The fourth of the network upfronts is out, covering CBS’ fall schedule. Here are my thoughts and what I anticipate Critical Myth will be covering in one degree or another next season. The following is the schedule released by the network on 18 May 2011:
CBS FALL 2010 SCHEDULE *New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET
MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM How I Met Your Mother
8:30-9:00 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS
9:00-9:30 PM Two and a Half Men
9:30-10:00 PM Mike and Molly
10:00-11:00 PM Hawaii Five-O
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00-11:00 PM UNFORGETTABLE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Survivor: South Pacific
9:00-10:00 PM Criminal Minds
10:00-11:00 PM CSI
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM The Big Bang Theory
8:30-9:00 PM HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN
9:00-10:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST
10:00-11:00 PM The Mentalist
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM A GIFTED MAN
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
10:00-11:00 PM Blue Bloods
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM Rules of Engagement
8:30-9:00 PM Comedytime Saturday
9:00-10:00 PM Crimetime Saturday
10:00-11:00 PM 48 Hours Mystery
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 PM The Amazing Race
9:00-10:00 PM The Good Wife
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: Miami
- Mondays
Other than “How I Met Your Mother”, I really have no interest in the CBS Monday Night comedy block. I know a lot of people are fans of “Hawaii Five-O”, but I’m just not that big a fan of procedurals.
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Tuesday
It’s been a long time since I’ve been a fan of the NCIS franchise, so that is still off my list. “Unforgettable” does have a slight genre twist to it, but not enough to make me want to tune in.
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Wednesday
We finally dropped “Survivor” out of our regular line-up, so that’s off the table. I’ve never liked “Criminal Minds” and its penchant for shock value, and my distaste for the CSI franchise is likewise well-documented. So that’s another night where CBS has lost me.
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Thursday
“The Big Bang Theory” is one of the few sitcoms I adore, so that’s definitely still on my DVR list. The big highlight here is “Person of Interest” with Michael Emerson. It’s a bit of a present-day riff on “Minority Report”, from what I can tell, but Emerson is a draw regardless.
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Friday
“A Gifted Man” seems like an attempt to re-imagine “Ghost Whisperer”, but the premise sounds more like a bad Lifetime movie of the week than an ongoing series. The rest of the schedule is even more procedurals.
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Saturday/Sunday
I’d hate to be “Rules of Engagement” right now, despite the pick-up. Is this the only original scripted programming on Saturday nights on any major network? Regardless, the big news here is the move for “The Good Wife”, now on Sunday nights. That’s one my wife’s favorite shows, and having seen a good deal of it, I understand why.
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Mid-Season
It looks like CBS only has one show on the mid-season slate, and sure enough, it’s a procedural. And sure enough, I don’t have much interest in it as a result.
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What Didn’t Make the Cut
CBS is so devoted to procedural franchises at this point (NCIS, CSI, etc.) that it’s no surprise that even their discard pile has nothing with a genre flavor to it.
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Final Verdict
So when it comes to CBS, the only shows that will likely be covered on Critical Myth are Person of Interest and The Good Wife.
