The hands of CBS honcho Les Moonves were bloody this week after slaying seven series -- a record for this season's upfronts so far. It was a bold (even arrogant) move that suggested that the network is so confident in its new series that it doesn't need proven time slot champs and Emmy-winners like Ghost Whisperer and New Adventures of Old Christine anymore -- in fact, they'll even hand them over to ABC. So what are these golden projects on which CBS is betting the farm? Click through to see their trailers for yourself.
Hawaii Five-O
Surfers! Cops! Beach babes! Explosions! This high-profile remake could be the series that catapults CBS golden boy Alex O'Loughlin into U.S. stardom with its recognizable theme song, beautiful Hawaiian island-scape, high production value and the kind of sparring buddy cop task force chemistry that already makes NCIS work for the network.
Verdict: Surf's up. Yay!
Defenders
Slick hair, slick suits, slick Vegas shots, slick courtroom scenes in which slick defense attorneys (Jerry O'Connell and Jim Belushi) attempt to defend criminals. If you liked According to Jim and you're willing to sit through each hourlong episode for one shot of a shirtless O'Connell, then this might be worth Tivoing.
Verdict: Nay.
Blue Bloods
A promising drama in an uncompromising time slot (Friday at 10 PM). From Emmy Award-winning producers/writers Robin Green and Mitch Burgess (both from The Sopranos), the Tom Selleck series follows three generations of Irish cops in NYC. If your parents were Magnum P.I. fans, they'll love this.
Verdict: Yay.
Mike & Molly
He's an overweight cop. She's an overweight elementary school teacher. Even with relatively unrecognizable leads (Billy Gardell, Melissa McCarthy) this sitcom has a leg up on the rest of the Tiffany Network's new series because it's from Chuck Lorre (Big Bang Theory) and it will benefit from its grade-a lead-in, Two and a Half Men, which is also from Lorre.
Verdict: Yay.
$#*! My Dad Says_
Nicole Sullivan told the upfront audience, "You're going to laugh when you see" Sh*t My Dad Says: The TV Series. But I think you're going to dry heave when you see how CBS is trying to package Justin Halpern's Twitter feed adaptation as a syrupy father-son sitcom. Case in point: the line "This is the song you and mom used to dance to after you put me to bed." I would much rather watch William Shatner dramatically interpret each of Halpern's tweets on the Tonight Show stage.
Verdict: Not as funny as the Twitter feed. Yay. Nay.