CBS announces return dates for 14 shows

[Geekyfanboy]

CBS announces return dates for 14 shows

NEW YORK - CBS has set return dates for 14 prime-time series, including "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men."

The network set the dates as Hollywood writers returned to work Wednesday after a three-month strike.

"How I Met Your Mother," "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" will return March 17. Producers will make nine new episodes before the season ends.

"CSI: Miami" and "Cold Case" will return in late March. Others are set for early April returns, including "CSI" on April 3.

[Geekyfanboy]

How I Met Your Mother, Moonlight Ready for Return
CBS going back into production on most series; Unit and Shark excluded.
by Eric Goldman

February 12, 2008 - As the writers' strike ends, CBS is going forward with plans on which shows will go back into production as soon as possible, to complete more episodes for this season. According to Variety, How I Met Your Mother, the three CSI shows, NCIS, Without a Trace, Numbers, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, Ghost Whisperer and Two and a Half Men will all be filming again soon.

Among new series, CBS also wants more of The Big Bang Theory and their cult vampire series Moonlight, though in the case of the latter fewer episodes will probably produced than the other shows going back into production. In most cases, CBS is aiming for six or seven new episodes of their dramas and eight each for their comedies.

How I Met Your Mother executive producer Carter Bays is quoted on Eonline saying "We're unbelievably stoked to be getting back to work. The chance to finish out the season is a dream come true in pretty much every way: getting our crew back on the payroll, getting our staff off the picket line and back in the writers room and, most of all, actually writing again. And doing eight more episodes will feel really good. And I couldn't imagine a season-three DVD with just those first 11 episodes on it. Eleven episodes didn't feel like a season. We're TV, not HBO."

Notable because they are not filming more episodes are Shark and The Unit, both of which are uncertain to return for another season next fall. Newcomer Cane won't be back this season either, but is more likely for renewal in the fall.

Variety says a decision still has to be made on whether CBS wants more New Adventures of Old Christine or Rules of Engagement this season. They also note that the network is more likely than some to consider letting new episodes air into June, past the typical end of the TV seasons.

One big question concerns Swingtown, a buzzed about new series CBS originally had planned to launch mid-season. Only a couple of episodes of the series – centering on a community of swingers in the 1970s – were produced before the strike began and apparently there is some question now over whether this series will go forward or not. The clips shown last summer at the Upfronts for this show looked intriguing, and I'm hopeful it will be given a chance. Hey, it's got to be better than Viva Laughlin at least, right?

[Darth Gaos]

Excellent news...now just need to keep an eye out for the new ones...no pun intended.

[Dan M]

"I couldn't imagine a season-three DVD with just those first 11 episodes on it. Eleven episodes didn't feel like a season. We're TV, not HBO."

That's a funny line.

[Rico]

I just read over on Sci-Fi Wire that new episodes of "Moonlight" are going to be made for this season to be shown starting in April.  At least 4 of them.  Woot!!!

[Darth Gaos]

I just read over on Sci-Fi Wire that new episodes of "Moonlight" are going to be made for this season to be shown starting in April.  At least 4 of them.  Woot!!!

Yay.....can't wait

[Geekyfanboy]

'Moonlight' In Serious Trouble With Network

By MICHAEL HINMAN
Source: TV Guide
Feb-15-2008

CBS was very quick to release a list of more than a dozen programs that will return next fall on the network. However, there was one very obvious absence: "Moonlight."

Of course, the list of shows CBS released is not the final list of renewed programs, and the rest of the season, as well as what the network has in the pike in terms of pilot, will play into later renewals, so it doesn't mean "Moonlight" won't get renewed. But it's absence is forcing some hard questions to be asked on whether or not its ratings are enough.

Networks sometimes save the decision for some programs until after the seasons are over, or toward the end of seasons. For example, the network isn't expected to make a final decision on whether it will give "Jericho" a third season until March at the earliest, and "Moonlight" could be a show that is either on the bubble, or simply not announced yet.

"Moonlight" premiered on CBS with an overnight rating of a 5.8/11 share, which wasn't tremendously strong in terms of genre shows -- in fact, only "Jericho," "Smallville" and "Supernatural" had lower rated premieres this season -- but unlike some of its counterparts, "Moonlight" was able to hold on to its audience. While "Bionic Woman" and "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles" have lost more than half their respective premiere audiences (with "Sarah Connor" getting a reprieve because its premiere was a bit over-inflated), "Moonlight" has in fact held on to its core audience.

The show's lowest rating came in its third week, which was just a little more than one ratings point below its premiere, and its most recent episode aired more than a month ago was off its premiere by just half a ratings point, or just 10 percent. By comparison, "Heroes" had a two ratings point different between its highest overnight and lowest overnight rating, and its final episode so far this season was nearly 19 percent below its high.

"Moonlight" has suffered some problems in the production side with showrunner David Greenwalt departing early. Also, the show -- which bridged "Ghost Whisperer" and "Numbers" on Friday nights -- was the evening's lowest-rated show for the network, although it did fare well against competition from other networks in its timeslot.

Sources say that no official decision on the fate of "Moonlight" has been made just yet, so no need to get too much into panic mode. There's a chance fans will learn the fate of "Jericho" before they learn what happens to "Moonlight," so it will just be a matter of patience.

[Rico]

Well, that's not the report I heard.  "Moonlight" won it's time slot I think every week.  Oh, and here is a report from CBS:

CBS announces new episodes of Moonlight beginning April 11th!!!

CBS issued a press release this morning announcing that Moonlight will return on April 11th, 2008!!!! *CHEER* We will get four new episodes (#1x13 to #1x16) beginning that Friday. No long wait until the Fall for more Mick St John, Beth Turner, Josef Konstantin, Lt Carl and the gang.  The important thing is we will get Moonlight back :) I'm sooooooo excited! Keep spreading the word, my friends. We have to make sure those new episodes get big ratings, and we have plenty of promotion time. Let's be sure to also say "Thank You" to CBS :) 

Oh - time for another cool "Moonlight" video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD5YZLqmKuE