CBS Gets its Mid-Season Report Card

The Good: Unabashed President of the Alex O’Loughlin fan club, CBS Boss Nina Tassler — who let’s face it, has made it her personal mission to find a fit for the Australian import finally has something to cheer about — HAWAII FIVE-0 is a bonafide hit! Also breathing a deep sigh of relief is the Tiffany Network Executive responsible for the flurry of incredibly risky moves heading into the 2010/11 season. Much to @danharmon and @harthanson’s chagrin, THE BIG BANG THEORY’s big move to Thursday turned out even better than anyone could have theorized. And the same goes for aging shows like SURVIVOR and CSI (Both Miami and New York edition), all of which found new homes as well as new viewers in new time-slots. Meanwhile, on the comedy front, Chuck Lorre continues to do no wrong as MIKE & MOLLY fit snuggly into its post TWO AND A HALF MEN position, while the enjoyable, albeit rarely promoted RULES OF ENGAGEMENT managed to hold onto most of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER’s audience. The latter of which actually saw their audience grow as a result of showrunner’s Carter Bays and Craig Thomas’ recommitment to genuinely funny stories that actually resonate.

The Bad: Not laughing are MEDIUM fansm who will very soon see their show join GHOST WHISPERER in the great beyond. And while we’re on the subject of ghosts and mediums, let’s get down to what has continued to haunt CBS for the better part of the past decade. While the network gets serious credit for its unprecedented dominance in the total viewer department, things aren’t quite so rosy when one drills down to the highly coveted 18-49 demographic. Which is to say, that despite THE GOOD WIFE’s glowing reviews, awards and ridiculously sexy spreads in the likes of Entertainment Weekly and Harper’s Bazaar, Tuesday’s BIGGEST LOSER still managed to outperform it in the demo. Note to fans of THE DEFENDERS — assuming of course you’ve discovered how to access this new fangled “series of tubes” affectionately referred to as “the internet” — be afraid, be very afraid.

The Future: Considering CBS reruns manage to outperform most, if not all, of NBC and the CW’s regularly scheduled programming, the future, not surprisingly looks bright. Brighter still when you consider what’s in store for viewers in 2011, including the surefire hit that is the CRIMINAL MINDS spin-off SUSPECT BEHAVIOUR, a spring season of SURVIVOR that CBS sources insist is much better, and the curiosity surrounding the return of Paula Abdul to TV in her new reality-competition series LIVE TO DANCE.

Grade: A

Tune in tomorrow when we give ABC their midseason report card.