Wednesday, May 8, 2013

2013 Upfront Questions, CBS


Part two of the upfront preview is the SCHEDULE-centric portion, as I examine the big-picture scheduling questions each network faces on each night in the final week before its upfront. I've always favored laying out the possibilities rather than creating an actual mock schedule; this seems to set me up better to review the schedule next week without making it all about how my own prediction/recommendation did.

Last week's Power Rankings were the SHOW-centric portion, in which I drilled more into the merits of individual shows: CBS True Power Rankings

Other Upfront Questions: NBC | Fox | ABC | CBS | CW




MONDAY

2012-13 Schedule
8:00 - How I Met Your Mother
8:30 - Partners / Rules of Engagement
9:00 - 2 Broke Girls
9:30 - Mike and Molly
10:00 - Hawaii Five-0

Question: Did CBS bet on the wrong horse or treat the right horse the wrong way?

Beyond the considerable shock that CBS didn't add a fourth comedy hour at the last upfront, there was an additional layer of head-scratchiness in the sitcom schedule. Despite concentrating all that sitcom strength tightly into three hours, they still managed to create an unnecessarily dangerous situation for their youngest hit 2 Broke Girls. And it's played out in the worst-case way, with Partners a dud and 2 Broke Girls enduring a sizable sophomore slump. It only slightly recovered after the pulling of Partners, but the problems have resumed in the spring with Rules of Engagement at 8:30.

How much of this is on scheduling and how much is on 2 Broke Girls? Personally I think it is a terrible program, but it was also scheduled terribly, so I really don't know. And while we won't know the answer to this question after the upfront either, the upfront will let us know what CBS thinks. If CBS keeps it in the 9:00 saddle but gives it a more sure-thing lead-in like Chuck Lorre's Mom: right horse wrong way. If CBS moves it (presumably back to 8:30 after HIMYM) and starts over in the 9:00 hour: big vote of no-confidence. Both are possible, but I bet CBS sticks with 2BG at 9:00. They probably don't want to admit defeat with the show just yet. (I wrote all of this prior to last night's Deadline post claiming Mom will get picked up today and is favored to go to 8:30, but you don't have to believe me!!)



TUESDAY

2012-13 Schedule
8:00 - NCIS
9:00 - NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 - Vegas / Golden Boy

Question: Is a third NCIS the only thing that could kick LA out of the cushy slot?

I believe it is. The dynamic between the two shows really hasn't been changed in the four years of LA's existence, we don't know anything more about LA's standalone potential than we did on the day it premiered in 2009, and since there's no new info, there's no reason to believe CBS will act any differently than they did at each of the last three upfronts... unless another show with those four magic letters in its title gets the nod. And even if NCIS: Red makes it to the fall schedule, I'm not totally convinced this breakup will happen.



WEDNESDAY

2012-13 Schedule
8:00 - Survivor
9:00 - Criminal Minds
10:00 - CSI

Question: Will there be enough change on other nights to necessitate keeping this lineup intact for a third season?

In case that sounds like a loaded question... it is, because that's what feels most likely. This night still has that perfect "good not great" feel from top to bottom. Still think CSI may be the best Friday fit of the second-tier shows, but if Thursday and Monday are getting changed significantly, a CSI move is likely one shake-up too many for the usually stability-happy CBS.

However, if CBS chickens out on the new comedies again and keeps Thursday relatively intact, I'd give some real consideration to the CSI move. In theory, Criminal Minds is quite possibly the network's best launch-pad for a new drama.



THURSDAY

2012-13 Schedule
8:00 - The Big Bang Theory
8:30 - Two and a Half Men
9:00 - Person of Interest
10:00 - Elementary

Question: In the comedy expansion decision, does great development trump weaker returnees?

A fourth CBS comedy hour was my biggest drum-beat of the last upfront season, mostly because the strength of the returnees' lead-in potential was so incredible. (Five of the top seven scripted shows on TV, I'll remind you one last time!!!) It seemed so obvious because it looked like there was very little required lifting from the new shows. But it turned out they had no lifting whatsoever from the new shows, and thus awful development trumped a nearly unprecedented amount of returnee strength.

This year, the strength of the returnees is greatly diminished at every step on the totem pole except the top spot, where The Big Bang Theory is even stronger. And while last year CBS could've created a four-hour sked with two or (in a really extreme case) even just one slot for a new show, this year they will probably need three.

But while filling two slots with new shows was a stretch last year, this year's crop could make it a stretch to fill only one or (if Mike and Molly is held) two slots with new shows. I said early in the year that it would take a HIMYM renewal, a Two and a Half Men renewal and fantastic comedy development to make hour four happen. Well, the first two are in the bank, and #3 certainly seems like it might be the case. But since this is so development-dependent, and since development is (for all the Pilot Panic parsing) still a great unknown, I don't have nearly as strong an opinion this year.



FRIDAY

2012-13 Schedule
8:00 - CSI: NY / Undercover Boss / The Job
9:00 - Made in Jersey / CSI: NY / Vegas
10:00 - Blue Bloods

Question: Which veteran assumes the CSI: NY role?

For all the talk swirling around Friday moves every year, CBS has historically kept its moves of veteran dramas to Friday at a bare minimum. Only CSI: NY has recently become a Friday staple following a weeknight run, while shows like Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs and Blue Bloods were "home-grown" Friday products. But with CSI: NY seemingly on the way out, CBS will likely be forced into transitioning another veteran into the role. They could even move two, but the history suggests one is more than enough and the third slot goes to Undercover Boss or a new show.

If you believe repeat tryouts have any tea-leaf value, then the clear frontrunner is Hawaii Five-0, which has aired two repeats on the night this season and was originally slated for another in April. CSI feels like a good fit, but it might be too many moves. Elementary also feels like a good fit, but it might be too early in its run for such a downshift. (Do they want to artificially damage its ratings before scoring a syndication deal?) The Mentalist or The Good Wife are possible, but at this point moving from Sunday to Friday on CBS is practically a lateral move, and thus a pretty extraneous one unless CBS suddenly gets much more serious about Sunday.
 


SUNDAY

2012-13 Schedule
7:00 - 60 Minutes
8:00 - The Amazing Race
9:00 - The Good Wife
10:00 - The Mentalist

Question: Might the tight real estate create a Sunday surprise?

We've become conditioned to expect CBS to phone in its Sunday lineup dating back to when it was a movie night. Now it's all about "meh"-rated prestige shows and (particularly in the overrun-riddled 10:00 hour) veteran dramas on their last legs. They certainly have good reason to do this, with cable and the NFL taking over the night and frequently uncertain start times. Throwing a new show into this fray is particularly risky.

However, with so many veterans returning and a lot of interesting buns in the development oven, there's also good reason not to do this. Despite all of the above, these are still hours in which a ton of people are watching TV, and a two-hour chunk of real estate is a huge deal on a network with so much depth. I'm just saying that we shouldn't rule out CBS zig-zagging again when we think we have them pegged. Putting another hour in play would be so valuable for them. Some sort of timeslot-share between low-rated The Good Wife and The Mentalist? Person of Interest, jettisoned from Thursday by sitcom expansion? NCIS: Los Angeles, jettisoned by Red? Survivor?? A comedy block???

If I have to make a prediction, I say (as I said in the Power Rankings) that they don't do any of this, but by no means should these ideas be off their radar completely.

40 comments:

Spot said...

Great read Ed, thanks.

Spot said...

Monday
8:00 - How I Met Your Mother
8:30 - Friends with Better Lives
9:00 - 2 Broke Girls
9:30 - Mike & Molly
10:00 - Person of Interest

Tuesday

8:00 - NCIS
9:00 - NCIS: LA
10:00 - Beverly Hills Cop

Wednesday
8:00 - Survivor
9:00 - Criminal Minds
10:00 - CSI

Thursday
8:00 - The Big Bang Theory
8:30 - Mom
9:00 - Two and a Half Men
9:30 - Bad Teacher
10:00 - Elementary

Friday
8:00 - Hawaii Five-O
9:00 - The Advocates
10:00 - Blue Bloods

Sunday

7:00 - 60 Minutes
8:00 - The Amazing Race
9:00 - The Good Wife
10:00 - The Mentalist

Midseason: Undercover Boss, NCIS: Red



I think CBS should actually schedule Mom behind The Big Bang Theory instead of How I Met Your Mother to set it up to inherit either a Thursday at 9 or Monday at 8 tentpole position in 2014-2015. Using Theory's huge audience to support Two and a Half Men almost sounds like using X-Factor and Idol to support Glee. But in Two and a Half Men's case, I think it's strong enough to make the inroads into the fourth hour of comedy on Thursdays.


Can't see CBS not putting a new drama on Fridays again. What's the definition of insanity again?


I think my schedule is most "controversial" by putting Person of Interest in Five-O's timeslot. CBS has shown that it believed in Elementary by giving it the post-Super Bowl slot, so it may get a second season of patience (even though it would be a good Friday fit; I would not be surprised if I saw that). Meanwhile, PoI can improve CBS' Mondays at 10:00.

Spot said...

Monday:

8: Mother
8:30: Mom
9: 2 Broke Girls
9:30: The Crazy Ones
10: Beverly Hills Cop

Tuesday:

8: NCIS
9: NCIS: Red
10: Elementary

Wednesday:

8: Survivor
9: Criminal Minds
10: Hostages

Thursday:

8: Two and a Half Men
8:30: Greg Garcia
9: The Big Bang Theory
9:30: Friends With Better Lives
10: Person of Interest

Friday:

8: Undercover Boss
9: Hawaii Five-O
10: Blue Bloods

Saturday:

8: Something
9: Something Else
10: 48 Hours

Sunday:

8: The Amazing Race
9: NCIS: LA
10: The Good Wife/The Mentalist (15 each)

Ugh. I don't like pushing the newbies to 10, but there's just no room, unless they start throwing things on Saturday. (which I'm this close to doing) I'm holding onto Mike and Molly and CSI: in case something goes pear-shaped, which is likely, given how much new stuff they'll have to debut.

Spot said...

No comedy expansion, that's even more clear this year. Otherwise, why would CBS go through painful negotiations with Criminal Minds cast? If they had ready made 4th comedy block, they would just thank to aging, declining, with this new round of salary raises even more expensive show.

Spot said...

My thoughts on Sunday: Timeshare Good Wife and Mentalist (and just call final season for both), and a lower-tier veteran (say, Five-0) in the open slot.


My thoughts on Tuesday: New show @ 9 should happen, especially if it's NCIS:Red. Although I'd feel more confident about it actually happening if Red had launched out of DC instead of LA.

Spot said...

CBS is not going to let go of its second-highest rated drama. The network is known to play hardball over salary increases and has no fear letting things go down to or beyond the wire (see: Minds, CSI, NCIS). But Minds does seem to go through this more often than other shows

Spot said...

The only reasonable move is adding a 4th comedy hour, considering its development. Maybe I am clinging to false hope for Rules.

Spot said...

What CBS should do:


Monday
HIMYM
New Comedy
2BG
Mike & Molly
Elementary


Tuesday
NCIS
NCIS: Red
NCIS: LA


Wednesday
Criminal Minds
New Drama
CSI


Thursday
2.5 Men
New Comedy
TBBT
Mom
Person of Interest


Friday
The Good Wife
The Mentalist
Blue Bloods


Sunday
60 Minutes
Survivor
The Amazing Race
Undercover Boss




I think that Survivor and TAR have such a cross in audience that both shows ratings would improve from being paired together. Are there stats available saying that x% of people who watch Survivor also watch TAR? If there are, I bet that they are among the highest on TV for shows on different nights.

Spot said...

Renew both Rules and CSI:NY in case something flops. They should also have one more new drama and one more new comedy for midseason.

Spot said...

Going with all reality on Sunday is an interesting choice. None of them are really as strong as they were a few years back, though. It would still feel like they were giving up. What I like, though, is that it opens up the Wednesday@8 slot, where the competition (NBC comedies, ABC comedies not named Modern Family, first half of FOX's dying reality) is quite weak. I think a new show could make good headway there.

Spot said...

If Criminal Minds weren't *quite* as strong as it is, I'd see your point here. The sitcom expansion would certainly be easy to schedule (just move PoI to Wednesdays and then expand the Thursday sitcom block!).

But Criminal Minds is the #2 drama in all of broadcast television, and against immensely tougher competition than the only show ahead of it. You don't throw away that!

Spot said...

CBS could do with "putting another hour in play". They have good reason to treat Sundays as an extension of Fridays (a ton of veteran shows getting NBC numbers and producing their real money from syndication rather than first-run ad revenue).

There is a solution that maintains that syndication-factory Sunday whilst putting another hour in play midweek - timesharing Survivor and TAR. Both are fading enough that one cycle per year might be what they need (they're probably also running out of locations, especially TAR), Survivor in the fall as the stronger of the two - fall has a more powerful and frequent overrun effect, and the 8pm hour is helped rather than hindered by that - and TAR held for spring makes sense. Alternatively, if you put TAR in the fall and hold Survivor for spring, you don't even need to promote Sundays until midseason, and you've still opened up the Wednesday 8pm hour!

So how do you use that extra hour? The obvious move is a drama to lead into Criminal Minds. My fantasy schedule does something a bit different.

MONDAY: 8 HIMYM, 8:30 Mom, 9 2BG, 9:30 Mike & Molly, 10 Beverly Hills Cop
I like the suggestion of BHC going into Tuesdays as a presold concept, but...

TUESDAY: 8 NCIS, 9 NCIS LA, 10 NCIS Red
...CBS already have one of those to plug into Tuesday 10pm. Putting it here gives the writers room to play up the steaminess I heard was half the point of doing the "mobile team" thing.

WEDNESDAY: 8 Bad Teacher, 8:30 Crazy Ones, 9 Criminal Minds, 10 CSI
I don't see multicam and singlecam mixing to be a very CBS thing to do, so I'm putting the singlecams out on an island. Bad Teacher, as a presold concept, gets the leadoff role, even though I wouldn't be surprised if Crazy Ones ended up building on it (especially because it'll be in a higher-viewing half-hour against laughable - no pun intended - sitcom competition).

THURSDAY: 8 TBBT, 8:30 2.5 Men, 9 PoI, 10 Elementary
This night works. The Survivor move means I don't have to change it!

FRIDAY: 8 Undercover Boss, 9 Five-0, 10 Blue Bloods
Sooner or later, CBS will learn to not put a new scripted show on Friday. If UB needs replacing, it should be with something else that's not scripted originals. (Great American Bake Off if it's a summer hit? A new game show? TBBT reruns?!?)

SUNDAY: 7 60 Minutes, 8 Survivor/TAR, 9 Good Wife, 10 Mentalist
And there you have it.

On the bench: Friends with Better Lives, Super Clyde, The Advocates, new game show or Great American Bake Off. (That's one singlecam, one multicam, one drama, and one unscripted.)

Total changes: 2 new dramas (because the #3 drama hasn't worked in I don't know how long), 3 new comedies, 2 timeslot moves (1 potentially held for midseason).

I'm actually really proud of this schedule. It hardly changes a thing... except for one seemingly radical move that makes several other things work. That's *so* CBS!

Spot said...

I just don't see CBS dooming another rookie to languish on Fridays until November.

Spot said...

In a way, I feel like making a CBS schedule is as dependent on the comedy expansion as ABC's schedule is on what happens to DWTS - maybe even more here. It is very hard to operate here, because there are a number of things I would do (like held a veteran such as the mentalist to midseason) or make more moves than usual (h50 would fit better on sundays than fridays) that are things we simply cannot expect out of cbs.Heck, at this point, I could almost make a case to add 2 new comedy hours (on on Thursdays and one on the Friday graveyard as deadline reported) but that wouldn't be CBS like so it is not realistic. From the other networks, we can expect a lot of moves (especially a network like FOX), but CBS won't do things it it not used to. So doing a schedule for it is about finding a compromise... Before going there, my answers:

1. I would say it was a mix of both. I also say that year to year comparisons paint a picture that is more negative than reality. 2Broke Girls was severely inflated by the whole return of Two and a Half Men last year, and it aired for half season against a wasteland on NBC. It also had a very good lead-in. Your True-Scores show this: It went down from a 3.5 true score last year to a 3.1 true score this year - that is not such a huge decline as some people make it out to be. I think the show will be fine provided it is surrounded by a better lead-in. I also think Mike and Molly weakened more than usual, and having a weak lead-out certainly doesn't help it either. It will probably remain there next season, and it should.

2. I think so. I don't see CBS doing the move otherwise and I don't see the upside in creating yet another second tier show in LA, which is what it would do. It is one thing to protect something that barely survives with a huge lead-in, it is another one to protect a successful pairing like this.

3. This is what I was talking about before. While there are reasons to make changes here, it depends so much on whatever happens elsewhere (comedy expansion or not) that I am sort of puzzled. There is a move that I really like which is POI at 8, a new show at 9 and CM or CSI at 10, but that would involve shake ups at so many nights that I am not sure. That is the only reason I would break the CSI-CM thing, I don't necessarily think that is a great idea to launch something out of CM at this point. I would however defend a Survivor move to Sunday even if it is not to change the whole night, as if they have a big enough drama to self start it could in theory get the 8pm slot here, as could a couple of comedies.


4. Basically, yes! I can't think of any development as we are seeing here recently. It is crazy. I almost feel like they have enough comedies for all the 4 networks comedy needs combined.


5. It will be H50, but I don't think it will work, as I think it should get Tuesdays or Sundays instead. But I think it will be H50. A couple of comedies on the 8pm hour wouldn't shock me and I still say that Elementary could potentially solve two problems at once if moved here


6. I would love for it (a Survivor move here would be wonders), but the renewals of the good wife and the mentalist so early on don't suggest so.

Spot said...

Honestly, I change this schedule more often than any other... It is really hard to make a compromise between what I want, what they will do, comedy expansion variable, etc. At this point, I feel crazy not expanding comedy hours so I will do it here. This schedule as too many moves, but this is what I would do:

Monday [They need a lot of new blood here]
How I Met Your Mother
Friends with Better Lives
2 Broke Girls
Super Clyde
Beverly Hill Cops

Tuesday [I still say that a new drama out of LA should work, even though 3 hours of drama have proven to be a hard sell]
NCIS
NCIS-LA
Hostages

Wednesday [Only way to expand and avoid downgrading POI to a 10pm show]
Person of Interest
Criminal Minds
CSI

Thursday
The Big Bang Theory
Mom
Two and a Half Men
Mike and Molly
Elementary

Friday [It is rearranging the decks in the titanic to move the sunday shows here if they are just going to continue to give up sundays... But if they are serious about trying to make it work, this is what should happen]
The Good Wife
The Mentalist
Blue Bloods

Sunday
The Amazing Race
Survivor
Hawaii Five-0

Spot said...

I wouldn't view Survivor on Sundays as giving up the night at all, on the contrary. Survivor is still a powerhouse show for CBS, moving it to Sundays would be a message that they want to get seriously back in the Sunday business. I think Survivor to Sundays and POI to Wednesdays at 8 to make room for the comedy expansion is the smart move.

Spot said...

This!

Spot said...

Yes, I have been saying this ever since friends with better lives got a pilot order. It seems like the perfect show to take over Mother, whereas Mom seems perfect to the chuck lore thursdays lineup.

Spot said...

The thing is that CBS doesn't do timeshare, that is what makes it so damn hard. I would agree that the mentalist should be held until midseason, for sure, but CBS won't do that. I also don't want a new thing on friday, unless it is some form of comedy hour.

Spot said...

Comedy expansion is not dependent, at all, on Criminal Minds being renewed. The 4th comedy hour is probably fighting with the third new drama that would be launched.

Spot said...

Criminal Minds does great but is not the #2 broacast television drama, where did you get that idea?

Seasonal Averages for TOP 5 Dramas:
1. NCIS: 3.34
2. Grey's Anatomy: 3.10
3. Person of Interest: 2.92
4. Criminal Minds: 2.89
5. NCIS-LA:2.83

Spot said...

Yeah I would be shocked if CM didn't come back.

Spot said...

They will not held CSI to midseason. If anything gets held, it should be the mentalist, but it won't be, because it is no the type of thing that CBS does.

Spot said...

I disagree. Even though we don't want them to, I won't be surprised if they do it. Rumour has it, per Deadline that they are considering launching comedies there. I wouldn't be surprised if they went with Mike and Molly/New Comedy, H50, Blue Bloods

Spot said...

In my schedule, Mentalist doesn't come back until January. You would be holding Good Wife over, but I don't know where you'd put it. Maybe Friday@8 with a shortened season of UB?

Spot said...

You put it all upside down. Yes, Criminal Minds doesn't depend on 4th comedy hour .. but that's only because 4th hour doesn't exist at all. If 4th hour existed, then CBS would already cancel too expensive Criminal Minds. It's simply as that - it can't depend on an imaginary thing.

How do we now CM is too expensive? Well, 5 days until upfronts and show is still not renewed despite OKish ratings. Speaks volumes.

For logical thinking, it's not important only *what is*, but also *what is not*

Spot said...

Monday
8:00 – How I Met Your Mother
8:30 – Mike & Molly
9:00 – 2 Broke Girls
9:30 – New Comedy
10:00 – New Drama

How I Met Your Mother should stay put for its final season, and lead-in to Mike & Molly, which has weakened this season. 2 Broke Girls needs to be used to launch a new comedy at 9:30 while it's still a force. 10:00 calls for a new drama, because Hawaii Five-0 has not been cutting it this season.

Tuesday
8:00 – NCIS
9:00 – NCIS: LA
10:00 – New Drama

Contrary to some beliefs, I don't think CBS is going to restructure Tuesday, because for the most part, it's a moderate success. They just need to find the right new drama to air at 10:00.

Wednesday
8:00 – Survivor
9:00 – Criminal Minds
10:00 – CSI

Like Tuesday, I think CBS will keep Wednesday as it is. The trio of veteran shows was no powerhouse this season, but it was solid and need not be changed yet.

Thursday
8:00 – Two and a Half Men
8:30 – New Comedy
9:00 – The Big Bang Theory
9:30 – New Comedy
10:00 – Person of Interest

I really think and hope that CBS will expand its Thursday comedy line-up, and give The Big Bang Theory a shot to grow further at 9:00. Two and a Half Men should lead-in to a new comedy at 8:30, because it can self-start. The Big Bang Theory might grow for the third consecutive season at 9:00, and it can offer a sizable lead-in to a new comedy at 9:30. Person of Interest should stay on Thursday, and 10:00 is where it'll most likely be slotted.

Friday
8:00 – The Mentalist
9:00 – Elementary
10:00 – Blue Bloods


I would like to see The Mentalist lead-in to Elementary on Friday, followed by Blue Bloods.

Sunday
8:00 – The Amazing Race
9:00 – The Good Wife
10:00 – Hawaii Five-0



Sunday should remain the same, except 10:00 should be occupied by Hawaii Five-0.

Spot said...

For some reason I thought Grey's was doing worse, probably because I've been focused on it being matched or beaten by Scandal lately. I'm amazed PoI is doing better (and I'm quite sure it's Truly worse with that Chuck Lorre power hour lead-in). Still, more than successful enough to keep around even at a high price - and CBS did!

Spot said...

Hmm. Mike and Molly leading off Friday? That's a move I'd never considered but can see the logic behind. Expands sitcoms without moving PoI, and looks like a serious Friday play when actually the show is collapsing, would still be collapsing on Mondays, and is likely going to be 88 and out.

Spot said...

To be fair, we don't know which one out of POI, CM and LA is doing better raw numbers wise because
1) the numbers are too close for it and statistical error is certain to play a role in cases like this and
2) whoever has the higher 18-34 will be the most profitable, and we don't know those numbers (at least I don't, some people know them)

Spot said...

It wasn't actually my original idea, some people have argued for it before. I don't like it much to be honest, but I still like it better than just having Mom on the fall schedule from all the comedy pilots that they have.

Spot said...

It's not like CBS to have a new show lead into another new show, so unless it's a high-profile or well-known vehicle like Mom or NCIS: Red I doubt they'll move Mike & Molly and create 90 minutes of uncertainty.

Spot said...

CBS should be trying to figure out what's going to fill the voids by HIMYM and 2.5 Men after next season (the former's definitely over while I could see 2.5 Men also ending), so it feels unlikely that it's going to find it in a Friday sitcom. That last time that happened was with Everybody Loves Raymond in the mid-90s.

Spot said...

I am not saying that they will do it, I am just saying it is a possibility that they do it. Dateline even stated so.

Spot said...

I have not seen that many, but I'm pretty sure CM is the strongest of those three in 18-34 by a decent margin. From what I've seen (mostly Jan to March), Minds usually gets upper-1's to 2.0 and the other two are in the 1.5 to 1.6 range.

Makes since when looking at the 18-49 skew, where 32% of Minds' audience is 18-49 and the other two are mid-20's.

Spot said...

Ok thanks spot. There you have it then, CM is probably the third broadcast drama of the season then.

Spot said...

Either way, those numbers sure explain why CBS fought relentlessly to make sure they didn't lose it, which is what we all agree on :)

Spot said...

What they should do is put The Mentalist a normal day at a normal time and so will the audience I had before, which incidentally was greater than Elementary. This was only a year ago.

Spot said...

Now for CBS's decisions.

Comedies:

Renewed:

2 Broke Girls
The Big Bang Theory
How I Met Your Mother
Mike & Molly
Two and a Half Men

Cancelled:

Partners
Rules of Engagement

Dramas:

Renewed:

Blue Bloods
Criminal Minds
CSI
Elementary
The Good Wife
Hawaii Five-0
The Mentalist
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
Person Of Interest

Cancelled:

CSI: NY CBS
Golden Boy
Made In Jersey
Vegas


Pilot Pick-ups:

Comedies:

Crazy Ones (single-camera)
Mom (multi)
We Are Men (single)
The Millers (multi)

Dramas:
Hostages
Intelligence

Spot said...

So I was wrong, comedy expansion is happening after all. With so many comedy pilots picked, Thursday 9PM should be 4th comedy hour. I think it's irrelevant if Person of Interest or Elementary moves to Tuesday 10PM, that slot seems no better or worse than Thursday 10 PM.

That solves one puzzle. As now it's very likely both CSI and Hawaii 5-0 are moving to Friday to empty 2 weekday slots (Mon 10PM & Wed 10PM) for 2 new dramas. Other options (like premiering only one fall drama; or premiere one of two dramas on Friday) seem much, much less likely.

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