Off to the races

CBS got a jump on the '06-'07 scheduling wars by revealing most of next season's pick-ups. There are few surprises, although it is keeping most of its sitcoms on the fence until later. CBS is keeping How I Met Your Mother, Charlie Sheen's deal with the devil remains in place as Two and a Half Men gets a reprieve for another year. Poor sitcoms, we've been singing their death for years, and the tune isn't changing.

Not surprising, all three CSI's, the Amazing Race, Survivor, and 60 Minutes are still around. Criminal Minds gets another season, but I get the feeling that season two is going to sell the series for the long haul or kill it for good. While it draws respectable ratings against Lost, you could make the case that it's due more to dissatisfied Lost fans jumping raft, than to any real strong writing/acting/production. The episodes I've seen have been mostly meh. NCIS and Numb3ers are moving on, owing mostly to their great casts and loyal followings. Cold Case and Without a Trace will round out the procedurals that are the linchpin (only pins?) of the CBS-verse.

Of the mid-season replacements coming aboard, only The Unit is getting any real attention, but that's mostly due to the casting and creative team. Come on, David Mamet, Robert (T1000) Patrick, Dennis (President Palmer) Haysbert and Scott (that guy from Felicity) Foley! We're talking entertainment there.

(ed. 3-11-06)
Of course, I've missed the series premier twice now, so we could be talking hand of the Executive Programmer, here. Still gonna give it a shot, though. (Although I've heard from other 24 fans that seeing Haysbert channeling his inner action hero is a little jarring at first.)