FALL PREVIEW 2013: Monday

Here is my Fall Preview for Monday!

Past Monday Previews: 2012   2011   2010

Monday has major overhauls on CBS, no changes on ABC, and new entries into familiar formulas for NBC and FOX. As with every fall, Monday must also deal with competition from Monday Night Football.

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (17th edition)
10:00 Castle (6th season)

For a fifth year, ABC will make no changes to Mondays despite some major troubles for Dancing with the Stars, which took a big dive last year. However, Dancing is undergoing a change because it will not be airing a Tuesday edition. That means results will be embedded in the performance shows which could help the Monday numbers. There also may be some interest in buzzy celebrities like cancer-stricken Valerie Harper and, of course, Snooki. So I think it's fall will be better than last fall. Castle returns but must face brand new competition with new dramas on CBS and NBC that are garnering a fair amount of attention. I actually think Castle will often be third in the fall but it may be able to gain ground back as the year goes on like it did last year. It's a very reliable show but at first, it won't be as exciting as what's on the other networks. As usual, the plan is for The Bachelor to fill in between Dancing cycles during the winter months.

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother (9th season)
8:30 WE ARE MEN
9:00 2 Broke Girls (3rd season)
9:30 MOM
10:00 HOSTAGES

CBS has done some major retooling on Mondays after big problems last year. Gone is Partners and Rules of Engagement (cancelled), Mike & Molly (coming back at midseason), and Hawaii Five-0 (moved to Fridays). Still leading off is How I Met Your Mother in its ninth and final season. It has revealed the mother but it will be interesting to see how the final season does. It could spike with extra interest or it could wane as it has already revealed the mother and the plan for a season long storyline taking place over one weekend could falter. I think it'll at least start and end strong. We are Men starring Tony Shalhoub and Jerry O'Connell among others is one of CBS' two single cam comedy attempts this year but it seems like far and away the #4 new comedy of CBS's four new comedies. With terrible reviews and in a slot that has plagued many newbies, I think it'll be pulled quickly and either Mike & Molly or the new Friends with Better Lives will be here by January if not before. 2 Broke Girls didn't really live up to expectations as a 9pm anchor last year but CBS is giving it another chance to earn its spot. It could be helped by the new Chuck Lorre comedy that follows it. Mom starring Anna Farris and Allison Janney has solid buzz and Lorre is usually a pretty reliable draw so it could be exactly what CBS needs on Mondays even as Thursdays seems to be becoming their top comedy priority. At 10pm is Hostages, which will only air a 15 episode season before being replaced by Intelligence in February. Starring Dylan McDermott and Toni Collette, Hostages is a thriller that seems very unlike CBS. I think it'll be a stronger performer than Hawaii Five-0 as it can suck people in and leave them wanting more.

NBC
8:00 The Voice (5th edition)
10:00 THE BLACKLIST

NBC has powerhouse The Voice continuing to wreck havoc on the competitors from 8-10pm. With the return of original judges Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green after a cycle off, I see no reason to believe The Voice will tail off though it'll probably fade as the edition goes on as usual. Last year, The Voice powered Revolution to huge initial numbers and now it has a more accessible, more exciting, and seemingly better drama following it. The Blacklist has been NBC's big drama promotional push this year with commercials since upfronts. Starring James Spader, it has gotten a lot of attention for being an exciting thriller and that may connect more to The Voice audiences than the sci-fi Revolution. I think NBC will have a successful drama on its hands here assuming the quality matches the hype and The Voice continues to be strong.

FOX
8:00 Bones (9th season)
9:00 SLEEPY HOLLOW

FOX's new lineup (which begins tonight!) is only scheduled to last until the MLB break in October. As of now, the plan is for the new Almost Human to take the 8pm slot in November while Bones moves to Friday. However, we'll see if that actually happens because things can always change. For now, Bones will air at 8pm. It is always reliable but getting older. FOX really needs to find a new procedural drama to take over for Bones because it has been their most reliable drama for years. At 9pm is the new Sleepy Hollow which is getting a reputation for being just absolutely crazy. It seems like it'll get more attention than the massive dud The Mob Doctor last year but I have a hard time believing it'll come close to the buzz The Following got at its January premiere. While anything could happen, I still think FOX may go with its November plan and Almost Human though they should really cut down The X Factor to an hour on Wednesdays and put Bones or Human there depending on how the first couple weeks go.

New Monday Show Survival Chances
We are Men (CBS) - Very Poor. I just don't see any scenario where this show works out considering how much more invested CBS seems in their other three comedies plus the fact that they have three comedies on the bench, which is more than usual.
Mom (CBS) - Very Good. It'd be foolish to bet against Chuck Lorre and this show actually isn't being critically savaged! It seems like it'll be a good fit for CBS Mondays.
Hostages (CBS) - Good. I think audiences will like this show and it'll be a bigger draw than the midseason entry Intelligence which should help its renewal chances. I don't see it being a massive breakout hit though.
The Blacklist (NBC) - Very Good. Smash and Revolution succeeded in this slot and this seems like it has more potential for a mass audience. I think it'll get the numbers it needs for year one but then the question will be can it survive without its lead-in.
Sleepy Hollow (FOX) - Fair. It's hard to know how audiences will react to this and FOX has a lot of dramas on the bench but I wouldn't completely count it out because it could be just the right type of alternative programming for the hour.