CBS Entertainment topper Nina Tassler told the Television Critics Association’s winter tour that The Eye network is sticking with pilot season, even if it’s “not perfect.”
Her comments came on the heels of Fox chief Kevin Reilly declaring that his net was ditching pilot season, calling it the product of a bygone era in the television industry.
“I can appreciate where Kevin’s coming from,” Tassler said, according to Variety. “I thought a lot about this, and had to look back and say pilot season isn’t perfect, and it’s certainly a very difficult time. But it’s also exciting.”
CBS isn’t just sticking with pilot season, but it’s also keeping its entire daytime lineup. Game shows “Let’s Make a Deal” and “The Price Is Right,” soaps “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” and chatfest “The Talk” were all re-upped for 2014-15. CBS is currently ranked #1 in daytime among the broadcast nets.
On the primetime side of the schedule, fan-favorites “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” both got premiere dates on Wednesday.
“Survivor” will return for its 28th season—from Cagayan in The Philippines—with a two-hour bow at 8pm ET on Feb. 26. This season will see contestants split into three tribes competing along the lines of “Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty.
“The Amazing Race” premieres a few days earlier, Feb. 23—the same day the Sochi Olympics end on NBC.
CBS is also starting a new development department focused on special event and live programming, since those remain one of the last holdouts for appointment viewing.
Sister network The CW is keeping the 2014 “Veronica Mars” theme going with an online spinoff for its CW Seed network. The series is expected sometime after the “Mars” movie premieres in March.
Also on CW’s plate for the coming year: a barbershop reality competition series from Cedric the Entertainer, a magic realty show from Penn & Teller, and a four-hour event series about the Holy Grail.
CW President Mark Pedowitz also said that his network is sticking with pilot season, while noting that it can be inefficient at times.
Overall, Pedowitz was suggested that The CW would be investing more heavily in fantasy and serialized dramas, since they have worked well for the network. But it appears that docuseries were out—last summer’s “Breaking Pointe” is not getting renewed.
Read More: Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter
Brief Take: CBS’ motto at TCA seems to be “if it ain’t broke…” sticking with a tried-and-true formula for delivering shows that also deliver viewers.
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