Thursday, May 4, 2017

UPFRONTS 2017: What CBS Should Do

Here is my suggestion on what CBS should do. CBS has had an OK season. They launched a bunch of moderate performers like Kevin Can Wait, Man with a Plan, Bull, Superior Donuts, and MacGyver. But it's been years since they've found a breakout hit and their stalwarts like The Big Bang Theory, NCIS, and Criminal Minds are getting VERY old.

Past CBS suggestions: 2016   2015   2014   2013   2012   2011

For a list of CBS pilots, click here

MONDAYS
8:00 (Sep) The Big Bang Theory/(Oct) YOUNG SHELDON
8:30 (Sep) YOUNG SHELDON/(Oct) Man with a Plan
9:00 Kevin Can Wait
9:30 Life in Pieces
10:00 Scorpion
I've never been a huge fan of throwing The Big Bang Theory back and forth between Mondays and Thursdays to start every season but I think it might be necessary here so they can launch Young Sheldon, the new Big Bang Theory prequel that's ordered straight to series. It's a risky show but also worth the risk in my opinion. Then when Big Bang goes back to Thurs, I would slide Young Sheldon up an hour and bring back Man with a Plan at 8:30pm. I'd let Kevin Can Wait be the 9pm anchor and keep it a full family comedy night by bringing Life in Pieces over from Thursdays. At 10pm, Scorpion is doing decent enough numbers for 10pm so it should stay.

TUESDAYS
8:00 NCIS
9:00 MISSION CONTROL
10:00 Bull
If I was CBS, I would make a point of moving all their so-so performing dramas to 10pm so they can launch shows earlier in the night. That includes new drama Bull, which has been OK but nothing special. I think it'll be fine at 10pm and it's worth launching a new 9pm drama. I think Mission Control might be a good option to follow NCIS.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 Survivor
9:00 S.W.A.T.
10:00 Criminal Minds
As I just said, move the older dramas to 10pm where it has gotten increasingly difficult to launch new dramas. Criminal Minds needs to move out of the 9pm slot it has known for over a decade, it's time. I would use the 9pm slot to launch S.W.A.T. starring Minds alum Shemar Moore. It seems like it might

THURSDAYS
(Sep) 8:00 Thursday Night Football

(Nov)
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 9J, 9K, & 9L
9:00 Mom
9:30 Superior Donuts
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans
As always, there will be football until the end of October. It's very hard to launch shows in late October and early November for CBS but obviously they still need to keep using The Big Bang Theory as a lead-in for as long as they can. I think 9J, 9K, & 9L sounds like a promising title. Mom can stay at 9pm while I would bring over Superior Donuts from Monday because it seems like it fits better on Thursdays. 10pm has been a horrible spot to launch new dramas so I would bring NCIS: New Orleans over to this slot.

FRIDAYS
8:00 MacGyver
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
10:00 Blue Bloods
The Friday lineup worked well this year and surprisingly MacGyver fit in well. I would leave it alone for next season.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Drama Encores
9:00 Elementary
10:00 48 Hours
I think CBS will renew Elementary for syndication purposes. If that's the case, then I would air it on Saturdays. They do it for burnoffs anyway and Elementary has basically become that. It should air on Saturdays if it's going to continue. Why not take a chance and see how it does?

SUNDAYS
7:00 60 Minutes
8:00 UNTITLED NAVY SEALS DRAMA
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 Madam Secretary
We saw that NCIS: Los Angeles benefited a lot from airing after football and I think CBS will probably keep it there but again, let's focus on finding new hits not shows that are approaching a decade on the air. I would move NCIS: Los Angeles and Madam Secretary back an hour and air a new drama at 8pm. The NAVY Seals drama seems like it might be a good fit after football and 60 Minutes.

MIDSEASON: LIVING BIBLICALLY, ME MYSELF AND I, INSTINCT, UNTITLED JENNY LUMET, 2 Broke Girls, The Amazing Race, Code Black, Hunted, Undercover Boss
I think CBS should renew some of their filler shows including Hunted, which was  an OK Survivor bridge this year. 2 Broke Girls also deserves to get renewed but I'm not sure if it will. As far as new shows, I wouldn't stack up like some networks but a couple comedies and a couple dramas seems like a smart bet. The only CBS pilot that seemed really interesting to me was Me, Myself, and I, but I'm skeptical of its broad appeal. Still worth the shot I think.

CANCELLED/ENDED: Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Doubt, The Great Indoors, The Odd Couple, Pure Genius, Ransom, Training Day

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