CBS 2005-2006 show lineup
CBS might be the big winner this past season, but I can’t believe they didn’t renew Jason Alexander’s “Listen Up”. With “Everybody Loves Raymond” gone, its best sitcom is “Two and a Half Men”, and that’s not saying much. Surprisingly “Yes, Dear” got renewed … again, so it’s obvious to everyone the network is not investing much into the comedy shows. But boy, look at its drama lineup.
CBS is introducing only 6 new shows next season (and two more in mid-season), and only two are sitcoms. Also, the fans of the family sitcom should note that “Still Standing” has moved to Wednesdays. Other than that, the sked is the same.
Dramas: “Close to Home” (Tuesdays) – starring Jennifer Finnigan (The Bold and the Beautiful), Christian Kane (Angel), John Carroll Lynch (Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire), David Starzyk (Free Enterprise) and Kimberly Elise (The Manchurian Candidate). It’s about a green prosecutor and a young mom working suburban crime cases. Reeks of family drama disguised as a lawyer piece. Naah!
“Criminal Minds” (Wednesdays) – Mandy Patinkin (Dead Like Me), Lola Glaudini (The Sopranos, The Handler), Thomas Gibson (Dharma & Greg), Matthew Gubler (The Life Aquatic) and Shemar Moore (Birds of Prey). It’s about FBI profilers. You’re kidding, right? Sure, they got a good-looking (literally) cast, but enough with the FBI already! Just because “Alias” and “24″ cashed in on national paranoia in 2001, doesn’t mean every other drama should be about crime-solvers, terror-chasers and undercover work in general.
“The Ghost Whisperer” (Fridays) – starring Jennifer Love Hewitt (Garfield), Aisha Tyler (CSI) and David Conrad (Relativity, Miss Match. Aisha is getting a little bit more camera time, and David Conrad is always welcome into my living room. What it’s about – “I see dead people, honey”.
Also on Fridays is “Threshold” – starring Carla Gugino (Karen Sisco), Charles S. Dutton (Roc), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: Nemesis), William Mapother (Lost) and Robert Benedict (Felicity). Written by David Goyer (Blade, Batman Begins, Dark City), and Brannon Braga (Enterprise) this one has a phenomenal cast – commander Data, no less, and it’s about contact with extraterrestrials. Wow, this cannot possibly go wrong.
Another drama “The Unit” – was shelved until mid season. It stars Dennis Haysbert (24), Amy Acker (Angel), Robert Patrick (The X-Files), Scott Foley (Felicity), Michael Irby (Line of Fire), Regina King (Miss Congeniality 2) and Max Martini (Taken). Written by David Mamet (State & Main, Spanish Prisoner, Spartan), this one I can just listen to on the radio. Peach cobbler, anyone. Nice to see Dennis Haysbert has been picked out to lead – his guest appearance in this year’s 24 reminded me just how much he carried that show in the first 3 years.
Now on to the sitcoms: “How I Met Your Mother” (Mondays) – starring Alyson Hannigan (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.), Jason Segal (Freaks & Geeks) and Josh Radnor (The Court). Doogie Howser is back. Together with Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris is probably going to make me pee in my pants. I can only assume the writing is sharp, and if not, these two will have to rely on their body language.
Another Monday entry is “Out of Practice” – starring Paula Marshall (Cupid, Snoops), Christopher Gorham (Jake 2.0, Medical Investigation), Henry Winkler (Arrested Development) and Stockard Channing (The West Wing). Written by Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan (Frasier), this is a show about a family of doctors. You know, together with its current Monday sitcoms, CBS seems to be building a must-see-tv-night – which is great until you recall that Arrested Development is on FOX on Monday nights, and that kinda sucks.
Finally, a mid-season addidion “Everything I Know About Men” – starring Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg), Lauren Tom (Bad Santa), Dabney Coleman (The Guardian), Hugh Bonneville (Stage Beauty) and Rhea Seehorn (I’m With Her). It’s about an ad executive, written by Fred Barron (Caroline in the City). If nobody jumps the shark by making the two leads get it on, within the first month, this show can have legs. I remember Caroline’s sexual tension with Richard, and that’s what made the show interesting week after week. Let’s have more of that.
