By this third morning of the upfronts, you are probably exhausted by the constant barrage of stories about new television shows you probably won't have the time or desire to watch. (NBC really nailed it: Who has time for new? Give us more of what we already like! Fill us up with your quality, Peacock!) Still, CBS will take its turn before their advertisers today, unveiling a schedule aimed at convincing the money people that their network is ready to move beyond just mindless sitcoms and syndication-friendly procedural dramas and take a (well-calculated, not too scary) risk or two: that's right, the Eye is going (mildly) edgy! On the Fall schedule:
· Cane: Jimmy Smits! Playing Cuban!
· Moonlight: Vampires!
· Swingtown: Wife-swapping in the 70s! (Read: sex!)
· Viva Laughlin: A casino! Hugh Jackman cameos! The occasional musical number!
As pulse-quickening as we find both swingers and Hugh Jackman, the highlight of the new Fall slate is clearly Wednesday night's Kid Nation (from the producers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), a supersecret project that CBS will unleash on the world later today, in which (according to TV Week) 40 "overachieving kids" of ages 8 to 15 are thrown together in a New Mexico ghost town and tasked with creating a functioning society with an economy, laws, and elected leaders. Finally: Lord of the Flies comes to primetime! We can't wait to hear about advertisers' reactions to this afternoon's upfront clip of the inevitable breakout hit, spotlighting the emotionally devastating moment when Piggy is "accidentally" crushed by a boulder. Never let it be said that Les Moonves doesn't know how to create appointment TV.
The entire Fall schedule follows: [via THR]
Mondays
8 pm - "How I Met Your Mother"
8:30 p.m. - "The Big Bang Theory" (new)
9 p.m. - "Two and a Half Men"
9:30 p.m. - "Rules of Engagement"
10 p.m. - "CSI: Miami"
Tuesdays
8 p.m. - "NCIS"
9 p.m. - "The Unit"
10 p.m. - "Cane" (new)
Wednesdays
8 p.m. - "Kid Nation" (new)
9 p.m. - "Criminal Minds"
10 p.m. - "CSI: NY"
Thursdays
8 p.m. - "Survivor: China"
9 p.m. - "CSI"
10 p.m. - "Without a Trace"
Fridays
8 p.m. - "Ghost Whisperer"
9 p.m. - "Moonlight" (new)
10 p.m. - "Numb3rs"
Saturdays
8 p.m. - "Crimetime Saturday"
9 p.m. - "Crimetime Saturday"
10 p.m. - "48 Hours Mystery"
Sundays
7 p.m. - "60 Minutes"
8 p.m. - "Viva Laughlin" (new)
9 p.m. - "Cold Case"
10 p.m. - "Shark"













Comments
Lord of the Flies: Boys running around naked. NAMBLA could not be more excited.
Is Michael Jackson hosting Kid Nation?
'Viva Laughlin'??? Was another network already filming in Winnemucca?
Survivor: China aka Tien An Mien Re-Education Camp #32
As if child stars and reality TV stars weren't bad enough, now they're going to cross-pollinate and give us child reality TV stars.
There is officially not a single program on CBS that I'd watch.
Lord of the Flies? Vampires? Swingers?
I may have to pry myself away from cable for a few of these.
@Everybody Likes Pandas:
Clearly your standards are much higher than mine.
And the death of Jericho? Really?
They could have actually done something with that show... shame they didn't.
Aww, I loved Jericho... A real shame.
@Scout: If Kid Nation goes cannibal, I'd watch.
Fortunately I don't get CBS very well so I never watch it. My rabbit ears are too weak.
Man, I'd hate to be the cherubic 14-year old boy who keeps getting traded for juice boxes.
"Kid Nation" sounds less like the Lord of the Flies epidode of "The Simpsons," and more like the "nerds take over the government" episode of "The Simpsons."
Won't somebody think of the children?
Blah! Blah! I vant to suck your ratings! Blah!
William S. Paley must be so proud.
Les Moonves is kicking the shit out of McPhearson's fall line up. It's nice to see that there is consistency somewhere in the power struggles of the world.
By the way: immortal vampire/private eye! living-dead-detective-Fun!
I liked that dumb sitcom The Class, when I remembered to watch it. Looks like I don't have to worry about David Keith having that heart attack anymore, and what will happen to Nicole and Duncan's relationship. But she already packed all of her clothes!!!?!??!! And what of that Old Christine show? Didn't she win an Emmy?
There is nothing new under the Moon: The Vampire PI show is just a rip-off of the USA series "Forever Knight".
"He was brought across in the year 1228, hunted humans for their blood..but now he is a Seattle cop!"
Best line from the series? " I am what I am and I don't think Betty Ford takes Vampires."
Moonlight? Damn, I was pulling for All in the Fam.
I'll agree with some of the others and lament the loss of Jericho. Personally, I considered it appointment television and it's the only reason that I was in front of the television on Wednesday nights, which allowed my viewing to spillover to Mandy Patinkin. Without Jericho and the original Law & Order, I pretty much have no reason to watch broadcast television on Wednesdays.
Also, where is Julia Louis Dreyfus?
I felt her show had found its niche and was hitting on all cylinders. The addition of Wanda Sykes seemed to fill the cast out, perfectly and though the channel switch for 24 meant that some people may not have bothered this go-round, the JLD show would hold-up in reruns and would probably perform during the second-run season.
@IKnowThings: Old Christine will be back midseason. I did not like Old Christine and would prefer The Class.
"Tiffany Network" indeed . . .
I too lament the loss of Jericho... If Sci-Fi had any brains or balls-- they'd announce a pick up by Friday-- giving NBC a chance to strip reruns on Saturday! This would also give Les a second chance to crow how he's provided NBC with yet ANOTHER Smash Hit!
If only CBS had not put Jericho opposite ANTM I would have tuned in to watch Skeet more, he is CUUUTE! But they weren't thinking of the gays and ladies when they scheduled their little sci-fi mess, were they? A geek squad does not a sci-fi aud make, Mister Moon!
P.S. Swingers on CBS? Puh-lease...
Hugh Jackman and musical numbers?! I'm sold!
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