NBC is putting viewers on The Hunting Party earlier than expected! Find out when the new thriller now airs!
With the winter break done, it’s time for the networks to get going again with new episodes. That includes the typical midseason series, which means a few new shows will be launched.
The Hunting Party is among them, as NBC had scheduled the new thriller to premiere Monday, Feb. 3, at 10/9c. However, per Deadline, the show will now premiere on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 7/6c on NBC. It’ll then be available to stream on Peacock the next day.
Why has NBC moved up the premiere date of The Hunting Party?
The reason for the change is that Sunday will have NBC airing a highly anticipated NFL divisional playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams. That game will start at 3/2c and be followed by the nightly news. That means if the game runs over the expected time limit, The Hunting Party’s airing may be delayed.
This is basically a “sneak preview” as the series will re-run its premiere in that regular time slot of Monday, Feb. 3, with new episodes airing each Monday. Also, on Jan. 19, The Hunting Party will be followed by Deal or No Deal Island and Dateline.
It’s a bit surprising that NBC hadn’t already thought of using the added viewership of the NFL game to boost the show’s ratings. It’s a great way to get more eyes on it by advertising it throughout the game and this sneak peek will build interest in the show.
CBS did much the same with a preview of Matlock following NFL games in 2024. That was a huge hit that led to the series becoming a big success and earning a second-season renewal. NBC hopes to do the same for The Hunting Party, aided by the fact that the show has a cool concept.
Why The Hunting Party can be a hit
Created by J.J. Bailey and Jake Coburn, The Hunting Party stars Melissa Roxburgh as Rebecca “Bex” Henderson, a former FBI profiler. She’s confused when she’s brought to a facility to do a profile on a serial killer who was executed in 2017.
It turns out he, and scores of other supposedly dead killers, terrorists, and criminal masterminds, are all alive and inmates of “The Pitt,” an underground prison so top secret even the President doesn’t know about it. It’s hinted that whoever runs it is using these prisoners for secret experiments.
A massive explosion caused a huge jailbreak and since these guys are all supposed to be dead, the government can’t officially go after them. So Bex is directed to lead a team to hunt the escapees down. As they do, they also wonder just who is in charge of the Pitt and what caused the jailbreak.
The show looks to be a good thriller and some wild action to it. Giving it this sneak peek for more attention can be good and let it get a jump on the buzz for when it premieres in its regular time in February.
So, after NFL football, viewers can tune in to The Hunting Party and get an early start on this wild new action series!
The Hunting Party premieres on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 7/6c on NBC.