Show moves to Wednesdays, bumping 'Alex,' 'Practice'

"The Amazing Race," which has been struggling a little in the last hour of primetime, is switching nights, bumping two underperforming comedies in the process.

Starting next week, "The Amazing Race" will air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesdays, a switch from its previous spot at 10 p.m. Tuesdays. The ninth edition of the Emmy-winning series has been averaging fewer than 10 million viewers since its Feb. 28 premiere, its lowest figures since the third "Race" in summer 2003.

The switch puts it into a fairly wide-open timeslot where no show has been dominant in recent weeks. NBC has had success there with "Deal or No Deal" the past couple of weeks, and FOX's "Bones" has performed solidly as well, but neither one dominates the hour on the level that "American Idol" or "CSI" does.

It also puts the family-friendly show in a timeslot where more kids are likely to be watching with their parents.

The move of "The Amazing Race" bumps the comedies "Out of Practice" and "Courting Alex" off the schedule; CBS offers only a vague "at a later date" as to when they might be back. Both shows have dropped precipitously since moving from their cozy Monday-night homes earlier in the season.

"Out of Practice," which drew 12.2 million viewers per week in the fall, when it was sandwiched between "Two and a Half Men" and "CSI: Miami," has averaged only 6.6 million since its Wednesday debut last week. "Courting Alex," which occupied the same Monday slot in January and February, has brought in 6.3 million viewers a week in its new home -- half what it was averaging previously.