Fox moves 'Idol' against 'Lost'
As if "Lost" wasn't having a tough enough time with audience erosion.
Fox is shaking up Wednesday night by swapping reality hit "American Idol" and freshman procedural "Lie to Me."
Once the singing competition moves into the finals March 11, Fox will pivot "Idol" to 9 p.m., turning its Death Star against ABC's "Lost" for the rest of season. "Lie to Me" will stay out of the way by shifting to 8 p.m.
Though "Idol" and "Lost" tend to have different audiences, last week Fox aired a two-hour "Idol" that stretched into the 9 p.m. hour and seemed to take a little steam out of the mystery thriller, whose ratings have fallen with each episode this season. (Fox also airs a two-hour "Idol" the week prior to the time-period switch, which will likewise encroach on 9 p.m.).
The time-period swap move might seem opportunistic, but Fox has been planning this for awhile -- especially if the network sensed "Lie to Me" could use some additional cover from "Lost" and CBS' "Criminal Minds." But "Lie" has held up well, typically drawing roughly the same rating as "Lost."
For "Lie," this is a mixed blessing. The Tim Roth drama won't have nearly as much competition in Wednesday's 8 p.m. dead-zone ... but it won't have "Idol" for a lead-in either.
For "Lost," this is the first time in two years it's faced "Idol" and ABC unfortunately can't turn back time to when the show was pulling 15 million viewers.
RELATED: Wednesdays: 'Lost' vs. 'Lie to Me' vs. 'Criminal Minds'
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