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playing it safe
Is CBS playing it too safe?
by Joel Keller, posted May 17th 2006 2:29PM
Two days, two upfronts, two completely different programming strategies. On Tuesday, ABC introduced fifteen new shows, with all but five scheduled to premiere this fall. Today, on the other hand, CBS, secure in its first place position, introduced only seven new shows, four of which will bow in the fall. You heard that number right. This is the fewest number of fall premieres I've seen a network introduce in many, many years, and it seems that CBS has decided to use the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" axiom. They're in first place, so they have the right. But that schedule is built on the strength of procedural shows that don't seem to be all that different from one another. I mean, really: three CSIs, NCIS, Without A Trace, Close to Home, Cold Case, etc. It's pretty much the entire schedule. And, of the new shows introduced, only two -- The Class and Jericho -- look like they may hold my interest.
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