Next Season - CBS

Like I said earlier this morning (Next Season's Network Fall Schedules), I don't predict CBS will be making as many drastic schedule reshaping moves as some have speculated recently. CBS is the most stable network, so I won't get into as many details as I have elsewhere.

Monday:

- 9:30pm: New comedy (seriously, BBT/HIMYM/2.5Men should NOT be broken up... they work!) Once again, Rules of Engagement saved for midseason (or tried out on Wednesdays). Keep in mind I haven't read any of the comedies for the Big Four (and don't pay a ton of attention to reality series in the works), so I can't comment on them as far as which should be picked up or if CBS will add more more comedy (or reality) slots to its schedule (it's possible).

Tuesday:

- 10pm: New drama. As I advised ABC with the Brothers & Sisters move, without NBC in the mix here (with its historically timeslot winning Law & Order: SVU)... this is an opportunity for CBS to fix a timeslot it hasn't had a big hit in for years. Without a Trace is out. It's old, expensive, and loses 25% of its The Mentalist lead-in. The question is... where will CBS put the NCIS spin-off? Tuesday at 10pm is certainly a potential spot... after all, if the NCIS audience sticks around for The Mentalist why wouldn't they for the spin-off? Then again, the NCIS spin-off will have some buzz behind it that CBS may want to utilize on a different night. Unlike my advice for CW with the Gossip Girl spin-off, CBS doesn't need to protect the NCIS spin-off (or franchise extension), but can treat it like the CSI franchises.

Where was I? Anyway, for now, let's just say something new needs to go here. I'm going to suggest not the spin-off and, rather, The Good Wife. As a legal show, it's somewhat outside the normal CBS crime drama oeuvre, but it's script surprised me. It's definitely a character piece, much like The Mentalist.

Wednesday:

- 8pm: New comedy block. I don't think Old Christine or Gary Unmarried performed well enough to warrant renewals... one of them might get renewed, but I don't think both. If either are renewed, I'd say Old Christine because ABC is baiting CBS with the old "we'll take it if you don't" trick. An alternative: RoE (plus new comedy). A second alternative: The Amazing Race (which doesn't belong on Sundays behind 60 Minutes), and Wednesday at 8pm is a very, very weak time period. TAR would win the hour with its current ratings and the current competition. Still, I see TAR staying on Sundays where it will continue to be incompatible with its lead-in.

Thursday:

- 10pm: Washington Field. Could also be NCIS spin-off or The Good Wife, but I like WF here.

Friday:

- 9pm: Final(?) season of Cold Case.

Sunday (the only day I really see CBS making sweeping changes, well not at 7pm obviously):

- 8pm: If TAR moves to Wednesdays at 8pm, House Rules (a very non-CBS show... soapy 30-somethings, DC, politics... as it's not a crime drama, I think it can go in the 8pm hour). Not likely, though.

- 9pm: NCIS spin-off / franchise extension. Capitalize on TAR's demo, um, strength, and the NCIS franchise has proven itself against Idol, I think that the situation could be the same against football on NBC in the fall.

- 10pm: New drama. CBS may be tempted to try one of its medical dramas, none of which I liked from the script (Miami Trauma, The Eastmans, and Three Rivers). As I didn't like them, I would say try out the US Attorneys show, which would definitely be male skewing (to play against ABC's female skewing Sunday). Or, perhaps, see how The Unit does after a more male-skewing lead-in than Cold Case.