Why FOX made a huge mistake moving The Gifted Season 2 to Tuesdays

Photo credit: Eliza Morse/FOX, acquired from Fox Press Site
Photo credit: Eliza Morse/FOX, acquired from Fox Press Site /
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During the FOX Upfronts last week, the network announced The Gifted Season 2 would air on Tuesdays. It’s a huge mistake that will kill the X-Men-world set show.

The Gifted Season 1 debuted on FOX with okay numbers. They weren’t the strongest for a fall show and led to some suggestions that the X-Men-world set show wouldn’t get to see a second season. FOX decided to renew the Marvel series anyway and then the waiting game was on whether it would move to the midseason.

FOX has decided that The Gifted Season 2 will air in the fall, but the decision on the night was shocking to many fans. During the FOX Upfronts last Monday, the network announced the show would go in the 8 p.m. slot on Tuesdays. This is the biggest mistake the network could make.

Now, granted, the network didn’t know ABC’s or CBS’ decisions, but it didn’t really need to. It was easy to guess what the two other networks would do for Tuesdays. And they did everything expected: They kept things the same.

The Gifted finale
Photo credit: Eliza Morse/FOX, acquired from Fox Press Site /

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Tuesdays at 8 p.m. is a competitive slot. CBS’ most popular drama and ABC’s most popular comedy both already contend for audiences in the 8 p.m. slot and that is going to remain the same for the 2018-2019 season. Anything that went in that slot on any other network needed a strong enough base to keep viewers tuned in.

Mondays were already difficult enough for The Gifted Season 1. The second season isn’t going to fair well up against two heavy hitters.

This suggests that the network doesn’t have much hope for it anyway. Maybe it even regrets renewing the show earlier in the season. If it really wanted to give the Tuesday night slot a strong chance, surely FOX would have been better opting for a series like 9-1-1.

The Gifted finale
Photo credit: Eliza Morse/FOX, acquired from Fox Press Site /

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The Gifted could be a streaming show

The only reason I could see FOX opting for The Gifted Season 2 on Tuesdays is if it wasn’t hoping for a lot of live viewers. There is the chance the network is looking more towards the streaming figures and knows that delayed viewings for the series are going to be stronger. Putting it on a Tuesday night wouldn’t be bad for delayed viewing figures.

FOX is one of the networks looking to pull away from too many commercials, which means the advertisers aren’t the only focus anymore. The network could be looking at doing more with the streaming services and putting The Gifted on Tuesdays is part of this strategy.

However, my gut instinct tells me that this scheduling choice isn’t going to be good for the Marvel series and that’s a shame. I really enjoyed it–and I’m getting superheroed out!

Next: FOX renewals and cancellations: Are your favorite shows canceled or renewed?

What did you think about FOX’s decision for scheduling The Gifted Season 2 on Tuesdays? Are you already worried about the fate of the series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Gifted Season 2 airs in the fall on Tuesdays at 8/7c on FOX.