NBC delays premiere a week, switches timeslot

NBC is tinkering with its Tuesday-night lineup a little, holding back "The Singing Bee" for a bit and moving it to earlier in the night when it does premiere.

The sing-along game show, which was initially scheduled to debut next week, will now premiere Tuesday, Oct. 2. And rather than airing at 9:30 p.m. ET following "The Biggest Loser," it will kick off the night at 8, leading into 90-minute episodes of "Loser" at 8:30.

The change moves "The Singing Bee" away from the likes of "House" and the "Dancing with the Stars" results show, which occupy the 9 p.m. hour for FOX and ABC. "The Biggest Loser" has built its audience from hour to hour in its first two episodes this season and probably gives NBC a better shot at competing with the FOX and ABC powerhouses and CBS' "The Unit."

After "The Singing Bee" debuted to more than 13 million viewers in July, NBC quickly ordered additional episodes for the fall. Its ratings have cooled since then; recent episodes have drawn in the neighborhood of 8 million viewers.

Joey Fatone hosts the show, in which contestants have to complete song lyrics after the music stops.