The Futon Critic is reporting that Episode Ten of
Life will get a special airing at 10 PM on December 3, two days before Episode Eleven airs in its regularly scheduled time slot on December 5. Episodes Ten and Eleven are Parts 1 and 2 of a two-part episode titled "Dig a Hole, Fill It In". More importantly, the Monday airing is in a plum time slot, following the "fall finale" of NBC's "Heroes".
While no reason has been given, there are several possible scenarios for this move by NBC. Any (or none) of the following could be true:
1. NBC has more confidence in the ratings for
Life than it does for "Journeyman", the show which normally airs after "Heroes".
2. NBC is continuing to make an increased effort to promote
Life. Maybe because they're committed to the program, and maybe because they think the show needs higher ratings that badly.
3. A reporter for LBReport, covering the impact the writers' strike is having on programs that film in the Long Beach, CA area, says that while visiting the set he "was told that
Life will end with 11 episodes, not the expected 12." If that's true (and that's a big if - NBC has ordered
thirteen episodes, not twelve), then the Dec. 5 episode is quite possibly (barring a breakthrough in strike talks) the season finale. If so, then NBC may want to give Part 1 an extra boost going into the finale. Or they have plans for the Wednesday 10 PM time slot in December, and they want to wrap
Life up quickly.
Regardless of NBC's motives, this means that
Life fans have three weeks to help attract new viewers to the show and drive up ratings. (Maybe you can convince your friends who are
Heroes fans not to change the channel on Dec. 3.)
In the meantime, after a one-week hiatus this week, Episode Nine, titled "Serious Control Issues", will air as scheduled at 10 P.M on November 28.
(Additional source:
LBReport)