Thursday nights seem to be the night for broadcasters to air their high-profile US products. Already established in the scheduling are the Black Donnellys (ITV2, 9pm), Entourage (ITV2, 10.30pm), Men in Trees (Living, 9pm), Grey’s Anatomy (Living, 10pm), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (More4, 10pm) and Scrubs (E4, 9pm.) And that’s with House on hiatus and My Name is Earl having shifted to Fridays – phew.

Now Five are looking to get themselves a piece of the Thursday night American action, with two new exciting offerings. First up is Californication at 10pm starring David Duchovny as Hank Moody, a middle-aged sex demon novelist who should be working but has a chronic case of writer’s block. This show has been causing outrage everywhere due to its liberal doses of nudity, but with the laconic Duchovny in the starring role, it has fast been gaining fans. Making up the numbers are Natascha McElhone (The Truman Show, Solaris) as Hank’s ex and the ever-dependable Evan Handler (Harry from Sex and the City, Studio 60.)

BBC2 might be pushing themselves as the place for comedy on a Thursday night but Five continues the fun with another new import at 10.45pm – Emmy award-winning sitcom 30 Rock. As a big fan of former Saturday Night Live chief writer and star Tina Fey (she also did the Lindsay Lohan vehicle Mean Girls, don’t you know), I’ve long been looking forward to when this comedy would reach our shores.

Like Studio 60, it focuses on the backstage shenanigans at a live comedy sketch show, but unlike the Aaron Sorkin effort it has been commissioned for a second season. It has yet to achieve a mainstream audience in the US, hence Tina Fey thanking the “dozens and dozens of viewers” in her Emmy acceptance speech, but with Alec Baldwin on Golden Globe-winning form, it has some impressive credentials.

Will this comedy double-bill make Five the place to be on a Thursday night? If so, don’t tell BBC2. I think they might be pissed.