NewsFlash: CBS’s Fall Schedule

It’s hard for me to get too excited about the CBS upfront. I don’t watch a single CBS show; here in LA it’s channel #2, so it usually slides off the channel guide before I even have a chance to look at it. And, now that the Ghost Whisperer has been canceled, Medium is their only genre show (although I have always wondered if perhaps the half-man of Two and a Half Men is a cyborg hybrid). Read on for some underwhelming news.

Hawaii Five-0 (Monday 10-11):

Official description: Hawaii Five-0 is a contemporary take on the classic series about a new elite federalized task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the Islands’ sun-drenched beaches. Detective Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin), a decorated Naval officer turned cop, returns to Oahu to investigate his father’s murder and stays after Hawaii’s governor persuades him to head up the new team: his rules, her backing, no red tape and full blanket immunity to hunt down the biggest “game” in town. Joining McGarrett is Detective Danny “Danno” Williams (Scott Caan), a newly relocated ex-New Jersey cop who prefers skyscrapers to the coastline but is committed to keeping the Islands safe for his 8-year-old daughter; and Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim), an ex-Honolulu Police Detective wrongly accused of corruption and relegated to a federal security patrol, who is also a former protege of McGarrett’s father. Chin’s cousin, Kono (Grace Park), is a beautiful and fearless native, fresh out of the academy and eager to establish herself among the department’s elite. McGarrett vows to bring closure to his father’s case while the state’s brash new FIVE-0 unit, who may spar and jest among themselves, is determined to eliminate the seedy elements from the 50th state. Peter Lenkov, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.

Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park—that’s exciting! Alex Kutzman and Roberto Orci both work on Fringe, so that’s mildly exciting, as well.


Criminal Minds Spinoff (Mid-season replacement):

Official Description: Criminal Minds Spinoff stars Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker in a drama about an elite team of agents within the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit who use unconventional methods of investigation and aggressive tactics to capture the nation’s most nefarious criminals. Unit chief Special Agent Sam Cooper (Whitaker) is a mentally and physically fierce natural leader who is not afraid to put his career on the line in order to stand by his convictions. Cooper strives to avoid political bureaucracy and has handpicked an eclectic group of profilers to work outside the confines of Quantico: Former British Special Forces soldier Mick Rawson (Matt Ryan), confident and handsome, works as a highly-skilled marksman with an undiluted eye for rooting out evil; John "Prophet" Sims (Michael Kelly), a former convict with a street-smart edge and a calm, Zen-like presence, who is determined to make amends for past sins; and Gina LaSalle (Beau Garrett), an attractive, tough agent armed with a cunning sense of perception. This exceptional group of FBI operatives is strong in their beliefs and steadfast in their mission to bring the country’s most dangerous criminals to justice.

I am only including this one because Forest Whitaker is fabulous. Well, and because I’m dying to know if "Criminal Minds Spinoff" is actually the name of the show. That’s like registering a business under the name "Manufacturer of Off-Brand Gelatin."

So: no genre here, and while I might check out Hawaii Five-0 for the first episode, I don't think I’ll start remembering that CBS exists anytime soon. What about you?