Nellie Andreeva

CBS Unveils 2010-11 Schedule

When CBS’ scheduling guru Kelly Kahl introduced the new CBS schedule this morning by saying the network was going for “aggressive stability,” he was not kidding about the aggressive part. Who would’ve thought that CBS will be by far the most aggressive network this year in shaking up its fall schedule. The net is putting comedies on Thursdays for the first time in 45 years, moving Survivor to Wednesdays at 8 PM and the CSI spinoffs to Friday and Sunday.

At CBS’ press breakfast today, the network’s execs addressed the cancellation of seven series, including The New Adventures of Old Christine and Ghost Whisperer.  Kelly was blunt: “To make your schedule stronger, it means clearing the low-hanging fruit. It’s part of the network circle of life.”

Other highlights from the breakfast:

On moving Big Bang to Thursday: “If you are walking on a new night of comedy, you go with the big guns,” Kahl said. Added entertainment president Nina Tassler: “How great is it for the guys from The Big Bang Theory to lead into William Shatner,” a reference to Shatner’s Star Trek pedigree. “It’s a dream come true.”

The rationale behind keeping Medium but not Ghost Whisperer on Fridays: It was the crime-solving element in Medium that would fit better the rest of the crime drama Friday lineup, Tassler said. (It also doesn’t hurt that Medium is wholly-owned by CBS.)

As he has done every year for the past 15 years, CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves kicked off the morning presentation. He gave this peek into the network’s afternoon upfront presentation at Carnegie Hall: “I’ll open with ‘I’m happy I’m not here selling One and a Half Men’,” he said.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.