
Your Sunday nights are about to become even more competitive as Starz CEO Chris Albrecht has announced that the network’s entire Saturday night lineup of original programming will be moved to Sunday nights, to compete with HBO and Showtime.
So that means, when “Power” returns for season 3 this summer, it will air on Sunday nights, not Saturdays as has been the case for the last 2 seasons. It has also been Starz’s highest-rated original series since its premiere, and with that kind of momentum behind it, and a much-anticipated third season in front of it, one can understand Albrecht’s confidence in the move.
There’s also the LeBron James produced scripted dramedy series “Survivor’s Remorse,” which will also be moved to Sunday nights, from Saturdays, when it returns this summer as well.
It’s worth noting that Albrecht was once HBO’s chairman and CEO.
“We see opportunity,” Albrecht says in a press statement. “Saturdays have worked so well that we feel our shows are going to be able to stand up on the most watched night of the week.”
Emmy award (and overall TV award season) consideration could also be a motivation for the move; if you think about it, historically, the heavy-hitters tend to air on Sunday nights, from “Game of Thrones,” to “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Good Wife,” “Homeland,” “Penny Dreadful,” and the list goes on…
And with “Game of Thrones” and “Penny Dreadful” now done for their seasons, “Power” and “Survivor’s Remorse” won’t compete with them this summer. However, Starz does have other Saturday night franchises that air during other seasons of the year that will compete with some of the others.
“Sundays are a prestige night and we feel our shows are definitely going to be very competitive, not just in viewership but in the attention-getting business on Sundays… So it made sense to move,” Albrecht added.
So, again, your Sunday nights just got a little more crowded. My guess is that DVRs will be working overtime.
“Power” starts its third season on Sunday, July 17 at 9PM ET/PT. The season 3 premiere episode, “Call Me James” will air with a triple play beginning at 9PM in its move to Sunday nights. The upcoming season of “Power” will include ten hour-long episodes.
“Survivor’s Remorse” will premiere its third season on Sunday, July 24 at 10PM ET/PT with the first two episodes of the season airing back-to-back, “The Night of the Crash” followed by “The Ritual.” The upcoming season of “Survivor’s Remorse” will include ten half-hour episodes.
Starz has released an official trailer for “Survivor’s Remorse” season 3: