CBS has announced their lineup for the fall season. Look… more shows from England! New shows are in bold.

MONDAY
8:00 pm The Big Bang Theory
8:30 pm How I Met Your Mother
9:00 pm Two And A Half Men
9:30 pm Worst Week
10:00 pm CSI: Miami

TUESDAY
8:00 pm NCIS
9:00 pm The Mentalist
10:00 pm Without A Trace

WEDNESDAY
8:00 pm The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30 pm Project Gary
9:00 pm Criminal Minds
10:00 pm CSI: NY

THURSDAY
8:00 pm Survivor
9:00 pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
10:00 pm Eleventh Hour

FRIDAY
8:00 pm Ghost Whisperer
9:00 pm The Ex List
10:00 pm Numb3rs

SATURDAY
8:00 pm Crimetime Saturday
9:00 pm Crimetime Saturday
10:00 pm 48 Hours Mystery

SUNDAY
7:00 pm 60 Minutes
8:00 pm The Amazing Race
9:00 pm Cold Case
10:00 pm The Unit

New Show Descriptions

Worst Week
(Comedy, Mondays 9:30 pm)
WORST WEEK is a comedy about Sam Briggs, an entertainment magazine editor who will do anything to please his girlfriend’s parents … but instead becomes a one-man wrecking crew whenever he’s around them. Sam (Kyle Bornheimer, “Jericho”) and his girlfriend, Melanie Clayton (Erinn Hayes, “Kitchen Confidential”), have only one hurdle left to clear as they start their life together: breaking the news to Mel’s conservative parents that they have a wedding in the works and a baby on the way. Dick (Kurtwood Smith, “That ’70s Show”), a stern Judge, and his wife Angela (Nancy Lenehan, “My Name is Earl”), are protective of their daughter, and are really trying to let go of the anger they feel toward Sam … after all, disaster follows whenever he visits their house. But despite his best efforts, every time Sam takes one positive step forward in winning over his future in-laws, he inevitably takes two crushing steps back. But with support and love from Melanie who stands up for him despite his knack for making himself look bad, Sam will hopefully charm his way into her family. Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein (”30 Rock”) directed the pilot. Matt Tarses (”Scrubs”) and Jimmy Mulville (”Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) are the executive producers for Universal Media Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television.

Sean’s Take: This show was pretty amusing in the British version, but it worked because each season (there were only two, and the second had the wife being pregnant) was only 6 or 7 episodes.  This will, as so many other British conversions, suffer from the length of our seasons.

Project Gary
(Comedy, Wednesdays 8:30 pm)
PROJECT GARY stars Jay Mohr (”Ghost Whisperer”) and Paula Marshall (”Nip/Tuck”) in a comedy about Gary Barnes, a recently single painting contractor, and his controlling ex-wife, Allison, who face post-divorce mayhem after 15 years of marriage as they each embark on new relationships. He’s the fun parent and she’s the strict one. Together, they share custody of their two children - Louise (Laura Marano, “Without a Trace”), a politically correct and environmentally conscious 11-year-old, and Tom (Ryan Malgarini, “How to Eat Fried Worms”), their socially awkward 14-year-old son who is nervous around girls. Charming and acerbic, Gary hasn’t dated since the split, but finally connects with Vanessa (Jaime King, “The Class”), a single mother whose condo he was hired to paint. He dreads telling Allison about Vanessa because it doesn’t adhere to her belief in their marriage counselor’s book, “Rules for the Perfect Divorce.” However, when Allison tells him that she’s engaged to their shrink, all bets are off and Gary decides it’s time to move forward. Now, in pursuit of post-marriage happiness, Gary must juggle his eclectic world of an ex-wife, their two kids, their shrink and his gorgeous new girlfriend. Ed Yeager (”Still Standing”) and Ric Swartzlander (”8 Simple Rules”) are the executive producers for ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television.

Sean’s Take: Nice premise for a simple comedy film… not a series.  This will become repetitive very quickly, and once the wife runs off with the shrink, what’s the point?  He can just live his life, so much for the “juggling” angle.  Sounds pretty weak.

The Mentalist
(Drama, Tuesdays 9:00 pm)
THE MENTALIST stars Golden Globe Award nominee Simon Baker (”The Devil Wears Prada”) as Patrick Jane, a detective and independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation. Within the Bureau, Jane is notorious for his blatant lack of protocol and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium, whose paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned. Jane’s role in cracking a series of tough high-profile cases is greatly valued by his fellow agents. However, no-nonsense Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney, “Prison Break”) openly resists having Jane in her unit and alternates between reluctantly acknowledging Jane’s usefulness and blasting him for his theatrics, narcissism and dangerous lack of boundaries. Lisbon’s team includes agents Kimball Cho (Tim Kang, “Rambo”), Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman, “The Nine”), and rookie member Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti, “The O.C.”), who all think Jane’s a loose cannon but admire his charm and knack for clearing cases. Bruno Heller (creator of “Rome”) is creator/executive producer, and Emmy Award winner David Nutter (”Band of Brothers”) is the executive producer for Warner Bros. Television.

Sean’s Take: So… it’s a cop show with some faked mental powers thrown in?  Wasn’t this already done on Psych?  This description just sounds amazingly weak and repetitive of so many cop shows that it just holds no appeal at all.

Eleventh Hour
(Drama, Thursdays 10:00 pm)
ELEVENTH HOUR from acclaimed producer Jerry Bruckheimer follows Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell, “The Illusionist”), a brilliant biophysicist and special science advisor to the government, as he investigates scientific crises and oddities. His jurisdiction is absolute and Hood is dogged in his pursuit of those who would abuse and misuse scientific discoveries and breakthroughs for their own gain. His passion and crusade is to protect the substance of science from those with nefarious motives. He is called in at the eleventh hour and he represents the last line of defense. Based on the British miniseries by acclaimed science-fiction writer Stephen Gallagher, the series is executive produced by Bruckheimer (”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Pirates of the Caribbean”), Jonathan Littman (”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Cold Case”), Danny Cannon (”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “CSI: Miami”), Cyrus Voris (”Bulletproof Monk”), Ethan Reiff (”Sleeper Cell”), Mick Davis (”Wake of Death”), and Paul Buccieri (”Fashion House”) for Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Sean’s Take: I’ve heard of the British version, but never seen it.  It sounds mildly intriguing, and Bruckheimer does “okay” stuff, so this one may be worth one or two looks, but I expect it to be pretty “procedural crime drama” in its take.

The Ex List
(Drama, Fridays 9:00 pm)
THE EX LIST is a comedic drama about Bella Bloom (Elizabeth Reaser, “Grey’s Anatomy”) - a single, 30-something, successful business owner who is surprised to learn from a psychic that she’s already dated her future husband AND there’s a catch: if she doesn’t find him in the next year, she’ll remain alone forever. During a bachelorette party for her sister, Daphne (Rachel Boston, “American Dreams”), Bella learns from the psychic she must revisit her past relationships and sort through the mistakes to find her soul mate. Skeptical, Bella begins to analyze every past liaison and failed romance with her close circle of friends, Augie (Adam Rothenberg, “Mad Money”), an endearing guy who has listened to Bella’s love woes since college, Vivian (Alex Breckenridge, “Dirt”), Augie’s long-term girlfriend, and Cyrus (Amir Talai, “Campus Ladies”), who’s chronically unemployed and full of wry observations. Once Bella witnesses proof of the psychic’s other predictions, her cynicism disappears and she begins her search. Along her trip down break-up lane, Bella is determined to remain optimistic and receptive, believing that when destiny reopens doors to the past, every relationship can matter in the future. Diane Ruggiero (”Veronica Mars”) and Jonathan Levin (”Charmed”) are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Sean’s Take: So, it has a set limited time span… that could backfire.  If you know the guy will be her husband, and you know she has to find him within a year… what do you do after she finds him?  Examining the past relationships might be amusing, but it sounds like they’ve painted themselves into a corner from the start to me.

I think these new shows just let us know that CBS is fairly happy with their course, and there is no real need to change things up.  I will say their slate is the most encouraging yet, but that isn’t saying a whole heck of a lot.

I don’t actually watch anything on The CW currently, but since people actually seem to be enjoying these announcements, why not throw them in. New shows are in bold.

MONDAY
8:00 pm: Gossip Girl
9:00 pm: One Tree Hill

TUESDAY
8:00 pm: 90210
9:00 pm: Surviving The Filthy Rich

WEDNESDAY
8:00 pm: America’s Next Top Model
9:00 pm: Stylista

THURSDAY
8:00 pm: Smallville
9:00 pm: Supernatural

FRIDAY
8:00 pm: Everybody Hates Chris
8:30 pm: The Game
9:00 pm: America’s Next Top Model (repeat)

New Show Descriptions

Here are the descriptions of each new show with my take.

90210
(Drama, Tuesdays 8pm)
An edgy, contemporary spin-off of the iconic drama “Beverly Hills, 90210,” the new 90210 looks at life through the eyes of Annie Mills (Shenae Grimes, “Degrassi: The Next Generation”) and her brother Dixon (Tristan Wilds, “The Wire”), whose first day at West Beverly Hills High School leaves no doubt they’re not in Kansas anymore. The Mills family, including dad Harry (casting TBD) and mom Debbie (Lori Loughlin, “Summerland”), has relocated to Beverly Hills to keep an eye on Harry’s mother Tabitha (Jessica Walter, “Arrested Development”), a feisty-but-faded former television star and a charter member of the Betty Ford Clinic. For Annie and Dixon, the awkwardness of being the new kids is made worse by the fact that their dad has taken a job as the high school principal. The school is one big culture shock for Annie, a sweet and friendly girl with a passion for the theater, and Dixon, a star athlete and scholar who was adopted by the Mills family after they took him in as a foster child. Annie and Dixon have a close sibling relationship, which they’ll need to help them cope with all the new cliques and classmates, including Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord, “Nip/Tuck”), a hot, spoiled, rich girl; Ethan (Dustin Milligan, “Runaway”), a popular jock whose abilities rival Dixon’s; Navid (Michael Steger, “The Winner”), an aspiring reporter who heads up the school’s daily newscast; and Silver (Jessica Stroup, “Prom Night”), a rebel who produces and stars in a YouTube-type video series. Even the faculty seems hip and sophisticated at WBHHS, such as smart and funny teacher Ryan Matthews (Ryan Eggold, “Dirt”) and beautiful guidance counselor Kelly Taylor (guest star Jennie Garth, the original “Beverly Hills, 90210”). The Mills family has just begun to realize how much their lives are about to change. 90210 is produced by CBS Paramount Network Television with executive producers Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah (“Freaks & Geeks”). Mark Piznarski (“Gossip Girl”) is the director and executive producer of the pilot.

Sean’s Take: Why? Are we so out of ideas for new shows that we now have to go back and revisit the already bad ones? What’s next? My Mother The Car 2008? Oh wait… NBC already has that with the new Knight Rider. My bad. This show is just a bad, bad idea… which means it will probably go for several seasons.

Surviving The Filthy Rich
(Drama, Tuesdays 9PM)
Twenty-three-year-old Megan Smith (JoAnna Garcia, “Reba”) has a Yale education, a relentlessly positive attitude and a plan to conquer the world of journalism, despite the fact that she is currently slaving away at a tabloid rag. Megan’s plan is thrown off course when, in one whirlwind day, she gets fired, meets cosmetics mogul Laurel Limoges (casting TBD) and becomes the live-in tutor for Laurel’s twin teen granddaughters in the heady Palm Beach world of wealth and power. The girls, Rose (Lucy Kate Hale, “Bionic Woman”) and Sage (Ashley Newbrough, “The Best Years”), are beautiful, rebellious and less-than-thrilled with their new tutor, but Megan is determined to win them over as she enjoys the perks of her new job, breathtaking private suite, gorgeous convertible and live-in chef Marco (Allan Louis, “Stomp the Yard”). Even the neighbors are fabulous in Palm Beach, and Megan quickly catches the eye of Will (casting TBD), the wealthy and extremely hot dilettante who lives on the estate next door and just happens to be dating Megan’s estranged sister Lily (casting TBD). Completing this romantic quadrangle is Megan’s best friend Charlie (Michael Cassidy, “Smallville,” “The O.C.”), who is secretly in love with her. Despite her own complicated romantic and family relationships, Megan is committed to making a difference in the lives of her two headstrong charges as she navigates the treacherous waters of high society in Palm Beach. SURVIVING THE FILTHY RICH is based on the Alloy Entertainment book “How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls” by best-selling author Zoey Dean (“The A-List”). The series is from Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Paramount Network Television with executive producers Rina Mimoun (“Gilmore Girls,” “Everwood”), Bob Levy (“Gossip Girl”) and Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl”).

Sean’s Take: This sounds like just about any romantic comedy movie that comes out, so, much to my chagrin, this will probably have at least a season or two of life IF (notice the big “if” there) it is handled correctly and isn’t just screamingly obvious in its writing.

Stylista
(Reality, Wednesday 9pm)
If “The Devil Wears Prada” were a reality show, it would be STYLISTA. Eleven aspiring fashion enthusiasts vie for a much-coveted editorial job with Elle magazine. They work as assistants to Elle’s Fashion News Director, Anne Slowey, a demanding but well-respected fashion icon. The competitors will carry out an assistant task and a fashion editorial assignment in each episode. Each week, in consultation with Elle’s Creative Director, Joe Zee, Anne fires one person, until the last assistant standing gets “promoted” to the coveted real-life job opportunity. The grand prize includes a paid editorial position at Elle magazine, a paid lease on a great apartment in Manhattan, and a clothing allowance at H&M, all for one year, valued at $100,000. STYLISTA is from 10 by 10 Entertainment, Inc. and Bankable Incorporated in association with Magic Molehill Productions, Inc. and Warner Horizon Television Inc. with executive producers Tyra Banks, Ken Mok, Eli Holzman, Desiree Gruber and Jane Cha.

Sean’s Take: Eh, it’ll do okay probably. I never thought America’s Next Top Model would do well, and they’re going into their 10th “cycle” I think.

Overall The CW has problems. They are actually going to be leasing out their Sunday night programming to another company, so that tells you how well they’re doing. The return of 90210 is going to bring them some much needed publicity, but we’ll see if it does them any good.