CBS Fall 2010

I admit it: I’m old. Practically ancient. I bring up this painful-yet-undeniable fact not to torture myself, but instead to create context for you as I make the following statement: not much surprises me anymore. Nope, not much at all. I’ve seen a lot over my many years… ten presidents… five popes… and even two Darrins.

So you can probably imagine how I felt earlier this week when CBS actually SURPRISED me with its fall lineup. CBS doesn’t often surprise. It’s familiar, reliable and comfortable… kind of like any McDonald’s up-and-down the eastern seaboard at which you’ve ever eaten.

But during year’s upfront presentations, CBS surprised me… in a big way… with its bold and aggressive scheduling moves. CBS smells blood in the pool of water known as broadcast primetime, and it’s attacking shark-like on pretty much every night of the week. The highlight of this bold strategy: the move of CBS’s hottest series The Big Bang Theory from CBS’s traditional cradle of comedy (Mondays) to Thursdays-at-8… a time slot not populated by a CBS comedy since the early ‘80s (you DO remember Checking In, the spin-off of The Jeffersons, don’t you?).

MONDAY

8:00 How I Met Your Mother

8:30 Rules of Engagement

9:00 Two and a Half Men

9:30 Mike and Molly (comedy - couple meets at Overeaters Anonymous)

10:00 Hawaii Five-O (remake of classic crime series)

TUESDAY

8:00 NCIS

9:00 NCIS: LA

10:00 The Good Wife

WEDNESDAY

8:00 Survivor

9:00 Criminal Minds

10:00 The Defenders (comedic "buddy" detectives)

THURSDAY

8:00 The Big Bang Theory

8:30 $*!# My Dad Says (William Shatner sitcom)

9:00 CSI

10:00 The Mentalist

FRIDAY

8:00 Medium

9:00 CSI: NY

10:00 Blue Bloods (Tom Selleck crime show)

SATURDAY

8:00 Drama repeats

10:00 48 Hours

SUNDAY

7:00 60 Minutes

8:00 The Amazing Race

9:00 Undercover Boss

10:00 CSI: Miami

Not returning for another season are Cold Case, Numbers, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Ghost Whisperer, and Gary Unmarried.

ABC Fall 2010

ABC has just concluded its annual Upfront presentation, and here's what it'll be offering this Fall:

MONDAY

8:00 Dancing with the Stars

10:00 Castle

TUESDAY

8:00 No Ordinary Family (a family acquires super powers)

9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results

10:00 Detroit 187 (crime drama w/ The Soprano's Michael Imperioli)

WEDNESDAY

8:00 The Middle

8:30 Better Together (comedy about several couples within one family)

9:00 Modern Family

9:30 Cougar Town

10:00 The Whole Truth (legal drama)

THURSDAY

8:00 My Generation (drama – group of high-school grads, 10 years later)

9:00 Grey’s Anatomy

10:00 Private Practice

FRIDAY

8:00 Secret Millionaire (real-life millionaires “help the less-fortunate)

9:00 Body of Proof (Dana Delany procedural)

10:00 20/20

SATURDAY

8:00 College Football

SUNDAY

7:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos

8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

9:00 Desperate Housewives

10:00 Brothers and Sisters

The new Matthew Perry comedy Mr. Sunshine is being held for mid-season, and V is scheduled to return in November.

With CBS's cancellation earlier today of The New Adventures of Old Christine, there's been a great deal of speculation that Christine would be moving to ABC. As of late this afternoon, that possibility is looking unlikely. There's still a chance, however, that another CBS castoff (as of this morning, that is), The Ghost Whisperer, may land on ABC.

Not returning to the alphabet network are FlashForward and Ugly Betty.

NBC Fall 2010

Here's an early look at NBC's Fall 2010 prime-time schedule (due to be officially released tomorrow at NBC's upfront presentation). New shows are in blue:

MONDAY

8:00 Chuck

9:00 The Event

10:00 Chase

TUESDAY

8:00 The Biggest Loser

10:00 Parenthood

WEDNESDAY

8:00 Undercovers

9:00 Law & Order: SVU

10:00 Law & Order: Los Angeles

THURSDAY

8:00 Community

8:30 30 Rock

9:00 The Office

9:30 Outsourced

10:00 Love Bites

FRIDAY

8:00 Who Do You Think You Are? / School Pride

9:00 Dateline

10:00 Outlaw

SATURDAY

8:00 drama repeats

SUNDAY (Fall)

7:00 Football Night in America

8:00 Sunday Night Football

SUNDAY (midseason)

7:00 Dateline

8:00 Minute to Win It

9:00 Celebrity Apprentice

Parks and Recreation is being held for midseason, along with three new comedies (including Paul Reiser's semi-autobiographical, Curb-Your-Enthusiasm-ish The Paul Reiser Show).

Say goodbye to Law & Order, Heroes, Mercy, and Trauma.