CRAIG’S CHOICES
Most Promising Trailer: Young Sheldon. I thought this concept was kind of ridiculous, and then I saw the trailer… Iain Armitage is fantastic as the younger version of Jim Parson’s character and casting Zoe Perry, the real-life daughter of Laurie Metcalf, as the younger version of her Big Bang character is a stroke of genius. The trailer had heart and humor, and that’s something I enjoy seeing on my TV.
Most Anticipated New Show: Again, I’ll probably go with Young Sheldon, though I’m curious to see SWAT.
Best Scheduling Move: I think it’s the moves that CBS didn’t make — on Tuesdays and Fridays — that show their strength as a network. And, as previously mentioned, SWAT on Thursday is a pick that I wouldn’t have made but I think it will pay off.
Worst Scheduling Move: I still don’t get the whole Wisdom of the Crowd thing, but there’s enough on deck for midseason that it shouldn’t be a worry. I’m also not sure that having a new show anchoring Mondays at 9 will be that wise.
Most Likely New Hit: Young Sheldon. Look at that timeslot.
Likely First Cancellation: Me, Myself & I. I would have gone with Wisdom of the Crowd but it’s not anchoring the second hour of a comedy night. That’s not a statement on the quality of the show so much as just thinking it’s going to be hard to stand out.
What I’ll Be Watching In the Fall: Young Sheldon plus the occasional Big Bang Theory. I’ll probably check out SWAT, and I keep intending to watch some more MacGyver at some point.
SHILO’S SUPERLATIVES
Most Promising Trailer: The SWAT trailer was much better than I thought it would be. It’s a CBS procedural with Something to Say, which was a pleasant surprise considering CBS’s development the past couple of seasons and how the network regressed once its efforts to expand its brand (e.g. Supergirl, Limitless, Angel From Hell) mostly fell flat. Obviously, one show doesn’t change the makeup of an entire network, and CBS very clearly needs to try to tell stories about a broader swath of the American public, but this is a nice first step toward CBS blending the realities of the world with the type of television it knows how to do.
Most Anticipated New Show: I’m really curious about Me, Myself & I. The concept of a Boyhood-esque comedy on broadcast television is interesting, as is the fact that it was CBS (!) that picked it up to series. It took me a few minutes into the trailer to take to it (God bless Sharon Lawrence), so I’d like to see a few episodes and determine whether there’s something special there or if it’s another Life in Pieces, a show whose unusual structure I respect but whose humor does nothing for me. I’m always ready to support shows that expand the definition of broadcast television, so don’t let me down, show.
Best Scheduling Move: Keeping Young Sheldon behind The Big Bang Theory. I know that it’s tempting to have it lead an hour on its own given that it’s pre-branded and CBS needs all the comedy lead-ins it can get, but Young Sheldon could be an important show for them in the future and needs to be nurtured for at least one season in order to ensure sampling. If CBS plays their cards right, this could be a major piece for them for the foreseeable future and throwing it out into the deep end too early would’ve hurt it.
Worst Scheduling Move: Monday is a mess that didn’t need to be a mess. It’s not like CBS pulled an ABC and acquired something that forced them to rearrange their entire schedule. They’ve badly fudged their comedy lineup at a time when it needs the best scheduling possible, be it the month-long Young Sheldon hiatus, Kevin Can Wait leading into Me, Myself & I, Me, Myself & I leading an hour on a night swimming with multi-cams, or Superior Donuts being put into a vulnerable position for no discernible reason. If Monday isn’t a total disaster for CBS this season, it’ll be a miracle.
Most Likely New Hit: Young Sheldon. It’s got the best lead-in it could get and with the success of Life in Pieces, CBS audiences have shown they’re not scared of single cams. Even if it’s a modest disappointment in terms of raw ratings, it should be one of the best retainers from Big Bang and boost the 9:00 hour, where Mom had to grow from The Great Indoors several times this past season.
Likely First Cancellation: Me, Myself & I. It’s an off-brand comedy with an unusual concept asked to lead an hour with a fellow new show as a lead-in. CBS audiences aren’t receptive to shows that go too far outside their comfort zone and Me, Myself & I being the only single cam on Mondays gives me flashbacks to the weird scheduling arrangement that ultimately doomed The Crazy Ones. With Man with a Plan on the bench with 22 episodes, either 9JKL or Me, Myself & I is getting pulled and the latter is in the much worse position.
What I’ll Be Watching In the Fall: I might check out the first episodes of Me, Myself & I to see how that concept works on a weekly basis, which is something that I didn’t quite get from the trailer. I also might sample Young Sheldon despite my iffiness on the show’s humor and SWAT to see what a CBS show that tackles race and identity even looks like.
HOW DID WE DO?
Giving a half point for each correct half hour, and half credit if we go the night right but the time wrong, here’s how we ranked. There’s a higher overall number since there are two Monday schedules, pre- and post-football:
Shilo comes out on top with 16.25 points out of a possible 20. Craig, again, falls behind with 14.75. Still not too bad, because CBS is usually the most predictable of the bunch.
Find all of KSiteTV’s schedule prediction and analysis articles here.
