CBS waited and waited, and now we finally have a better look at what’ll be on the dominantly procedural network come January 2011 and beyond. First let’s take a look at program day and time shifts. Freshman cop drama Blue Bloods is moving to Wednesday nights at 10PM on January 19; it will stay there for four weeks and eventually move back to its regular Friday 10PM slot on April 1. After the network airs the series finale of Medium, freshman legal dramedy The Defenders will take over the Friday 8PM position starting February 4. When Blue Bloods departs its four week run on Wednesday nights, the spinoff show Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior will assume the 10PM spot, immediately following 9PM’s Criminal Minds. (As you can see, CBS is using the Tuesday night NCIS/NCIS:LA formula here.) New midseason shows include: Live to Dance (premiering 1/19 at 9PM), Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (see above), Mad Love (2/21 at 8:30PM; Rules of Engagement moves to Thursdays 8:30PM replacing $#*! My Dad Says), Chaos (4/1 at 8PM; The Defenders season finale will have aired a week prior). And don’t for get about the latest installment of Survivor: Redemption Island which begins 2/16 at 8PM.
Kelly Kahl, CBS Senior EVP primetime: “We’re in the fortunate position of having a schedule with many successful shows and very few holes. 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.”
Look after the break to view the CBS midseason schedule.
*denotes new show
Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 19
8 p.m. Live to Dance*
9 p.m. Criminal Minds
10 p.m. Blue Bloods
Fridays, beginning Feb. 4
8 p.m. The Defenders
9 p.m. CSI: NY
Fridays, beginning Feb. 11
8 p.m. The Defenders
9 p.m. CSI: NY
10 p.m. Blue Bloods
Wednesday, beginning Feb. 16
8 p.m. Survivor: Redemption Island
9 p.m. Criminal Minds
10 p.m. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior*
Monday, beginning Feb. 21
8 p.m. How I Met Your Mother
8:30 p.m. Mad Love*
9 p.m. Two and A Half Men
9:30 p.m. Mike & Molly
10 p.m. Hawaii Five-0
Thursday, beginning Feb. 24
8 p.m. The Big Bang Theory
8:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement
9 p.m. CSI
10 p.m. The Mentalist
Friday, beginning April 1
8 pm. Chaos*
9 p.m. CSI: NY
10 p.m. Blue Bloods