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CBS ANNOUNCES 2005-2006 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
Six New Shows Added to Primetime Line-Up Which Is #1 in Viewers, #1 in Adults 25-54 and #1 in Adults 18-49 Among Regularly Scheduled Programs
Powerful Thursday Night Line-Up Remains Intact
Top Rated Returning Comedy "Two and a Half Men" Moves to Mondays at 9 PM
CBS to Win Current Season in Viewers by Widest Margin of Any Network in 16 Years
CBS's First Back-to-Back Win in Adults 25-54 in 30 Years
The CBS Television Network, riding a wave of momentum in all ratings categories, introduced six new series today designed to strengthen an already dominant primetime line-up and continue its ratings leadership.
The six new series feature a unique mixture of concepts and genres, including a sci-fi adventure, a suspense thriller, a paranormal drama with an emotional twist, a Jerry Bruckheimer crime drama set in the suburbs and two ensemble comedies. The freshmen series are THRESHOLD, CRIMINAL MINDS, GHOST WHISPERER, CLOSE TO HOME, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and OUT OF PRACTICE.
They will join a line-up featuring more top 20 hits than any other network and a leadership position in every program genre. CBS will return television's #1 drama and scripted series, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION; the #1 returning comedy, TWO AND A HALF MEN; the #1 news magazine, 60 MINUTES; and the premiere reality series SURVIVOR and the two-time Emmy Award-winning THE AMAZING RACE.
CBS will win the 2004-2005 season by nearly three million viewers ahead of second place ABC -- the largest margin any network has held in 16 years. The Network is also #1 in adults 25-54 for the second consecutive year and is #1 in adults 18-49 with regularly scheduled programming for the first time in 30 years. CBS is also in a virtual tie with Fox for first in adults 18-49 with all programming.
Overall, the Network will return 16 primetime programs, including 13 entertainment series (THE KING OF QUEENS; TWO AND A HALF MEN; CSI: MIAMI; NCIS; THE AMAZING RACE; STILL STANDING; YES, DEAR; CSI: NY; SURVIVOR; CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION; WITHOUT A TRACE; NUMB3RS and COLD CASE) as well as 60 MINUTES, 48 HOURS MYSTERY, the CBS SUNDAY MOVIE and CRIMETIME SATURDAY.
CBS's powerful Thursday night line-up of SURVIVOR, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION and WITHOUT A TRACE returns intact. The Network is #1 on Thursday in viewers for the third consecutive season, with an 8 million viewer lead over NBC, and is first in both adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 for the first time in 20 years.
On Monday, CBS made two key scheduling moves to sustain the Network's leadership position in the post-"Everybody Loves Raymond" era. THE KING OF QUEENS returns to Monday at 8:00 PM, where it previously dominated the time period, and TWO AND A HALF MEN, which is the first show ever to build on "Everybody Loves Raymond's" demos, moves to 9:00 PM, establishing protected time periods to introduce two promising new comedies. At 8:30 PM, CBS is scheduling the unique comedy HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, which is told through flashbacks from the future, and at 9:30 PM CBS will premiere the ensemble comedy OUT OF PRACTICE about a family of doctors. The night's #1 show in all key categories, CSI: MIAMI, caps the line-up at 10:00 PM.
On Tuesday, CBS is introducing one new show to its growing Tuesday line-up. Designed to capitalize on the momentum of NCIS and the strong demo lead-in from THE AMAZING RACE at 9:00 PM, the new suburban crime drama CLOSE TO HOME is being scheduled at 10:00 PM.
One new drama is also being added to CBS's revitalized Wednesday. The suspense thriller CRIMINAL MINDS will be broadcast at 9:00 PM, forming a compelling and compatible two-hour block of drama with CSI: NY at 10:00 PM. CSI: NY dethroned "Law & Order" as the time period winner last season.
The newly modeled Friday night line-up introduces a diverse and compelling blend of dramas starting at 8:00 PM with the emotional paranormal drama GHOST WHISPERER, followed by the alien invasion adventure THRESHOLD at 9:00 PM, and culminating with NUMB3RS, which finished its freshmen season as the night's #1 show in all key categories, at 10:00 PM.
CBS also announced that it has ordered two new midseason series -- EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MEN, starring Jenna Elfman, and THE UNIT, from acclaimed writer David Mamet and Shawn Ryan, executive producer of "The Shield."
The new dramas are (all times ET/PT):
GHOST WHISPERER (Friday, 8:00 PM) stars Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Party of Five") in a drama, inspired by the work of famed medium James Van Praagh, about Melinda Gordon (Hewitt), a young newlywed with the unique ability to communicate with the earthbound spirits of people who have died and who seek her help. Melinda uses her gift to relay significant messages and important information to the living, but sometimes the messages she receives are intense and confusing. As a result, she is often met with questions and skepticism by the survivors. But when Melinda is able to help both the lost souls who contact her and those who are still alive, she knows that her unique talent is an asset and not a liability. David Conrad ("Profiler") and Aisha Tyler ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") also star. John Gray ("Helter Skelter," "Martin & Lewis"), Ian Sander and Kim Moses ("Profiler") are executive producers for Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television.
THRESHOLD (Friday, 9:00 PM) stars Carla Gugino ("Sin City"), Charles S. Dutton ("Something the Lord Made"), Brian Van Holt ("House of Wax"), Robert Patrick Benedict ("Felicity") and Brent Spiner ("The Aviator") in a suspenseful drama about a team of experts who are assembled when the U.S. Navy makes a chilling discovery: an extra terrestrial craft has landed in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Dr. Molly Anne Caffrey (Gugino) is a government contingency analyst whose job is to devise response plans for worst-case scenarios. When her plan called THRESHOLD is activated upon the news of the UFO, she and her hand-picked team of eclectic specialists get to work deciphering the intention of the craft and preparing for the possibility of a crisis situation -- an alien invasion. Brannon Braga ("Enterprise"), David Heyman ("Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban") and David Goyer ("Blade: Trinity") are executive producers for Paramount Network Television.
CLOSE TO HOME (Tuesday, 10:00 PM) stars Jennifer Finnigan ("The Bold and the Beautiful") in a legal drama that tears away the facade of suburbia to reveal that sometimes quiet and tranquil streets can hide the darkest of crimes. Annabeth Chase (Finnigan) is a young, aggressive prosecutor with a perfect conviction record who tries the cases that take place in her own backyard. Returning to work after having her first child, Annabeth is ready to take on the most difficult cases, fueled by her passion to protect her community and her family. Kimberly Elise ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman"), John Carroll Lynch ("The Drew Carey Show") and Christian Kane ("Friday Night Lights") also star. Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Without A Trace"), Jonathan Littman ("Cold Case," "The Amazing Race"), Jim Leonard ("Thieves") and Simon West ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider") are executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.
CRIMINAL MINDS (Wednesday, 9:00 PM) stars Emmy and Tony Award winner Mandy Patinkin ("Chicago Hope"), Thomas Gibson ("Dharma & Greg") and Daytime Emmy Award winner Shemar Moore ("The Young and the Restless") in a suspense thriller about an elite squad of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next move before they strike again. Each member of the team brings their own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators' motivations and identify their emotional triggers in order to stop them. Matthew Gubler ("The Life Aquatic") and Lola Glaudini ("The Sopranos") also star. Mark Gordon ("The Day After Tomorrow," "Grey's Anatomy") and Ed Bernero ("Third Watch") are executive producers, and Jeff Davis and Deborah Spera ("Fathers and Sons") are co-executive producers for Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television.
The new comedies are (all times ET/PT):
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (Monday, 8:30 PM) is a comedy about Ted (Josh Radnor) and how he fell in love. It all started when Ted's best friend, Marshall (Jason Segel, "Freaks and Geeks"), drops the bombshell that he's going to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Lily (Alyson Hannigan, "American Pie"), a kindergarten teacher. At that moment, Ted realizes that he had better get a move on if he hopes to find true love, too. Helping him in his quest is Barney (Neil Patrick Harris, "Doogie Howser, M.D."), a friend with endless, sometimes outrageous, opinions, a penchant for suits and a fool-proof way to meet women. When Ted meets Robin (Cobie Smulders, "Veritas: The Quest"), he's sure it's love at first sight, but destiny may have something else in store. With voice-over by Bob Saget ("Full House"), the show is told through flashbacks from the future. Carter Bays & Craig Thomas ("Late Show with David Letterman") are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.
OUT OF PRACTICE (Monday, 9:30 PM) is a comedy about a family of physicians who share the same profession but have little else in common. Ben Chase (Christopher Gorham, "Felicity") is an earnest young couples' counselor whose family doesn't consider him to be a "real" doctor because he doesn't have "M.D." after his name. But despite their lofty credentials, Ben might be the best prescription for the future of this family. Stockard Channing ("The West Wing"), Henry Winkler ("Happy Days"), Ty Burrell, ("In Good Company") and Paula Marshall ("Spin City") also star. Joe Keenan ("Frasier") and Christopher Lloyd ("Frasier") are executive producers for Paramount Network Television. Multiple Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier") directed the pilot.
The midseason series are:
EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MEN stars Jenna Elfman ("Dharma & Greg") in a comedy about Bex Atwell (Elfman), an attractive secretary with simple goals: find true love, have an exciting career and a normal relationship with her father. But in a world where men behave like, well�men, she realizes that she may be overly ambitious. Now, Bex is determined to figure out what men are all about while wondering why women even bother to try to understand them in the first place. Brady Smith ("Just Pray"), Hugh Bonneville ("Doctor Zhivago"), Rhea Seehorn ("Romy and Michele: In the Beginning"), Lauren Tom ("Friends") and Dabney Coleman ("Nine to Five") also star. Fred Barron ("According to Bex," "Caroline in the City") is the executive producer for Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television. Multiple Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed the pilot.
THE UNIT stars Dennis Haysbert ("24"), Scott Foley ("Felicity"), Robert Patrick ("The X-Files") and Golden Globe Award winner Regina Taylor ("I'll Fly Away") in an action drama that follows a covert team of special forces operatives as they risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their families maintain the homefront, protecting their husbands' secrets. Max Martini ("Saving Private Ryan"), Michael Irby ("Pi�ero"), Demore Barnes ("The Associates"), Abby Brammell ("Revenge of The Middle-Aged Woman") and Amy Acker ("Catch Me If You Can") also star. Pulitzer Prize-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated writer David Mamet ("Glengarry Glen Ross") and Emmy Award-nominated writer Shawn Ryan ("The Shield") are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.
Following is the 2005-2006 CBS Television Network primetime schedule:
CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
2005-2006 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(N=New; NT=New Time; all times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM THE KING OF QUEENS (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (N)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN (NT)
9:30-10:00 PM OUT OF PRACTICE (N)
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE
10:00-11:00 PM CLOSE TO HOME (N)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM STILL STANDING (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM YES, DEAR (NT)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS (N)
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GHOST WHISPERER (N)
9:00-10:00 PM THRESHOLD (N)
10:00-11:00 PM NUMB3RS
SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERY
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM COLD CASE
9:00-11:00 PM CBS SUNDAY MOVIE
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