CBS is the big dog of the broadcast networks at the moment. It has led all networks in total viewers for the past few years and it looks like it will take the lead again for the 2005-2006 season. Also, not only does CBS have the number one drama on TV with CSI, it also has a whopping six shows returning for their second seasons. With so much going for CBS right now, what tweaks will be made to ensure its dominance in the 2006-2007 season?
(All times are Eastern. New shows are in bold.)
Monday
8-8:30 p.m.: How I Met Your Mother
8:30-9 p.m.: The Class
9-9:30 p.m.: Two And A Half Men
9:30-10 p.m. The New Adventures Of Old Christine
10-11 p.m.: CSI: Miami
CBS Press Release:
THE CLASS (Monday, 8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT), from Emmy Award winner David Crane ("Friends") and Emmy Award nominee Jeffrey Klarik ("Mad About You"), is a comedy about the lives of a group of 20-somethings who are inextricably bound together having shared the same third grade class. Now face to face at an impromptu reunion to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the day they met, they wonder if they'll have anything in common besides vague memories of playground kisses and underwear sightings on the monkey bars. Turns out they do. After two decades apart for most of them, some are eager to show off, some want to rekindle old crushes and others just want to satisfy their curiosity.Whatever the case, their lives will intersect from this point forward, sharing childhood memories and dealing with adult issues—career, relationships and the general direction or misdirection life will take them. Jason Ritter ("Joan of Arcadia"), Heather Goldenhersh ("The Merchant of Venice"), Lizzy Caplan ("Related"), Jon Bernthal ("Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman"), Sean Maguire ("Eve"), Jesse Tyler Ferguson ("Putnam County Spelling Bee"), Lucy Punch ("Ella Enchanted") and Andrea Anders ("Joey") also star. Multiple Emmy Award winner James Burrows directs. Crane, Klarik and Burrows are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television.
My Thoughts: Monday sees one comedy getting moved to a new time (How I Met Your Mother) and the network's only new comedy series (The Class). This is a strong night for CBS and The Class seems like a good fit for How I Met Your Mother since both shows deal with younger characters and relationships. There is some very big talent behind the scenes of The Class, but big talent behind-the-scenes doesn't always translate into a good show. However, by being sandwiched right between How I Met Your Mother and Two And A Half Men, it, at the very least, has a good chance of becoming a hit show.
Tuesday
8-9 p.m.: NCIS
9-10 p.m.: The Unit
10-11 p.m. Smith
From the CBS Press Release:
SMITH (Tuesday, 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) stars Emmy Award winner Ray Liotta ("ER," "Goodfellas,") as a criminal mastermind in a drama about a close-knit crew of career criminals who plot and execute intricate and ingenious high-stakes heists across the country. Though Bobby Stevens (Liotta) appears to be a regular family man with a nine-to-five job, he's actually an expert thief who is seeking just two or three more big jobs so he can finally leave the business for a comfortable, lawful lifestyle with his wife, Hope (Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen, "Sideways").Bobby's second family, his core band of partners, each bring their own areas of expertise to pulling off the biggest and most sophisticated armed robberies. The FBI is determined to catch the team but is most interested in capturing "Smith," the crew's mysterious leader and the brains behind the entire operation. It remains to be seen whether Bobby will be able to extricate himself in time from the scores that give him such a rush, or if his retirement will be a forced one—behind bars. Jonny Lee Miller ("Trainspotting"), Franky G ("Saw II"), Simon Baker ("The Guardian") and Amy Smart ("Felicity") also star. Emmy Award winner John Wells ("ER," "The West Wing") is the executive producer for Warner Bros. Television.
Article comments
1 - NancyGail
A couple of things-Smith sounds like The Sopranos and Godfather II. James Woods may have guest starred on ER, but not sure he was part of cast, as this story suggests. Otherwise, nicely done!
2 - msD
What did CBS do with King of Queens? That is my favorite show of all time... & it looks like they've replaced it with The Class!