Thursday, May 20, 2010

Upfronts: CBS

You're the most-watched network on TV. What do you do for the upcoming season? Retool and look to maintain your status in the new decade.

What's gone - A lot, but nothing huge. The most notable cancellations mark the dismantling of CBS's Friday nights, which they've owned the last couple of seasons. Both Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs are gone, as are sitcoms The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, among others. The most notable drama cancellation outside of Friday was Cold Case, though that was fairly well expected.

Day by Day

Monday: The Big Bang Theory moves out, and Rules of Engagement moves in. Replacing Accidentally on Purpose is Mike and Molly, the latest creation from Chuck Lorre. It focuses on a couple that meets at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and are now trying to build a relationship while shedding pounds. If nothing else it's refreshing that we'll have some fat people on TV, even if they're only Hollywood fat.

The day ends with the revival of Hawaii 5-0, about which I'm of two minds. I love the original (I could watch '70s cop shows all day), but am concerned with the new version, which sounds like they've moved 24 to the islands. That and they've made Kono a woman, though I'm OK with that given the casting of Grace Park in the role.  Speaking of casting, Daniel Dae Kim gets to stay in Hawaii, moving from Lost to play Chin Ho Kelly. I also approve of that, but for very different reasons.

Tuesday: Stays the same with NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife. No need to mess with success.

Wednesday: The night kicks off with Survivor, which moves from Thursday in the network's biggest change for an existing show. It will pair with Criminal Minds and a new show, The Defenders, which is sadly not a revival of the great 1960s courtroom drama that starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed. Instead, it stars Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as Las Vegas defense attorneys. Honestly, your eyes kind of glazed over right after "O'Connell," didn't they?  

Thursday: The Big Bang Theory lands here to kick off the night, which is now tailored to take on NBC's comedy bloc and ABC's dramas. It's paired with $#*! My Dad Says, which I am fairly certain is the first TV show ever based on a Twitter feed. In it, William Shatner plays the dad whose inappropriate comments become Internet fodder for his son Henry. They also target the other son, played by Will Sasso, and his wife, played by Nicole Sullivan. I don't know about this one - the Twitter thing seems like a gimmick to dress up a family sitcom - and there's always the fear that Shatner will be, well, himself. That could be a great thing, except when it's a horrible thing.

The night is rounded out by CSI, the original, and The Mentalist.


Friday: Medium moves up an hour to kick things off, and is then followed by CSI: New York, which makes me think that it'll disappear at some point so they can trot out NCIS: Random Coastal City. The night closes with the new drama Blue Bloods, which tells the story of the Reagan family, who have served the NYPD for generations, from the patriarch (and former chief) to the current chief (Tom Selleck) and his sons (Donnie Wahlberg and Will Estes). Bridget Moynihan plays the only Reagan woman, who as a girl apparently can't be a cop, so she's an attorney for the DA's office (and a single mom, hello art portraying life). There's likely some promise here, as the cast is good and Friday's not a bad night for a show that might be a little by the numbers.

Saturday: Two hours of Crimetime Saturday followed by 48 Hours Mystery. I suppose we should be thankful that they're running new programming at all.

Sunday: Mostly unchanged, as 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race and Undercover Boss all return to regular times, joined at 10 by CSI: Miami. Sunday at 10 seems later for a police procedural; it certainly didn't do Cold Case any favors.

So there you have it. Not sure if all the movement will bear fruit, but it's good to see CBS isn't being complacent. Just temporarily insane when it green lighted The Defenders.

1 comment:

Allyson said...

I really hate that CBS moved Big Bang Theory to compete with the NBC sitcoms, though I understand why they did it. I am hopeful that Mike and Molly will provide good post-HIMYM viewing and will not just be full of fat jokes. Having seen the commercials for that show, the stars look like they're regular people fat, not just Hollywood fat.