‘Hell on Wheels’ season 3 lands Saturday premiere date on AMC

Hear that sound? Well, it’s “Hell on Wheels” fans freaking out … and network executives for AMC rolling the dice.

In a statement Monday morning, the cable network announced that they are airing the newest season of their Western drama beginning on Saturday, August 3 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. Yes, you read that correctly: Saturday. The network is looking to start off a new block of programming on a night where there really isn’t much competition, though one of the reasons for that is that nobody is home or thinking about watching TV on Saturdays. (It’s in sharp contrast to Britain, where this is actually one of the most-programmed nights of the week.)

The other major move that the network is making here is a little bit more simple: airing “Hell on Wheels” following a day of Western-themed programming. This in itself does give the entire night a theme, which could help boost the show. This is at least what network president Charlie Collier is saying in a statement:

“A new episode of Hell on Wheels on Saturday night after a full day of western fan favorites is going to be like the saddle on top of the horse … This is a programmer’s dream – to have a genre specific, 14-hour lead-in to one of your highest rated originals.”

It was clear that AMC was either going to have to expand their Sunday slate or move “Hell on Wheels” in order to make this work. After all, they have “Mad Men” and “The Killing” running in the early summer on the night, and it is presumed that both “Breaking Bad” and new series “Low Winter Sun” will take over a little later on. Then, of course you also have to remember that “The Walking Dead” will return to dominate in October.

What do you think about this “Hell on Wheels” decision: is it smart, or too risky for your taste? If you want to see the new branding that AMC is using for this and other shows, be sure to visit the link here.

Photo: AMC