CBS Introduces Five New Series for Fall, Three for Midseason

NEW YORK: For its fall and midseason schedules, CBS has added five new comedies and three new dramas, including Hostages, a serialized suspense thriller from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

The new comedies coming to CBS in the fall include The Crazy Ones, from executive producer David E. Kelley and starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar; The Millers, which stars Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, Beau Bridges and JB Smoove; and Mom, from executive producer Chuck Lorre. Also for the fall schedule is We Are Men, starring Tony Shalhoub, Kal Penn, Chris Smith and Jerry O’Connell.

Two new dramas will make their way to the network’s Monday lineup. Hostages, which stars Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott, will air its season finale in January. Soon after, Intelligence, starring Josh Holloway, Marg Helgenberger and Meghan Ory, moves into the time period.

Set for midseason are Reckless, a legal drama set in Charleston, South Carolina, and Friends with Better Lives, a romantic comedy.

These freshman series join a lineup of 20 returning shows, including NCIS, The Big Bang Theory, 60 Minutes and Elementary. Also returning to the network are How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, NCIS: Los Angeles, Person of Interest, Survivor, Criminal Minds and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The network has also brought back Two and a Half Men, Undercover Boss, Hawaii Five-O, Blue Bloods, 48 Hours, The Amazing Race, The Good Wife and The Mentalist. For miseason, Mike & Molly will be returning.

The Monday schedule pairs veteran comedy How I Met Your Mother with the new We Are Men. 2 Broke Girls will follow as a lead in to Mom. At 10 p.m., Hostages will be airing until January, when Intelligence takes over.

Tuesdays will see CBS pairing top-rated dramas NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and Person of Interest.

Wednesday nights start off with the popular reality series Survivor in the 8 p.m. hour, followed by Criminal Minds and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Thursday nights will see an expanded comedy lineup, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. This is where the network will be airing its hit The Big Bang Theory, giving a lead in to the new comedy The Millers. The Crazy Ones and Two and a Half Men round out the hour. Elementary will cap off the night at 10 p.m.

For Fridays, CBS placed Undercover Boss at the top of prime time, giving way to Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods. On Saturdays is the CBS "Comedytime," which features encore broadcasts of the network’s hit comedies. This is followed by "Crimetime" programming and 48 Hours. The Sunday schedule has The Amazing Race, followed by The Good Wife and The Mentalist.