The CBS 2014-2015 Schedule: Thoughts & Predictions

MONDAY (During Sports Months)

SHILO: With CBS Thursdays being consumed by Thursday Night Football for the first 5-6 weeks of the season, their Monday comedy lineup will look different, as ratings giant The Big Bang Theory and acclaimed drama Elementary will be beginning their seasons in September – on a different night. While Big Bang is still powerful enough, CBS needs to use it to set up its next generation of hits, so I would have it lead into How I Met Your Dad and give the Mother spin-off the jumpstart needed for it to become the next Monday anchor. 2 Broke Girls will get  caught in some of that ratings tailwind as it still hasn’t become the breakout that CBS wants, though having it lead-off an hour is a major uncertainty.

CRAIG: You pointed out to me that Moonves said Elementary will return in September, but I’ve actually got it on a different night on my dream schedule. For my “sports months” Mondays, I, too, started off with Big Bang and How I Met Your Dad, but I’ve put 2 Broke Girls on at 9. Yes, I know 2 Broke Girls hasn’t always done well leading off an hour, but I think that second hour of reliability would be important and nice. At 9, I’d keep Mom, at least for those opening weeks of the season.

I’m also going to deviate by putting NCIS: Los Angeles on Mondays for the whole year. Another known brand, that hopefully would do well there. I think Elementary would do very well on Mondays at 10, but I figure “why not get the audience in the habit of NCIS: LA there already,” which brings us to the time AFTER sports…

MONDAY (After Sports)

SHILO: Following the conclusion of Thursday Night Football, slide How I Met Your Dad to 8:00, where what should be a young-skewing comedy in the vein of Mother will lead into one of CBS’s youngest-skewing comedies in 2 Broke Girls. Mike & Molly showed itself capable of hitting the ground running after an extended hiatus when it was held back this season, so give it the 9:00 hour back and allow close the night with NCIS: Los Angeles. After a season where two freshman dramas failed to ignite on Mondays, CBS needs the security of a veteran drama on one of its most important night and NCIS: LA, following five seasons behind one of the biggest dramas on television, is ready to answer the call. It’s not going to suddenly pop after the move from Tuesdays, but it’s a much sturdier, safer option than throwing an unproven drama here. Plus, CBS has to use NCIS as a lead-in while it can, since its drama class is noticeably aging.

CRAIG: I, too, would start the night off with How I Met Your Dad and 2 Broke Girls. But then, I’d bring Two And A Half Men BACK to Monday nights where it became a hit, and follow it up with The Odd Couple with Matthew Perry, which might be the exact same show, but, whatever. NCIS: LA could run at 10 through the whole season. Mike & Molly and Mom could be on hand where they need to be to help the nights succeed. I think we’re establishing why I’d never be a good CBS scheduler.

TUESDAY

SHILO: Said aging drama class makes me think that NCIS: New Orleans, unlike NCIS: Red, is a real possibility and could/should get the coveted Tuesdays at 9:00 slot. It seems ready-made to assume NCIS: Los Angeles’ place on the schedule and take over the audience the LL Cool J vehicle cultivated for five seasons, so CBS would be playing it conservatively yet intelligently by using the NCIS mothership to boost the next addition to the JAG-verse. Person of Interest, meanwhile, hasn’t broken out on Tuesdays at 10:00, but it’s a more than solid option for the network that needs another year in this slot to continue growing an audience and fighting for nightly wins with NBC’s Chicago Fire. Another move would cut the show’s lifespan much shorter and with The Good Wife edging its way out, the network needs to hang on to at least one critical darling.

CRAIG: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and even with NCIS: New Orleans subbing where Los Angeles has done well, I’d like to keep a night at least similar to what CBS viewers enjoyed before. A NCIS/NCIS: NO/Person of Interest night works.

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