A SURE BETTE CBS RELIES ON PROVEN NAMES FOR FALL SEASON.Byline: David Kronke Television Writer Employing magician David Copperfield to open CBS' upfront presentation of its new fall schedule wasn't the only illusion the network pulled off Wednesday afternoon in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. Television president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Les Moonves attempted to sell advertisers on the notion that, despite sitting in third place in the ratings and ranking low in key viewer demographics, the network was in great health. Indeed, CBS does well on some of the week's most competitive viewing nights. But it was telling that, at the outset of the upfront, Moonves talked up how cable holdings (Nickelodeon, MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. , Comedy Central) in the CBS- Viacom merger would provide advertisers with some of the desirable demographics his network has trouble providing. Herewith here·with adv. 1. Along with this. 2. By this means; hereby. herewith Adverb Formal together with this: , an analysis of CBS' strengths and weaknesses, and how the new programming figures into the network's overall strategy. Strong points: CBS' fairly strong showing last season - it bolstered its Monday night lineup, remained strong on Sundays and expanded well on Tuesdays, thanks to ``JAG'' and ``Judging Amy'' - was sort of lost amid the hoopla hoop·la n. Informal 1. a. Boisterous, jovial commotion or excitement. b. Extravagant publicity: The new sedan was introduced to the public with much hoopla. 2. of ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' and the crasser reality shows. Its fall lineup was generally strong enough that it was difficult to find holes for its midseason programming. The network's summer reality series ``Big Brother'' and ``Survivor'' are already generating huge buzz. Weak points: That midseason programming was better off stuck on the shelf, and of last season's new series, only ``Judging Amy'' was a decisive hit. The network's own game show, ``Winning Lines,'' tanked thoroughly, and CBS learned that even doing the right thing didn't guarantee viewers: Its highly touted, NAACP-pleasing ``City of Angels'' probably would've been canceled had it not been a minority-heavy series. Introducing its mob drama ``Falcone'' as an extended miniseries virtually ensured that it slept with the fishes. The network also didn't help its early season sensation ``Now & Again'' maintain its momentum. Many of its shows - ``Diagnosis Murder,'' ``Touched by an Angel'' and ``Nash Bridges'' - are as long in the tooth as the average CBS viewer. New this fall season:!off Wednesdays begin with an hour of divas in media-centric sitcoms. Bette Midler plays herself in ``The Bette Show,'' a sitcomization of her life. Christine Baranski stars as a TV executive in ``Welcome to New York Welcome to New York is a short-lived television sitcom that aired on CBS. The show starred Jim Gaffigan, who played a weatherman from Fort Wayne, Indiana, who then moved to New York and worked as a meteorologist. ,'' from David Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company, which features Jim Gaffigan as a very Letterman-esque character - a former Indiana weatherman who makes it in the Big Apple. Mike O'Malley, whose eponymous sitcom was last season's first casualty, proves nothing succeeds like failure by returning with Monday's ``Yes, Dear,'' which also stars Anthony Clark (``Boston Common''). ``Wings' '' Tim Daly is the latest ``Fugitive,'' based on the old TV series and the hit movie about a man framed for murder and on the lam from the law. It's on Fridays, with William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger making up ``C.S.I.,'' about Vegas crime-scene forensic investigators. Saturday finds Craig T. Nelson Craig T. Nelson (born Craig Richard Nelson on April 4, 1944 in Spokane, Washington) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous motion pictures. He starred in three television shows, Coach, Call to Glory and The District. as police commissioner of ``The District,'' set in Washington, D.C., and Heather Paige Kent Heather Paige Kent (born January 5, 1969) is an American actress noted for her television roles. She was born in the Bronx, New York and grew up in Chappaqua, New York. In 1990 she received a BFA from Syracuse University. playing a 30ish Jersey gal who ditches her fiance and blue-collar life to re-enter re·en·ter also re-en·ter v. re·en·tered, re·en·ter·ing, re·en·ters v.tr. 1. To enter or come in to again. 2. To record again on a list or ledger. v.intr. college in ``That's Life.'' Scheduling changes: ``City of Angels'' moves to Thursdays - now opposite ``Will & Grace'' and ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.'' ``Walker, Texas Ranger'' gets bumped up an hour on Saturdays. Midseason replacements: Ellen DeGeneres' comedy/variety show. Additional programming: Miniseries and more miniseries - subjects include Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (in competition with NBC's mini on the Kennedy women), Marilyn Monroe (based on Joyce Carol Oates' recent novel, ``Blonde''), the O.J. trial (with a script by Norman Mailer) and Elian Gonzales. Jim Henson's company will create an effects-laden ``Jack and the Beanstalk,'' and following ``Fail-Safe,'' Julie Andrews will star in a live production of ``On Golden Pond On Golden Pond is a play by Ernest Thompson. It focuses on aging couple Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend each summer at their home on Golden Pond. This year they are visited by daughter Chelsea with her fiancé and his son in tow. .'' Prognosis: CBS plowed four hours of new programming into Friday and Saturday nights, when viewing levels aren't high. The good news: ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. and NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. have opted just to run theatrical films on Satuday, so CBS' counterprogramming In broadcasting, counterprogramming is the practice of offering programs to attract an audience from another station airing a major event. Television The main events counterprogrammed are the Super Bowl and the Oscars. should work there. The bad news: CBS has a habit of putting cool shows that don't always skew (1) The misalignment of a document or punch card in the feed tray or hopper that prohibits it from being scanned or read properly. (2) In facsimile, the difference in rectangularity between the received and transmitted page. to the network's usual demographic on Fridays, when those viewers are even less likely to be home watching CBS (cases in point: ``Picket Fences,'' ``Buddy Faro Faro, town, Portugal Faro (fä`rō), town (1991 pop. 31,966), capital of Faro dist. and of Algarve, S Portugal. The southernmost town in Portugal, it is a seaport from which fish, fruit (especially dried figs), wine, and cork are ,'' ``Now & Again''). ``Fugitive'' and ``C.S.I.'' (which could probably use a more evocative title) could fall into that trap. Something stronger should have been placed in ``Family Law's'' 10 p.m. Monday slot. And the schedule doesn't address the network's perennial problem (with advertisers, at least) - its viewers skew older than the other networks - which is a tremendous oversight given how many younger viewers they'll attract over the summer with ``Survivor'' and ``Big Brother.'' Overall, however, even though it's probably the most conventional lineup of the networks, the new series generally look promising. Sunday 7 p.m.: ``60 Minutes'' 8 p.m.: ``Touched by an Angel'' 9 p.m.: ``CBS Sunday Movie'' Monday 8 p.m.: ``The King of Queens'' 8:30 p.m.: ``Yes, Dear'' 9 p.m.: ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' 9:30 p.m.: ``Becker'' 10 p.m.: ``Family Law'' Tuesday 8 p.m.: ``JAG'' 9 p.m.: ``60 Minutes II'' 10 p.m.: ``Judging Amy'' Wednesday 8 p.m.: ``The Bette Show'' 8:30 p.m.: ``Welcome to New York'' 9 p.m.: ``CBS Wednesday Movie'' Thursday 8 p.m.: ``48 Hours'' (new time) 9 p.m.: ``City of Angels'' (new day) 10 p.m.: ``Diagnosis Murder'' (new time) Friday 8 p.m.: ``The Fugitive'' 9 p.m.: ``C.S.I.'' 10 p.m.: ``Nash Bridges'' Saturday 8 p.m.: ``That's Life'' 9 p.m.: ``Walker, Texas Ranger'' (new time) 10 p.m.: ``The District'' CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Bette Midler will play a character very similar to herself in CBS' ``The Bette Show,'' right, while Christine Baranski and Jim Gaffigan, above, go to work for David Letterman in a new sitcom, ``Welcome to New York.'' (3) Mike O'Malley, right, tries the sitcom route again, this time with Anthony Clarke, in ``Yes, Dear.'' |
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