CBS changes little, taps Ashton Kutcher for mid-season plans

What may be most interesting about CBS's plans for early 2009 is what they're NOT changing on their mid-season schedule, announced today.

Though new drama Eleventh Hour is struggling on Thursdays, it's scheduled in February when the new edition of Survivor kicks off. And even though new comedy Worst Week has trouble keeping up with its high-rated neighbors on Mondays, there's no news of its departure.

Indeed, the only show replaced in CBS's new schedule is the long-canceled The Ex-List; instead, Canadian cop drama Flashpoint returns at 9 p.m. Fridays on Jan. 9. The 13th edition of The Amazing Race may end Sunday, but the 14th edition is already scheduled for a Feb. 15  start.

And Ashton Kutcher will present a new game show, Game Show in My Head, as the first non-newsmagazine programming on Saturdays in years -- featuring contestants performing outrageous tasks in public for cash. With Joe Rogan hosting, it's going to feel like Fear Factor meets Candid Camera, I think.

(Kutcher's success as a TV producer reminds me of something a record producer friend said once about L.A.: "in this town, you can make a lot of money just by talking about s@*t.")

It's the kind of schedule you'd expect from a network with the most successful new show -- The Mentalist -- and a raft of solidly performing series, ranging from Criminal Minds and Two and a Half Men to CSI and CSI: Miami. It also has a lot fewer changes than schedules announced by rivals such as ABC and NBC.

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Click below to see the full schedule:

"Survivor" Returns Thursday, Feb. 12, 8:00-9:00 PM

The 14th Edition of "The Amazing Race" Premieres Sunday, Feb. 15, 8:00-9:00 PM

         CBS today announced mid-season schedule changes that include the return of the drama FLASHPOINT, the premiere of the mystery event HARPER'S ISLAND, the debut of the new game show GAME SHOW IN MY HEAD and the returns of the Network's reality hits SURVIVOR and THE AMAZING RACE. 

          FLASHPOINT, last summer's top original scripted series, premieres Friday, Jan. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT).

          FLASHPOINT, starring Enrico Colantoni, Hugh Dillon, Amy Jo Johnson, David Paetkau, Michael Cram, Sergio Di Zio, Ruth Marshall and Mark Taylor, depicts the emotional journey into the tough, risk-filled lives of a group of cops in the Strategic Response Unit (inspired by Toronto's Emergency Task Force).

HARPER'S ISLAND, a 13-episode mystery event, premieres Thursday, April 9  (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) and concludes Thursday, July 2 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).  HARPER'S ISLAND is about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding. They've come to laugh… to love… and, though they don't know it... to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival. In every episode, someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

GAME SHOW IN MY HEAD, a hidden camera game show from Ashton Kutcher, premieres Saturday, Jan. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). Ordinary people must perform extraordinary tasks on an unsuspecting public to win up to $50,000. Under the watchful eye of host Joe Rogan, each contestant performs five outrageous, embarrassing and hilarious tasks worth $5,000 each.  In a no-holds-barred bonus round, each contestant has the chance to double their money up to $50,000. 

           The 18th edition of SURVIVOR premieres Thursday, Feb. 12 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) while THE AMAZING RACE returns with its 14th edition on Sunday, Feb. 15 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT).

Saturday, Effective Jan. 3

8:00-8:30 PM              GAME SHOW IN MY HEAD (Premiere)

8:30-9:00 PM              GAME SHOW IN MY HEAD (Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM            CRIMETIME SATURDAY

10:00-11:00 PM          48 HOURS MYSTERY

Friday, Effective Jan. 9

8:00-9:00 PM              GHOST WHISPERER

9:00-10:00 PM            FLASHPOINT (Premiere)

10:00-11:00 PM          NUMB3RS

Thursday, Effective Feb. 12

8:00-9:00 PM              SURVIVOR 18 (Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM            CSI

10:00-11:00 PM          ELEVENTH HOUR

Sunday, Effective Feb. 15

7:00-8:00 PM              60 MINUTES

8:00-9:00 PM              THE AMAZING RACE 14 (Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM            COLD CASE

10:00-11:00 PM          THE UNIT

Thursday, Effective April 9

8:00-9:00 PM              SURVIVOR

9:00-10:00 PM            CSI

10:00-11:00 PM          HARPER'S ISLAND (Series Debut)

Comments

[drinklime]

SAT - game show, game show, crime, crime
FRI - crime, crime, crime
THU - game show, crime, crime
FRI - news, game show, crime, crime
THU - game show, crime, crime

EVERYDAY - yawn