Call it Super Sunday II: In a bid to maximize its May sweeps performance, CBS has moved the two-hour final episode of the upcoming "Survivor: Marquesas" from a traditional Thursday-night berth to Sunday, May 19.
In addition, the Eye will bulk up its midseason sked with a pair of reality hours, bringing back "The Amazing Race" earlier than expected and bowing the Tony Scott/Ridley Scott-produced "AFP: American Fighter Pilot" at the end of March.
As for "Survivor," the Sunday scheduling means CBS will have no fewer than four hours of "Survivor"-related programming during the last full week of the May ratings book. The penultimate episode of season four of Mark Burnett's reality hit will air as planned on Thursday, May 16; a two-hour finale follows from 8-10 p.m. on May 19; and an hourlong post-show is set for 10 p.m.
Eye also avoids pitting the "Survivor" finale night opposite the May 16 denouements of NBC's Thursday sitcoms and Anthony Edwards' "ER" swan song. On the down side, "Survivor" will now likely sign off against the series finale of Fox's "The X-Files."
Simple math
Whatever the pros and cons of the move, CBS execs call the Sunday scheduling a simple matter of arithmetic. In order to cram in 14 hours of the skein between the show's Feb. 28 season premiere and the end of May sweeps, the net needed to double-pump the franchise for a week.
"Getting more episodes in sweeps is a plus, but if you do the math, and count the weeks, this is the way the numbers dripped out," said Kelly Kahl, exec VP of scheduling and program planning for CBS.
Once the Eye decided to double up during sweeps, it had to figure out which night to sked the extra seg.
"Putting it on a Sunday seemed like a logical choice," Kahl said. "It's a night where the networks have traditionally put some of their biggest events, and nothing's bigger than a 'Survivor' finale."
Indeed, the number of homes using TV is generally higher on Sunday than most nights of the week, giving CBS more potential viewers for the "Survivor" wrap. What's more, CBS' Sunday ratings track record has been spotty this season, ensuring the net will substantially improve its average for the night by putting the "Survivor" finale on May 19.
While "The X-Files" finale figures to do big numbers for Fox, Eye execs said their "Survivor" scheduling was based more on maximizing its value to CBS and less on avoiding other nets' big guns.
"It's such a competitive month, at some point, you're going to have a hard time finding a night where you're not going to go up against something else," Kahl said.
Playing the 'Race' card
Meanwhile, CBS is hoping to use "Survivor" to boost "The Amazing Race 2."
"Race" -- from CBS Prods., Touchstone Television and Jerry Bruckheimer Prods. -- will premiere with a preview episode on March 11 at 10 p.m., following the Eye's successful Monday comedy block. Skein will then settle into its regular 9 p.m. timeslot March 13, boosted on that evening and on March 20 by special Wednesday-night editions of "Survivor."
As previously announced, "Survivor" will air on Wednesdays for two weeks because of the Eye's commitments to NCAA basketball on Thursday nights.
"AFP: American Fighter Pilots" will premiere at 8 p.m. March 29, replacing the on-hiatus "Ellen" and the canceled "Danny." Skein follows U.S. Air Force pilots as they train for combat.
CBS has had success airing "JAG" repeats at 8 p.m. Fridays as a lead-in to the modestly successful midseason drama "First Monday." Eye execs think the same audience will tune in for "AFP."
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