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