The CBS Fall Schedule: A Few New Wrinkles

CBS announced its schedule today. Here it is, as reported by Variety.com and EW.com…

Monday
8 PM--Big Bang Theory
8:30 PM--How I Met Your Mother
9 PM--Two and a Half Men
9:30 PM--Worst Week
10 PM--CSI: Miami

“Week” is a comedy about a guy who’s a “magnet for trouble.”

Tuesday
8 PM--NCIS
9 PM--The Mentalist
10 PM--Without a Trace

“Mentalist” is a drama starring Simon Baker (“The Guardian”) as a detective with “a keen eye for details.”

Wednesday
8 PM--New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30 PM--Project Gary
9 PM--Criminal Minds
10 PM--CSI: NY

“Gary” is a comedy starring Jay Mohr as a divorced dad “navigating his new life as a bachelor--with kids.”

Thursday
8 PM--Survivor
9 PM--CSI
10 PM--Eleventh Hour

“Hour” is the newest creation from Jerry Bruckheimer about “two brainiacs who investigate scientific mysteries.”

Friday
8 PM--Ghost Whisperer
9 PM--The Ex-List
10 PM--Numb3rs

“List” is a dramedy about a woman (Elizabeth Reaser of “Grey’s Anatomy”) who goes back and dates all of her exes after she finds out she’s already met her future husband.

Saturday
8 PM--Drama Repeats
10 PM--48 Hours Mystery

Sunday
7 PM--60 Minutes
8 PM--The Amazing Race
9 PM--Cold Case
10 PM--The Unit

“The Rules of Engagement” will return midseason. “Harper’s Island,” a drama the network describes as a cross between “10 Little Indians” and “Scream,” will also premiere in midseason.

Not returning are “Cane,” “Jericho,” “Kid Nation,” “Moonlight,” “Shark,” “Viva Laughlin,” and “Welcome to the Captain.”

There are two interesting scheduling moves that jump right out at me. First, “Without a Trace” moves into CBS’s dead spot--Tuesdays at 10. You would think “Trace” could handle it, but since that will put it up against the similarly themed “Law & Order: SVU,” this move could backfire.

The second interesting move is putting “The Ex-List” Fridays at 9. Personally, I don’t see the flow between “Whisperer,” “List” and “Numb3rs,” but maybe they know something I don’t.

It’s also nice to see CBS trying to re-start its Wednesday comedy block. I’m not saying it will be successful, I just think it’s nice to see them trying…

And for the record, I believe that “Moonlight” deserved a second chance. I wasn’t a fan, but I still think it deserved it…