Mid-season replacement
In American and Canadian television, a mid-season replacement is a television series that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between January and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after a show that was in the fall schedule was canceled or put on hiatus, or a program had a shortened season for some other reason which resulted in a time slot that needed filling.
An older, related concept is the summer replacement, which debuts between May and August, when a network's marquee programs go on hiatus. Summer replacements tend to be lower-profile shows with either low budgets or minimal prospects for renewal.
Notable mid-season replacement shows
Series name |
Network |
Original air date |
Replaced series |
Airwolf |
CBS |
January 22, 1984 |
Hour #1 of The CBS Saturday Night Movies |
Alcatraz |
Fox |
January 16, 2012 |
Terra Nova |
Allegiance |
NBC |
February 5, 2015 |
Parenthood |
All in the Family |
CBS |
January 12, 1971 |
To Rome with Love |
American Dad! |
Fox |
February 6, 2005 |
The Sketch Show |
Andy Richter Controls the Universe |
Fox |
March 19, 2002 |
That '70s Show |
Are You There, Chelsea? |
NBC |
January 11, 2012 |
Free Agents |
Awake |
NBC |
March 1, 2012 |
The Firm |
Barnaby Jones |
CBS |
January 28, 1973 |
|
Barney Miller |
ABC |
January 23, 1975 |
|
Batman |
ABC |
January 12, 1966 |
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet |
The Bionic Woman |
ABC |
January 14, 1976 |
When Things Were Rotten |
The Black Donnellys |
NBC |
February 26, 2007 |
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip |
Blind Justice |
ABC |
March 8, 2005 |
NYPD Blue |
Blossom |
NBC |
January 3, 1991 |
Ferris Bueller |
Bob's Burgers |
Fox |
January 9, 2011 |
The Cleveland Show |
Body of Proof |
ABC |
March 29, 2011 |
Detroit 1-8-7 |
The Book of Daniel |
NBC |
January 6, 2006 |
|
Breaking In |
Fox |
April 6, 2011 |
American Idol |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
The WB |
March 10, 1997 |
Savannah |
CHAOS |
CBS |
April 1, 2011 |
The Defenders |
The Cape |
NBC |
January 9, 2011 |
The Event |
Castle [1] |
ABC |
March 9, 2009 |
True Beauty |
The Chicago Code |
Fox |
February 7, 2011 |
Lie to Me |
Coach |
ABC |
February 28, 1989 |
|
Conviction |
NBC |
March 3, 2006 |
The Book of Daniel |
Cuts |
UPN |
February 14, 2005 |
Second Time Around |
Dallas |
CBS |
April 2, 1978 |
|
Dawson's Creek |
The WB |
January 20, 1998 |
Syndicated programming |
Deception |
NBC |
January 7, 2013 |
Revolution |
Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman |
CBS |
January 1, 1993 |
|
Dollhouse |
Fox |
February 13, 2009 |
Don't Forget the Lyrics! |
Do No Harm |
NBC |
January 31, 2013 |
Rock Center with Brian Williams |
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 |
ABC |
April 11, 2012 |
Happy Endings |
Dynasty |
ABC |
January 12, 1981 |
|
Eight Is Enough |
ABC |
March 15, 1977 |
|
Ellen |
ABC |
March 29, 1994 |
|
Emergency! |
NBC |
January 15, 1972 |
The Good Life |
Empire |
Fox |
January 7, 2015 |
Red Band Society |
Falcon Crest |
CBS |
December 4, 1981 |
The Incredible Hulk |
Family Guy |
Fox |
January 31, 1999 |
The X-Files |
Fashion Star |
NBC |
March 13, 2012 |
Parenthood |
The Firm |
NBC |
January 8, 2012 |
Prime Suspect |
The Following |
Fox |
January 21, 2013 |
The Mob Doctor |
For Your Love |
NBC |
March 18, 1998 |
|
Friends with Benefits |
NBC |
August 5, 2011 |
|
GCB |
ABC |
March 4, 2012 |
Pan Am |
George Lopez [2] |
ABC |
March 27, 2002 |
According to Jim |
Grey's Anatomy |
ABC |
March 27, 2005 |
Boston Legal |
Grounded for Life |
Fox |
January 10, 2001 |
|
Happy Days |
ABC |
January 15, 1974 |
Temperatures Rising |
Hannibal |
NBC |
April 4, 2013 |
Do No Harm |
Happy Endings |
ABC |
April 13, 2011 |
Mr. Sunshine |
Harry's Law |
NBC |
January 17, 2011 |
Chase |
High Incident |
ABC |
March 4, 1996 |
|
Hill Street Blues |
NBC |
January 17, 1981 |
|
Human Target |
Fox |
January 17, 2010 |
So You Think You Can Dance |
The Incredible Hulk |
CBS |
March 10, 1978 |
|
In Case of Emergency [2] |
ABC |
January 3, 2007 |
|
It Takes a Thief |
ABC |
January 9, 1968 |
|
The Jeffersons |
CBS |
January 18, 1975 |
|
JAG Season 2 relaunch on CBS |
CBS |
January 17, 1997 |
Mr. & Mrs. Smith |
Just Shoot Me! |
NBC |
March 4, 1997 |
|
Kate & Allie |
CBS |
March 19, 1984 |
|
King of the Hill |
Fox |
January 12, 1997 |
Ned & Stacey |
Knots Landing |
CBS |
December 27, 1979 |
|
Laverne & Shirley |
ABC |
January 27, 1976 |
|
Law & Order: Trial by Jury |
NBC |
March 3, 2005 |
Medical Investigation |
Mad Love |
CBS |
February 14, 2011 |
Rules of Engagement |
Malcolm in the Middle |
Fox |
January 9, 2000 |
Futurama |
Married... with Children |
Fox |
April 5, 1987 |
|
Medium |
NBC |
January 3, 2005 |
LAX |
Mister Ed |
CBS |
January 5, 1961 |
|
Moesha |
UPN |
January 23, 1996 |
|
Moonlighting |
ABC |
March 3, 1985 |
|
Mr. Belvedere |
ABC |
March 15, 1985 |
Hawaiian Heat |
Mr. Sunshine |
ABC |
February 9, 2011 |
Cougar Town |
My Wife and Kids |
ABC |
March 28, 2001 |
|
Nanny and the Professor |
ABC |
January 21, 1970 |
|
Napoleon Dynamite |
Fox |
January 15, 2012 |
Allen Gregory |
Nash Bridges |
CBS |
March 29, 1996 |
American Gothic |
The Nick Cannon Show |
Nickelodeon |
January 19, 2002 |
The Brothers Garcia |
Night Court |
NBC |
January 4, 1984 |
Family Ties |
The Norm Show |
ABC |
March 24, 1999 |
The Secret Lives of Men |
Notes from the Underbelly |
ABC |
April 12, 2007 |
|
Numb3rs |
CBS |
January 23, 2005 |
Dr. Vegas |
NYC 22 |
CBS |
April 15, 2012 |
CSI: Miami |
Parenthood |
NBC |
March 2, 2010 |
|
Parks and Recreation[n 1] |
NBC |
April 9, 2009 |
Kath & Kim |
Perfect Couples |
NBC |
January 20, 2011 |
|
Perfect Strangers |
ABC |
March 25, 1986 |
|
Quantum Leap |
NBC |
March 26, 1989 |
|
Raines |
NBC |
March 15, 2007 |
|
Red Widow |
ABC |
March 3, 2013 |
666 Park Avenue |
Rob |
CBS |
January 12, 2012 |
Rules of Engagement |
Rules of Engagement |
CBS |
February 5, 2007 |
The New Adventures of Old Christine |
Social Studies |
UPN |
March 18, 1997 |
|
That '80s Show |
Fox |
January 23, 2002 |
Malcolm in the Middle |
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles |
Fox |
January 14, 2008 |
K-Ville |
The Bob Cummings Show |
NBC |
January 2, 1955 |
|
The Book of Daniel |
NBC |
January 6, 2006 |
|
The Bridge [3] |
CTV |
March 5, 2010 |
|
The Carrie Diaries |
The CW |
January 14, 2013 |
90210 (TV series) |
The Deep End |
ABC |
December 10, 2009 |
FlashForward |
The Finder |
Fox |
January 12, 2012 |
Bones |
The Lone Gunmen |
Fox |
March 4, 2001 |
|
The Knights of Prosperity [2] |
ABC |
January 3, 2007 |
|
The New Adventures of Old Christine |
CBS |
March 13, 2006 |
Courting Alex |
The Office |
NBC |
March 24, 2005 |
Committed |
The Practice |
ABC |
March 4, 1997 |
NYPD Blue |
The River |
ABC |
February 7, 2012 |
Wife Swap |
Ready for Love |
NBC |
April 9, 2013 |
Smash |
Scandal |
ABC |
April 5, 2012 |
Private Practice |
Show Me the Money [2] |
ABC |
November 14, 2006 |
|
The Simpsons |
Fox |
December 17, 1989 |
Totally Hidden Video |
Sister, Sister |
ABC |
April 1, 1994 |
|
The Six Million Dollar Man |
ABC |
January 18, 1974 |
|
Smash |
NBC |
February 6, 2012 |
Rock Center with Brian Williams |
So Weird |
Disney |
January 18, 1999 |
|
Space Cases |
Nickelodeon |
March 2, 1996 |
All That |
Stacked |
Fox |
April 13, 2005 |
Quintuplets |
The Unit |
CBS |
March 7, 2006 |
Love Monkey |
The Unusuals [1] |
ABC |
April 8, 2009 |
Life on Mars |
The Wonder Years |
ABC |
March 15, 1988 |
|
3rd Rock from the Sun |
NBC |
January 9, 1996 |
|
Three |
The WB |
February 2, 1998 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Three's Company |
ABC |
March 15, 1977 |
|
Traffic Light |
Fox |
February 8, 2011 |
Raising Hope, Running Wilde |
Unhappily Ever After |
The WB |
January 11, 1995 |
|
Walker, Texas Ranger |
CBS |
April 21, 1993 |
|
Wanda at Large |
Fox |
March 26, 2003 |
Cedric the Entertainer Presents |
What About Brian |
ABC |
April 16, 2006 |
|
Work It |
ABC |
January 3, 2012 |
Man Up |
Zero Hour |
ABC |
February 14, 2013 |
Last Resort |
Notes
- ↑ Parks and Recreation was a mid-season replacement in its first, third, and seventh seasons. It was introduced as a mid-season replacement in the third season, to accommodate Amy Poehler's pregnancy, which was not written into the show. It was used as a mid-season replacement in its season finale to meet contractual obligations.
References