TVSquad

CBS probably has one of the more interesting schedules of the fall, just for the fact that they are making a concerted effort to try something different. They could have rolled out yet another procedural (CSI: LA?), and who could really blame them. Those shows have performed extremely well for the network over the past few years.

Instead, in what is a definite gamble, the network will be bringing out some decidedly alternative programming. There is a musical drama about the casino business in Laughlin, a vampire detective, a drama about a Cuban family and their rum making business, and some swinging couples getting their freak on in the 70's. The kind of fare that would probably cause Horatio to tilt his head to the side and remove his sunglasses. Will it work? Time will tell, but we've seen three of them and have a rundown after the jump.

Big Bang Theory
(Monday at 8:30PM ET)

Premise of the screener: Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) are geeks, to the extreme. The two scientists manage to get through life mostly insulated in their own little academic world, until Penny (Kaley Cuoco) moves in next door. She's a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory coming out of a bad break up, and she turns their world upside down.

Brett says: CBS has had great success with their procedural shows, but their comedy lineup has been fairly hit and miss. Their Monday night comedy lineup has seen some success with Two and a Half Men consistently coming in as the highest rated comedy on TV and How I Met Your Mother garnering much critical praise. The other slots seem to be a revolving door of comedies that never quite fit. Big Bang Theory could be the one to bridge that gap at 8:30. Leonard is very likable and you want to root for him, while Sheldon steals scene after scene as his lack of social skills has him saying anything that pops into his head. The premise is a good one, and offers the opportunity for a lot of laughs if they don't go too far overboard with the geek angle. I don't expect this one to be a break out smash, but it's a good show in the right spot.

CBS Preview



Cane
(Tuesday at 10:00PM ET)

Premise of the screener: Devoted husband and father Alex Vega (Jimmy Smits, The West Wing) is the heir apparent to the Duque rum and sugar cane empire, which was previously run by his father-in-law Pancho Duque (Hector Elizondo). Before he can take the reigns of power, though, he needs to deal with his brother-in-law Frank (Nestor Carbonell), who feels that he's the one to run the Duque organization, as well as the Samuels family, who wish to take control of the Duque's thousands of acres of sugar cane.

Rich says: To be honest, I don't know where I stand on this show. I like the cast, especially Smits as the head of the Duque empire, and the premise is interesting, but something just rubs me the wrong way about Cane. Maybe it's the fact that the episode I watched was a bit heavy-handed when it came to the drama. Or, the fact that a lot of the plot points were fairly predictable. I wanted to like it, but I just couldn't get interested enough. That's a problem, because if I don't feel like attaching myself to the show on a weekly basis will anyone else? Especially when the show is up against ratings stalwarts Law & Order:SVU and Boston Legal. I see this show either dying a quick death or jumping around the schedule to find its proper place.

CBS Preview

Viva Laughlin
(Sunday at 8:00PM ET)

Premise of the screener: Ripley Holden (Lloyd Owen) is a self made man. He managed to take one crappy little convenience store and turn it into a chain consisting of 13 little gold mines. Following his dream, he sold the stores and has gambled everything on opening up a casino in Laughlin, called Viva. At the last minute, one of his investors gets cold feet and pulls his money out of the project leaving Ripley stuck. He goes to local hotel/casino tycoon Nicky Fontana (Hugh Jackman) to try and broker a deal, but Nicky is having one of it. He's hoping for Ripley to fail so he can pick the land up for a song. Along for the ride are Madchen Amick as Natalie Holden, and D.B. Woodside as Nicky's muscle, Marcus.

Brett says: Quite simply, this one is going to sink or swim based on how people react to the musical aspect of it. Occasionally the characters just break out into a quick song and dance number, and it can be jarring. Aside from that, it's a good story with good characters and an excellent cast. Personally, I don't mind the musical aspect, but I can completely understand how many viewers could look at that and mutter a "WTF?" as they change the channel. I'll be interested to see if that changes as the show gets underway, because the story is good enough that it doesn't need the gimmick.

Those are all the pilots we have seen at this point. Follow the links to get a quick look at what they have in store with Moonlight, Kid Nation, and the mid-season Swingtown. There are no sure things in TV, as Studio 60 proved so well this past season, but my gut feeling on this adventurous schedule is that while it is admirable, it is most likely also a short lived experiment. CBS will continue to do well, but it will continue to do well on the backs of the CSIs, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Without A Trace, etc.