Studio 60: Would an SNL-like show work on Friday Nights?

Studio 60 takes place in a world where NBC and SNL also exist. In the real
world, would an LA-based Friday night sketch comedy show that is almost an
exact replica of SNL, complete with host, musical guest and news segment be
successful? What network could do that?

archang...

The show has explicitly claimed that the show-in-a-show is
successful because Friday is a big night for movie advertisers to push
their products. In reality, _Thursday_ is a big night for that reason and
Friday a TV graveyard. I could sort of accept, say, TWW moving

Obveeus...

So, movies don't get advertised except on Thursday night? Friday night
isn't 'second most important', for example? Movie advertising *couldn't* be

Ken from Chicago...

FRIDAYS

ABC

the main source of advertising for a late Friday night show?

This is similar to the complaint that the show is suppose to be 'wildly
popular' when what we see isn't even funny. Did they claim the show was
'wildly popular' or did they just say that it was making a big ratings
increase from what it had prior to the changeover?

Barry Margolin...

In the premiere, they referred to the show as the network's "flagship".
That's one of the reasons McDeare is so concerned with it.

Obveeus...

I didn't take that to mean 'networks highest rated show'. I took that to
mean 'networks longest running show'. A show that defines what they are
trying to be...you know, like CBS has 60 Minutes to define that they want to
attract old people.

presidential elections to two years off the real world's schedule, because
that's kind of arbitrary. Thing is, this divergence from reality ("we're
huge on the hugely important Friday night!") is one of the many
unreasonable, unnecessary bits of suspension of disbelief the show asks
for.

OTOH, in reality, MAD TV is an LA-based sketch comedy show that's
successful. But Fox put it on Saturday night.

Obveeus...

MadTV isn't funny. It is like SNL. Another example of why people are
being silly with the compalaints about what we see on Studio 60's show not
being funny.

Also, is the show within a show called "Friday Night in Hollywood" or
"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"?

Ken from Chicago...

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip".