CBS Announces Lineup, Stuffs More Hits Onto Crowded Thursday

Jesus Christ, networks! There are other days in the week than Thursday, though you wouldn't know it by the upfront presentations of fall schedules: first, Fox moved Fringe into the insane gauntlet of Thursdays at 9pm, and now CBS is following suit, moving freshman hit The Mentalist into Thursdays at 10pm. Is it a good move?

Though it may be hell on people's DVRs, there's a certain canny defensiveness about the relocation. CSI's been slipping since William Petersen left, and the network believes it can help stem the loss by scheduling The Mentalist as its lead-out. With Thursday ad rates so high, the network clearly believes that night is its priority (and the new Jay Leno Show should provide CBS with a strong opening in that 10pm timeslot).

In other news, CBS canceled Without a Trace and The Unit, picked up Three Rivers, Accidentally on Purpose, The Good Wife, and spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles, and rescued Medium from an uncaring NBC.

The fall schedule is as follows, with new shows bolded:

MONDAY

8 p.m. How I Met Your Mother

8:30 p.m. Accidentally on Purpose

9 p.m. Two and A Half Men

9:30 p.m. The Big Bang Theory

10 p.m. CSI: Miami

TUESDAY

8 p.m. NCIS

9 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles

10 p.m. The Good Wife

WEDNESDAY

8 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine

8:30 p.m. Gary Unmarried

9 p.m. Criminal Minds

10 p.m. CSI: NY

THURSDAY

8 p.m. Survivor: Samoa

9 p.m. CSI

10 p.m. The Mentalist

FRIDAY

8 p.m. Ghost Whisperer

9 p.m. Medium

10 p.m. Numb3rs

SATURDAY

8 p.m. Crimetime Saturday

9 p.m. Crimetime Saturday

10 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

SUNDAY

7 p.m. 60 Minutes

8 p.m. The Amazing Race

9 p.m. Three Rivers

10 p.m. Cold Case

· CBS announces fall schedule: 'The Mentalist' jumps to Thursdays [EW]