Analyzing The 2015-2016 Schedule: CBS

Another day, another schedule analysis post… today, all eyes are on CBS, your parents’ favorite network which is making some inroads to expanding toward a younger audience, with shows like Scorpion, The Big Bang Theory, and the new Supergirl series.

As with previous days, the analysis – which includes looking back at our scheduling predictions – comes from KSiteTV’s Craig Byrne and Shilo Adams.

SUNDAY

CRAIG’s PREDICTIONS: 7:00 60 Minutes; 8:00 Madam Secretary; 9:00 The Good Wife; 10:00 Doubt
SHILO’s PREDICTIONS: 7:00 60 Minutes; 8:00 Madam Secretary; 9:00 The Good Wife; 10:00 Elementary
ACTUAL SCHEDULE: 7:00 60 Minutes; 8:00 Madam Secretary; 9:00 The Good Wife; 10:00 CSI: Cyber

SHILO: Well, I was right that CBS would continue utilizing Sundays as a syndication farm, but I had no idea that they would move CSI: Cyber here. My thinking with Elementary was that it’s their most prestige drama outside of The Good Wife, so they might want to consolidate that vs. having it spread throughout the schedule. Instead, though, we get probably the weakest renewal shoved into a bad time slot with an incompatible lead-in; don’t be shocked if Cyber goes fractional early next season, especially on nights when it’s (at least partially) pushed out of primetime. I don’t necessarily begrudge CBS for wanting to continue with the CSI franchise; I just don’t know how much value a title like Cyber has, given that it’s eons from syndication and didn’t do well in its first season.

CRAIG: Hopefully Ted Danson moving on to Cyber will help the long-term value of the show; still, with football overruns and such, I fear that Cyber will get the same treatment the CSI mothership had last season, with episodes unexpectedly being pulled at the last minute in favor of football and that sort of thing. I’m still a little surprised that Doubt didn’t get picked up, especially since we are in a post-Caitlyn Jenner world, but hey: This Sunday schedule is “safe,” and I don’t think there’s any way possible this night could be a failure… so, there’s that. As for why Cyber was renewed? Being fronted by a recent Oscar winner has got to help.

Next up: Mondays – with and without football!