBC Buffalo or NBC Seattle will bother airing any of it.

[PokerFace]

According to Zap2It, NBC Buffalo might air Fairly Legal at 3am, March 25 (Sunday morning).

I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best. Go Buffalo!

[majortom]

WGRZ and other affiliates just show whatever the network is showing duing primetime. As an example, WGRZ's showing exactly what the NBC EAST feed of the NBC Mux is showing on it's Satellite fronthauls tonight. That's why they are called affiliates.

[PokerFace]

Sorry, but what are you saying? How could the NBC East satellite feed be showing Buffalo community content? Perhaps since Fairly Legal is a USA Network show, the main NBC feed won't show it, but the individual affiliates can.

I don't really know what NBC Mux airs, but if it was showing Buffalo community programming, how can that be considered THE true NBC East feed? It simply CAN'T be! If you had DirectTv or Dish (with access to other NBC affiliates), you might have been able to watch Fairly Legal at 8pm ET.

Affiliates CAN and DO stray from Network programming, although there is apparently a certain percentage that they are allowed to stray, if they intend to remain affiliates. In the past, I heard mention of a 10% straying figure, though I never bothered to confirm it.

NBC Buffalo has repeatedly dumped low-rated network primetime programming in favour of community-based programming, even though other affiliates carried the network content -- which I often watched on other NBC affiliates (especially when I had a C and KU-Band Satellite dish).

Some (or one) NBC affiliates even decided not to air The Playboy Club.

And NBC Seattle has decided to skip airing tonight's new episode of The Firm, and instead is currently airing The Punisher ... they have that right!

If an affiliate determines that the combined ratings for Fairly Legal and The Firm will be similar to that of cheaper content (like The Punisher), it might skip the network primetime programming and air alternative programming (even infomercials) in its place. It's a business decision.

In the past, Buffalo's CBS affiliate often skipped airing CBS sporting events and replaced them with afternoon movies (sponsored by Craftmatic adjustable beds, etc.). It wasn't primetime programming, but it was still annoying!

As for Fairly Legal, it's entirely possible that the NBC network decided to pull Fairly Legal from its prime-time lineup at the last minute and instead gave its affiliates the option to air it later on (like WGRZ might do at 3am).

However, if it was completely removed from NBC's Saturday night lineup at the last minute because the majority of its affiliates weren't going to air it anyway, I would assume that WGRZ will not air Fairly Legal at 3am. However, if it is shown on WGRZ at 3am, that would most likely mean that some NBC affiliates still showed it in prime time on Saturday.

I've had a satellite dish for years, so unless there's been some sudden change in policy that I'm not aware of (entirely possible, though doubtful), an affiliate CAN and WILL occasionally go its own way and not air low-rated or controversial network content.

[smegger2000]

Fairly Legal is being shown on NBC Spokane via Shaw Cable right now, so some NBC affiliates are showing it tonight.

[PokerFace]

And NBC Buffalo DID in fact air it at 3am this morning. Thanks WGRZ! It was nice to see a USA Network program (without having to use the Internet) BEFORE a Canadian station aired it.

Zap2It is far from perfect, but this time it saved my rear.

I found this episode of Fairly Legal to be rather lightweight, but at least Sarah Shahi was entertaining enough to keep me watching (although even if she wasn't, I'd still stare at her for an hour). The writing was snappy enough, but the plot was very bland. Tonight's episode of The Firm was much better!

Season 2 of Fairly Legal is apparently going to concentrate more on the relationships than on the actual cases (which is apparently the opposite of what was done in Season 1), but if the court cases are going to be as basic as the first one, I'm hoping that they spend even less time on them, or at least spice things up a lot more.

There are also some network affiliates that show far too many sporting events in prime time, which leads to more bumping of network content to early in the morning, or completely off the schedule. At least the various Buffalo affiliates have fewer instances of that annoying problem.

However, if you're expecting to watch Sunday's Indy race on Buffalo's ABC affiliate (WKBW) at 12:30 pm, it appears that it won't be shown due to the scheduling of a Variety Kids telethon. Instead, I'll have to watch the race on Seattle's ABC affiliate, or TSN. [Yes, it's a bit off topic, but I also posted this info in the IndyCar thread.]

From here on out, I'll do my best to avoid discussing affiliates and sporting events in this thread.

[majortom]

I've had a satellite dish for years

Great, which one of these are you receiving? Tune any of these in and you can watch the network fronthaul feeds, without any local content.

Mux -> Multiplex
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplexing

The below frequencies are commonly referred to as an NBC Mux. Because each frequency carries multiple NBC
Programs. This is how they distribute from Network to the local affiliates. Commonly referred to as a "Fronthaul"
feed.

AMC 18 105W

3780 H 30000
DVB-S2 8PSK
NBC East
NBC Central
NBC Mountain
NBC West

AMC1 103W

11880 H 30000
DVB-S2 8PSK
NBC East
NBC Central

11760 H 30000
DVB-S2 8PSK
NBC Mountain
NBC West

[PokerFace]

Note: I no longer have a satellite dish, so I'm stuck with the Canadian way of doing things.

In case you missed it, a complete Season 1 (10 episodes) marathon of Fairly Legal is being shown today on Showcase Diva. It begins at 11:30am ET until 10 pm (and then episodes 5-10 will be rerun from 11pm to 5am).

Repeat airings of Season 2 episode #1 will be shown at 10 pm today and 5am tomorrow morning, also on Showcase Diva.

[Dr.Dave]

USA Network has just cancelled Fairly Legal, so season 2 was the last.