On Wednesday CBS was the last of the big four networks to present their 2013-15 TV season offerings at the 2013 Upfronts, unveiling 11 new series coming to the the Eye network: five comedies and three dramas. Jump after the break to get more information about all of the new shows including synopses, cast and creator/executive producer listings, clips, and initial reactions.

Significant changes to the schedule include: Hawaii Five-0 steps out of Mondays at 10 to make room for new dramas Hostages and Intelligence–the former (which will air 15 episodes total) will premiere in the fall and the latter will take over in February; Five-0 moves to Fridays at 9 where it will be sandwiched between Undercover Boss and Blue Bloods… Person of Interest leaves its Thursday post to join the NCIS franchise on Tuesdays at 10… This allows the Thursday comedy block to expand to two hours–stuffed between veterans The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men are newcomers The Millers and The Crazy Ones; closing out the night is Elementary.

Elsewhere: Returning sitcom Mike & Molly along with new comedy Friends with Better Lives and new dramas Reckless and Intelligence are being held for midseason debuts.

Programs not returning next season: CSI: NY, Golden Boy, Made In Jersey, Vegas, Partners, and Rules of Engagement. (Click here for more…)

On April 8, A&E renewed Bates Motel for a second season. Same order as before–10 new episodes will premiere in 2014.

A&E president Bob DeBitetto: “Bates Motel has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal audience in its first few weeks. With superb writing and exceptional acting, led by the critically acclaimed performances of Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, we’re incredibly excited to see where Carlton and Kerry take Norma and Norman Bates next.”

On April 26, NBC renewed five dramas including freshmen Revolution and Chicago Fire, Law & Order: SVU (for a fifteenth season), Parenthood (for a fifth season), and Grimm (for a third season).

NBC entertainment president Jennifer Salke: “On the verge of our 2013 fall scheduling decisions, we’re pleased to renew five drama series that will be important to our new season line-up. We’re proud and very appreciative of all of the actors, producers, writers and directors who work so hard to deliver such high-quality work week in and week out. These complex shows represent a broad range of genres and tones, and all of them stand out for us in a television landscape now filled with one-hour series. We’re especially pleased to be renewing Revolution and Chicago Fire — two first-season successes — and there will be more returning series announcements made in the next couple of weeks.”

For more renewal news, jump after the break. (Click here for more…)

From executive producer Steven Spielberg and showrunner Brian K. Vaughan (Lost) comes Under the Dome, a series based the 2009 Stephen King novel that is the story of a small New England town named Chester’s Mill that is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. The town’s residents need to survive the deteriorating post-apocalyptic conditions while searching for answers to what this barrier is, where it came from, and how to make it go away.

In this first look clip you’ll hear from King and members of the cast including Mike Vogel (Pan Am, Bates Motel), Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), and Britt Robertson (The Secret Circle). Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) directed the pilot. “Under The Dome is going to be an innovative, exciting 13-week event. It is going to be riveting TV,” exudes King.

The series begins its summer run June 14 on CBS. Watch a second promo after the break. (Click here for more…)

On Wednesday CBS renewed 14 shows and they are:

NCIS: Los Angeles (season 5), Blue Bloods (season 4), Hawaii Five-0 (season 4), Elementary (season 2), Person of Interest (season 3), The Good Wife (season 5), The Mentalist (season 6), 2 Broke Girls (season 3), Mike & Molly (season 4), The Amazing Race (season 23), Survivor (season 27), Undercover Boss (season 5), 60 Minutes, and newsmagazine 48 Hours.

They will be joining the previously renewed The Big Bang Theory (season 7), How I Met Your Mother (the 9th and final season), NCIS (season 11), and CSI (season 14) in the 2013-14 CBS lineup.

The fate for a handful of CBS shows are still up in the air. Two and a Half Men and Criminal Minds are likely to come back for their 11th and 9th seasons, respectively. Freshmen Vegas and Golden Boy remain on the bubble. Sitcom Rules of Engagement has managed to squeeze out seven seasons to serve as a trusty utility player when schedule holes need to be filled; it is not yet known if the Eye will let it go another round again.

This Monday CBS is airing a very unique episode of crime procedural Hawaii Five-0. Viewers will have the opportunity to choose the ending of the episode in real time. Check it: The mystery begins when the team must investigate the death of an O’ahu State University professor. His Boss, his Teaching Assistant, and a Student who he busted for cheating are all viable suspects. After each of the suspect’s motives is revealed, the network will advise viewers to vote who they think should get charged for the crime. There are two ways you can vote: go to CBS.com or hop on Twitter and use the hashtags #theBoss, #theTA, or #theStudent to voice your opinion. The votes will be tallied immediately and the most popular ending will become part of the broadcast, says CBS. And get this: separate voting will occur for East/Central and Pacific Time zone broadcasts, meaning each side of the nation may see different endings. All three endings have been shot, obviously, and CBS promises to make them all available to view on CBS.com after the broadcasts have aired.

“I’ve always felt the most fun aspect of watching a mystery is trying to figure out whodunit,” says exec producer Peter Lenkov. “Now the Hawaii Five-0 viewers will actually get the chance to tell us who they think committed the crime and we will listen. I love that our dedicated and attentive fans will actually play a part in resolving our story.”

Sounds fun, huh? The special episode titled “Kapu” (translation: “Forbidden”) airs this Monday night (1/14) at 10PM. Watch a trailer after the break. (Click here for more…)

Elementary, the CBS procedural inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of Sherlock Holmes, is the most watch new drama of the season. It’s doing so well, in fact, that the Eye has given it the plum post-Super Bowl slot this February 3. At the TCAs series creator and showrunner Rob Doherty (joined by stars Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu and exec producers Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman) discussed his excitement regarding this unique opportunity.

“It was a tremendous honor to get it as a first-year show,” Doherty said of the news. He said he hopes to “do our level best to keep the audience in their seats after the game.” The episode was made with potential newcomers and viewers from the beginning in mind. He understands that “It’s an incredible opportunity to expose the show to people who haven’t checked it out yet, and we took that into consideration when developing the episode.” He says the installment will tell “a story that we felt that not only was a good example of what the show could be, but also something that our viewers would have fun with.” A critic reminded him that the post-Super Bowl spot is one that pretty much guarantees the episode will attract “more people than anything you’ve ever done in your life — and if it works might result in you being set for life.” Doherty responded jokingly, “Well, now I’m stressed. Yes, I’ve felt all of those things. I mean, I’m stressed out all the time anyway. It’s hard to go from a 10 to an 11, but I did. Mostly what we felt was great excitement.” (Click here for more…)

Today CBS was the last of the big four networks to take the stage at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler didn’t spend much time talking about her network’s ratings and overall fall performance. Everyone knows that the Eye attracts the most eyeballs in terms of total viewers. After NBC’s Bob Greenblatt gloated about ranking #1 in attracting viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic, Tassler responded with this. “I wouldn’t say there’s been much slippage [among 18-49],” she said. “We’re not a niche broadcaster. For us it’s still about getting everybody. Our advertisers are very pleased with our 25-54 numbers as well.” For the remainder of the panel, Tassler discussed the futures of long-running sitcoms How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men, she commented on the subject of violence on TV (a hot topic these days), and she announced CBS’ summer schedule which includes a mysterious drama called Under the Dome from Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. By now you should know where the bullet-points begin: after the break. (Click here for more…)

As the holiday season approaches, many of your favorite shows go on hiatus so you can spend time with your loved ones. Most will return to the airwaves in early January and with them comes some new programming–some of which are worth checking out. In this year’s midseason TV preview posts, I will recommend which new shows are worth watching as well as offer schedules provided by the networks themselves. Midseason is on the horizon; out your calendars and let’s do this thing!

This midseason CBS is adding four series to its schedule. The Eye typically doesn’t do much tweaking this time of year. Its two biggest moves are filling in the voids left by cancelled comedy Partners and drama Made in Jersey. Rules of Engagement returns for its seventh season on Monday, February 4 at 8:30PM. New drama Golden Boy, from exec producers Greg Berlanti and Nicholas Wootton, follows the rise of an ambitious cop (played by Theo James) who is destined to become the youngest police commissioner in New York City history; Chi McBride plays his detective mentor. CBS is airing two “special previews” of the show on Tuesday, February 26 and March 5 at 10PM before it lands in its regular Friday night at 9PM slot. Update (12/20): Also coming midseason to CBS is a new Mark Burnett business-themed reality competition series The Job; it premieres Friday, February 8 at 8PM.

My recommendation: Unless you’re super into CBS’ typical slate of cop procedurals (read: Blue Bloods), I wouldn’t consider Golden Boy a must-see new program next year.

Shows that are returning to CBS’ schedule include the 26th edition of Survivor and the 22nd edition of The Amazing Race which premiere Wednesday, February 13 at 8PM and Sunday, February 17 at 8PM, respectively. CBS is still waiting to schedule midseason comedy Friend Me whose co-creator Alan Kirschenbaum passed away this year.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule. (Click here for more…)

As we start to approach midseason, broadcast networks take a close look at the ratings and decide whether or not to keep the new shows they introduced earlier this fall. In addition to reporting the latest pickups and cancellations, I will take a grander look at the status of each network’s programs to give you an idea as to what is likely to stay and go before the new year rolls around.

ABC: On Monday, ABC picked up the Connie Britton-Hayden Panettiere country music drama Nashville. This serialized soap had a ton of buzz going into the pilot and word of mouth helped this show perform to respectable ratings; leading up to its back-nine order it was averaging 9.4 million viewers and a 3.2 in adults 18-49.

PREVIOUS: The Alphabet is still sitting on new dramas Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue as ratings continue to bottom-out for the submarine and supernatural thrillers. Ratings are not good for either shows. This week Last Resort drew a 1.3 in adults 18-49 (a series low) and 666 saw that same number in its most recent outing. While Last Resort continues to fluctuate, it appears as though 666 has found the bottom since this is the second consecutive week it scored a 1.3 in the coveted demo. Insiders bet that ABC will likely renew Last Resort and dump 666 when all is said and done, but with ratings so neck-and-neck, it’s a tough call at the moment.

UPDATE: As I was putting together this post, news broke that ABC has cancelled both Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue. That 1.3 demo ratings must’ve really spooked the execs at top and gave them no choice but to let the Colorado and Drake go. It’s sad, really. Both of these shows were refreshingly ambitious in their storytelling. Fans will likely be vocal about this somber news because over the course of the last few weeks both shows managed to get ahead creatively and their potential to grow into truly memorable series jumped significantly. The acting on Last Resort (a show from The Chicago Code creator  Shawn Ryan who just can’t catch a break) is superb led by Andre Braugher and Scott Speedman. In 666, the enigmatic Rachael Taylor only just ventured down the rabbit hole. I tip my hat to ABC for giving these serialized dramas wrapped in mystery and intrigue a shot in its schedule; it’s unfortunate that neither of them managed to retain an audience. They will sorely be missed.

Now here’s a sprinkle of good news on top of all this: ABC will allow both series to finish out their respective 13-episode runs; whether or not this gives the writers and producers enough time to properly wrap some things up remains to be seen. Also, ABC is not letting go of these show entirely just yet; the network has the option to revive them next season, but without a back-nine order now this is likely a formality and you shouldn’t hold your breath.

Elsewhere, The Neighbors miraculously received a pickup and the new Reba McEntire sitcom Malibu Country dropped significantly after opening to huge ratings a couple weeks back; ABC recently ordered three additional scripts.

NBC: Last Thursday, NBC gave a back-nine order to the Dick Wolfe drama Chicago Fire. Though the procedural didn’t have much buzz a the get-go, it managed to reach 8 million viewers on average and a decent 2.4 rating in the adults 18-49 demo leading up to its pickup. NBC’s other new drama Revolution was picked up over a month ago and continues to be a strong performer for the network.

Elsewhere on the Peacock, comedies Go On and The New Normal were also granted full season orders. Animal Practice has been cancelled, and multi-cam comedy Guys with Kids is still alive. Though it has been sitting on the fence ratings-wise (it attracted 3.8 million viewers and a 1.3 demo in its last two installments), this week NBC has shown a spark of faith by ordering an additional four scripts increasing the Jimmy Fallon-produced comedy episode count from 13 to 17. It’s not a back-nine order, but it’s certainly good news for fans of the show. Whether or not the network decides bring the season’s episode count up to the typical 22 remains to be seen.

CBS: Today, CBS cancelled the David Krumholtz-Michael Urie comedy Partners after six episodes. Though it averaged 6.5 million viewers and a 2.4/6 in adults 18-49, in its most recent outing it sunk to 5.6 million viewers and a 1.8. With ratings giants like The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men on its schedule, Partners is obviously a weak link for the network and did not perform up to its high standards. The show has been pulled from the schedule effective immediately and CBS comedy repeats will air in its Monday at 9:30PM slot starting next week. Though the sitcom was packed to the brim with gay jokes, I enjoyed engaging in the excellent rapport between stars Krumholz and Urie and I will sorely miss seeing the stunning Sophia Bush on a weekly basis. Also cancelled by CBS earlier this season was Made in Jersey.

CBS dramas fared better this season as the network picked up the Sherlock Homles-inspired Elementary and the Dennis Quaid-Michael Chiklis period drama Vegas. This week the network played around with these series’ episode orders: Elementary has gained an additional two episodes bringing its grand season 1 total to 24 and Vegas is losing one so its debut season will consist of 21 episodes.

FOX: Nothing new to report here. Comedies The Mindy Project and Ben And Kate were given “full season orders;” Mindy will run 24 episodes and Kate 19. The Mob Doctor continues to practice, for now.

The CW: Over at The CW, Arrow and Beauty and the Beast have been given the back-nine. Emily Owens, M.D. is still awaiting its fate.

A female Watson? Who’s laughing now. Today CBS made the decision to pick up full seasons of new dramas Elementary and Vegas. The Sherlock Holmes-inspired procedural starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu averages 14.3 million viewers and a 3.5/10 rating in the adults 18-49 demo. The American period drama starring a cowboy sheriff (Dennis Quaid) and a Chicago mobster (Michael Chiklis) averages 14.9 million viewers and a 2.7/8 in adults 18-49. Full season orders (22 episodes to be exact) were expected.

CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler on the back-nine orders: “Vegas and Elementary have opened strong, delivering big audiences and winning performances in important time periods. Each of the shows has rich characters, big stars and a unique visual style that have stood out in the crowd, helping make two of our strongest nights even stronger.”

With drama Made In Jersey dead and gone, the only new fall show from CBS that has yet to receive its fate is multi-cam sitcom Partners. In its most recent outing the comedy scored a 2.1/6 rating, up 11% from the week prior. Such a stat is nothing to call home about, but I’d say things are looking positive for Partners.

Today NBC cancelled the Justin Kirk/Crystal the Monkey comedy Animal Practice due to poor ratings. The Peacock did everything it could to promote the series, including airing a special preview during the Olympics this summer. That effort fared well for the Matthew Perry sitcom Go On, but for Practice it couldn’t do the trick. The most recent episode wrangled 3.8 million viewers scoring a low 1.0 rating in adults 18-49. Five episodes have aired, and NBC will show three more. Come Wednesday, November 14, Whitney will fill the vacant spot at 8PM. Community fans will sneer at this scheduling move, but it makes sense for the network; both Whitney and its soon-to-be lead out Guys with Kids are multi-camera shows so they go well together, stylistically at least. Community remains on the bench for the time being. And Guys with Kids is safe for now, having most recently attracted 4.3 million viewers and a 1.4 demo rating.

Animal Practice is the second show to get the axe this fall. Last week CBS cancelled legal drama Made in Jersey after only two episodes had aired; the premiere attracted 7.7 million viewers with a 1.1 demo rating and then things dropped in its second outing to 5.8 million viewers with a dismal 0.8 rating. Starting November 2 Undercover Boss takes over CBS’ Friday night at 8PM slot.

[Via EW]

Here we are, the most exciting time of year. Summer is coming to a close, school is back in session, new shows premiere and your favorites return to the magical box in your living room. The 2012 fall TV season technically doesn’t start until later this month, but some of the networks are premiering new shows sooner rather than later. Whip out your calendar; it’s prime time to mark it up.

As is tradition, CBS has no surprises up its sleeves when it comes to rolling out their fall TV shows. After Survivor: Philippines begins on Wednesday, September 19, the rest of the network’s lineup will premiere during the official start week–that is Monday, September 24 through Sunday, September 30.

Buzzy CBS dramas to look out for include period show Vegas (starring Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis) and the Sherlock Homes inspired Elementary (starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson).

The only new comedy entering the fray for CBS this fall is Partners (starring Michael Urie, David Krumholtz, Sophia Bush, and Brandon Routh). It comes from Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, so it might be worth giving a shot if your schedule allows for it.

The following shows are being held for midseason starts: Friend Me, Golden Boy, and The Job.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule.

Click here to get reacquainted with the new programming.

Look in the gallery below to view key art, aka TV posters!

(Click here for more…)

CBS got its shot at showing off its new lineup today, marking the final presentation from the Big Four networks at this year’s Upfronts. The Eye announced a total of seven new series; two comedies, four dramas, and one reality show. The fall will usher in four new shows, and the remaining three will join in come midseason. Jump after the break to get more information about all of the new shows including synopses, cast and creator/executive producer listings, and clips.

Also posted after the break is CBS’ 2012-13 programming schedule. The network slightly shuffled things around precisely so that each of the four new shows premiering this fall will have a solid lead-in to boost initial ratings. Breakout comedy from Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cummings 2 Broke Girls has been shifted to 9PM on Mondays to make way for new comedy Partners; veteran sitcom How I Met Your Mother is the lead-in at 8PM. Period drama Vegas nabbed the Tuesday 10PM spot where it will follow the NCIS duo. To help support the growing Person of Interest, comedies The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men will kick off Thursday nights at 8PM and 8:30PM, respectively; the contemporary Sherlock Holmes crime drama Elementary follows POI at 10PM. CSI: NY relocates to Fridays at 8PM and serves as a lead-in to new legal drama Made in Jersey. One last alteration: The Mentalist, entering its fifth season, will make itself comfortable on Sunday nights at 10PM. (Click here for more…)

Tis the season when the TV season comes to a close and the press goes wild with speculation about which shows will be coming back next fall and which ones will be brutally murdered never to be seen again. If you’re looking for rampant speculation you won’t find it here; this post will inform you about the already determined futures of your favorite TV shows that air on the big four networks. As the Upfronts loom ahead (the time when the networks reveal their schedules for next season), the current slate of TV shows look fate in the eye and a decision is made to keep them or cut them.

Unless otherwise stated, the following shows have been renewed for full 20-something episode seasons and will return in the fall or midseason.

CBS

Renewed: 2 Broke Girls, Blue Bloods, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY, Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-0, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Person of Interest, Rules of Engagement (13 episodes), Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, The Mentalist, Two and a Half Men

Cancelled: A Gifted Man, CSI: Miami, How To Be A Gentleman, NYC 22 Rob, Unforgettable

NBC

Renewed: 30 Rock (13 episodes), Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, Celebrity Apprentice, Community (13 episodes), Grimm, Fashion Star, Law & Order: SVU, Parenthood, Parks and Recreation, Rock Center with Brian Williams, Smash (15-18 episodes), The Biggest Loser, The Office, The Voice, Up All Night, Whitney

Cancelled: Are You There, Chelsea?, Awake, Bent, Best Friends Forever, Chuck, Fear Factor, Free Agents, Harry’s Law, Playboy Club, Prime Suspect, The Firm

FOX

Renewed: American Dad, American Idol, Bob’s Burgers, Bones, Family Guy, Fringe (13 episodes), Glee, Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, New Girl, Raising Hope, The Cleveland Show, The Simpsons, The X Factor, Touch

Cancelled: Alcatraz, Allen Gregory, Breaking In, House, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Napoleon Dynamite, Terra Nova, The Finder

ABC

Renewed: America’s Funniest Home Videos, Body of Proof, Castle, Cougar Town (moving to TBS), Dancing with the Stars, Don’t Trust The B in Apartment 23, Grey’s Anatomy, Happy Endings, Last Man Standing, Modern Family, Once Upon A Time, Private Practice (13 episodes), Revenge, Scandal, Shark Tank, Suburgatory, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, The Middle

Cancelled: Charlie’s Angels, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, GCB, Man Up!, Missing, Pan Am, The River, Work It

The CW

Renewed: 90210, America’s Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie, Nikita, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries

Cancelled: H8R, One Tree Hill, Remodeled, Ringer, The Secret Circle

Today CBS became the first network out of the gate to reveal the fate of the bulk of its primetime programming. So let’s get right to it, shall we? The following shows have been renewed and will return in the 2012-13 TV season:

9 DRAMAS: Person of Interest, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, CSI, The Good Wife, Hawaii Five-0, The Mentalist, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles

4 COMEDIES: 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother

3 REALITY SHOWS: Amazing Race, Survivor, Undercover Boss

2 NEWSMAGAZINES: 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes

CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler on all these pickups: “This large-scale renewal is testimony to the strength, stability and success of a deep and diverse roster of top-rated programming. It positions us for continued success next season and certainly creates an environment that will give our new shows the best possible chance to succeed.”

The fates of CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, Unforgettable, and A Gifted Man are still up in the air. And as for the network’s once-staple comedy Two and a Half Men–CBS says “preliminary discussions” are being had. The issue here is that Ashton Kutcher’s deal has to be extended; once that happens (and it will) you can expect CBS to flaunt the long-running comedy’s renewal (and perhaps a multi-year pickup at that). Stay tuned.

[Via EW; Deadline]

This is an “evolving post.” This means that I will be coming back to it throughout the fall TV season and updating it accordingly when news breaks concerning the fate of new programming. Get it? Got it? Good.

*Bolded shows denote the latest updates

CBS

Pickups: 2 Broke Girls, Unforgettable, Person of Interest

Cancellations: How to Be a Gentleman

Other: A Gifted Man (received 3 additional scripts on 11/15, season will contain 16 episodes total)

NBC

Pickups: Up All Night (episode count increase to 24 on 11/21), Whitney, Grimm

Cancellations: The Playboy Club, Free Agents, Prime Suspect

Still waiting on:  (received additional 6 scripts on 10/12)

Sophomore status: Harry’s Law (received full season order on 11/15)

FOX

Pickups: New Girl, Terra Nova (before the season started FOX committed to do 13 episodes), The X Factor

Cancellations: Allen Gregory

Still waiting on: Napoleon Dynamite, Alcatraz

ABC

Pickups: Suburgatory, Revenge, Last Man Standing, Once Upon a Time

Cancellations: Charlie’s Angels, Work It

Still waiting on: Pan Am* (received 5 additional scripts on 11/3, 1 additional script on 11/29), Man Up! (pulled from schedule on 12/8, 8 of 13 episodes produced have aired)

*ABC released this statement: “Pan Am will wrap production on its first season in early January after completion of its 14th episode. A decision about about a second season will be made in May.”

*At the 2012 TCA winter press tour ABC said regarding Pan Am: “We have new and original shows right through February.”

Sophomore status: Happy Endings received full season order on 11/3, season will contain 22 episodes total; Body of Proof received full season order on 11/18, season will contain 20 episodes total

The CW

Pickups: Ringer, The Secret Circle, Hart Of Dixie

Cancellations: H8R

CBS capped off the TCA winter press tour today, and representing America’s most watched network was CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler. Admittedly nervous up on stage, she praised two breakout series introduced on the network in the fall: Michael Patrick King’s 2 Broke Girls and Jonathan Nolan’s Person of Interest. Tassler (and later at his own panel King) defended the ballsy comedy 2 Broke Girls by calling it an “equal opportunity offender.” If you watch the show, you are well aware that the characters use the word “vagina” quite often. Tassler doesn’t mind, and believes you shouldn’t either. “Vagina’s not indecent,” she said. “The note we give is we actually want to use it more. So that’s how that goes. As a woman in my job, I have no problem hearing it, saying it; it’s part of my physical body.” Later King argued, “The show is sophisticated and naughty and I think everyone likes a good naughty joke. I feel no need to pull away from the brand of 2 Broke Girls, which is basically ballsy, in-your-face and hopefully funny.” He described the show as “classy-dirty,” “high low-brow” and “fun and sophisticated and naughty — and I think everybody likes a good naughty joke.” The 2 Broke Girls panel heated up quickly as critics started flinging King questions about the way stereotypes are used in the show, specifically with the Asian character Han (the owner of the diner). “I like Han,” King said. “I like his character. I like the fact he’s an immigrant. I like that he’s trying to fit into America. I like the fact in the last three episodes we haven’t made an Asian joke, we’ve only made short jokes…Would you say the ‘blonde rich bitch’ is a stereotype? Would you say that the tough‑ass, dark, sarcastic‑mouthed waitress is a stereotype? I like all of them.” Soon after he shouted, “I’m gay! I’m putting in gay stereotypes every week. I don’t find any of it offensive, any of it. I find it comic to take everybody down.” Critic: “Does being a part of one traditionally disenfranchised group give you carte blanche to make fun of other traditionally disenfranchised groups?” King: “No. You could rephrase that. I would say being a comedy writer gives you permission to be an outsider and poke fun at what people think about other people.”

So yeah, the 2 Broke Girls panel was a heated debate between the series creator and the TCA critics. Later things cooled down and King concluded: “People pull away from something if it’s not in good taste, and people lean into something if it’s OK. And week after week, more and more people are leaning in to 2 Broke Girls. There’s something there that they feel OK about.” Also touched upon…the actual goings-on in the show! “One of the important realities of 2 Broke Girls is the word broke,” said King. “And we try to deal [realistically] with how much money moves through their life. I don’t foresee a way the girls could raise $350,000 in a season [and open a bakery]. I don’t foresee them leaving the diner. I like them in the diner.”

Moving on to Person of Interest. Didn’t that last episode before the holiday hiatus feel like a season finale? There’s a reason for that: the producers were planning on Carter to join Finch and Reese towards the latter end of the first season. Tassler explained: “We felt that the Carter [Taraji P. Henson] character was somewhat marginalized. We felt that the Carrter character was too peripheral, [so] we asked [producers] if they were open to bringing [her] into the superhero cave. It was a plan that they had in place, but more for the end of the season. We asked them if they were open to moving that up. We felt it was a key ingredient to [help] the show grow and expand.” So there you go.

What else? A clean-shaved Ashton Kutcher is interested in returning to the revamped Two and a Half Men for (at least) another season; negotiations are currently underway to renew his contract…How I Met Your Mother is having an exceptionally great year and the producers plan to continue it until they run out of good ideas (“We totally might want to go beyond Season 8,” said co-creator Carter Bays)…Tassler wants CSI and all the spinoff series on the air for as long as possible (“I’d love to see the CSIs run forever,” she said. “Nothing runs forever. How you handle it, the most important thing is how you respect your audience, how you respect your cast, and being incredibly sensitive to how you wrap up any show when it ends a successful run. But we are in those talking stages now (about how to end the CSIs).”…On Rob Schneider’s new sitcom Rob: “Well, we haven’t traditionally been the beneficiaries of great reviews,” Tassler admitted. It’s not Downton Abbey, but it’s great. Rob is fantastic. We’ll just need to see.”…Tassler on The Good Wife‘s move to Sunday nights: “The show feels like a better fit on Sunday night. More importantly, the audience that doeswatch the show on Sunday is more upscale, more female and very engaged.”…Midseason drama NYC 22 (formally The 2-2) is set to premiere this spring.

And with all that said, the four big networks have concluded their panels at 2012 TCA winter press tour. They reconvene once more this year in the summer. ‘Til then!

[Via Deadline 1, 2; THR; TVLine; EW]

Unlike the other big networks, CBS typically doesn’t add many new programs to its lineup and shuffle them around for midseason. And this year is no different for the Eye. Only two major announcements here: The new half-hour comedy Rob (formally titled ¡Rob!) premieres Thursday January 12 at 8:30PM; it takes over for Rules of Engagement which CBS promises will return with new episodes in the spring. Rob stars Rob Schneider as a bachelor who marries into a tight-knit Mexican family. The second change is the comeback of Undercover Boss. The reality series will replace The Amazing Race in the Sunday night 8PM slot. CBS also says the reality competition series will return for another season later in 2012. Cop drama The 2-2 (recently renamed NYC 22) has yet to be scheduled. And that’s it.

After the break you’ll find the new Thursday and Sunday CBS lineups mapped out. (Click here for more…)

TV Guide reports that Hawaii Five-0 executive producer Peter Lenkov wants to extend Terry O’Quinn’s multi-episode arc as Lt. Commander Joe White. Says Lenkov: ”His original deal was six episodes, and now we’ll do another three. And we’re hoping for even more.” The EP went on to reassure fans that even if O’Quinn went on to star in Marc Cherry’s upcoming ABC soap Hallelujah he’d try to sway the Lost alum to do both. ”Terry’s a guy who really wants to get his own show, and he deserves that,” Lenkov added. “That’s his goal. But we’d love to make it work where he could do both.” But rejoice Five-0 fans–in the short term, O’Quinn is here to stay!

[Via TV Guide]

Last year I posted my Fall TV Preview. This time around I’m breaking that idea in pieces with a new kind of post called This week in NEW TV. Essentially they will serve as expanded versions of my usual TV Reminders. These posts will crop up through October as new TV shows premiere this fall. I will recommend new shows to watch and remind you when returning favorites are coming back. If you want a broader overview of all the new series airing on the big four networks, check out 2011-12 Upfronts coverage.

::MONDAY::

2 Broke Girls – CBS — 9:30PM

Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs star in this new sitcom that’s got a ton of positive buzz. They are being described as a young, female version of the odd couple; Dennings has street smarts and works two jobs just get by, while Behrs is a spoiled princess who’s being forced to work the waitress job due to a string of bad luck and misfortune in her life. The writing is supposedly stellar and the comedic situations that are set up each week are easily relatable: these girls are living in a bad economy and we get to watch them duke it out as minimum wage waitresses to survive. Trailer after the break. (Note: After this week 2 Broke Girls will air in its normal Monday night slot at 8:30PM.)

Give this pilot episode a chance: The Playboy Club (NBC, 10PM)

Returning shows you should be watching: Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, 10PM); Castle (ABC, 10PM)

Charlie Sheen alert: Don’t forget the Roast of Charlie Sheen hosted by Seth MacFarlane airs Monday night at 9PM on Comedy Central. And if you’re interested to see how his Two and a Half Men replacement Ashton Kutcher performs, DVR the CBS sitcom; it also airs at 9PM.

::TUESDAY::

New Girl – FOX — 9PM

Zooey Deschanel is the New Girl and boy is she “adorkable.” The ads plastered all around town don’t have to tell us that. Much like 2 Broke Girls, this show has a lot of exciting positive buzz surrounding it. If there’s one new comedy you tune into this fall season, this is it. The 500 Days of Summer actress brings her enviable charm to the small screen, and we get to watch what happens when her character goes through a messy breakup and then moves into an apartment occupied by three guys. Fair warning: Deschanel can carry a tune and she will be showing off her skills more than once throughout the pilot and series. Are you bouncing up and down in anticipation? Relax–you can get a head start and download the pilot episode for free via iTunes right now. (Note: Damon Wayans Jr. appears in the pilot episode, but he gets replaced by Lamorne Morris after that. Why? Because ABC’s Happy Endings got renewed (thankfully) and he is obligated to remain on that show. New Girl will address the switcheroo.)

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Returning shows you should be watching: Glee (FOX, 8PM), Raising Hope (FOX, 9:30PM) …so basically Tuesday night you won’t need to change the channel–FOX comedies dominate.

::WEDNESDAY::

The X Factor – FOX — 8PM

Four words: Simon Cowell is back. And so is his Idol muse Paula Abdul. They will be joined by Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and former Def Jam CEO L.A. Reid at the judges table for this new singing competition imported from the UK. Sure it’s reality TV, but you cannot deny how much fun it is to watch Cowell destroy dreams. Get a lengthy 8-minute taste of what’s in store right here. (Note: British judge Cheryl Cole appears in the first half of the episode and then she vanishes. Don’t let your eyes play tricks on you.)

Give this pilot episode a chance: Revenge (ABC, 10PM)

Returning shows you should be watching: The Middle (ABC, 8PM, Glee‘s Chord Overstreet (Sam) guest stars in the 9/28 episode), Modern Family (ABC, 9PM, special 1 hour episode)

::THURSDAY::

Person of Interest – CBS — 9PM

From producer J.J. Abrams (Lost, Fringe) and writer Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight) comes a show with an intricate plot shrouded in mystery and paranoia starring Lost‘s Michael Emerson (Ben Linus) and Christ himself Jim Caviezel. Really, need I say more? The story follows Caviezel, a presumed dead former-CIA agent, as he teams up with Emerson’s mysterious Mr. Finch to prevent crimes before they happen. Finch understands the ins and outs of the surveillance technology that’s installed inside every crevice of New York City, and he uses this information to his advantage to save lives. I was lucky enough to view the pilot at Comic Con earlier this summer, and I can say with full confidence that this show is not one to miss. It’s a classic, adrenaline-filled procedural with a Michael Emerson-fronted mythos attached. I mean, what more could you ask for?

Returning shows you should be watching: The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8PM); Community (NBC, 8PM), Parks and Recreation (NBC, 8:30PM), The Office (NBC, 9PM)

::FRIDAY::

Give this pilot episode a chance: A Gifted Man (CBS, 8PM)

Returning show you should be watching: Fringe (FOX, 9PM) (Click here for more…)