- offs ▁and ▁r er uns ▁of ▁other ▁prime ▁time ▁series ; ▁however ▁first - run ▁script ed ▁programming ▁continues ▁to ▁air ▁on ▁Frid ays , ▁being ▁mixed ▁in ▁with ▁new sm ag az ines ▁and / or ▁reality ▁series , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁network . ▁Network s , ▁however , ▁pay ▁special ▁attention ▁to ▁Th urs day ▁night , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁last ▁night ▁for ▁advert is ers ▁of ▁week end ▁purch ases ▁– ▁such ▁as ▁cars , ▁movie ▁tick ets ▁and ▁home ▁video ▁rent als ▁– ▁to ▁reach ▁large ▁television ▁aud ien ces . ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁N BC ▁called ▁its ▁own ▁Th urs day ▁night ▁line up ▁" M ust ▁See ▁TV ", ▁and ▁during ▁that ▁de cade , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁most ▁watched ▁television ▁shows ▁a ired ▁on ▁Th urs day ▁night s ▁( se ver al ▁of ▁which ▁a ired ▁on ▁N BC ), ▁before ▁the ▁re - emer gence ▁of ▁Sunday ▁as ▁the ▁top ▁night ▁of ▁prime ▁time ▁programming ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁prime ▁time , ▁another ▁local ▁news ▁program ▁is ▁broadcast , ▁usually ▁followed ▁by ▁late - night ▁interview ▁shows ▁( such ▁as ▁The ▁Late ▁Show ▁with ▁Stephen ▁Col bert ▁or ▁The ▁Ton ight ▁Show ). ▁R ather ▁than ▁sign ▁off ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁pre - dawn ▁hours ▁of ▁the ▁morning ▁( as ▁was ▁standard ▁practice ▁until ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁in