2011–12 United States network television schedule

The 2011–12 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers prime time hours from September 2011 through August 2012. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2010–11 season.

NBC was the first to announce its fall schedule on May 15, 2011, followed by Fox on May 16, ABC on May 17, CBS on May 18 and The CW on May 19, 2011.

The CW was the first to announce their midseason schedule on November 2, 2011, followed by CBS and NBC on November 14, 2011, ABC on November 18, 2011 and Fox on December 1, 2011.

PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcast times for network shows may vary. MyNetworkTV is also not included since its programming comprises syndicated reruns, with limited original programming. The CW is not included on weekends, when it does not offer network programming. Ion Television primarily airs syndicated reruns, along with new episodes of Flashpoint.

New series are highlighted in bold.

All times are U.S. Eastern Time and Pacific Time (except for some live sports or events). Subtract one hour for Central and Mountain times.

From July 27 to August 12, 2012 all of NBC's primetime programming was preempted in favor of coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.

Legend

  •   Light blue indicates local programming.
  •   Gray indicates encore programming.
  •   Blue-gray indicates news programming.
  •   Light green indicates sporting events.
  •   Light purple indicates movies.
  •   Red indicates series being burned off and other regularly scheduled programs and including specials.
  •   Yellow indicates the top-10 most watched programs of the season.
  •   Cyan indicates the top-20 most watched programs of the season.
  •   Magenta indicates the top-30 most watched programs of the season.

Sunday

Network 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall America's Funniest Home Videos Once Upon a Time (28/7.0)
(Tied with 2 Broke Girls and Desperate Housewives) 		Desperate Housewives (28/7.0)
(Tied with 2 Broke Girls and Once Upon a Time) 		Pan Am
Spring GCB
Summer Secret Millionaire Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition
CBS Fall 60 Minutes (14/8.3) The Amazing Race The Good Wife (19/7.8)
(Tied with Blue Bloods) 		CSI: Miami (27/7.1)
Winter Undercover Boss
Late winter The Amazing Race
Spring NYC 22
Summer Big Brother 3 The Mentalist (R)
Late summer Various programming
Fox Fall Fox NFL The Cleveland Show The Simpsons Allen Gregory Family Guy American Dad! Local programming
Winter Bob's Burgers (R) Napoleon Dynamite
Spring The Simpsons (R) Bob's Burgers
NBC Fall Football Night in America NBC Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m.) (continued to game completion) (1/12.4)
Winter Dateline NBC Various movies and specials
Spring Dateline NBC Harry's Law The Apprentice
Summer Various programing

Monday

Network 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall Dancing with the Stars (3/12.0) Castle (16/8.0)
(Tied with CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
Late fall Holiday Specials You Deserve It
Winter The Bachelor
Spring Dancing with the Stars (3/12.0)
Summer The Bachelorette The Glass House
Mid-summer Bachelor Pad
CBS How I Met Your Mother 2 Broke Girls (28/7.0)
(Tied with Desperate Housewives and Once Upon a Time) 		Two and a Half Men (11/9.1) Mike & Molly (25/7.2)
(Tied with Rob) 		Hawaii Five-0 (21/7.6)
(Tied with Grey's Anatomy)
The CW Fall Gossip Girl Hart of Dixie Local programming
Summer The Catalina Various programming
Fox Fall Terra Nova House
Winter House Alcatraz
Spring Bones House
Summer Hell's Kitchen MasterChef
Late summer Hotel Hell Hell's Kitchen
NBC Fall The Sing-Off The Playboy Club
Mid-fall Rock Center with Brian Williams
Winter Who's Still Standing? Fear Factor
Mid-winter The Voice (10/9.2) Smash
Summer Various programming American Ninja Warrior Grimm
Late summer Stars Earn Stripes

Tuesday

Network 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall Last Man Standing Man Up! Dancing with the Stars (6/10.6) Body of Proof
Late fall Encore programming
Winter Work It Wife Swap
Mid-winter Encore programming
Late winter Cougar Town The River
Spring Dancing with the Stars (6/10.6)
Mid-spring Private Practice
Summer Wipeout Trust Us with Your Life NY Med
Mid-summer Encore programming
CBS NCIS (2/12.3) NCIS: Los Angeles (7/10.2) Unforgettable (18/7.9)
The CW Fall 90210 Ringer Local programming
Spring The L.A. Complex
Summer Encore programming
Fox Fall Glee New Girl Raising Hope
Spring Raising Hope I Hate My Teenage Daughter Breaking In
Mid-spring Raising Hope
Late spring New Girl (R) MasterChef
Early summer Glee
Summer Hell's Kitchen MasterChef
NBC Fall The Biggest Loser Parenthood
Winter Special programming The Biggest Loser
Mid-winter The Biggest Loser Parenthood
Spring Fashion Star
Mid-spring The Biggest Loser The Voice
Summer America's Got Talent Love in the Wild
Mid-summer Encore programming

Wednesday

Network 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall The Middle Suburgatory Modern Family (15/8.1) Happy Endings Revenge
Spring Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
Summer Encore programming Final Witness
CBS Fall Survivor: South Pacific Criminal Minds (13/8.6) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (16/8.0)
(Tied with Castle)
Winter Various programming
Late winter Survivor: One World
Summer Dogs in the City
Mid-summer Big Brother
The CW Fall H8R America's Next Top Model Local programming
Mid-fall Encore programming
Winter One Tree Hill Remodeled
Late winter America's Next Top Model
Spring Encore programming
Summer Oh Sit! Supernatural
Fox Fall The X Factor (23/7.4) I Hate My Teenage Daughter
Winter American Idol (4/11.8)
Mid-winter American Idol (4/11.8) Mobbed
Summer So You Think You Can Dance
NBC Fall Up All Night Free Agents Harry's Law Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Mid-fall Community
Winter Whitney Are You There, Chelsea?
Late winter Rock Center with Brian Williams
Spring Bent Rock Center with Brian Williams
Mid-spring Betty White's Off Their Rockers Best Friends Forever Rock Center with Brian Williams Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Late spring Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Summer Various programming America's Got Talent

Thursday

Network 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall Charlie's Angels Grey's Anatomy (21/7.6)
(Tied with Hawaii Five-0) 		Private Practice
Late fall Encore programming
Winter Wipeout
Spring Missing
Mid-spring Scandal
Summer Duets Rookie Blue
Mid-summer Duets Wipeout
Late summer Wipeout
CBS Fall The Big Bang Theory (8/9.7) How to Be a Gentleman Person of Interest (12/9.0) The Mentalist (9/9.3)
Mid-fall Rules of Engagement
Winter Rob (25/7.2)
(Tied with Mike & Molly)
Spring Rules of Engagement
Summer Two and a Half Men (R) Big Brother 3
Late summer Encore programming
The CW Fall The Vampire Diaries The Secret Circle Local programming
Summer The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep Breaking Pointe
Fox Fall The X Factor (23/7.4) Bones
Winter American Idol (5/11.0) The Finder
Spring Bones
Mid-spring Touch
Summer Take Me Out The Choice
Mid-summer Encore programming
NBC Fall Community Parks and Recreation The Office Whitney Prime Suspect
Winter 30 Rock Up All Night The Firm
Spring Awake
Mid-spring Community 30 Rock
Late spring Parks and Recreation
Summer Various programming Saving Hope Rock Center with Brian Williams

Friday

Network 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 20/20
Winter Shark Tank Primetime
Summer Encore programming 20/20
CBS Fall A Gifted Man CSI: NY Blue Bloods (19/7.8)
(Tied with The Good Wife)
Winter Undercover Boss A Gifted Man
Spring CSI: NY
The CW Nikita Supernatural Local programming
Fox Fall Kitchen Nightmares Fringe
Spring The Finder
NBC Fall Chuck Grimm Dateline NBC
Winter Who Do You Think You Are?
Summer Encore programming Dateline NBC
Mid-summer Grimm Dateline NBC

Saturday

Network 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall ESPN Saturday Night Football (continued to game completion)
Winter ABC Saturday Movie of the Week
CBS Fall Comedytime Saturday Crimetime Saturday 48 Hours
Mid-fall Comedytime Saturday How to Be a Gentleman
Follow-up Comedytime Saturday
Spring Comedytime Saturday How to Be a Gentleman
Summer NYC 22
Late summer Crimetime Saturday
Fox Fall COPS COPS (R) Terra Nova (R) Local programming
Winter Q'Viva! The Chosen
Spring Fox Sports programming
Late spring Baseball Night in America (7:00 p.m.)
Summer COPS (R) COPS (R) Mobbed (R)
NBC Fall Encore programming
Winter Encore programming The Firm Encore programming
Spring Escape Routes
Mid-spring Encore programming
Summer Various programming The Firm
Mid-summer Various programming

By network

ABC

CBS

The CW

Fox

NBC

Renewals and cancellations

Full season pickups

ABC

  • Happy Endings—Picked up for a full season on November 3, 2011.
  • Last Man Standing—Picked up for a full season on November 3, 2011.
  • Once Upon a Time—Picked up for a full season on November 3, 2011.
  • Revenge—Picked up for a full season on October 13, 2011.
  • Shark Tank—Picked up two additional episodes, totaling to 15 episodes on February 28, 2012.
  • Suburgatory—Picked up for a full season on October 13, 2011.

CBS

The CW

  • Hart of Dixie—Picked up for a full season on October 12, 2011.
  • Ringer—Picked up for a full season on October 12, 2011.
  • The Secret Circle—Picked up for a full season on October 12, 2011.

Fox

  • New Girl—Picked up for 24 episodes on September 28, 2011.

NBC

  • Grimm—Picked up for a full season on November 21, 2011.
  • Harry's Law—Picked up for a full season on January 6, 2012.
  • Up All Night—Picked up for a full season on October 4, 2011, plus an additional 2 episodes on November 21, 2011.
  • Whitney—Picked up for a full season on October 4, 2011.

Renewals

ABC

CBS

The CW

  • 90210—Picked up for a fifth season on May 3, 2012.
  • America's Next Top Model—Picked up for a nineteenth cycle on February 21, 2012.
  • Gossip Girl—Picked up for a sixth and final season on May 11, 2012.
  • Hart of Dixie—Picked up for a second season on May 11, 2012.
  • Nikita—Picked up for a third season on May 11, 2012.
  • Supernatural—Picked up for an eighth season on May 3, 2012.
  • The Vampire Diaries—Picked up for a fourth season on May 3, 2012.

Fox

  • American Dad!—Picked up for a seventh production cycle on February 23, 2011.
  • American Idol—Announced on the 2012/13 schedule for a twelfth season on May 14, 2012.
  • Bob's Burgers—On October 31, 2011, Fox ordered 9 additional episodes to the second production cycle, leaving some episodes out, airing in the 2012/13 season.
  • Bones—Picked up for an eighth season on March 29, 2012.
  • The Cleveland Show—Picked up for a fourth season on May 9, 2011.
  • Family Guy—Picked up for an eleventh season on May 9, 2011.
  • Fringe—Picked up for a fifth and final season on April 26, 2012.
  • Glee—Picked up for a fourth season on April 9, 2012.
  • Kitchen Nightmares—Picked up for a fifth production cycle on February 2, 2012.
  • Mobbed—Announced on the 2012/13 schedule for more specials on May 14, 2012.
  • New Girl—Picked up for a second season on April 9, 2012.
  • Raising Hope—Picked up for a third season on April 9, 2012.
  • The Simpsons—Picked up for a twenty-third production cycle on November 11, 2010, plus an additional extension through its twenty-fifth production cycle in 2013/14.
  • Touch—Picked up for a second season on May 9, 2012.
  • The X Factor—Picked up for a second season on November 2, 2011.

Ion Television

  • Flashpoint—Picked up for a fifth season on January 3, 2012.

NBC

Cancellations/Series endings

ABC

  • Bachelor Pad—It was announced on March 16, 2013 that would not pick for the fourth season.
  • Charlie's Angels—Canceled on October 14, 2011 after seven low rated episodes. The remaining episodes aired through November 10, 2011.
  • Cougar Town—It was announced on May 10, 2012 that TBS would carry future seasons of the series, ending its run on ABC.
  • Desperate Housewives—It was announced on August 5, 2011 that season eight would be the final season. The series concluded on May 13, 2012.
  • Extreme Makeover: Home Edition—Canceled as a regular series on December 15, 2011. The series finale aired on January 13, 2012. Moved to HGTV in 2020. On June 7, 2023, the series moved from HGTV to ABC.
  • GCB—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • Man Up!—Canceled on December 8, 2011 after eight low rated episodes. The 5 remaining episodes were moved to ABC's online website.
  • Missing—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • Pan Am—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • The River—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • Work It—Canceled on January 13, 2012 due to low ratings, harsh reviews and controversy after airing only 2 episodes.
  • You Deserve It—Canceled on May 15, 2012.

CBS

  • CSI: Miami—Canceled on May 13, 2012 after ten seasons. The series was credited as a key player in the network's ratings rise. This is the first CSI series to be canceled.
  • A Gifted Man—Canceled on May 12, 2012.
  • How to Be a Gentleman—Canceled, cut back from 13 episodes to 9 episodes, and changed the airdate from Thursdays to Saturdays for the remaining episodes on October 7, 2011 after only 2 episodes airing. The series was later pulled from Saturdays on October 18, 2011 after only one episode airing on Saturday.
  • NYC 22—Canceled on May 13, 2012.
  • Rob—Canceled on May 13, 2012.

The CW

  • H8R—Canceled on October 6, 2011 after four low rated episodes.
  • One Tree Hill—It was announced on May 19, 2011 that season nine would be the final season. The series concluded on April 4, 2012.
  • Remodeled—Canceled on February 9, 2012 after four low rated episodes. The remaining episodes aired through between February 22; and the last two episodes were August 13 and 20, 2012.
  • Ringer—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • The Secret Circle—Canceled on May 11, 2012.

Fox

NBC

  • Are You There, Chelsea?—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • Awake—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • Bent—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • Best Friends Forever—Canceled on May 11, 2012.
  • Chuck—It was announced on May 15, 2011 that season five would be the final season. The series concluded on January 27, 2012.
  • Escape Routes—Canceled on May 13, 2012.
  • Fear Factor—Canceled on May 13, 2012. Was revived for MTV in May 2017.
  • The Firm—Canceled on May 13, 2012.
  • Free Agents—Canceled on October 6, 2011 after four low rated episodes.
  • Harry's Law—Canceled on May 11, 2012 after two seasons.
  • The Playboy Club—Canceled on October 4, 2011 after three low rated episodes. This was the first cancellation of the season.
  • Prime Suspect—Canceled on January 5, 2012.
  • The Sing-Off—Canceled on May 13, 2012. Renewed for a fourth season on March 14, 2013.
  • Who Do You Think You Are?—Canceled on May 13, 2012. Moved to TLC in July 2013. The series would be returning to NBC in 2020–21.
  • Who's Still Standing?—Canceled on May 13, 2012.

See also

Top weekly ratings

Total Viewers

18–49 Viewers