Wednesday, May 11, 2011

SitcomsOnline.com 2011-12 Upfront Preview: CBS; Pilot Pick-Ups, Cancelations From Fox

As with the rest of the world, we are waiting to see what will happen to Charlie Sheen and Two and a Half Men. Will the sitcom continue is the question. They certainly need it as we have seen CBS Monday falter without it. .
Here is the SitcomsOnline.com CBS 2011-12 preview:

New Series Already Picked-Up: None.
Already Renewed Returning Series: The Amazing Race, Undercover Boss, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, & Survivor.
Likely Returning Series: 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes, Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: NY, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, Hawaii Five-0, The Mentalist, Mike & Molly, NCIS: Los Angeles, Rules of Engagement, and Two and a Half Men (in some form).
Likely To Be Canceled or Already Canceled: Chaos, The Defenders, Mad Love, $#*! My Dad Says, Medium, Live to Dance, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, and Three Rivers.
Likely New Series Pick-Ups: Untitled Susannah Grant Project (drama), Person of Interest (drama), The Rookies (drama), How To Be a Gentleman (sitcom), Two Broke Girls (sitcom), Ringer (drama for mid-season), and Herd Mentality (mid-season sitcom).

OUR FALL 2011 PREDICTION:

Sundays
7:00PM 60 Minutes
8:00PM The Amazing Race
9:00PM Untitled Susannah Grant Project (NEW!)
10:00PM The Good Wife

Mondays
8:00PM How I Met Your Mother
8:30PM Mike & Molly
9:00PM Two and a Half Men
9:30PM How To Be a Gentleman (NEW!)
10:00PM Hawaii Five-0

Tuesdays
8:00PM NCIS
9:00PM Person of Interest (NEW!)
10:00PM NCIS: Los Angeles

Wednesdays
8:00PM Survivor
9:00PM Criminal Minds
10:00PM CSI

Thursdays
8:00PM The Big Bang Theory
8:30PM Two Broke Girls (NEW!)
9:00PM The Rookies (NEW!)
10:00PM The Mentalist

Fridays
8:00PM Undercover Boss
9:00PM CSI: NY
10:00PM Blue Bloods

Saturdays
8:00PM Crime Repeats
9:00PM Crime Repeats
10:00PM 48 Hours Mystery

Comments: CBS will really need to find out ASAP on what is happening with Two and a Half Men as it is renewed through 2012 but as you all know Charlie Sheen was fired. Will he be back or will this show continue without him is still the question. CBS Monday depends a lot on what happens here. I'm thinking it will return in some form. If no Sheen, I think the show will have to stay on Mondays because without Sheen it could falter on another night. Anyway, on to some analysis, for Mondays How I Met Your Mother will continue to lead off the night but at 8:30pm possibly Mike & Molly could be moved there. Mad Love isn't expected to return. Two and a Half Men is penciled in at 9pm, if it comes back. The comedy could lead into something like How To Be a Gentleman which seems like a good fit at 9:30pm. At 10pm, Hawaii Five-0 should return in this hour.
As for Tuesday, veteran NCIS will of course remain at 8. However, I think the 9pm hour will be different this time, with NCIS: LA moving to 10pm, so the new drama Person of Interest could be sandwiched in between at 9pm. J.J. Abrams produced that pilot with Michael Emerson among the stars. The Good Wife is probably on the move to another night as its ratings have gone pretty low in 18-49. For Wednesdays, CBS will likely remain with Survivor leading into Criminal Minds at 9pm. At 10pm, I think a change will be needed again. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior was a bit soft for spin-off. Perhaps CBS goes with a veteran series like the original CSI moving to a new night and time?
CBS Thursdays will likely have The Big Bang Theory leading off, but that still depends on what happens with Two and a Half Men. At 8:30pm, Rules of Engagement will likely be saved for mid-season (for either Monday or Thursday), to make room for new comedy Two Broke Girls. CBS will likely make a chance at 9pm, but what? CSI is likely on the move, so perhaps new drama The Rookies (which will be renamed, we hear) will get this time period? The Mentalist could move to 9pm also, but I think it will remain at 10pm to close the night.
Fridays will probably start off differently, as the 8pm slot has been soft for the network since Ghost Whisperer was canceled. Perhaps they move Undercover Boss to this night and time to help start off the night better? From 9-11pm, CSI: NY and Blue Bloods should remain but there is always a chance CSI: NY could be canned, but I think it will remain.
Saturdays would still have crime repeats and 48 Hours Mystery at 10pm. No surprises here I think. And as for Sundays, CBS reality series Undercover Boss has faltered this season, especially in the spring, so they might be doing something different at 9pm. But first, Amazing Race at 8pm should remain out of 60 Minutes. Perhaps at 9pm they can air the Susannah Grant medical series project starring Julie Benz? At 10pm they should move The Good Wife to this night out of a better fitted lead-in. If there is NFL, these two dramas should be good counter programming. It'll be interesting if CBS brings back CSI: Miami or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was gone or back. It could go either way for Horatio Caine and company.
CBS needs to fix a few time periods but the main issue is about Two and a Half Men, as we have seen the entire Monday line-up for CBS falter. Before picking-up any new pilots, they need to make sure what is going on with this series first as that will make or break the schedule. Anyway, the CBS comedy pilots don't seem too strong this season and the drama pilots are a bit disappointing with two of their bigger ones like Ringer and Person of Interest not testing that well. I think both will be picked-up anyway. Well, at least one. If Ringer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar is picked-up, I would hold it for mid-season to air repeat free as it is not your normal CBS series and would repeat horribly.

Remember, next Wednesday (May 18) is the actual date when we will find out CBS's plans for the 2011-12 season. So, come on back next Wednesday and we will let you know the details and you can see how much we were right (or wrong). Stay tuned tomorrow for our last preview, a preview on The CW's upfront.
Discuss your thoughts on our prediction and feel free to make suggestions of your own!


There has been many reports since last night about Fox ordering new pilots and canceling series. As of now, Fox has ordered four more new series to join Terra Nova and the two mid-season animated comedies. Fox has ordered the drama Alcatraz from JJ Abrams and the Bones spin-off series The Finder. More drama pick-ups will be on the way with possibly one or two more being picked-up such as Exit Strategy and The Touch. Comedy wise, so far two pilots have been picked-up--The New Girl starring Zooey Deschanel and I Hate My Teenage Daughter. The latter is multi-camera, which Fox has faltered in recent memory, stars Jamie Pressly. It is expected another comedy pilot or two will be ordered soon, such as Family Album. I think Fox will order a total of 6-8 pilots to series, so right now we have four. Stay tuned for more updates.
To make room for these pilots, Fox has canceled comedies Traffic Light and Breaking In along with dramas The Chicago Code, Lie to Me and Human Target. With The X-Factor taking two nights of the schedule, there wasn't really any room for these series. Stay with us for further details, as upfronts are 5 days away!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Saturday, September 30

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 25)

Friday, September 29

  • Amy Poehler (Duncanville/Parks and Recreation) - Watch Amy on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Nathan Lane (Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) and Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite) - Margaret and Maria are guests on repeats of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
  • Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton will be on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-October)

Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)

06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
07/18 - South Park - Seasons 21-25 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/25 - The Neighborhood - Season Five
07/25 - Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin - Season One
07/25 - Superstore - The Complete Series
08/22 - Back to Life - Season 1 / Season 2
08/29 - Smiling Friends - Season 1 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


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09/28 - New Season of Wolf Like Me on Peacock; Max Original Animated Series Debuts October 19
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09/26 - Rick and Morty Season 7 Trailer; Fox's Krapopolis Debuts Well
09/25 - Laff Fall 2023 Schedule with Last Man Standing and Man with a Plan; Upload Returns October 20
09/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 25, 2023)
09/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: An End on the Horizon for WGA Strike?; Hallmark Ready for Christmas
09/22 - The Santa Clauses Season 2 Launches November 8; CBS Alters Fall Schedule
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09/20 - Paramount+ Announces Colin from Accounts; The Really Loud House Gets Halloween Movie
09/19 - The Simpsons Season 34 Streams October 11 on Disney+; Good Burger 2 Set for Holiday Season
09/18 - Hulu's Huluween and Disney+'s Hallowstream Line-Up; Shining Vale Returns October 13 on STARZ
09/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 18, 2023)
09/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Cancels Wonder Years Reboot; Byron Allen Makes $10 Billion Offer to Buy ABC
09/15 - Antenna TV's Bewitched Halloween Marathon; Rewind TV's Sabrina the Teenage Witch-O-Ween Marathon
09/14 - Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Cast; BUZZR Celebrates 40 Years of Press Your Luck
09/13 - TBS Acquires Modern Family; The Frasier Awards on COZI TV
09/12 - Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen Gets CBS Late Night Run; Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy Special
09/11 - Matt Rife Gets Netflix Special; Star Trek Day and Kid Cudi Join Forces
09/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 11, 2023)
09/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Bros. Television Suspends Deals with Top Creators; Fran Drescher Re-Elected President of SAG-AFTRA
09/08 - CBS Announces Hosts of Game Show; New Goosebumps Premieres Friday the 13th This October on Disney+ and Hulu
09/07 - MeTV Presents Svengoolie's Halloween BOOnanza!; The CW Moving Fall Comedies to Thursdays
09/06 - CBS to Air NCIS: Sydney This Fall; Fox Makes Fall Change
09/05 - TBS and TNT September Stunts Include Big Bang Theory Batman Day Marathon; Netflix UK Produced Series Updates
09/04 - TV Marathons on Labor Day 2023 Include Three's Company
09/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 4, 2023)
09/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: No Third Season for How I Met Your Father; Spectrum Dispute with Disney Could Spell End of Cable
09/01 - September Is Anniversary Month on Hulu; Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween Returns for Its 25th Anniversary
08/31 - Max's Original Comedy Series Starstruck Season 3 and Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Premiere Dates; AXS TV Announces Fall Programming Lineup
08/30 - The Partridge Family Coming to AXS TV Starting Oct. 2; CBS to Air A Tribute to Bob Barker Special Aug. 31, Marathon of Match Game Episodes to Air Sept. 2 on Game Show Network
08/29 - Once Upon a Time Coming to Hulu; Young Love Launches on Max in September