CBS Says No To Moonlight, Yes to Comedy
May 14, 2008

CBS had one of the more surprising upfronts this week, axing Moonlight, ordering 22 episodes of The New Adventures of Old Christine, scheduling a whole new night of comedies, and giving a new show the plum post-CSI spot. It was an unexpected announcement as most writers had predicted that Moonlight would be given a last minute reprieve and no one, not even the people who make the show, expected a full-season order of the struggling Old Christine. But comedy is king at CBS this year with CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler saying, according to Variety, "One of the things we wanted to get across is how important comedy is for us. Comedy has been significant for the network for many years. We had a fantastic comedy year."

Old Christine is not only back, but it will anchor a full night of comedy on Wednesdays, landing the 8pm slot into a new show called Project Gary. Anyone else think that's a horrible idea? Does Christine, a show that many thought would get cancelled, have the audience to anchor a night? Maybe it's not the anchor. Variety reports that the network is extremely happy about Worst Week, one of the net's few single-camera sitcoms and that show could move into the slot, and they're big on Project Gary. The other nets have basically given up on comedy - ABC will have only one on this fall - so it's interesting that CBS might be able to fill the hole.

As for the post-CBS slot, the Jerry Bruckheimer produced Eleventh Hour will slide into it and push Without a Trace, a reliable hit despite constantly moving around the sked, to Tuesdays at 10pm. Replacing Moonlight on Fridays will be the relationship drama The Ex-List, a nice companion to the female-skewing The Ghost Whisperer. Other new shows include The Mentalist and Project Gary. Not making the cut for the new season - Cane, Jericho, Kid Nation, Moonlight, Shark, Viva Laughlin, and Welcome to the Captain.

The first comedy block for CBS is Mondays with The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Worst Week, and CSI: Miami. Tuesday nights sees two changes with NCIS followed by the new The Mentalist and the moved Without a Trace. Another comedy block kicks on Wednesdays with The New Adventures of Old Christine and the new show Project Gary. Thursdays feature Survivor and CSI again, followed by Eleventh Hour. Friday nights features The Ghost Whisperer, The Ex-List, and Numbers with Saturdays staying the same. Sunday nights haven't changed much with 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.