Post by jag11 on May 20, 2009 16:45:50 GMT -5
Stability-embracing broadcaster CBS will make a few strategic moves next fall, including relocating its breakout hit "The Mentalist," shaking up its Monday comedy block and picking up "Medium" from rival NBC.
CBS is shifting "The Mentalist" to Thursdays at 10 p.m., giving the show a "CSI" lead-in. Network executives told reporters Wednesday morning that the move is part of a strategy to take advantage of NBC pulling its scripted shows from the hour.
"We think the 10 p.m. change is huge," said CBS Corp. president and CEO Les Moonves. "There will be more share available at 10 p.m. for those of us who put on great dramas."
Regarding the "Mentalist" switch, CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl said, "We saw an opportunity to take a strong show and make it a stronger show."
As expected, a day after its cancellation by NBC, the CBS TV Studios-produced drama "Medium" landed on the CBS schedule, sandwiched between paranormal drama "Ghost Whisperer" and crime drama "Numbers" on Friday.
"If 'Ghost Whisperer' and 'Numbers' had an offspring, it would be 'Medium,' " entertainment president Nina Tassler said of the Patricia Arquette starrer, a crime procedural with paranormal elements.
On Tuesdays, the network will pair "NCIS" with the "NCIS" spinoff, which will be called "NCIS: Los Angeles," following the lead of city-based spinoff titles established by "CSI." The positioning places the spinoff in the time period that successfully launched "The Mentalist" this season.
"It's the same brand of humor, its the same sensibility," said Tassler of the "NCIS" spinoff compared to the original. "It's got a built-in audience."
Kahl pointed out that "NCIS: Los Angeles" will be the only scripted series in its time period.
"If you don't want to watch reality, we're the only game in town there," Kahl said.
At 10 p.m. Tuesdays, CBS will air the Julianna Margulies legal drama "The Good Wife."
CBS is going with a Chuck Lorre hour on Monday. After experimenting with putting "Big Bang" following "Two and a Half Men" this past season, the network is making a "Big Bang" shift to 9:30 p.m. permanent, leaving "How I Met Your Mother" to open the night, leading into new comedy "Accidentally on Purpose."
"We're trying to take ['Big Bang'] from a Top 20 show to a Top 10 show," Kahl said. "We feel confident we can blow this show up."
Medical show "Three Rivers," with former "Moonlight" star Alex O'Loughlin, will run at 9 p.m. Sundays, with "Cold Case" shifted to 10 p.m.
The network's other new medical drama, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "Miami Trauma," will launch in midseason.
The only broadcast network to grow this season, CBS canceled veteran shows "Without a Trace" and "The Unit." The cancellations were reflective of CBS' overall strength this season; both shows were fairly solid performers that CBS' rivals would likely have found some way to keep.
CBS renewed bubble shows "Cold Case" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine," the latter after ABC offered to take the show off the network's hands should CBS refuse a pick up.
"We want to continue to get younger we think the schedule reflects that" Tassler said, referring to actors such as L.L. Cool J in the "NCIS" spinoff. "You're going to see a really nice balance between new faces and existing stars."
The network's other new medical drama, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "Miami Trauma," will launch in midseason. Also slotted for midseason are Canadian drama "The Bridge" and unscripted series "Arranged Marriage" and "Undercover Boss."
Here is CBS' fall schedule:
Monday
8 p.m. How I met Your Mother*
8:30 p.m. ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE
9 p.m Two and a Half Men
9:30 p.m. The Big Bang Theory*
10 p.m. CSI: Miami
Tuesday
8 p.m. NCIS
9 p.m. NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10 p.m. THE GOOD WIFE
Wednesday
8 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30 p.m. Gary Unmarried
9 p.m. Criminal Minds
10 p.m. CSI: NY
Thursday
8 p.m. Survivor
9 p.m. CSI
10 p.m. The Mentalist*
Friday
8 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9 p.m. MEDIUM
10 p.m. Numbers
Saturday
8 p.m. Crime drama repeat
9 p.m. Crime drama repeat
10 p.m. 48 Hour Mystery
Sunday
7 p.m. 60 Minutes
8 p.m. The Amazing Race
9 p.m. THREE RIVERS
10 p.m. Cold Case*
New series in CAPS
* indicates new time slot
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CBS is shifting "The Mentalist" to Thursdays at 10 p.m., giving the show a "CSI" lead-in. Network executives told reporters Wednesday morning that the move is part of a strategy to take advantage of NBC pulling its scripted shows from the hour.
"We think the 10 p.m. change is huge," said CBS Corp. president and CEO Les Moonves. "There will be more share available at 10 p.m. for those of us who put on great dramas."
Regarding the "Mentalist" switch, CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl said, "We saw an opportunity to take a strong show and make it a stronger show."
As expected, a day after its cancellation by NBC, the CBS TV Studios-produced drama "Medium" landed on the CBS schedule, sandwiched between paranormal drama "Ghost Whisperer" and crime drama "Numbers" on Friday.
"If 'Ghost Whisperer' and 'Numbers' had an offspring, it would be 'Medium,' " entertainment president Nina Tassler said of the Patricia Arquette starrer, a crime procedural with paranormal elements.
On Tuesdays, the network will pair "NCIS" with the "NCIS" spinoff, which will be called "NCIS: Los Angeles," following the lead of city-based spinoff titles established by "CSI." The positioning places the spinoff in the time period that successfully launched "The Mentalist" this season.
"It's the same brand of humor, its the same sensibility," said Tassler of the "NCIS" spinoff compared to the original. "It's got a built-in audience."
Kahl pointed out that "NCIS: Los Angeles" will be the only scripted series in its time period.
"If you don't want to watch reality, we're the only game in town there," Kahl said.
At 10 p.m. Tuesdays, CBS will air the Julianna Margulies legal drama "The Good Wife."
CBS is going with a Chuck Lorre hour on Monday. After experimenting with putting "Big Bang" following "Two and a Half Men" this past season, the network is making a "Big Bang" shift to 9:30 p.m. permanent, leaving "How I Met Your Mother" to open the night, leading into new comedy "Accidentally on Purpose."
"We're trying to take ['Big Bang'] from a Top 20 show to a Top 10 show," Kahl said. "We feel confident we can blow this show up."
Medical show "Three Rivers," with former "Moonlight" star Alex O'Loughlin, will run at 9 p.m. Sundays, with "Cold Case" shifted to 10 p.m.
The network's other new medical drama, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "Miami Trauma," will launch in midseason.
The only broadcast network to grow this season, CBS canceled veteran shows "Without a Trace" and "The Unit." The cancellations were reflective of CBS' overall strength this season; both shows were fairly solid performers that CBS' rivals would likely have found some way to keep.
CBS renewed bubble shows "Cold Case" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine," the latter after ABC offered to take the show off the network's hands should CBS refuse a pick up.
"We want to continue to get younger we think the schedule reflects that" Tassler said, referring to actors such as L.L. Cool J in the "NCIS" spinoff. "You're going to see a really nice balance between new faces and existing stars."
The network's other new medical drama, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "Miami Trauma," will launch in midseason. Also slotted for midseason are Canadian drama "The Bridge" and unscripted series "Arranged Marriage" and "Undercover Boss."
Here is CBS' fall schedule:
Monday
8 p.m. How I met Your Mother*
8:30 p.m. ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE
9 p.m Two and a Half Men
9:30 p.m. The Big Bang Theory*
10 p.m. CSI: Miami
Tuesday
8 p.m. NCIS
9 p.m. NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10 p.m. THE GOOD WIFE
Wednesday
8 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30 p.m. Gary Unmarried
9 p.m. Criminal Minds
10 p.m. CSI: NY
Thursday
8 p.m. Survivor
9 p.m. CSI
10 p.m. The Mentalist*
Friday
8 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9 p.m. MEDIUM
10 p.m. Numbers
Saturday
8 p.m. Crime drama repeat
9 p.m. Crime drama repeat
10 p.m. 48 Hour Mystery
Sunday
7 p.m. 60 Minutes
8 p.m. The Amazing Race
9 p.m. THREE RIVERS
10 p.m. Cold Case*
New series in CAPS
* indicates new time slot
Links referenced within this article
Find this article at:
www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i7ee3d207fbb1fda368bec430d7d97c1a
SAVE THIS | EMAIL THIS | Close
Uncheck the box to remove the list of links referenced in the article.
� 2008 Nielsen Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved.