CBS Presents Its 2012-2013 Primetime Schedule

When you’re winning, why change? That’s been CBS’s attitude for most of the last decade because it has had more series at the top of the Nielsen ratings, consistently, for nine years running. Mind you, nobody is going to call the bulk of CBS’s programming innovative — indeed, some embody the very definition of “killing time.” That is, they exist for the sole purpose of getting a person from the top of any given hour to the bottom with the speed and efficiency of a Japanese economy car.

Clearly there’s something to that, because people continue to watch by the millions — many more millions that most of its competition. Yes, CBS has a schedule that works, and not much room for additions or failures. But the network is not above a little tinkering from time to time.

This is why “Two and a Half Men,” the comedy that has served as the network’s Monday night tentpole since 2005, is moving to Thursday nights at 8:30pm, where it will hopefully retain “The Big Bang Theory’s” sizable audience.  “2 Broke Girls” will take over its 9pm Monday slot.  Meanwhile, “The Mentalist” is moving from Thursday nights to Sundays at 10pm.

CBS is going into the fall season with only four new series on the schedule, and two waiting in the wings for midseason. New series include “Vegas,” starring Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis; the perhaps unfortunately named “Made in Jersey” (although the original title was worse); and the Sherlock Holmes update “Elementary” starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu. The network is adding just one new comedy this fall, “Partners.” Click here to read descriptions of CBS’s new series.

Midseason will bring the drama “Golden Boy” and the comedy “Friend Me.”

Cancelled series include “CSI: Emoting With Sunglasses“, “A Gifted Man“, “How to Be a Gentleman“, “NYC 22“, “Rob” and “Unforgettable“. The fate of comedy pinch-hitter “Rules of Engagement” has yet to be determined.

Keep reading for the complete CBS fall 2012 schedule, taken from the network’s press release.

Monday

8pm “How I Met Your Mother”

8pm “Partners” (New Series)

9pm “2 Broke Girls”

9:30pm “Mike & Molly”

10pm “Hawaii Five-0?

 Tuesday

8pm  “NCIS”

9pm  “NCIS: Los Angeles”

10pm “Vegas” (New Series)

 Wednesday

8pm “Survivor”

9pm “Criminal Minds”

10pm “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”

Thursday

8pm “The Big Bang Theory”

8:30pm “Two and a Half Men”

9pm “Person of Interest”

10pm “Elementary” (New Series)

Friday

8pm “CSI: NY”

9pm “Made in Jersey” (New Series)

10pm “Blue Bloods”

Saturday

8-10pm “Crimetime Saturday” (Repeats)

10pm “48 Hours Mystery”

Sunday

7pm  “60 Minutes”

8pm “The Amazing Race”

9pm “The Good Wife”

10pm “The Mentalist”