As the number one network yet again, CBS is the last of the big four to present. As a result of it’s domination, it also has the fewest new shows and appears to be taking the least chances.
We Are Men
This comedy features a group of four losers living in a short term apartment complex. It looks like it will focus on them trying to figure out their love lives, so look for plenty of lowbrow humour and jokes which you have heard plenty of times before, both of which seem to be a staple of a CBS sitcom.
Mom
This new series from Chuck Lorre looks like it might eschew the usual male centric perspective of the rest of his series. Centering around a recovering alcoholic single mom in Napa Valley, this looks like a typical enough Lorre comedy that it should get the viewers, but even if it brings a female perspective, expect it to tell all the same jokes his other shows do.
The Millers
Similar to Fox’s Dads, this comedy is about a grown brother and sister whose parents decide to divorce and move in with them. The “twist” comes in that the mom moves in with her son, and the dad moves in with the daughter. This is a vehicle for Will Arnet, but I doubt he’ll be enough to make it into a show worth watching.
The Crazy Ones
The primary draw for this comedy set in the world of advertising is the return of Robin Williams to TV as the series lead. The pitch itself, a crazy owner of the ad agency and his meticulous daughter struggle to work together, doesn’t sound like much, but Williams’ presence and propensity for ad libbing mean that this might end up being worthwhile.
Hostages
I have no idea how they plan to stretch this one out into a full series, as the pitch sounds more like the plot for a two hour movie. A surgeon’s family is held hostage and to get them back she is told she must kill the president when she operates on him. It seems like that premise will be used up in the first couple episodes and then the series will be forced to contrive new reasons for her family to remain hostage and new tasks for her to complete to free them. That doesn’t exactly sound like a recipe for long term success.
Intelligence
This thriller is about a special agent with a microchip implant that allows him to access all electronics. How interesting is ends up being will likely depend on how closely to the CBS procedural mold it sticks. The fact that it is produced by ABC yet didn’t end up on that network is slightly troubling, but not damning. Hopefully it can break from the mold and will turn out to be an enjoyable, though likely light, thriller.
Reckless
Somewhat resembling ABC’s Betrayal, this law soap is set in the south. It features the hot female city lawyer who has to fight a case against the hot male country lawyer. Since this is CBS, which mandates that all attractive characters must sleep with each other, the two start a steamy romance. I can’t see this one lasting very long.
Friends with Better Lives
Sounding remarkably similar to What About Brian? from a few years ago, Friends With Better Lives follows a group of six friends all in different stages of their lives, each of whom secretly wish they were in the others’ situation. Nothing much stands out about this one, but if it’s well written, it could make it.
And that’s it for CBS. Not a lot of new shows this season, and nothing that really stands out, but that’s the luxury of being number one. Only one day of the 2013 Upfronts left, so check back tomorrow for a look at the CW’s upcoming season.
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