CBS announced today that “Blue Bloods” will begin a four-week run in the Wednesday 10 p.m. time slot starting Jan. 19, while new drama “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior” premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 10 p.m. Read on for more news about “The Defenders,” “Mad Love,” “Rules of Engagement” and “Chaos”:
CBS today announced mid-season series premiere dates and some time period moves for America’s top-rated Network.
“We’re in the fortunate position of having a schedule with many successful shows and very few holes,” said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President Primetime for CBS. “This allows us to be very targeted with our mid-season series. These are moves that maintain the core stability of a successful schedule, while giving us multiple looks for the future at a few time periods.”
BLUE BLOODS, the season’s #2 freshman series among viewers and Friday’s top program in both viewers and adults 25-54, will move to Wednesdays (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) for four consecutive weeks beginning Jan. 19. BLUE BLOODS returns to its regular Friday time period (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on Feb. 11.
CRIMINAL MINDS: SUSPECT BEHAVIOR, a spin-off of CBS’s top 10 hit, CRIMINAL MINDS, premieres Wednesday, Feb. 16 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).
THE DEFENDERS, currently airing Wednesdays (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) and ranking as the third-highest-rated new drama, relocates to Fridays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) effective Feb. 4.
MAD LOVE, a comedy about a quartet of New Yorkers, two of whom are falling in love while the other two despise each other, premieres Monday, Feb. 21 (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT).
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT will move from Monday (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT) to Thursdays (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT) beginning Feb. 24, reuniting with another former Monday comedy, THE BIG BANG THEORY, to form a new Thursday comedy block. This season, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT has improved its time period by +13% in both viewers and adults 18-49 and by +17% in adults 25-54. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT will succeed $#*! MY DAD SAYS, which will have completed its on-air order for the season.
CHAOS, a comedic drama about a group of rogue CIA spies in the Clandestine Administration and Oversight Services, premieres Friday, April 1 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). CHAOS will succeed THE DEFENDERS, which will have completed its on-air order for the season.
CBS will close the first half of the 2010-2011 season as the #1 network in viewers (12.29m, up +3%), adults 25-54 (4.2/10, up +2%) and adults 18-49 (3.2/09, even with last year). Season-to-date, CBS has six of the season’s top 10 programs, the top seven scripted programs and the top five new programs. CBS also has the two most played-back series – HAWAII FIVE-0 and THE MENTALIST – with both gaining nearly three million additional viewers each week after 7-day playback is factored in.
CBS’s Mid-Season Lineup:
Wednesdays, Effective Jan. 19
8:00-9:00 PM LIVE TO DANCE
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS (ntp)
Fridays, Effective Feb. 4
8:00-9:00 PM THE DEFENDERS (ntp)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
Fridays, Effective Feb. 11
8:00-9:00 PM THE DEFENDERS
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS
Wednesday, Effective Feb. 16
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR: REDEMPTION ISLAND (Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS: SUSPECT BEHAVIOR (Series Debut)
Monday, Effective Feb. 21
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM MAD LOVE (Series Debut)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY
10:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0
Thursday, Effective Feb. 24
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ntp)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI
10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST
Friday, Effective April 1
8:00-9:00 PM CHAOS (Series Debut)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS
About the Shows
BLUE BLOODS stars Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou and Jennifer Esposito. Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green and Leonard Goldberg are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.
CRIMINAL MINDS: SUSPECT BEHAVIOR stars Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, Janeane Garafolo, Matt Ryan, Michael Kelly, Beau Garrett and Kirsten Vangsness. Edward Allen Bernero, Mark Gordon, Deborah Spera and Chris Mundy are executive producers for ABC Studios in association with CBS Television Studios.
THE DEFENDERS stars Jim Belushi, Jerry O’Connell, Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fischer. Carol Mendelsohn, Kevin Kennedy, Niels Mueller, Joe Gantz, Harry Gantz and Greg Walker are executive producers for CBS TV Studios.
MAD LOVE stars Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Tyler Labine and Judy Greer. Matt Tarses and Jamie Tarses are executive producers for Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Television Studios.
CHAOS stars Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close, Tim Blake Nelson, James Murray, Kurtwood Smith, Carmen Ejogo and Christina Cole. Tom Spezialy, Brett Ratner and Martha Haight are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television in association with CBS Television Studios.
