Upfront: CBS Releases Full Schedule

Network to Open Wednesday with Back-to-Back Comedies

By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/14/2008 9:27:00 AM

A long-desired new night of comedy and six new shows will highlight CBS’ schedule this fall.

CBS -- which has in recent years wanted to expand its strong Monday-night comedy slate into a second night -- will open Wednesday with back-to-back comedies next season.

Of veteran shows that were on the bubble, comedies How I Met Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Rules of Engagement will return as well as drama The Unit.

Not making the cut was vampire drama Moonlight, which debuted this season.

New on the comedy slate are Worst Week (pictured on home page) and Project Gary, while Eleventh Hour, Harper’s Island, The Mentalist and The Ex List (formerly Myth X) are the drama additions.

Worst Week, from Universal Media Studios and Hat Trick Productions, is based on a British Broadcasting Corp. series about a young couple.

Project Gary, from ABC studios, features Jay Mohr as a father juggling his kids and relationships.

Eleventh Hour is a science-based drama from Jerry Bruckheimer, Warner Bros and Granada.

The Mentalist is a crime drama from Warner Bros.

The Ex List, from CBS Paramount, is an Israeli drama import about a woman trying to go back through her life and find the man she should marry.

Coming at midseason will be drama Harper’s Island, with a 13-episode order. The series, from CBS Paramount, is a John Turteltaub (National Treasure) project about a group of people who run into trouble when they attend a destination wedding on an island.

Network entertainment president Nina Tassler said the network was especially excited about finally expanding its comedy block. “This is big news for us,” she added. “We have been focusing on it year after year.”

CBS’ primetime schedule follows below:

• Monday: Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Worst Week

CSI: Miami

• Tuesday: NCIS, The Mentalist, Without a Trace

• Wednesday: The New Adventures of Old Christine, Project Gary, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY

• Thursday: Survivor, CSI, Eleventh Hour

• Friday: Ghost Whisperer, The Ex List, Numb3rs

• Saturday: crime repeats, 48 Hours

• Sunday: 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, Cold Case, The Unit

For complete coverage of the upfronts, click here.