# NBC's preempted Wed and Thu programming -- reasons?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbcs-preempted-wed-and-thu-programming-reasons/207926>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 17, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbcs-preempted-wed-and-thu-programming-reasons/207926 "2003-10-17T04:03:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Corixidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Corixidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corixidae)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbcs-preempted-wed-and-thu-programming-reasons/207926/1 "2003-10-17T04:03:27Z")

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Has NBC publicized any particular reason why they preempted last night’s episode of **The West Wing** and all of tonight’s shows?

For last night, I figured perhaps the story line of a North Korean pianist wanting to defect amid secret negotations to reduce N. Korea’s nuclear threat may have been a bit too timely, and by request of the White House deferred the airdate. Or perhaps under orders, who knows.

But I can’t figure out tonight’s sudden change. They were advertising the new episodes of **Friends** , **Will & Grace** , and **ER** until about 19:30 PDT last night, and then today it’s all reruns with a crawl indicating the line-up returns with new programming next week.

I knew they had decided to pull **Coupling** at least for a couple of weeks (thank heavens, and may that stupid show never see the light of day again), but I can’t imagine their decision to pull one show would result in a change to all the rest on a given night.

Anyone know anything more about this?

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbcs-preempted-wed-and-thu-programming-reasons/207926/2 "2003-10-17T04:43:12Z")

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No conspiracy here. Why burn good new episodes of your well-rated shows against a high-profile baseball game that will surely beat you?

CBS did the same thing and yanked the new CSI tonight.

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**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nbcs-preempted-wed-and-thu-programming-reasons/207926/3 "2003-10-17T05:29:56Z")

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Haven’t you heard? Everyone loves baseball again. Yay!