Parents Television Council Wants CBS to Kill "Dexter"

Parents Television Council, the conservative organization that deems ABC's "Ugly Betty" inappropriate for minors thus giving the award-winning comedy "red light," while encouraging family audiences to watch mind-numbing fare like "Deal Or No Deal," now wants the CBS network to ditch plans to air the butchered version of "Dexter," a drama about a serial killer that airs on its cable sibling Showtime.

Although the critically-acclaimed series would end up being heavily edited in order to conform to stricter standards of free-to-air broadcast networks, the PTC believes "the biggest problem with the series is something that no amount of editing can get around: the series compels viewers to empathize with a serial killer, to root for him to prevail, to hope he doesn’t get discovered."

I find the greatest disgrace in all of this putting this daring show on air in the edited form (reportedly mainly in the language department, although some gruesome scenes will also end up on the cutting room floor), not exposing it to broader audiences. Should the network go along with the request (I seriously doubt that), PTC might actually be doing "Dexter" a favor. How deliciously ironic.

"Dexter" is scheduled to premiere on CBS on Sunday, February 17.

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"Swingtown" Creator's New Bisexual Drama

"Swingtown" creator Mike Kelley has just signed a new deal with CBS/Paramount to develop a new one-hour drama for Showtime titled "BiCoastal," about a man who lives with a wife and children in L.A. and falls in love with a man in New York. What will happen to "Swingtown," though?


CBS' adult drama which got off to a great start on Thursday nights in June, but ended up losing quite a bit of ratings muscle the following month, is about to end its 13-episode run tomorrow night.



CBS has yet to make a decision whether they will renew the series for a second season (it could again air in the summer when ratings expectations are more modest) or switch to sister network Showtime, known for its daring programming, which many thought would have been a more appropriate home for "Swingtown" in the first place.



The light erotic drama about 1970s partner-swapping couples in suburban Chicago caused outrage among conservative watchdogs, who demanded that CBS take the series off air and then salivated with glee over its dwindling ratings.

The CBS management is however said to really like and support the drama, and should a decision be made that it ends its run on CBS, a deal may be worked out to take the series to a cable network.



As for "BiCoastal," Kelley promised to give the series a "harder edge" and a "heightened sense of drama," or in other words - the producers will not be required to conform to uptight broadcast network standards, as they have on "Swingtown."

Should "Swingtown" migrate to Showtime, it will be great to finally see the full potential of the series as it continues to explore sexuality of its characters, cable TV style.

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CBS' "Swingtown" Premieres in California

Earlier this week CBS' controversial new drama "Swingtown" premiered in Studio City, CA at CBS' Summer Block Party (pilot episode airs Thursday, June 5 at 10/9c). Jack Davenport, Molly Parker, Grant Show, Lana Parilla and other members of the sexy cast stepped out on the red carpet to promote the new period drama depicting the lives of group sex-loving couples of the 1970s. Check out the candids and a new video preview.

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CBS' Fall 2008 Schedule

Having gotten rid of 'Shark' and 'Moonlight' (there is a rumor The CW may resurrect the latter on the just-outsourced Sunday nights), CBS has unveiled its new fall 2008 schedule today, opening up a new comedy block on Wednesday.

New Shows: "Worst Week," "The Mentalist," "Project Gary," "11th Hour" and "The Ex-List."

Midseason: "Harper's Island"

Canceled: "Cane," "Jericho," "Kid Nation," "Moonlight," "Shark," "Viva Laughlin" and "Welcome to the Captain."


NEW SHOWS:


WORST WEEK - a comedy about Sam Briggs (Kyle Bornheimer, "Jericho"), an entertainment magazine editor who will do anything to please his girlfriend's parents ... but instead becomes a one-man wrecking crew whenever he's around them. Airs Mondays at 9:30pm.

THE MENTALIST - Simon Baker ("The Devil Wears Prada") stars as Patrick Jane, a detective and independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation, otorious for his blatant lack of protocol and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium, whose paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned. Airs Tuesdays at 9:00pm.

PROJECT GARY - stars Jay Mohr ("Ghost Whisperer") and Paula Marshall as a couple who face post-divorce mayhem after 15 years of marriage as they each embark on new relationships. He's the fun parent and she's the strict one. Together, they share custody of their two children. Airs Wednesdays at 8:30pm.

THE 11th HOUR - from CSI creator Jerry Bruckheimer, the drama follows Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell, "The Illusionist"), a brilliant biophysicist and special science advisor to the government, as he investigates scientific crises and oddities. Airs in the lucrative post-CSI timeslot, Thursdays at 10:00pm.

THE EX-LIST - a female-friendly dramedy about Bella Bloom (Elizabeth Reaser, "Grey's Anatomy") - a single, 30-something, successful business owner who is surprised to learn from a psychic that she's already dated her future husband andif she doesn't find him in the next year, she'll remain alone forever. Fridays at 9:00pm.

HARPER'S ISLAND - is a midseason murder mystery that unfolds as friends and family attend week-long festivities at a destination wedding on a secluded and picturesque island off the coast of Seattle, infamous for a homicidal maniac's rampage seven years ago.


NEW CBS FALL 2008 SCHEDULE:


MONDAYS:
8:00pm The Big Bang Theory
8:30pm How I Met Your Mother
9:00pm Two and a Half Men
9:30pm Worst Week (NEW)
10:00pm CSI: Miami

TUESDAYS:
8:00pm NCIS
9:00pm The Mentalist (NEW)
10:00pm Without a Trace

WEDNESDAYS:
8:00pm The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30pm Project Gary (NEW)
9:00pm Criminal Minds
10:00pm CSI: NY

THURSDAYS:
8:00pm Survivor
9:00pm CSI
10:00pm The 11th Hour

FRIDAYS:
8:00pm The Ghost Whisperer
9:00pm The Ex-List (NEW)
10:00pm Numb3rs

SATURDAYS:
Repeats
10:00pm 48 Hours Mystery

SUNDAYS:
7:00pm 60 Minutes
8:00pm The Amazing Race
9:00pm Cold Case
10:00pm The Unit


The network had done comedy on Wednesdays in the past, but was forced to replace it with dramas and reality once good sitcom ideas ran dry. Although single-camera comedy is all the rage on other networks (especially NBC), CBS is still successful with the old-fashioned multi-camera format. This may change when 'Worst Week' premieres on Mondays at 9:30pm in the plum post "Two and a Half Men" spot.

Elizabeth Reaser's Friday night dramedy which replaces 'Moonlight' will have to do what the vampire drama was not able to: keep the 18-49 crowd glued to CBS. Although "Ghost Whisperer" and "Numb3rs" are doing relatively well in the demos, the 9:00pm timeslot has been weaker.

Meanwhile, the Eye network has had trouble launching shows in the Tuesday at 10:00pm timeslot for years, so perhaps bringing the proven hit 'Without a Trace' into the Tuesday night line-up will do the trick. Unless of course the 9:00pm timeslot becomes problematic for a change. Won't Dr.House and 'Dancing with the Stars' crush 'The Mentalist'? On the other hand, we still have to see what FOX's plans for the night are.

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VIDEO: New CBS' "Swingtown" Trailer

A review in today's New York Post calls CBS' 1970s-based drama "Swingtown" about wife-swapping couples living in the suburbs of Chicago possibly "the sleaziest hour of television ever produced." Coming from such a hideous publication, I'd find that comment a compliment.

Although I would feel much more comfortable if this highly entertaining series was airing on ABC or NBC, I still hope CBS will give "Swingtown" the necessary marketing support and help it build its audience despite all protest that I'm sure will follow once conservative watchdogs take a look at the pilot.




But since CBS is essentially a network that doesn't really know how to cater to younger audiences (look at the embarrassingly long time they're taking to renew "How I Met Your Mother"), I wouldn't hold my breath.

I will however enjoy "Swingtown" while it lasts. With a new season of FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance" and the return of AMC's award-winning "Mad Men," this may be a fun hot TV summer after all.

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CBS' "Swingtown" to Premiere June 5

As many had expected, CBS has blinked and moved the series premiere of its sexually-charged period drama "Swingtown" (originally scheduled for May 29) to the following Thursday, June 5 due to an ABC schedule change which closes the current season of "Lost" with a 2-hour finale on May 29.


The much-delayed drama that CBS ordered last spring as part of its efforts to become more daring and lure 18-49 audiences almost shut down for good last fall due to the writers' strike.



The show which begins on Bicentennial 4th of July made a lot of CBS affiliate managers nervous about alienating conservative audiences because it depicts the life of 1970s swingers in American suburbia. One manager was quoted as saying: "I don't like it and I don't see the need for it."



Although some observers believe CBS is now backpedalling by burning the show off in the summer, others say such guilty pleasure will fit CBS' summer schedule perfectly, especially airing behind repeats of blockbuster CSI.



I found the pilot episode (starring Pirates of the Caribbean's Jack Davenport and Melrose Place's Grant Show) of the show very amusing and will definitely tune in on regular basis.


Since many US audiences would rather watch people getting killed than having sex (especially group sex), I'm not sure how long the 13-episode series will actually last.


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CBS' "Swingtown" to Air Thursdays at 10

CBS has confirmed its hot new drama "Swingtown" set in the 1970s American suburbia will get a premier spot in the network's summer schedule, airing after "CSI" repeats (at 10/9c) on Thursday nights beginning May 29.

A CBS exec was quoted in Variety saying the time slot should speak volumes about how the network feels about the show.

"Swingtown" will battle NBC's scripted horror anthology series "Fear Itself" which is also slated to run for 13 episodes.

The period drama tells a very compelling story, but may raise some eyebrows due to its depiction of open marriages and sex parties.

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CBS' "Swingtown" to Premiere in Summer

Now here's a show that's bound to cause the incredibly annoying Parents Television Council to throw another fit. CBS is expected to confirm scheduling of its long-awaited drama about the swinging couples of the 1970s in a summer run, Hollywood press reports.



"Swingtown" starring Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Carribean"), Molly Parker ("Deadwood") and Grant Show ("Melrose Place") depicts the sexual and social revolution that introduced open marriages and women's liberation.

CBS ordered the provocative series last spring as part of its efforts to lure more of the advertiser-coveted 18-49 crowd to its predominantly old skewing procedurals-filled schedule.



But some of the shows ordered as part of that initiative, namely "Viva Laughlin" and "Kid Nation" bombed in the ratings.

Furthermore, the recent FCC ruling about a 5-year old episode of ABC's "NYPD Blue" depicting a naked woman and protests organized by the PTC against CBS for airing reruns of Showtime drama "Dexter" may have made CBS skittish about "Swingtown."



Although the studio was able to produce only 3 episodes of the series prior to the strike, CBS approved the production of the remaining 10 episodes after the strike was settled.

But the show which was originally supposed to air as a midseason replacement, will end up in a postseason run. Will the network give this critically-acclaimed show the marketing push it deserves?

Scheduling the show in July is certainly not a step in the right direction.

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CBS Renews "Big Bang Theory" Plus 10 Shows For 2008/2009 Season

Comedies "How I Met Your Mother," "Rules of Engagement," "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and freshman drama "Moonlight" not on the list of renewals (yet). Will one of them get canceled?

CBS announced on Thursday it is picking up 9 procedurals and 2 comedies for the 2008/2009 season.

The obvious drama pick-ups include: "CSI," "CSI: Miami," "CSI: NY," "Without a Trace," "Criminal Minds," "NCIS," "Cold Case," "Ghost Whisperer," and "Numb3rs."

The two comedies renewed were TV's top sitcom "Two and a Half Men," as well as hit freshman comedy "The Big Bang Theory."

The network has previously picked up its two hottest reality series "Survivor" (for 2 cycles) and "The Amazing Race."

The 3 comedies which have not been renewed so far may have to fight for one remaining spot in the Monday night line-up (providing CBS launches a new comedy in one of the 4 time slots next fall).

One of them could also come back midseason, but it appears at least one comedy might get canceled. I personally hope it is not "How I Met Your Mother," but CBS management is not rumored to like that sitcom very much.

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CBS Announces Post-Strike Premiere Dates

CBS has announced the exact return dates of its prime-time sitcoms and dramas along with the number of episodes they'll produce through the end of the season. "The Unit," and "Cane" will not be coming back this season; "Shark" has yet to be scheduled; group sex drama "Swingtown" continues production; serial killer drama "Dexter" remains on the CBS schedule.

March 17:
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (9)
THE BIG BANG THEORY (9)
TWO AND A HALF MEN (9)

March 24:
CSI: MIAMI (8)

March 30:
COLD CASE (5)

April 2:
CRIMINAL MINDS (7)
CSI: NY (7)

April 3:
CSI (6)
WITHOUT A TRACE (6)

April 4:
GHOST WHISPERER (6)
NUMB3RS (6)

April 8:
NCIS (7)

April 11:
MOONLIGHT (4)

April 14
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (6)

TBA:
SHARK (4)

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"Jericho" #2.01 Spoilers (Airs February 12)

CBS has released the first images from the February 12 second season premiere of "Jericho" which will air in February and March on Tuesdays at 10/9c after an all-new "Big Brother."

In the first image, Jake (Skeet Ulrich) and Emily (Ashley Scott) embrace one another after all they have been through in the past couple of weeks after a bloody battle which their town was engaged in.



Then, Jake and Major Beck (Esai Morales, left) discuss rebuilding their community following the bloody battle with the town next door.

In the final image released by the network, Emily tries to make Jake's (Skeet Ulrich) mother feel better mourn the loss of her husband by baking her favorite cake.



CBS has filmed all 7 new episodes which have been ordered as part of a 2nd season, following a fan nut-campaign which successfully resurrected the canceled series.

FLASHBACK SATURDAYS
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"How I Met Your Mother" Season 3 Promo Stills

AUGUST 8, 2007: CBS has released fresh promo stills for the upcoming 3rd season of their flashback-laden hit comedy "How I Met Your Mother" which kicks off on Monday, September 24. New stills of Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris are only a click away.

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CBS to 'Jericho' Fans: "Stop Sending Nuts!"

JUNE 7, 2007: CBS President Nina Tassler has officially confirmed on Wednesday the fans of the canceled drama "Jericho" have won their battle and the network will bring back the post-apocalypse drama for a second season of 7 episodes. A nut company is meanwhile laughing all the way to the bank.

"You got our attention; your e-mails and collective voice have been heard," she wrote to the fans. "But for there to be more 'Jericho,' we will need more viewers" she said about the 7-episode order.

The pickup came after weeks of a relentless "Save 'Jericho'" fan campaign garnered with nuts - tons of them - sent to CBS executives in protest over the show's cancellation last month.

In the final episode of "Jericho," the town is under siege from a neighboring community. When asked to surrender, lead character Jake Green, played by Skeet Ulrich, has a one-word response: "Nuts."

The response is in reference to Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, a U.S. Army general who in World War II was surrounded by Germans demanding his surrender. His response: "Nuts."

The fictional residents of "Jericho" took Jake Green's "nuts" as a rallying cry as they fought the larger force from the neighboring town. Fans never got to see the outcome of the battle. The season ended there.

"We are tired of the networks (not just CBS) tossing aside quality programming," the website jericholives.com said. "Enough! We're going to fight for this one." More than 20,000 kilograms of peanuts were sent to the CBS New York offices.

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Chevy Ad Ruins CBS' "Cane"

Perhaps CBS' "Cane" won't be getting a 2nd season renewal, but that's not a reason to blow a key scene in the show with a poorly timed ad.

The network aired 2 episodes of the show on Tuesday night in which Jamie (Michael Trevino) was about to get married when he drove off in a Chevy Silverado pickup truck his father Alex (Jimmy Smits) had given him as a wedding present.

Jamie drove the Chevy into the family cane fields, which had previously been set on fire by a rival seeking revenge, ending up trapped in the blaze. Alex however found him away from the truck in the smoke-filled cane field.

The commercial break that followed was supposed to help build the drama for the potential life-and-death situation. But instead it killed all the suspense as viewers saw a scene of Jamie's truck smashing through the burning sugarcane.

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"Dexter," "Weeds" Head to CBS?

Although those swinging couples of the 1970s and their orgies ("Swingtown") may never make it to the older-skewing CBS, a serial killer with a heart ("Dexter") and a single mom who makes ends meet by selling pot ("Weeds") may get there instead. Perhaps there's a silver lining in the writers' strike, after all. Or is there?

Speaking at an investor conference yesterday, CBS prexy Les Moonves explained that the Eye network would not go dark in the event of a prolonged strike and was ready to edit some of its cable sibling Showtime's most prized assets and air them as part of its midseason schedule.

Introducing these quality dramas to greater audiences at the expense of butchering them to meet the demands of conservative audiences is not necessarily a plus. The network will however take all necessary measures to protect its bottom line, as airing these shows may generate lower ratings, but also savings from lower costs.

"Swingtown" was originally intended for Showtime, but CBS snatched the provocative drama over, as part of an attempt earlier this year to revamp its older-skewing schedule with more daring 18-49 fare. The network has however filmed only 3 episodes before shutting down production due to writers' strike.

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"Jericho" Scheduled: Season 2 on Tuesdays, "Big Bang Theory" Replaced by "The Capitan"

The nut-campaign generated 7-episode 2nd season of CBS' "Jericho" will air on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. replacing the network's low-rated Latin soap "Cane" after "Big Brother" beginning February 12. Meanwhile, a new comedy replaces "The Big Bang Theory" starting January 28.

The drama about what happens in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion in the once peaceful town of Jericho stars Skeet Ulrich.

The first episode will air after the first-ever winter season premiere of "Big Brother" which will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. and Wednesday and Sunday night at 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, as most of the shows on CBS' schedule go into repeats, "The Big Bang Theory" will be replaced by a new sitcom "The Captain."

The comedy about a group of people sharing a Hollywood apartment building, El Capitan, which they've dubbed "The Captain" stars Chris Klein and Raquel Welch.

CBS will also premiere a new season of Julia Louis-Dreyfus sitcom "The New Adventures of Old Christine".

The repeats of "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men" will remain on the schedule.

The revised comedy line-up starts January 28.

Since it is easier to resume production on half-hour sitcoms then one-hour dramas, if the strike is quickly resolved, I can imagine "The Big Bang Theory" which has built a nice momentum this season being back on the schedule very, very soon.

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Will CBS Dare Put "Swingtown" On Air?

None of the new CBS shows is a hit (apart from "The Big Bang Theory's" tepid 9-million viewer following) so the network's attempt at developing edgier fare in an attempt to lure more of the 18-49 crowd is failing miserably. Following the collapse of "Viva Laughlin" the network is talking about the return to its conservative roots, so do they still have the guts to put a show about 70s swingers on air?

Last spring CBS announced a very unusual line-up of fall shows including the aforementioned musical series "Viva Laughlin," the supernatural vampire drama "Moonlight" and Latin soap opera "Cane."

None of these shows is a breakout hit, furthermore "Viva Laughlin" was this season's first scripted hour to get the axe. So is CBS going to follow up on its promise and launch the risky and sexually-charged midseason series "Swingtown"?

The show which may better fit CBS' corporate sibling Showtime (known for quality adult drama such as "Dexter," "Weeds" and "Californication") depicts 1970s couples reveling in sexual and social changes that introduced open marriages and swinging parties.

The network has already vowed to get back to what they do best - older skewing crime procedurals. But if fresh episodes of their signature dramas run out by early next year, they may just give "Swingtown" a shot and in strike atmosphere - the show may have a better chance at getting sampled.

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UPDATED: CBS Cancels "Viva Laughlin"

CBS has announced the cancellation of "Viva Laughlin" this afternoon. The show will be replaced by "The Amazing Race."

The rookie series, produced by actor Hugh Jackman, premiered in its "regular" timeslot last night to an embarrassing 1.2 rating (even most of the shows on The CW score a higher rating).

"The Amazing Race" begins its 12th cycle on Sunday, November 4. A repeat of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" will fill the slot next Sunday.

The network's other timeslot candidate "Jericho" will be launched later in the season, because the networks are trying to stockpile as many fresh hours of scripted programming as possible. "Jericho" will then get a stronger marketing push.

Come to think of it, if "Jericho" is launched in the middle of what seems to be an inevitable writers' strike, perhaps the show will rise to the levels it once averaged in the fall of 2006.

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"CSI: Miami" Spoilers #6.01: "Dangerous Son"

A hostage situation turns into murder on the 6th season premiere of CBS' hit procedural "CSI: Miami." The episode "Dangerous Son" airs this Monday, September 24 at 10/9c, the first night of the official TV season.

The episode which includes scenes shot on location in Miami begins with a murder, leading Horatio to believe one of the suspects may be his son. David Gallagher ("7th Heaven") guest stars.

This year, "What About Brian's" Jessica Szohr (Laura) is joining the cast as Samantha Barrish, the young and feisty new A.V. Tech specialist. Also, three years after his character was fatally shot in the line of duty, Rory Cochrane is also back on board.

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