NBC Cuts 'Chase' Order

Exclu: All those NBC shows with full season pickups step forward -- not so fast, Chase.

NBC has reduced the order of Jerry Bruckheimer's action drama from 22 episodes to 18.  

The Warner Bros-produced series is currently slated for a midseason run starting Jan. 12, moving from Mondays at 10 p.m. to Wednesdays at 9 p.m. (where it will be introduced to the joy of competing against two-hour American Idol performance shows).

Most industry analysts found NBC's full-season pickup announcement for the show back in October to be unexpected. Chase has struggled in the ratings, with the most recent episode delivering 6 million viewers and a 1.6 adults 18-49 rating.

(To be fair, some in the industry still consider 18 a "full season" order ... but it's more like having three-quarters of a tank of gas rather than having the needle firmly on the "F").