Psychics See Into CBS’s Future

Unlike ABC, which could only ready two, CBS has five new series starting next fall. Missing from their upfront announcement at Carnegie Hall in New York this afternoon was a rumored, 11th hour pickup of the dumped Fox comedy Back To You, although CBS does have a new show titled The Eleventh Hour (not to be confused with the CTV series of the same name watched by dozens across Canada a few years ago).
This Eleventh Hour is from mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The Legend of Zorro‘s Rufus Sewell (above) stars as a science brainiac who roams the globe solving planet problems. Hey, isn’t this a rip off of ReGenesis? If you’re gonna steal a Canadian show, like Cold Case did with Cold Squad, at least steal the right title!
The Mentalist stars Simon Baker (from The Guardian) as a dude with psychic abilities who gives clues to the cops. Like Medium, only, well, exactly like Medium. Tim Kang, Amanda Righetti, Shaun Toub, Robin Tunney and Owain Yeoman also star.
The Ex List features another psychic, who tells a single woman in her thirties (Elizabeth Reaser) she has already met then man she is going to marry. The woman then sets out to re-visit every dude she ever dated. This chick is going to seem a tad skanky by the 100 episode mark.
Somehow there are no psychics in the two comedies CBS ordered:
Worst Week, a remake of a Brit hit, is a single camera comedy about a couple (Jericho‘s Kyle Bornheimer and Kitchen Confidential‘s Erinn Hayes) coping with clashing lifestyles and families before their wedding. The good news is that That ’70s Show crank Kurtwood Smith (Red) is in on the fun.
Project Gary teams showkillers Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall as divorced parents who share custody of their two kids. Har-dee-har-har-har!
Another “interactive” drama, Harper’s Island, is ordered for mid-season. it is about a serial killer lurking on an island off Seattle.
CBS gave The New Adventures Of Old Christine a full season order of 22 episodes after reports surfaced that ABC was waiting to scoop it out of CBS’s trash bin. The Rules Of Engagement has also been rescued as a mid-season replacement series. The Unit has been spared but moved to Sundays.
Gone, as expected, is the rookie vampire drama Moonlight. Reports that it might resurface on The CW have been shot down. CBS also drove a stake through Cane, Jericho, Shark and Kid Nation.