CBS Announces Reality Plans for Midseason 2010; Fox Makes Changes to Two Nights in Midseason

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

CBS Announces Reality Plans for Midseason 2010; Fox Makes Changes to Two Nights in Midseason

CBS has announced their reality series plans for mid-season 2010. CBS will premiere its new reality series Undercover Boss following CBS Sports' coverage of Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, Feb 7 from 10:00-11:00 PM ET/7:00-8:00 PM PT; time is approximate after Post Game coverage. Undercover Boss, which follows high level chief executives as they slip anonymously into the rank and file of their companies, moves to its regular time period the following Sunday on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9:00 PM ET/PT, as part of a new two-hour reality block, where it will be paired with the 16th edition of The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race has its 16th edition premiere on that night (Sunday, Feb. 14 at 8:00 PM ET/PT). Because of these changes, crime drama Cold Case will move back to 10:00 PM ET/PT starting this night.
In other CBS reality series news, two specials will air on Jan. 28 and Feb. 4. Live for the Moment, a one-hour special from Emmy Award winners Jeff Probst and Mark Burnett, will be broadcast Thursday, Jan. 28 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Live for the Moment reveals how one person's life-changing event inspired them to live life to the fullest. Host Jeff Probst takes that person on a series of adventures and experiences that create special life moments with family and friends. This person shares their inspiring insights on how they live their lives differently and by doing so, possibly will change the way others live too. Surviving Survivor (working title), a one-hour special will air on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, revisiting some of the greatest moments in Survivor history and following up on life after Survivor with some of the most memorable castaways. The special, executive produced by Susan Zirinsky for Eye2 Productions, contains fresh interviews with Survivor favorites, and offers a sneak peak at the new Survivor, which will launch on Feb. 11. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, the 20th edition of the franchise, premieres with a two-hour episode, Thursday, Feb. 11 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains will reunite some of the most memorable, heroic and controversial castaways from previous Survivor seasons. The series' best strategists will face off in their attempt to overcome - or embrace - the label placed upon them as they return for revenge or redemption. The series will air weekly in the 8:00 PM ET/PT hour, as always, starting Feb. 18.
CBS still has not announced premiere dates and information on any mid-season scripted series. Returning sitcom Rules of Engagement and new dramas Miami Medical and The Bridge have not yet been given premiere dates. I can see Rules and Miami Medical launching in March with The Bridge probably in the summer. Stay with us for details on these as soon as we get it.

Meanwhile at Fox, they have announced they will make some time changes for Wednesdays and Sundays. American Idol and new drama Human Target will have their times flipped starting Jan. 27. Idol will shift to 9pm, while Human Target moves to 8pm. Human Target will still have its Wednesday launch on Jan. 20 following Idol, but will then have to lead off the night starting Jan. 27. Human Target will still have its series premiere on Sunday, Jan. 17 following NFL Divisional Playoff coverage.
The other mid-season time change for Fox will be on Sundays, but not until March 14. New mid-season sitcom Sons of Tucson will now air Sundays at 9:30pm, rather than 8:30pm. This means The Cleveland Show will stay put at 8:30pm, as it was slated to move to 9:30pm. Fox has ordered 13 episodes oddly of Sons of Tuscon, but they will not be able to fit all 13 in this season, unless it gets additional airings elsewhere. No word on where American Dad! will go, but it is likely it will move to 7:30pm starting March 14 or at a later date (or maybe if Tucson bombs, it returns at 9:30pm a few weeks later?).

So we are just about set for all the networks for January and February. NBC and Fox has announced nearly all of their plans for the entire mid-season, but CBS and ABC still have some March dates to announce. ABC also has to announce what they plan to do on Tuesdays at 8:00pm starting Feb. 9 and Fridays at 9:00pm starting Feb. 12. Scrubs and Better off Ted are done with their seasons after Jan. 26, more on that tomorrow.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.