Continued from the previous page
TUESDAY
SHILO: A lot of the CBS lineup does well, although you can usually come up with reasons for a move or a midseason hold. Not with NCIS, though; the show is the cornerstone of the network’s Tuesday nights and with it showing no signs of weakening, even in the face of The Voice, there’s no argument to move it from 8:00 on Tuesdays.
There is an argument for moving NCIS: LA, though. If CBS is feeling more adventurous, I think they might slide it back to 10:00 – that would plug in one of their trouble spots with a decent performer and allow them to hammock a promising drama pilot on a fairly empty hour. However, earlier this season, they flipped NCIS and LA during a rerun week and the latter didn’t do that well, suggesting that it might not be able to thrive if moved away from its mothership. If they hold on long enough for the spin-off to be sold into syndication, that extra audience flow might be enough to allow for a move, but until then, I’m thinking that LA will once again occupy the 9:00 hour come fall.
So what does CBS go with at 10:00? A new performer is likely out of the question, seeing as how the hour has swallowed Vegas, Golden Boy, and (for a time) Unforgettable in recent seasons. If they decide to expand their comedies on Thursday, either Elementary or Person of Interest could be a prime candidate, which is why I went with the latter. The former is weaker in the ratings right now, on top of being faced with less difficult competition, so a four-comedy lineup could give it the extra juice it needs to compete better with ABC’s Scandal. Thus, Person of Interest gets moved to Tuesdays at 10:00; it has wide enough appeal to transcend the hour, it can afford to lose more viewers than Elementary, and it brings buzz (and younger audience) to a night that doesn’t make much noise for the network.
CRAIG: Your suggestion to move POI to Tuesdays is brilliant, and not something I would have thought of myself. That could really make the show as big as NCIS, which it honestly deserves to be, because it might be the best thing on CBS these days. I really like it a lot, even if I don’t always get to watch it. However, since I didn’t come up with that one myself, I’ll deviate and suggest they put new series Hostages there. I think it’d go well with the NCIS “family.” If it’s only a limited run deal, that’s when something else can sub in later.
From 8-10, I’d keep things the same. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and the NCIS audience watches loyally at those times every week. No need to change…. at least not for now.
WEDNESDAY
SHILO: The reality franchise Survivor looked to be a vulnerable part of the CBS schedule earlier this season, but it rallied and thus earned its a two-season renewal, each of which will air during the 2013-2014 season. Television has seen the crumbling of some veteran reality shows in recent years, with Dancing with the Stars and American Idol becoming shells of their former selves, which makes Survivor’s, well, survival that much more impressive. I’d still try something out here during the brief hiatus between cycles (ideally, single-camera comedies with short orders), though, just to see how much something else would do on the day that Survivor can’t perform anymore.
At 9, with American Idol and Modern Family hitting lows this spring, CBS wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that now was the time to plug in one of their buzziest pilots and see how much audience was out there for the taking. However, Criminal Minds still does far too well to consider a move like that for next season; it might have to move in a season or two just due to financial reasons, but for now, the show is very strong and has managed to outlast shows that have had better ratings and more awards attention. CBS has other nights and slots that they need to focus on, such that a Criminal Minds move might not be feasible at this time. If they can get a new drama to stick, though, a move might not be out of the question for 2014.
If I were a betting man, I’d say that next season is CSI’s last in the Wednesdays at 10:00 slot, which it’s surprisingly excelled in. However, it’s lost some of its power this season and has become a more marginal performer. CBS is the network with the least amount of space available and the highest ratings standards. If they think they can do better somewhere, they’re likely going to give it a go, regardless of your status. For now, though, it’s still competitive with the programming from ABC and NBC, often winning the night outright, and there are other dramas in front of it in the line to Fridays, so the Wednesday lineup stays in tact for another season.
CRAIG: And I will say the same thing, in a much shorter fashion: At least for now, CBS Wednesday works. I’m keeping it as is.
THURSDAY
SHILO: It will be just Two Men come next season, as the Half, Angus T. Jones, has been reduced to a recurring guest star on the show. With CBS needing new comedy hits and Two and a Half Men on its last legs, another season behind The Big Bang Theory wouldn’t make sense, not when there’s a 5.0+ lead-in going to waste on a decade-old show. As such, I would move Two and a Half Men to 8:00 and use it as a lead-in for a new comedy. It will certainly be a net loss in raw numbers for the network, but they need to use their assets while they have them and they’ll still likely either win the night or be a very close second place. While it’s possible the show could continue falling next season and not be the best thing to put in front of a new show, it needs to be given the chance to help the network’s comedy slate.
In the 8:30 spot, I would launch The Millers, a multi-cam starring Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, and J.B. Smoove. The show is reportedly getting good buzz from the network and the concept about a divorced man having his parents move in seems like it would fit alongside Two and a Half Men, which started with a man moving in with his brother. Combining a still vital Two and a Half Men with weak competition from the other networks and the viewership bump at 8:30, as well as pre-tune in for The Big Bang Theory, and this could be a part of the next generation of CBS comedy.
While CBS has such a stellar performer in The Big Bang Theory, fueled by its still mighty TBS reruns, it needs to see if there’s a halo effect that could extend to other programs. Therefore, I think a move to 9:00 makes sense – it’s aggressive toward ABC (Grey’s Anatomy) and NBC (likely The Michael J. Fox Show) while possibly lifting the entire night in the process. Surrounding it with new multi-camera comedies can only help the CBS comedy slate of 2014 and given that the show still likely has upwards of 3-4 seasons left in it, it can allow them to focus on comedy development.
Another CBS multi-cam that has good buzz is Friends with Better Lives, starring James Van Der Beek and Brooklyn Decker. While the Greg Garcia’s family focus makes it a better fit with Two and a Half Men, this show’s friendship basis is more in line with The Big Bang Theory, as well as the marketable cast and young-skewing premise. There’s a chance that said premise, 35-year-olds that envy their friends’ lives, could be a turn-off, but everything seems to be in line for The Big Bang Theory to launch a new show and make a play for the 9:00 hour.
Finally, the Thursday at 10:00 drama will likely get a boost from a four-comedy night and of the young shows on CBS, the one that most needs it is Elementary. The show isn’t doing badly, especially for this hour in 2013, but it can go from solid to network stalwart with the help of a Big Bang shift. If CBS is serious about investing in the show, which they seem to be given that they put it behind the Super Bowl, keeping it on Thursdays, remaining patient, and giving it the tools to become the number one show in the hour appears to be the best approach. They want this show to be the future of the network, meaning that a move to an unstable Sunday or a little-watched Friday wouldn’t make sense.
CRAIG: I don’t know that The Big Bang Theory is ready to leave 8:00 just yet, so I kept it there, with 8:30 going to The Millers as a lead-out. After that, and this seems to be a mantra with me, I’d keep things as they are. Person Of Interest at 9; Elementary at 10. Though, as I said, I loved the Tuesday night POI idea.
FRIDAY
SHILO: Undercover Boss could very easily be held for midseason as a reliable schedule filler, just in case one of their hours doesn’t do as well as expected. However, it’s a cheap enough production that performs enough to where starting it off in fall can only help its Friday. It might end up being the only reality show in the slot, so if the network doesn’t need it to bat cleanup, it can set up shop and generate quite a bit of profit for the network until they have a scripted show to move here or they need it elsewhere.
At 9:00, I’d put on Hawaii Five-0. The main reasons I think that Hawaii Five-0 goes to Fridays are the show’s softening ratings and the 9:00 tryout it received earlier in the season. With the show heading into its fourth season, it will have enough episodes at the end of this season to be syndicated, so there’s not as much incentive to keep it on Mondays to rack up episodes. The show could “youth up” a typically sleepy night for the network and possibly find a new home for itself away from the tough competition with Castle and Revolution.
For 10, Blue Bloods always looks like it’s too strong for Fridays, but it never performed well enough during its time earlier in the week to where a move would make sense. It’s a solid lead-out and a bit of counterprogramming to the newsmagazines on at this time, featuring a face (Tom Selleck) very familiar to its audience and conservative and familiar enough for CBS viewers.
CRAIG: I’m with you on all three choices.
MIDSEASON
SHILO: Given that the network will likely be focusing on comedy for the fall, there should be more dramas held for midseason. While CBS midseason is difficult to imagine, considering their stability and disdain for partial orders, I expect to see at least two of the following premiering sometime in 2014: a retooled version of NCIS: Red, Jerry Bruckheimer’s Hostages, and Backstrom, based on Leif G.W. Persson’s literary hero Everett Backstrom.
CRAIG: One would notice I don’t have The Mentalist on my schedule; I figure that should go somewhere at midseason. I’d also be curious to see Hart Hanson’s Backstrom, perhaps even subbing in for one of the Friday slots.
SHILO’S SCHEDULE
SUNDAY
7PM 60 Minutes
8PM The Amazing Race
9PM The Good Wife
10PM The Mentalist
MONDAY
8PM How I Met Your Mother
8:30 Mom
9PM 2 Broke Girls
9:30 Mike & Molly
10PM Intelligence
TUESDAY
8PM NCIS
9PM NCIS: LA
10PM Person Of Interest
WEDNESDAY
8PM Survivor
9PM Criminal Minds
10PM CSI
THURSDAY
8PM Two And A Half Men
8:30 The Millers
9PM The Big Bang Theory
9:30 Friends With Better Lives
10PM Elementary
FRIDAY
8PM Undercover Boss
9PM Hawaii Five-0
10PM Blue Bloods
CRAIG’S SCHEDULE
SUNDAY
7PM 60 Minutes
8PM Two And A Half Men
8:30 The Crazy Ones
9PM The Good Wife
10PM Reckless
MONDAY
8PM How I Met Your Mother
8:30 Mom
9PM 2 Broke Girls
9:30 Mike & Molly
10PM Intelligence
TUESDAY
8PM NCIS
9PM NCIS: LA
10PM Hostages
WEDNESDAY
8PM Survivor
9PM Criminal Minds
10PM CSI
THURSDAY
8PM The Big Bang Theory
8:30 The Millers
9PM Person Of Interest
10PM Elementary
FRIDAY
8PM Undercover Boss
9PM Hawaii Five-0
10PM Blue Bloods