TV with MeeVee

Press Tour: Katie Couric Says She's Not Going. Really.

Katie Couric, Bob Schieffer, Jeff Greenfield and their boss Sean McManus were just here, via satellite, ostensibly to talk about presidential campaign coverage. But of course Topic A was whether anchor Couric will leave the ratings-challenged "CBS Evening News" after the election or perhaps after the inauguration, as widely speculated.

McManus said, "It's not true," and Couric agreed. She also made slightly fuzzier statements: "We have no plans to part company anytime soon" and "Clearly when you work for an organization, you have ongoing discussions, but I'm very committed to the people here and very committed to the product." (Italics mine.)

"It's befuddling to me the amount of attention I have received," Couric said, although she noted that the buzz has died down lately. "But I spend every day really focused on doing the best job I can..."

Press Tour: CBS boss talks "CSI"

CBS is here, for two days that will also include the network's corporate siblings CW and Showtime. We start with CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler. She gets lots of inside-baseball questions about working pilot season around the writers strike.

Tassler ducked a question about the future of summer series "Swingtown" by saying how proud she is of the show. I got a mike and asked if "being very proud of 'Swingtown' means there's any chance you're going to make more?" She said,  "You know what, look, I'm a little disappointed in the ratings. We haven't made that decision right now, but I am proud of the show. Creatively, I think they're doing a great job." She was necessarily diplomatic, but I think that was a "no" to more wife-swapping on the network.

Tassler told us that "CSI" isn't replacing Bill Petersen when he departs after 10 episodes this season - no, they're adding a new element. Sounds like classic execu-speak, but there may be some truth to it. The character being added is a doctor who has a DNA profile commonly associated with serial killers and struggles privately with the questions that presents. It's a "journey of self-discovery." They are currently trying to find "an actor of stature" to take the role. But he won't start off, anyway, by replacing Petersen's Gil Grissom as head of the CSI lab.

It's rare for an actor to leave a series in a successful run, especially when he's also an executive producer. But it's not unexpected from Petersen, and the transition has been in the planning for a while, she said. "Billy is an extraordinary guy...he's still an artist," and this is really a personal decision, she said. "I think it was just an artist's choice to perhaps change his life right now, but he's incredibly dedicated and supportive of the show."

Sarah Chalke will return to "How I Met Your Mother" for multiple episodes at the beginning of the season, but "right now I do not think that she is the mother," Tassler said. She said that despite what you read, Britney Spears' guest appearances did not "save" HIMYM from cancellation because it didn't need saving: "I think the show is beloved by most people in this room and by the audience. So it was never in danger. We just took awhile to make the announcement, but the show is something we're proud of and is doing great.""

The writers strike meant the network made some interesting decisions, running cleaned-up reruns of Showtime's "Dexter" on Sunday nights to mediocre ratings and buying the Canadian series "Flashpoint" for this summer, which did very well in its debut. Guess which experiment Tassler said she might repeat.

Katie Couric's up next, by satellite.

CBS Announces Premiere Dates

Premiere week lives, sorta, on CBS, which announced its fall launch dates. Most of them come the week of Sept. 23, but "Survivor: Gabon" (in HD!) goes the week before, and a few shows have been moved into early October to make room for scheduled presidential debates. Here's the release:

CBS ANNOUNCES 2008-2009 PREMIERE DATES
Pre-Season Launch for "Survivor: Gabon" on Thursday, Sept. 18

Monday Comedies, Including the Series Debut of "Worst Week" and the Night's Top Drama "CSI: Miami," Premiere Sept. 22

"NCIS," Freshman Drama "The Mentalist" and "Without a Trace" (On Its New Night) Premiere Tuesday, Sept. 23

CBS's New Wednesday Comedy Block of "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and Freshman "Project Gary," Along with Returning Dramas "Criminal Minds" and "CSI: NY," Premiere Sept. 24

"60 Minutes," "The Amazing Race," "Cold Case" and "The Unit,"
Premiere Sunday, Sept. 28

CBS's Friday Lineup Including "Ghost Whisperer," Freshman Drama
"The Ex List" and "Numb3rs" Return Oct. 3

"CSI" and New Drama "Eleventh Hour" Premiere Thursday, Oct. 9

CBS today announced dates for the fall premieres of its new and returning series, which include a pre-season debut for SURVIVOR: GABON and the launch of its Thursday and Friday drama series in early October. The Network will introduce the majority of its schedule beginning Monday, Sept. 22, the official start of the 2008-2009 season.

For the seventh consecutive season, SURVIVOR: GABON, the 17th installment of the hit reality series, will debut a week prior to the formal start of the season, returning on Thursday, Sept. 18 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT).

CBS's new season rollout officially begins on Monday, Sept. 22 with the second season premiere of THE BIG BANG THEORY (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT), the fourth season debut of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT), the sixth season premiere of television's Number One comedy TWO AND A HALF MEN (9:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT), the debut of new comedy WORST WEEK (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) and the seventh season premiere of CSI: MIAMI (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT), the night's Number One drama.

NCIS begins its sixth season on Tuesday, Sept. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), followed by the new drama THE MENTALIST (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) and the seventh season premiere of WITHOUT A TRACE on its new night (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

CBS premieres its new Wednesday comedy block on Sept. 24 with the fourth season of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT) and new comedy PROJECT GARY (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT), followed by the fourth season of CRIMINAL MINDS (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) and the fifth season premiere of CSI: NY (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

Premiering on Sunday, Sept. 28 is the 41st season of 60 MINUTES, the longest running and highest rated newsmagazine (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT), the 13th edition of multi-Emmy Award winning THE AMAZING RACE (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), the sixth season of COLD CASE (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) and the fourth season premiere of THE UNIT on its new night (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

The Network's top-rated Friday lineup returns on Oct. 3 with the fourth season premiere of GHOST WHISPERER (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), the debut of the new drama THE EX LIST (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), followed by the fifth season premiere of NUMB3RS (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION returns for its ninth season on Thursday, Oct. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), followed by the premiere of freshman drama ELEVENTH HOUR (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

The premieres of the Thursday and Friday night dramas have been scheduled outside of premiere week to accommodate the scheduled presidential debate on Sept. 26 and a vice presidential debate on Oct. 2.

(The night-by-night lineup is after the jump.)

Upfronts Update: CBS Announces Fall Schedule

CBS has ordered five new series - two comedies and three dramas - toadd to its 18 returning shows. Like the other nets we've seen so far, this is largely a stand-pat schedule shaped by the behind-the-scenes tumult of the writers strike. The biggest change might be the hour of comedy from 8-9 on Wednesdays.

Mondays: "Big Bang Theory," "How I Met Your Mother," "Two and a Half Men," the new comedy "Worst Week" (right) and "CSI Miami."

Tuesdays: "NCIS," the new drama "The Mentalist" and "Without A Trace," which moves from Thursdays.

Wednesdays: "The New Adventures of Old Christine," the new comedy "Project Gary," "Criminal Minds" and "CSI NY."

Thursdays: "Survivor," "CSI" and the new drama "Eleventh Hour."

Fridays: "Ghost Whisperer," the new "The Ex List" and "Numb3rs."

Saturdays: Two hours of "Crimetime" - i.e. repeats - and "48 Hours Mystery."

Sundays: "60 Minutes," "The Amazing Race," "Cold Case" and "The Unit," which moves from Tuesdays.

The announcement also says this: "In addition to the new series for fall, the network announced the pick up of two programs for midseason. The new drama, HARPER'S ISLAND, is a murder mystery that unfolds as friends and family attend week-long festivities at a destination wedding on a secluded and picturesque island off the coast of Seattle, infamous for a homicidal maniac's rampage seven years ago. Also picked up for midseason is the comedy RULES OF ENGAGEMENT." It doesn't say anything, however, about reviving Fox's "Back To You."

For details and pictures of the new shows, keep reading.