Upfronts 2012–CBS

Every May, the US television network executives travel to New York to put on the week-long Upfronts. Each day during this week, the networks present their plans for the upcoming television season to advertisers, trying to convince them to buy commercial time during their shows.

As viewers, though, this week is notable as the time when we finally find out, with certainty, which shows we watch will be returning, which are cancelled, and and get our first glimpses of the new shows we can check out in the fall. For the most comprehensive list of renewals, cancellations, and pick ups, head over to Futon Critic.

Each day this week, I’ll be looking at the news from each of the networks that caught my interest. Today is CBS.

As the strongest network, CBS has little incentive to change anything, so they haven’t, picking up just five new shows.

Cancelled

CSI: Miami: This was an expensive show which had seen better days, to be sure, so it makes sense that it would be cancelled. It’s notable only as the first of the three CSI series’ to be removed from the air

Renewed

Person of Interest: This high concept procedural (does CBS have any hour-long that isn’t a procedural?) never really made a splash either critically or in the ratings, so it’s a little surprising to see it return, and perhaps more so to see it remain on the competitive Thursday night.

Picked Up

Elementary: Yet another updating of Sherlock Holmes. CBS has faced (and is still attempting to fend off) accusations from the BBC that this is merely a rip off of their own excellent Sherlock, which it certainly appears to be on the surface. If it turns out to be unique and interesting, it could be worth checking out, but there’s a good chance it’ll turn out to be just another formulaic CBS procedural.

Vegas: Set in Las Vegas of the ‘60s, this show follows the local sheriff trying to deal with the mob. Normally I’d write this show off, given that nothing we’ve seen yet is all that impressive or indicates it will be anything other than a cookie-cutter procedural (albeit a period one), but the buzz around this show is good, so it’s one to keep an eye on.

Partners: This comedy doesn’t sound very good at all, but I’ve included it here because it seems that it was already made once, 17 years ago on Fox. Both shows have the same name, both follow two male architects who work at the same firm and are lifelong friends, and both focus on the trouble that begins to brew in their friendship when one of them gets engaged.  Probably a lousy show, but an interesting coincidence/blatant theft. You can see a full rundown of the similarities here.

And that’s it for CBS. Tomorrow brings us to the final day of the upfronts with a presentation by the CW.