CBS unveils eight new shows; renews 20 at upfront

MUMBAI: The number one US broadcast network CBS in its upfront presentation has announced five new comedies and three new dramas. The number of new shows is fewer than competitors as 20 shows have been renewed.

One of the big new shows touted was ?Hostages? from Jerry Bruckheimer. It is a suspense drama starring Toni Collette as a premiere surgeon thrust into a chilling political conspiracy when her family is taken hostage by rogue FBI agent Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott). Dr. Ellen Sanders (Collette) and her family are held captive in their home by Carlisle, who orders her to assassinate the president (James Naughton) when she operates on him.

This is the only new drama that will air during the fall. After the season finale of ?Hostages? in January, ?Intelligence? will occupy that time slot. It is about a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a super-computer microchip in his brain. CBS is also airing four new comedies in the fall - two on Monday, two on Thursday. This strategy has worked well for it. At the same time it puts it in direct competition with NBC which has also beefed up its comedy slate. Comedy CBS has said is a priority for it. One comedy is ?We Are Men? starring Kal Penn, Tony Shalhoub and Jerry O?Connell as a motley crew of neighbors of a young guy (Chris Smith) in an apartment complex.
 
Actor Robin Williams? comedy ?The Crazy Ones? will air on Thursdays at 9.00 pm. It also closed out the upfront presentation. Williams an co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar play father/daughter ad executives.

The 20 shows that have been renewed include ?The Big Bang Theory?, ?Mike and Molly? and ?2 Broke Girls?. ?How I Met Your Mother? will return for a final season, with viewers finally getting to meet and know the mother.

?Person of Interest? will move to Tuesdays at 10.00 pm. ?Hawaii Five-0? will move from Mondays to Fridays. After ?The Big Bang Theory? a new comedy ?The Millers? starring Will Arnett will air.

CBS president and CEO Les Moonves during the pre upfront press conference said that the broadcaster beats its broadcast competition by 4 - 5 million viewers and will finish the season as the number one network among adults 18-49 demographic for the first time in more than 10 years.
 
He took potshots at competitors saying, ""Anybody who spends 20 minutes talking about multiplatform at their upfront does not have much else to sell,"

Talking about drama he noted that the place for this genre is in primetime not at 7.00 am and at 11:30 pm. Midseason will see the premiere of a new legal drama ?Reckless?.

One of the surprises at the upfront was an appearance by talk show host David Letterman.