CBS falls 2003 line up

[Guest Youth N Asia]

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) - While CBS is keeping a tight lid on its fall 2003 schedule, various sources have indicated the Eye network will go forward with five new dramas and two new comedies. In addition, the network is expected to make several drastic changes including shifting "King of Queens" and "The Guardian" to new nights.

 

Here's a breakdown of the latest rumblings:

 

-- Mondays see "Yes, Dear" taking over the leadoff position at 8:00/7:00c followed by a relocated "Still Standing" at 8:30/7:30c. "Raymond" and "C.S.I.: Miami" will of course stay in their current homes, with Charlie Sheen's new comedy "Two and a Half Men" filling the gap between the two.

 

-- Tuesdays have "J.A.G." and its spin-off "N.C.I.S." (working title) filling the 8:00/7:00c and 9:00/8:00c hours respectively with "Judging Amy" rounding out the night at 10:00/9:00c.

 

-- Wednesdays are set to have a newly relocated "King of Queens" open a new one-hour comedy block along with newcomer "The Stones" at 8:30/7:30c. "60 Minutes II" will stick around at 9:00/8:00c followed by the Joe Pantoliano-led drama "Street Boss."

 

-- Thursdays, as expected, will see "Survivor," "C.S.I." and "Without a Trace" holding steady in their current slots.

 

-- Fridays are looking to lean on David E. Kelley's latest "The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H." kicking off the night at 8:00/7:00c followed by another newcomer, Jerry Bruckheimer's "The Unsolved" at 9:00/8:00c. "48 Hours Investigates" would then move back to its old Friday, 10:00/9:00c home.

 

-- Saturdays have former Friday drama "Hack" opening the night at 8:00/7:00c followed by former Tuesday drama "The Guardian." "The District" should get bumped back to its old 10:00/9:00c slot. "The Agency" is looking unlikely to make the cut.

 

-- And despite the rumors, CBS' Sunday movie night is set to remain intact at 9:00/8:00c along with Sunday mainstsay "60 Minutes" at 7:00/6:00c. The only addition: the new drama "Joan of Arcadia" in the 8:00/7:00c hour. Surprisingly "My Big Fat Greek Life" is expected to get the axe while "Becker" may return at midseason.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Your info is a little off, or mine is..(I think its yours...)

 

NEW YORK - Top-rated CBS will make some bold changes in the fall, moving two of its most popular shows and adding seven series, including three crime-fighting dramas to a schedule already heavy with them.

 

The new series include Joe Pantoliano (news), the actor who lost his head in "The Sopranos (news - Y! TV)," as an FBI (news - web sites) agent and Charlie Sheen (news) as a bachelor with a Malibu beach house.

 

 

CBS will end the current season as the nation's most popular broadcast network, with its widest margin of victory since 1993. CBS is third behind NBC and Fox among the advertiser-friendly 18-to-49-year-old demographic, with the gap narrowing.

 

In the fall, CBS will shift "The King of Queens" from Monday to Wednesday, and bump "JAG" from Tuesday to Friday.

 

"We are being aggressive," said Leslie Moonves, CBS chief executive. "We aren't being complacent here. But we think the risks are smart ones."

 

With "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (news - Y! TV)" the nation's favorite program, CBS is riding the genre hard. Moonves describes the new "Navy CIS," about special agents fighting crimes within the military, as a cross between "JAG" and "CSI." It will take the time slot "JAG" is vacating.

 

Pantoliano leads "The Handler," training FBI undercover agents in Los Angeles. The actor was seeking work after being memorably decapitated last season on HBO's "The Sopranos."

 

"You call that getting whacked," Moonves said. "We call it, suddenly available."

 

CBS is also abandoning comedy on Sundays for "Cold Case," a drama about a Philadelphia detective assigned to track unsolved crimes. Jerry Bruckheimer, the same person behind "CSI" and "Without a Trace," is the creator.

 

The strong ratings of "CSI: Miami" and "Without a Trace" prove there's an appetite for the genre, Moonves said.

 

"There's a lot of crime," he said. "But crime is still working."

 

Next season CBS will also present an all-star version of "Survivor," bringing back past players like Richard Hatch (news), Rudy Boesch, Tina Wesson, Ethan Zohn and Jerri Manthey (news).

 

"Becker" and "My Big Fat Greek Life" were canceled. But CBS decided to stick by its Sunday night movie despite sagging ratings. "The Agency" was canceled, with "Hack" moving to Saturday night. "Star Search" wasn't on the schedule, but may return in a limited run.

 

With "Touched By an Angel (news - Y! TV)" recently ending its long run, CBS is introducing "Joan of Arcadia," about a teenage girl who has sudden, unexpected conversations with God. Joe Mantegna (news) and Mary Steenburgen (news) play her parents.

 

"This is not `Touched By an Angel,' let me emphasize that," Moonves said. "It's a family drama with a twist. It's a hard one to describe."

 

Moonves also said he's hoping for a longer term relationship with "Everybody Loves Raymond (news - Y! TV)" star Ray Romano (news), who recently signed a reported one-year deal to stay with CBS' most popular comedy for a record-setting $1.8 million an episode.

 

"They have said that it might be the last year," Moonves said. "We're hoping that it's not."

 

Sheen's comedy, called "Two and a Half Men," will move into the time slot behind "Everybody Loves Raymond." Jon Cryer (news) co-stars as Sheen's newly divorced brother. Moonves boasted that it will be the best new comedy on any network's schedule.

 

Other new CBS series:

 

_"The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.," a small-town drama created by David E. Kelley, about three close-knit brothers. Randy Quaid stars as the town's police captain.

 

_"The Stones," features Robert Klein (news) in a comedy about two adult siblings living in their childhood home with their divorcing parents.

 

Im quite interested in Cold Case and The Handler. I already like CSI and Without a Trace.

[Guest Mole]

I don't really watch CBS, so I don't really care that much.