Guest Author - Ingrid Stamatson

The two popular CBS shows are not in the Fall 2007 lineup, instead being saved for a mid-season debut.

Survivor China was originally slated to begin in the Fall, in its usual Thursday 8PM / 7 Central time slot, but it was decided that there was no room for another reality series. The Amazing Race 12 was also taken off the 2007 Fall schedule and will instead, premiere mid season along with Survivor China. Even though Survivor ratings have dropped, the NY Daily News quotes Tassler as saying it was still acceptable, since it still won its ratings slot every time, and that CBS had not lost faith in these shows, but was merely saving them until time slots open up either from shows being canceled or going on hiatus.

This is not a new strategy; The Amazing Race 6 premiered in November of 2004 to replace the sinking Clubhouse drama, but since then it has followed the Spring/Fall lineups, which have proven to be the most successful. Let me repeat that: Spring/Fall lineups have proven to be the most successful.

CBS wants to be daring, new, and different and is focusing on developing "daring concept" shows. For them, that next hit is Kid Nation, but they are sacrificing good shows and not allocating enough time and resources to existing shows in the process. It now seems that to make room for their newest brainchild, they dumped Jericho. [Note: this is just my opinion]

CBS did state that they did not have enough time slots and it may be that they artificially engineered Jericho’s ratings decline by pulling off the air for three months only to bring it back opposite American Idol. Talk about a death knell. Yet, loyal viewers (like me) recorded the shows and perhaps CBS is not taking that into account – the viewers who watched Jericho online or recorded it – or they just don’t care.

Just one opinion here, but they miscalculated. They are just throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The Jericho debacle has come back to bite them; just follow the public outcry.

So CBS, promote your new Kid Nation. I am looking forward to it. Good for you if it flies, but don’t sacrifice viewers just to make more money. Better you dump Old Christine and forget that new Swingtown set in the 70s (who wants to go back there again?) and bring back Jericho.

Even better, let me take over the programming. I can't do any worse than you have.

--- just keeping it real ---