The Ex List is gone, so that leaves a hole. I was wondering what CBS was planning to air on Fridays. Yeah, the repeats of NCIS are doing great, but I don't think they'll rely on that forever.
They could possibly air the leftover episodes of Flash Point, but that would only cover them for a month. I think it'd be better to save those and air them along with season 2 of Flash Point in the summer.
Everything else they've got is reality, so does that mean Harper's Island is it?
CBS can probably go until January without filling the Friday at 9:00 p.m. hole by airing specials or drama reruns.
That being said, once January rolls around I would shift "The Unit" to Fridays at 9:00 p.m. since something tells me it's return next season is unlikely.
To replace "The Unit" on Sundays, insert the returning drama "Flashpoint". The leftover episodes from the first season will take the series into February and by that time, the series will likely have wrapped production on enough episodes to keep in on the schedule until the end of the season (if necessary). Since "Flashpoint" was renewed for Canada's CTV prior to its renewal on CBS, production has likely already begun with a handful of episodes ready to air.
On a side note, it seems that CBS is content to leave the comedies "New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Gary Unmarried" (which was renewed for seven episodes and two additional scripts for a possible full 22 episode season) on Wednesdays even though they will face off with "American Idol" on Fox. CBS could shift "Gary" to Mondays once "Worst Week" has aired its 16 episodes and use "Rules of Engagement" on Wednesdays with "Old Christine". However, I do think that CBS will concentrate most of its changes next season on Sunday (since they have very little trouble elsewhere).
FRIDAY (January 2009) 8:00 Ghost Whisperer 9:00 The Unit 10:00 Numb3rs
SUNDAY (January 2009) 7:00 60 Minutes 8:00 Million Dollar Password / Amazing Race 14 9:00 Cold Case 10:00 Flashpoint (left over first season/new episodes)
Saturdays: 8:00 - The Prise Is Right 9:00 - Million Dollar Password 10:00 - 48 Hours
Sundays: 7:00 - 60 Minutes 8:00 - Old Christine / Gary Unmarried 9:00 - John Mayer Variety Hour 10:00 - Harpers Island
Use Flashpoint for Thursdays at 10pm
I don't like this schedule at all. The networks will never program Saturdays again. It's just not profitable. You're also taking a Sunday night that's already shaky and making it even worse. Two new shows and two marginal comedies will tank the night. I think trying out the John Mayer show and Harpers Island for 6 episodes in January/February in the 8 and 10 slots respectively is a good idea, but not completely revamping the night.
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I like this lineup, but if I were CBS, I would air whatever is left of the Unit out and let that series wrap up before John Mayer and Harper's Island launch. CBS has taken so much flack for not letting shows wrap up and not letting the Unit wrap after all this time would be a bad PR move. Plus, launching stuff against all those Jan/Feb stunts on other nets and CBS is a bad idea. Wait til March and then let them air repeat free. I agree with Flashpoint on Thursdays after CSI. No sense in wasting more time with 11th Hour, which is very very older skewing and will never make it on its own from the looks of things. At least Flashpoint has proven to hold a better percentage of the CSI lead in and its demo at the end last summer wasn't far off from 11th Hour's demos behind new CSIs. CBS could strengthen their Thursday and perhaps hold off ABC, which should get a nice boost from Private Practice. Finally, I think that Saturday lineup would be a nice cheap option and perhaps even draw more viewers than the current repeat crop. They could purposely find advertisers who want older audiences and try to sell the night that way.
quote:
Originally posted by TV-aholic: I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but here is what I would do with CBS Weekends
Originally posted by himymfan22: Use Flashpoint for Thursdays at 10pm
I don't like this schedule at all. The networks will never program Saturdays again. It's just not profitable. You're also taking a Sunday night that's already shaky and making it even worse. Two new shows and two marginal comedies will tank the night. I think trying out the John Mayer show and Harpers Island for 6 episodes in January/February in the 8 and 10 slots respectively is a good idea, but not completely revamping the night.[/QUOTE]
CBS's current Sunday crop is a disaster. It flows about as well as a basketball team that's never played together before going against the Lakers. First you have their oldest skewing show and follow it with their youngest skewing show (or at least what used to be younger skewing). Then you have perhaps their oldest skewing drama at 9 and an action drama which imo should do better demo-wise than it does but clearly doesn't fit the lead in at all. Hell, switching TAR and Cold Case would've made more sense than the current crop. TAR and the Unit to me seem like much better companions and so does 60 Minutes/Cold Case. That said, by moving Cold Case to Fridays, you fix the Friday 9pm slot and this allows the wider-skewing comedy duo of Christine and Gary to have a decent lead in. Use them as a kind of buffer between the ultra-older skewing 60 Minutes and the youthfully-targeted John Mayer series. Harper's Island then caps off the night at 10 in one of television's truly wide open hours. Next season they can take a real risk and go with a 2 hour comedy block from 8 to 10 that's more wider-targeted than the Fox cartoons. Sundays 10pm could then either be a new drama, Harper's Island if it clicks, or a relocated CSI:Miami. Mondays at 10 could feature CBS's high profile new drama then.
"Flashpoint" has not resumed production yet, and I don't know when in the spring it will, but CBS Paramount should really bust the chops of their Canadian partners at Avamar and Pink Sky Entertainment to get the next batch of 13 episodes ready to hit the air in February, 2009. The show is the ideal replacement for Friday nights, being a low-cost series with compatibility to "Numb3rs."
The other Canuck project, "Harper's Island," is a lot farther along in production, but... oh, please. Why was that even picked up? Hasn't CBS proven they can't do those kinds of shows over and over again?
Per a post a couple of months ago, Flashpoint will start production back up in January.
So, if CBS wanted to kick the series back off with fresh episodes, they could start just after Superbowl Sunday and have the 4 leftover episodes as a buffer as new episodes are being filmed.
quote:
Originally posted by Riff Rafferty: "Flashpoint" has not resumed production yet, and I don't know when in the spring it will, but CBS Paramount should really bust the chops of their Canadian partners at Avamar and Pink Sky Entertainment to get the next batch of 13 episodes ready to hit the air in February, 2009. The show is the ideal replacement for Friday nights, being a low-cost series with compatibility to "Numb3rs."
The other Canuck project, "Harper's Island," is a lot farther along in production, but... oh, please. Why was that even picked up? Hasn't CBS proven they can't do those kinds of shows over and over again?
IMO, GW should be moved out of Fridays to Sundays, and move The Unit to Fridays.
Fridys: 8pm: Game Show/Rerun 9pm: Numbers 10pm The Unit
Sundays: 8pm: Ghost Whisperer 9pm: Cold Case 10pm: New Series/Rerun/Flashpoint
GW has proven itself as a stable show without any lead in on a dead night, along with showing it is still buzz worthy. Sure it will be a risky move since Fridays has been so successful for them but they do also need to built from it. Not like they have really produced a successful drama since 2005 except for Flashpoint, The Mentalist and Eleventh Hour of course.
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I don't think GW should move from Fridays at 8 PM. Right now it's dominating in its timeslot and providing a huge lead in for a show.
As for Sundays, I agree that two comedies should be paired with 60 Minutes. However, John Mayer after the comedies provides a weird flow. You go from something older skewing to something younger skewing. I think Harper's Island is best left for Friday.
Not a bad schedule, but Harper's Island after the Variety Hour? I think Harper's Island is a bust personally (after seeing the preview), but if they put it anywhere, perhaps after Ghost Whisperer. I think The Unit would do better after The Variety show. I also think 11th Hour is fine where it is after CSI. These shows need some patience and the numbers are not great, but not worthy of a quick yanking either.
quote:
Originally posted by TV-aholic: I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but here is what I would do with CBS Weekends
