August 2005

CBS'S 2005-2006 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

Six New Shows Added to Primetime Line-Up That Is Number One in Viewers, Number One In Adults 25-54 and Number One in Adults 18-49 Among Regularly Scheduled Programs

Powerful Thursday Night Lineup Remains Intact

Top-Rated Returning Comedy "Two and a Half Men" Moves to Mondays at 9 PM

CBS Wins Current Season in Viewers by Widest Margin of Any Network in 16 Years

CBS's First Back-to-Back Win in Adults 25-54 in 30 Years

The CBS Television Network, riding a wave of momentum in all ratings categories, introduces six new series designed to strengthen an already dominant primetime lineup and continue its ratings leadership.

The six new series feature a unique mixture of concepts and genres, including a sci-fi adventure, a suspense thriller, a paranormal drama with an emotional twist, a Jerry Bruckheimer legal drama set in the suburbs and two ensemble comedies. The freshmen series are THRESHOLD, CRIMINAL MINDS, GHOST WHISPERER, CLOSE TO HOME, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and OUT OF PRACTICE.

They join a lineup featuring more Top 20 hits than any other network and a leadership position in every program genre. CBS will return television's Number One drama and scripted series, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION; the Number One returning comedy, TWO AND A HALF MEN; the Number One newsmagazine, 60 MINUTES; and the premiere reality series SURVIVOR and the two-time Emmy Award-winning THE AMAZING RACE.

CBS won the 2004-2005 season by nearly three million viewers over second-place ABC -- the largest margin any network has held in 16 years. The Network is also Number One in adults 25-54 for the second consecutive year and Number One in adults 18-49 with regularly scheduled programming for the first time in 30 years. CBS finished in a virtual tie with Fox for Number One in adults 18-49 with all programming.

Overall, the Network will return 16 primetime programs, including 13 entertainment series (THE KING OF QUEENS; TWO AND A HALF MEN; CSI: MIAMI; NCIS; THE AMAZING RACE; STILL STANDING; YES, DEAR; CSI: NY; SURVIVOR; CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION; WITHOUT A TRACE; NUMB3RS and COLD CASE), as well as 60 MINUTES, 48 HOURS MYSTERY, the CBS SUNDAY MOVIE and CRIMETIME SATURDAY.

CBS's powerful Thursday-night lineup of SURVIVOR, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION and WITHOUT A TRACE returns intact. The Network is Number One on Thursday in viewers for the third consecutive season, with an 8-million-viewer lead over NBC, and is Number One in both adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 for the first time in 20 years.

On Monday, CBS made two key scheduling moves to sustain its leadership position in the post-"Everybody Loves Raymond" era. THE KING OF QUEENS returns to Monday at 8:00 PM, where it previously dominated the time period, and TWO AND A HALF MEN, which is the first show ever to build on "Everybody Loves Raymond's" demos, moves to 9:00 PM, establishing protected time periods to introduce two promising new comedies. At 8:30 PM, CBS is scheduling the unique comedy HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, which is told through flashbacks from the future, and at 9:30 PM the Network will premiere the ensemble comedy OUT OF PRACTICE about a family of doctors. The night's #1 show in all key categories, CSI: MIAMI, caps the lineup at 10:00 PM.

On Tuesday, CBS is introducing one new show to its growing Tuesday lineup. Designed to capitalize on the momentum of NCIS and the strong demographic lead-in from THE AMAZING RACE at 9:00 PM, the new suburban legal drama CLOSE TO HOME is scheduled at 10:00 PM.

One new drama is also being added to CBS's revitalized Wednesday. The suspense thriller CRIMINAL MINDS will be broadcast at 9:00 PM, forming a compelling and compatible two-hour drama block with CSI: NY at 10:00 PM. Last season, CSI: NY dethroned "Law & Order" as the time-period winner.

The newly modeled Friday-night lineup introduces a diverse and compelling blend of dramas starting at 8:00 PM with the emotional paranormal drama GHOST WHISPERER, followed by the alien-invasion adventure THRESHOLD at 9:00 PM, and concluding with NUMB3RS, which finished its freshman season as the night's #1 show in all key categories, at 10:00 PM.

CBS also announced that it has ordered three new midseason series -- EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MEN, starring Jenna Elfman; THE UNIT, from acclaimed writer David Mamet and Shawn Ryan, executive producer of "The Shield"; and OLD CHRISTINE, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The new dramas are (all times ET/PT):

GHOST WHISPERER (Friday, 8:00 PM) stars Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Party of Five") as newlywed Melinda Gordon who communicates with earthbound spirits, ghosts who cling to the living because they have unfinished business that prevents them from moving beyond the familiar plane of existence that we call life. Inspired in part by the work of famed medium James Van Praagh and of Mary Ann Winkowski, a real-life communicator with spirits, GHOST WHISPERER explores the spiritual side of life and death as Melinda navigates among the dead and the living in her sometimes chilling, sometimes heart-rending and sometimes amusing attempts to act as an intermediary between the ghosts and those they haunt. Jim, her husband, worries about the emotional toll this work is taking on his wife as they embark on a new life together. Andrea, her friend and business partner in their antique store, is fascinated by Melinda's talent. For her part, Melinda accepts her unique abilities as a blessing and sometime curse, but always helps her clients, alive or dead, find emotional closure. David Conrad ("Relativity") and Aisha Tyler ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") also star. John Wirth ("The District"), John Gray ("Helter Skelter," "Martin and Lewis"), Ian Sander and Kim Moses ("Profiler") are executive producers for Sander/Moses Productions in association with Touchstone Television and Paramount Network Television.

THRESHOLD (Friday, 9:00 PM) stars Carla Gugino ("Karen Sisco"), Charles S. Dutton ("Something the Lord Made"), Brian Van Holt ("House of Wax"), Rob Benedict ("Felicity"), Brent Spiner ("The Aviator") and Peter Dinklage ("The Station Agent") in a suspenseful drama about a team of experts who are assembled when the U.S. Navy makes a chilling discovery: an extra terrestrial craft has landed in the mid-Atlantic ocean. Dr. Molly Anne Caffrey is a government contingency analyst whose job is to devise response plans for worst-case scenarios. In a single instant, her life changes when one of those plans - THRESHOLD - is activated by Deputy National Security Advisor J.T. Baylock. Armed only with her hypothetical strategy to address the appearance of aliens on earth, Caffrey now finds herself thrust in the midst of a global crisis. She hand-picks a team of eclectic specialists to prepare for first contact: Dr. Nigel Fenway, a disillusioned NASA microbiologist; Lucas Pegg, a brilliant but neurotic physicist; Arthur Ramsey, an expert in languages and mathematics; and Cavennaugh, a highly trained covert operative with a mysterious past. Together, they decipher the intention of the craft, the fate of the ship's crew and begin preparations for the possibility of a crisis situation - an alien invasion. David Heyman ("Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"), David S. Goyer ("Batman Begins") and Brannon Braga ("Star Trek: Enterprise") are executive producers for Paramount Network Television.

CLOSE TO HOME (Tuesday, 10:00 PM) stars Jennifer Finnigan ("The Bold and the Beautiful") in a legal drama that tears away the facade of suburbia to reveal that sometimes quiet and tranquil streets can hide the darkest of crimes. Annabeth Chase is a young, aggressive prosecutor with a perfect conviction record who tries the cases that take place in her own backyard. Returning to work after having her first child, Annabeth is ready to take on the most difficult cases, fueled by her passion to protect her community and her family. Kimberly Elise ("Beloved"), John Carroll Lynch ("The Drew Carey Show") and Christian Kane ("Friday Night Lights") also star. Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Without a Trace"), Jonathan Littman ("Cold Case," "The Amazing Race") and Jim Leonard ("Thieves") are executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television, in association with Warner Bros. Television.

CRIMINAL MINDS (Wednesday, 9:00 PM) stars Emmy and Tony Award winner Mandy Patinkin ("Chicago Hope"), Thomas Gibson ("Dharma & Greg") and Daytime Emmy Award winner Shemar Moore ("The Young and the Restless") in a suspense thriller about an elite squad of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. Each member of the team brings his or her own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators' motivations and identify their emotional triggers in order to stop them. Matthew Gray Gubler ("The Life Aquatic") and Lola Glaudini ("The Sopranos") also star. Mark Gordon ("The Day After Tomorrow," "Grey's Anatomy") and Ed Bernero ("Third Watch") are executive producers, and Jeff Davis and Deborah Spera ("Fathers and Sons") are co-executive producers for Touchstone Television, in association with Paramount Network Television.

The new comedies are (all times ET/PT):

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (Monday, 8:30 PM) is a comedy about Ted (Josh Radnor) and how he fell in love. It all starts when Ted's best friend, Marshall (Jason Segel, "Freaks and Geeks"), drops the bombshell that he's going to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Lily (Alyson Hannigan, "American Pie"), a kindergarten teacher. At that moment, Ted realizes that he had better get a move on if he too hopes to find true love. Helping him in his quest is Barney (Neil Patrick Harris, "Doogie Howser, M.D."), a friend with endless, sometimes outrageous opinions, a penchant for suits and a foolproof way to meet women. When Ted meets Robin (Cobie Smulders, "Veritas: The Quest"), he's sure it's love at first sight, but destiny may have something else in store. The show is told through flashbacks from the future. Carter Bays & Craig Thomas ("Late Show with David Letterman"), Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.

OUT OF PRACTICE (Monday, 9:30 PM) is a comedy about a family of physicians who share a profession but have little else in common. Ben Barnes (Christopher Gorham, "Felicity") is an earnest young couples counselor whose family doesn't consider him a "real" doctor because he doesn't have "M.D." after his name. But despite their lofty credentials, Ben might be the best prescription for the future of this family. Stockard Channing ("The West Wing"), Henry Winkler ("Happy Days"), Ty Burrell, ("In Good Company") and Paula Marshall ("Spin City") also star. Joe Keenan ("Frasier") and Christopher Lloyd ("Frasier") are executive producers for Paramount Network Television. Multiple Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier") directed the pilot.

The midseason series are:

EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MEN stars Jenna Elfman ("Dharma & Greg") in a comedy about Bex Atwell (Elfman), an attractive secretary with simple goals: find true love, have an exciting career and a normal relationship with her father. But in a world where men behave like, well...men, she realizes that she may be overly ambitious. Now, Bex is determined to figure out what men are all about while wondering why women even bother to try to understand them in the first place. Hugh Bonneville ("Doctor Zhivago") and Dabney Coleman ("Nine to Five") also star. Fred Barron ("Caroline in the City") and Rob Hanning ("Malcolm in the Middle") are executive producers for Touchstone Television, in association with Paramount Network Television. Multiple Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed the pilot.

THE UNIT stars Dennis Haysbert ("24"), Scott Foley ("Felicity"), Robert Patrick ("The X-Files"), Golden Globe Award winner Regina Taylor ("I'll Fly Away") and Audrey Marie Anderson ("Once and Again") in an action drama that follows a covert team of special-forces operatives as they risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their families maintain the homefront, protecting their spouses' secrets. Max Martini ("Saving Private Ryan"), Michael Irby ("Piñero"), Demore Barnes ("The Associates") and Abby Brammell ("Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman") also star. Pulitzer Prize-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated writer David Mamet ("Glengarry Glen Ross") and Emmy Award-nominated writer Shawn Ryan ("The Shield") are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.

OLD CHRISTINE stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Seinfeld") in a comedy about a newly single working mom who is successfully juggling the daily stresses of motherhood and her business, while maintaining her fantastic relationship with her ex-husband -- until his young new girlfriend, also named Christine, enters the picture, making her life instantly complicated. Now, as Christine realizes that her ex is moving on with his life, it dawns on her that maybe it's time for her to take that same leap. Kari Lizer ("Will & Grace") is the writer and executive producer and Andy Ackerman ("Seinfeld") the director for Warner Bros. Television.

Following is the 2005-2006 CBS Television Network primetime schedule:

CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
2005-2006 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(N=New; NT=New Time; all times ET/PT)

MONDAY

8:00-8:30 PM                    THE KING OF QUEENS (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM                    HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (N)
9:00-9:30 PM                    TWO AND A HALF MEN (NT)
9:30-10:00 PM                   OUT OF PRACTICE (N)
10:00-11:00 PM          CSI: MIAMI 

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM                    NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM                   THE AMAZING RACE
10:00-11:00 PM          CLOSE TO HOME (N)

WEDNESDAY

8:00-8:30 PM                    STILL STANDING (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM                    YES, DEAR (NT)
9:00-10:00 PM                   CRIMINAL MINDS (N)
10:00-11:00 PM          CSI: NY

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM                    SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA -- THE MAYA EMPIRE 
9:00-10:00 PM                   CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 PM          WITHOUT A TRACE

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM                    GHOST WHISPERER (N)
9:00-10:00 PM                   THRESHOLD (N) 
10:00-11:00 PM          NUMB3RS

SATURDAY

8:00-9:00 PM                    CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM                   CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM          48 HOURS MYSTERY

SUNDAY

7:00-8:00 PM                    60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM                    COLD CASE
9:00-11:00 PM                   CBS SUNDAY MOVIE