Stability is the Name of the Game on CBS’s Fall 2012 Schedule

CBS has been the network with the biggest overall audience for like a decade or so and it is likely to stay that way with a very stable new fall slate for 2012. The question is can they get the younger viewers that all the networks covet? With the addition of a new comedy called Partners from the Will & Grace creators starring Michael Urie and David Krumholtz as business partners and best friends, one gay and one straight, they could hit pay dirt. The show is joining the Monday comedy lineup which will now be anchored by last year’s breakout hit 2 Broke Girls as Two and a Half Men moves to Thursday…. The other big move is The Mentalist heading to Sundays following CBS’s best show The Good Wife… New dramas include Elementary with Johnny Lee Miller as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as his Watson, Vegas starring Dennis Quaid in the city’s 60′s heyday, and a law drama called Made in Jersey with Kyle MacLachlan and Janet Montgomery... Midseason brings the cop drama Golden Boy, the comedy Friend Me with Christopher Mintz-Plasse and the reality show The Job…. Making room for these new contenders meant it was cancellation time for A Gifted Man, Unforgettable, Rob, and CSI Miami after 10 seasons… Also, there’s no official word on the return of Rules of Engagement, but the veteran comedy is rumored to be returning for one final 13 episode season later in the year. For more on all of CBS’s shows and their lineup, head to Deadline Hollywood here and check out the schedule below.

MONDAY

8 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30 PM PARTNERS (N)
9 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS (NT)
9:30 PM MIKE & MOLLY
10 PM HAWAII FIVE-0

TUESDAY

8 PM NCIS
9 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10 PM VEGAS (N)

WEDNESDAY

8 PM SURVIVOR
9 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

THURSDAY

8 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN (NT)
9 PM PERSON OF INTEREST
10 PM ELEMENTARY (N)

FRIDAY

8 PM CSI: NY (NT)
9 PM MADE IN JERSEY (N)
10 PM BLUE BLOODS

SATURDAY

8 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERY

SUNDAY

7 PM 60 MINUTES
8 PM THE AMAZING RACE
9 PM THE GOOD WIFE
10 PM THE MENTALIST (NT)

NBC goes for Laughs with its new 2012 Fall Schedule

NBC has been mired in the ratings cellar for several years now, but with their new fall schedule, they are hoping to return to their 80′s and 90′s glory days. How are they gonna do it? Well, apparently, they are hoping to become the kings of comedy again. They did it with shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls and Will & Grace. So, why not make a big play with 4 nights of comedy programming, Tuesday thru Friday? That’s what they will be doing by bringing back Community, Up All Night, Whitney (what?!) and 30 Rock  (in its final season) for 13 more episodes plus full seasons of The Office (with all the stars returning except for James Spader and Mindy Kaling who has a new sitcom on Fox) and Parks and Recreation. They will add 4 more comedies to the mix: Go On starring Matthew Perry as a sportscaster, Animal Kingdom with Justin Kirk as a House-like veterinarian, Guys with Kids from producer Jimmy Fallon and The New Normal with Justin Bartha and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon) as a gay couple who enlist a surrogate to help them start a family. The latter comedy is from Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) and costars Tony winner Ellen Barkin and looks like a riot. I can’t wait…
The network also has 3 more comedies for mid-season with Save Me starring Anne Heche, 1600 Penn (a comedy set at the White House) and Next Caller about a foul-mouthed DJ played by Dane Cook. Dramas joining later in the year are Infamous and Hannibal (yes, that’s about Hannibal Lecter!)
Also on the drama side, NBC has added Revolution, Do No Harm and Chicago Fire. Revolution will follow a new fall edition of The Voice which will now air twice a year essentially turning it into a singing version of Dancing with the Stars or Survivor, and thus further reducing the likelihood of ever producing a true music hit maker. (But it can still get good rating for the network that has such a low bar)… Also returning will be the musical drama Smash at midseason (so it can air 18 episodes uninterrupted) along with a newly reconfigured The Biggest Loser.... Cancelled shows include Awake, The Firm, Harry’s Law (boo!!!), Are You There Chelsea, Bent and Best Friends Forever. For more on the new shows and clips of them, head to TV Line here. And check out NBC’s new fall schedule below.

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Voice”
10-11 p.m. – “REVOLUTION”

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. – “The Voice”
9-9:30 p.m. – “GO ON”
9:30-10 p.m. – “THE NEW NORMAL”
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood”

WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “ANIMAL PRACTICE”
8:30-9 p.m. – “GUYS WITH KIDS”
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. – “CHICAGO FIRE”

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “30 Rock”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Up All Night”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”
10-11 p.m. – “Rock Center with Brian Williams”

FRIDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “Whitney”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Community”
9-10 p.m. – “Grimm”
10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY (Fall 2012)
7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”

SUNDAY (Post-football/Winter 2013)
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – “Fashion Star”
9-10 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice”
10-11 p.m. – “DO NO HARM”

Bernadette Peters shows ‘em how it’s done on “Smash”

My favorite new show of 2012 to no one’s surprise is the musical dramedy Smash. Despite some inconsistencies in quality week to week, it never ceases to entertain and I’m thrilled it’s on the air. Katharine McPhee has shown she has some nice acting chops to go along with her lovely voice that we first heard on American Idol, Emmy winner Debra Messing (Will & Grace) and Tony nominee Christian Borle (Legally Blonde) are a wonderful comic duo and Broadway vet Megan Hilty (Wicked) is killing it every week as vindictive insecure starlet Ivy…. This week things really get good as the workshop of their Marilyn musical finally goes up and we also get a visit from Ivy’s over-bearing Broadway diva mother played by seven-time nominee and two-time Tony winning Broadway diva Bernadette Peters (Song and Dance, Annie Get Your Gun). Of course, she comes right in and steals the show with her own musical number from Gypsy. Check out the preview below and watch Smash tonight on NBC.

Smash Preview~ Bernadette Peters singing “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”

Sean Hayes was never IN!

In case you missed the big announcement from The Advocate magazine yesterday, Sean Hayes, the Emmy winning star of “Will & Grace” finally comes out in their latest issue. However, he was actually never really IN. He talks about living openly in Hollywood for years and not succumbing to pressures of what he should and shouldn’t say about his personal life.  Bravo Sean! Anywho, it really isn’t any of our business! Now, not only is Sean a wonderful actor (hello 4 SAG Awards, 6 Golden Globe nods and & 7 Emmy nominations. Oh and dont forget his SAG Nominated dramatic performance in “Martin & Lewis”), but he’s a great guy. He’s also headed to Broadway this spring in the revival of “Promises Promises” with the amazing Tony and Emmy winning Kristin Chenowith. Check out Sean’s interview with the Advocate at the link below.

http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/People/Sean_Hayes_I_Am_Who_I_Am/

And here’s a link for info about “Promises Promises”:

http://www.promisespromisesbroadway.com/