After two years that saw its initial edition debut as late fall replacement programming and its second edition originally scheduled to premiere as late summer programming, NBC has finally revealed an initial fall schedule that includes The Biggest Loser.
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The Biggest Loser's third season, scheduled to air in a new Wednesdays at 8PM ET/PT time period, will be one of only eight non-Law & Order entertainment programs returning as part of NBC's Fall 2006 schedule. In addition airing in a new time period, The Biggest Loser 3 will also feature a new trainer -- last week, NBC announced that Kim Lyons will replace Jillian Michaels as show's Red Team trainer.
Desperate for whatever ratings momentum it can muster, the fourth place network is presumably hopeful that moving The Biggest Loser out of the highly competitive Tuesdays at 8PM ET/PT time period in which last season's second edition aired will both strengthen The Biggest Loser's own ratings and also provide a sold lead-in for 20 Good Years and 30 Rock, two new NBC sitcoms that will air up against ABC's Lost mega-hit.
Although Fox's American Idol dominated the Tuesday time period this spring and CBS' own largely overlooked NCIS hit series won the time period last fall, The Biggest Loser's second edition delivered solid ratings in the Tuesday time period last fall. The Biggest Loser 2 ended its run with record numbers, averaging 16.0 million overall viewers and dominating the 8-10PM ET/PT time period in which its November 29 finale broadcast aired.
In addition to representing The Biggest Loser's highest ratings ever, the numbers also represented NBC's strongest non-Olympic results in the Tuesday time period in four years (since November 27, 2001.)
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The Biggest Loser will be the only reality show on NBC's Fall 2006 schedule. As part of the unveiling of its 2006-07 primetime schedule, NBC also announced that after one year after overexposing the series by airing two different editions of it on its Fall 2005 schedule, The Apprentice's sixth Donald Trump edition will be held back until January 2007.