It's that time of year again, ladies and gents! A time filled with excitement, anticipation, and the promise of great things to come. Not Christmas. Not even my birthday. It's television upfront time! That's right, the networks have just revealed their tentative schedules for the 2012-2013 season, partially to garner advertisements, but also to generate some buzz from the people who matter, the potential viewers – us. So what have the big-wigs at CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and the CW cooked up for us this time? Let's take a look.
The Ashton Kutcher-fronted era of "Two and a Half Men" finds a new home on Thursday nights.
The eye network's mantra for next season seems to be, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." A lot of shows are returning and there don't seem to be a whole lot of slot shifts. For the most part, if you were used to their old schedule, you'll already be used to this one.
-On the move: 2 Broke Girls gets pushed to 9PM while Two and a Half Men moves to Thursdays at 8:30. Simon Baker's The Mentalist moves to Sundays at 10; CSI: NY moves up to 8.
-Shocking: CSI: Miami gets the boot. While easily the weakest of the franchise, it's surprising that they didn't axe NY, the newest in the family, instead.
-Not so shocking: Rules of Engagement isn't scheduled, but also isn't cancelled…yet.
Full Schedule (new shows in italics):
Monday
8 How I Met Your Mother
8:30 Partners
9 2 Broke Girls
9:30 Mike & Molly
10 Hawaii Five-0
Tuesday
8 NCIS
9 NCIS: LA
10 Vegas
Wednesday
8 Survivor
9 Criminal Minds
10 CSI
Thursday
8 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 Two and a Half Men
9 Person of Interest
10 Elementary
Friday
8 CSI: NY
9 Made in Jersey
10 Blue Bloods
Saturday
8 Crimetime Saturday
Sunday
8 The Amazing Race
9 The Good Wife
10 The Mentalist
"Revenge" is shifting to Sunday nights.
The alphabet network's mantra? "It is broken, but we don't care." ABC continues to bank on a lot of programming that doesn't seem to have a wide appeal. Wednesday nights continue to look strong, but the rest is pretty spotty.
-On the move: Revenge takes over Desperate Housewives' old timeslot, Sundays at 9.
-Shocking: Shark Tank and Tim Allen's Last Man Standing will return.
-Not so shocking: The family-friendly comedy block of The Middle, Suburgatory, and Modern Family stays intact.
-Notes: Cougar Town will be moving to TBS. Mid-season replacements include How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life, The Family Tools, Last Man Standing, and Malibu Country.
Full Schedule:
Monday
8 Dancing with the Stars/The Bachelor
10 Castle
Tuesday
8 Dancing with the Stars (results)
9 Happy Endings
9:30 Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23
10 Private Practice
Wednesday
8 The Middle
8:30 Suburgatory
9 Modern Family
9:30 The Neighbors
10 Nashville
Thursday
8 Last Resort
9 Grey's Anatomy
10 Scandal
Friday
8 Shark Tank
9 Primetime: What Would You Do?
10 20/20
Saturday
8 College Football
Sunday
8 Once Upon a Time
9 Revenge
10 666 Park Avenue
"Community" moves to Friday nights.
Perhaps the WTF-iest of all the schedules, I just wonder why the execs don't want quality shows but instead choose to throw televised lemmings at us.
-On the move: The Greendale Seven find a new home as Community is moved to Fridays at 8:30 after Whitney.
-Shocking: Both Whitney and Fashion Star will live to see the fall, but Awake won't. Really?!
-Not so shocking: "Comedy Night Done Right" welcomes Up All Night to the 8:30 spot after being moved from Wednesdays to Thursdays halfway through the 2011-2012 season.
-Note: Smash and The Biggest Loser will appear mid-season.
Full Schedule:
Monday
8 The Voice
10 Revolution
Tuesday
8 The Voice (results)
9 Go On
9:30 The New Normal
10 Parenthood
Wednesday
8 Animal Practice
8:30 Guys with Kids
9 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10 Chicago Fire
Thursday
8 30 Rock
8:30 Up All Night
9 The Office
9:30 Parks and Recreation
10 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Friday
8 Whitney
8:30 Community
9 Grimm
10 Dateline NBC
Saturday
8 NBC encores
Sunday (winter 2013 after football season)
8 Fashion Star
9 The Celebrity Apprentice
10 Do No Harm
The Zooey Deschanel comedy "New Girl" returns for a sophomore season.
There's not a whole lot worth talking about over at FOX. Same old, same old.
-On the move: Glee transfers to Thursdays at 9 while Raising Hope is bumped up to Tuesdays at 8.
-Shocking: Nothing. FOX didn't leave us much to be surprised about.
-Not so shocking: We won't be seeing more of Alcatraz or I Hate My Teenage Daughter.
Full Schedule:
Monday
8 Bones
9 The Mob Doctor
Tuesday
8 Raising Hope
8:30 Ben and Kate
9 New Girl
9:30 The Mindy Project
Wednesday
8 The X Factor
Thursday
8 The X Factor (results)
9 Glee
Friday
8 Touch
9 Fringe
Saturday
8 Sports
Sunday
8 The Simpsons
8:30 Bob's Burgers
9 Family Guy
9:30 American Dad
"The Vampire Diaries" continues as one of the CW's strongest programs.
The method here seems to be throwing things to the wall to see what sticks.
-On the move: America's Next Top Model will air Fridays at 8; Supernatural moves to Wednesdays at 9.
-Shocking: Ringer isn't renewed.
-Not so shocking: New show The Carrie Diaries (chronicling a young Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City) gets picked up.
Full Schedule:
Monday
8 90210
9 Gossip Girl/The Carrie Diaries
Tuesday
8 Hart of Dixie
9 Emily Owens, M.D.
Wednesday
8 Arrow
9 Supernatural
Thursday
8 The Vampire Diaries
9 Beauty and the Beast
Friday
8 America's Next Top Model
9 Nikita
