ABC, NBC Shake Up Schedules; ‘Jones,’ ‘Blues’ to Return Later

ABC and NBC, trailing CBS in the ratings, moved Thursday to shore up their prime-time schedules in preparation for the November sweeps that begin next week. ABC took “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” off the schedule, and NBC did the same with “Rhythm & Blues.”

Both series will remain in production and will return later, the networks said.

“The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,” which premiered last spring, has been drawing dismal ratings in its Monday night time slot. ABC will replace it, beginning Nov. 9, with two half-hour “reality” series held over from last season: “FBI: The Untold Stories” and “American Detective.”

NBC’s decision to bench “Rhythm & Blues” came as part of a juggling of the Thursday and Saturday lineups.

“Rhythm & Blues,” a first-year comedy about a Detroit radio station, has been airing Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. As of Nov. 5, “A Different World,” which preceded it at 8 p.m., will move to 8:30 and, on Nov. 19, “Out All Night,” another first-year series set in a nightclub, will move into the 8 p.m. spot from its Saturday berth. (The weeks in between will be filled by an episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and an hourlong “Different World” episode.)

Moving into the “Out All Night” spot on Saturdays, beginning Nov. 7, will be “Powers That Be,” a political comedy starring John Forsythe as a U.S. senator that premiered last season. It returns with a one-hour episode Nov. 7 at 8 p.m., and will be seen thereafter at 8:30 following “Here and Now.”

Meanwhile, in a post-sweeps move, ABC said that it will yank first-year comedy “Laurie Hill” from the Wednesday lineup. Filling its 9:30 p.m. slot as of Nov. 25 will be “Coach.” Taking over for “Coach” at 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays, beginning Dec. 1, will be “The Jackie Thomas Show,” a comedy show about a comedy show, starring Tom Arnold, husband of the actress whose show will lead into his, “Roseanne.”