Show will return after sweeps and after the upfronts

NBC has set a return date for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."

The Aaron Sorkin drama, which arrived last fall as the season's most hyped show and vanished from NBC's schedule amidst sinking ratings, will move to Thursday nights at 10 p.m. starting on May 24, at least according to the network's website for the show.

Not-so-coincidentally, that Thursday is the day after the end of the crucial May sweeps period and it comes a week after the upfront presentation at which NBC will reveal to advertisers whether or not "Studio 60" has a future on the network next season.

The show's chances for renewal are believed to be relatively slim.

Savvy viewers will recall that this is a return of sorts for "Studio 60." Last May, NBC announced that the series would air on Thursday nights at 9 p.m., only to run scurrying to Mondays after ABC moved "Grey's Anatomy" into the same time period.

"Studio 60" had a solid premiere, but by the time February rolled around the series was drawing only around 7 million same-day viewers (factoring in DVR usage gave the series a boost). The last original "Studio 60" aired back on February 19, before NBC shelved it a week earlier than expected for "The Black Donnellys."

Of course, "The Black Donnellys" failed to even premiere big and NBC pulled the plug on that Paul Haggis-created drama after only six episodes, replacing it with "The Real Wedding Crashers," which also didn't exactly dominate the time period.

NBC has yet to announce its specific intentions for the truncated "Studio 60" return. Six episodes remain unaired.