CBS announced their Fall 2010 TV schedule along with one new show coming at midseason today. They have five new shows for fall. These include three hour-long dramas and two half-hour comedies. NBC, FOX, and ABC have already announced and The CW announces tomorrow. Take a look at CBS’s offerings. Bold Italic below denotes new shows. Updated 5.21.2010: Added video clips.
CBS Fall 2010 TV Schedule
Monday
How I Met Your Mother
Rules of Engagement
Two and a Half Men
Mike & Molly – A comedy from Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory) about a working class Chicago couple who find love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. Officer Mike Biggs, played by Billy Gardell (My Name Is Earl), is a good-hearted cop who sincerely wants to lose weight. Mike’s partner, Officer Carl McMillan, played by Reno Wilson (Blind Jusitice), is a thin, fast-talking wise-guy, who despite his teasing encourages Mike on his road to slimness and romance. While speaking at an O.A. meeting, Mike meets Molly Flynn, played by Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls), an instantly likeable fourth-grade teacher with a healthy sense of humor about her curves. For Molly, focusing on smart choices isn’t easy because she lives with her sexy older sister, Victoria, played by Katy Mixon (Eastbound & Down), and their mother, Joyce, played by Swoosie Kurtz (Pushing Daisies), both of whom flaunt their healthy appetites and slender figures. Mike also faces temptation at the diner he and Carl frequent, where they’ve become friends with the Senegalese waiter, Samuel, played by Nyambi Nyambi, who finds trying to eat less a foreign concept. For Mike and Molly, thanks to their mutual love of pie and the desire to resist it, finding each other may have been worth the “weight.”
TVaholic’s Take: If the comedy doesn’t just come from fat jokes, it could be good. Really like Melissa McCarthy, but wish I was still watching her in Samantha Who?.
Hawaii Five-0 – A contemporary take on the classic series about a new elite federalized task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the Islands’ sun-drenched beaches. Detective Steve McGarrett, played by Alex O’Loughlin (Moonlight), a decorated Naval officer turned cop, returns to Oahu to investigate his father’s murder and stays after Hawaii’s governor persuades him to head up the new team: his rules, her backing, no red tape and full blanket immunity to hunt down the biggest “game” in town. Joining McGarrett is Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, played by Scott Caan (Ocean’s Eleven), a newly relocated ex-New Jersey cop who prefers skyscrapers to the coastline but is committed to keeping the Islands safe for his 8-year-old daughter; and Chin Ho Kelly, played by Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), an ex-Honolulu Police Detective wrongly accused of corruption and relegated to a federal security patrol, who is also a former protégé of McGarrett’s father. Chin’s cousin, Kono, played by Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica), is a beautiful and fearless native, fresh out of the academy and eager to establish herself among the department’s elite. McGarrett vows to bring closure to his father’s case while the state’s brash new FIVE-0 unit, who may spar and jest among themselves, is determined to eliminate the seedy elements from the 50th state.
TVaholic’s Take: I like much of the cast, the premise, and the setting. Maybe, third time will be the charm for O’Loughlin.
Tuesday
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
The Good Wife
Wednesday
Survivor – New night.
Criminal Minds
The Defenders – It stars Jim Belushi (According to Jim) and Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan) in a comedic drama about two colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys who go all-in when it comes to representing their clients. Nick and Pete are the local go-to guys with an eclectic client list who are still looking to hit their own jackpot. Leading the law firm of Morelli & Kaczmarek are Nick Morelli, played by Belushi, an earnest, hard-charging attorney who represents his clients to the best of his ability, no matter how big or small the case, and his partner, Pete Kaczmarek, played by O’Connell, whose passion for the law is matched only by his love of fast cars, beautiful women and expensive clothes. Joining them in their growing law practice is new associate Lisa Tyler, played by Jurnee Smollett (Friday Night Lights), an enthusiastic young attorney looking to put her exotic dancing days behind her; and their young assistant, Sophie, played by Tanya Fischer (Life on Mars), a spunky and sweet ingénue who is eager to please her bosses. As Lady Luck shines on their legal careers, the partners have their hands full when it comes to their personal lives. While Pete is busy cruising the Vegas Strip for his latest romantic conquest, Nick is focused on repairing his fractured marriage to his estranged wife, Jessica, played by Gillian Vigman (Sons & Daughters), while remaining present in the life of their young son. No matter the offense, Nick and Pete aim to prove that when the stakes are high they’re willing to bet the house on the clients they defend in Sin City.
TVaholic’s Take: Sounds very Shark like, but from the defense side of things.
Thursday
The Big Bang Theory – New night and time.
$#*! My Dad Says – Based on the popular Twitter feed (@ShitMyDadSays) by Justin Halpern, stars Emmy Award winner William Shatner (Boston Legal) as Ed Goodson, a forthright and opinionated dad who relishes expressing his unsolicited and often wildly politically incorrect observations to anyone within earshot. Nobody is immune from Ed’s rants, including his sons, Henry, a struggling writer-turned-unpaid blogger; and Vince, played by Will Sasso (MADtv), the meek half of his husband/wife real estate duo with domineering Kathleen, played by Nicole Sullivan (Rita Rocks). When Henry finds he can no longer afford to pay rent to his pretty roommate — and secret admirer — Sam, played by Stephanie Lemelin (Cavemen), Ed reveals a soft spot and invites Henry to move in with him. Henry agrees, knowing that the verbal assault will not abate and now there will be no escape. Describing their father/son relationship is tricky – but Ed will easily come up with a few choice words.
TVaholic’s Take: Really looking forward to seeing this one, given where it derived from. Also, wondering why they are recasting the Henry character.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
The Mentalist
Friday
Medium – New earlier time.
CSI: NY – New night and time.
Blue Bloods – A drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan, played by Tom Selleck (Jesse Stone Movies, Magnum, P.I.) is the New York Chief of Police and patriarch of the Reagan brood, which he heads as diplomatically as he does the force, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, played by Len Cariou (Damages), during his stint as Chief. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son Danny, played by Donnie Wahlberg (Boomtown), a seasoned detective, family man and Iraqi War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases. The sole Reagan woman in the family, Erin, played by Bridget Moynahan (Six Degrees), is a N.Y. Assistant D.A. and newly single parent, who also serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father. Jamie, played by Will Estes (American Dreams), is the youngest Reagan, fresh out of Harvard Law and the family’s “golden boy.” However, unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and is now a newly minted cop, a career change seemingly supported by his beautiful girlfriend, Sydney Davenport, played by Dylan Moore, a first year lawyer. Jamie’s life takes an abrupt turn, however, when he’s asked to become part of a clandestine police investigation even his father knows nothing about, and one that could impact the family’s legacy.
TVaholic’s Take: Much preferred the former title Reagan’s Law to Blue Bloods. The cast is great and the premise at least gives a bit of a tweak on the normal cop show.
Wednesday
Crimetime Saturday
Crimetime Saturday
48 Hours Mystery
Sunday
60 Minutes
The Amazing Race
Undercover Boss
CSI: Miami – New night.
New Midseason 2011 Show:
Criminal Minds Spinoff – It stars Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker (The Shield) in a drama about an elite team of agents within the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit who use unconventional methods of investigation and aggressive tactics to capture the nation’s most nefarious criminals. Whitaker plays Unit chief Special Agent Sam Cooper, who is a mentally and physically fierce natural leader who is not afraid to put his career on the line in order to stand by his convictions. Cooper strives to avoid political bureaucracy and has handpicked an eclectic group of profilers to work outside the confines of Quantico: Former British Special Forces soldier Mick Rawson, played by Matt Ryan (Collision), confident and handsome, works as a highly-skilled marksman with an undiluted eye for rooting out evil; John “Prophet” Sims, played by Michael Kelly (Generation Kill), a former convict with a street-smart edge and a calm, Zen-like presence, who is determined to make amends for past sins; and Gina LaSalle, played by Beau Garrett, an attractive, tough agent armed with a cunning sense of perception. This exceptional group of FBI operatives is strong in their beliefs and steadfast in their mission to bring the country’s most dangerous criminals to justice.
TVaholic’s Take: I like the original and I liked the backdoor “Pilot” they did as part of it, but do we or CBS really need another procedural spinoff?
Canceled Series: Accidentally on Purpose, Cold Case, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Whisperer, Miami Medical, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Numb3rs, and Three Rivers.
Concluding Thoughts: Based on information so far, I am most interested in new CBS Fall 2010 TV show $#*! My Dad Says . As for the schedule shakeup, I am most surprised by the move of Survivor to Wednesdays and the attempt to establish a new comedy block on Thursdays. But, moving CSI: Miami to close out Sunday nights is an interesting move as well, especially since their is no other scripted programming on the night for CBS.
What do you think about CBS’s Fall 2010 – Midseason 2011 offerings?
Disappointed by the Big Bang Theory and Survivor moves. I liked having CBS comedies on Mondays, ABC comedies on Wednesdays and NBC comedies on Thursdays. It was also nice when BBT was back-to back with HIMYM as then it was a solid hour on the DVR rather than tying up two hour blocks for 30 min each.
I’m glad CBS is bringing back Medium–even though it’s predictable, I still enjoy it.
I no longer watch CSI: Miami but that just doesn’t feel like a Sunday night show. At least it’s not something I care about in that slot as football will be messing it up anyway.
I think $#*! My Dad Says sounds pretty funny. I might give it a shot, especially considering it’s now on right after The Big Bang Theory. But I am upset about moving The Big Bang Theory to that timeslot, because now it has to compete with Community on NBC, so its ratings might dip, risking cancellation.
Kyle, I was thinking CBS would move The Big Bang Theory to Wednesdays, since they had been trying for two seasons to create a comedy block there. Don’t like it on Thursday, cause it’s just adds to the number of shows on the day that I want to watch. And, CSI: Miami closing out a news/reality night of TV just seems kind of weird to me.
PDF, Yes, CBS is definitely going to give NBC a run for its money in the first hour of primetime with that move. It will probably hurt both shows, but Community most.