CBS shifts Monday comedies, "King of Queens" officially ending

from variety

CBS plays by Sandler's 'Rules'
Network says goodbye to 'King'
By JOSEF ADALIAN

CBS is giving new Adam Sandler-produced laffer "Rules of Engagement"
the best comedy timeslot on TV while finalizing plans to say goodbye
to "The King of Queens" after nine seasons.

Obveeus...

Am I reading this correctly? All of the schedule changes ammount to a method
for making sure New Adventures of Old Christine and King of Queens are on
during May sweeps while The Class and Rules of Engagement are NOT on during
sweeps?

Rob Jensen...

Kinda, yeah. IMO, it also pretty much means that Christine is safe
for renewal while The Class is, at best, on the bubble.

William George Ferguson...

You are too kind. The Class is, at best, not going to be renewed (at
worst, it will be pulled short of completing its run).

The obvious omission in all this is How I Met Your Mother. Apparently CBS
is happy enough with it that they are going to let in sit quietly in the
first half-hour slot without tinkering (and presumably, both KoQ and
Christine will help its ratings, certainly more than The Class has).

-- Rob

Starting Feb. 5, "Rules" will run Mondays at 9:30 p.m. behind the
top-rated "Two and a Half Men," the Eye will announce today. Its

Victor Velazquez...

"Top-rated"? Really? What reasonable person thinks this show is funny?

kenny...

-Kenny "you can hold off sending the Britcom, too" Crudup

Whoever it is, I'd like to send him (her...them?) "Black Books" so that he
might experience an actually funny sitcom.

Obveeus...

'Black Books'? Has that aired in the USA?

Victor Velazquez...

BBC America, baby! I don't know when, although the TiVo still picks the odd
one up for me.

For me, the reference of a show that is actually funny would be:
'Coupling'.

Victor Velazquez...

Nervous Jeff alone is worth 10 men. :-)

jason.cinema...

"Black Books" actually aired on Comedy Central for a spell there.

And I wholeheartedly agree about Nervous Jeff. "Coupling" is one of
the best TV series ever. The original, of course. I just want to make

Rob Jensen...

Yeah, "Friends" is a classic!

Obveeus...

Yes, 'Friends' is a classic. If you were implying that 'Coupling' is a copy
of 'Friends', however, you are sadly mistaken. 'Coupling' has much more
intelligence and bite to it.

Victor Velazquez...

As in *way* more of both. I think it's no coincidence that Friends features
a coffee shop whereas Coupling has at least two pubs (Friends being hot
cocoa to Coupling's pint of Guinness and a shot of Jameson's).

Rob Jensen...

IMO, all are distinctions without difference.

"Oh, yeah, beer makes makes Coupling more intelligent than Friends!"

I suppose if you're the viewer *drinking* the beer, that might be
true, but otherwise, same show, different accents. And Friends came
first.

Obveeus...

'Coupling' and 'Friends' are not the same show at all. Maybe you never
watched 'Coupling'? It was much more complex/interwoven with its dialog and
did quite a bit of non-linear timeline stuff. Probably, it was 'too
intelligent' for the American public, whereas Friends was straight forward,
light hearted, non-controversial humor for the masses.

-- Rob

that distinction for those not in the know, whoever they may be.

Just looking at Monday night, I think that 'How I Met Your Mother', 'The New
Adventures of Old Christine', and 'Girlfriends' are all funnier than 'Two

Victor Velazquez...

I haven't seen any of those other three and yet I know that you must be
right. The only 2&1/2 Men I watched was when Elvis Costello was on (big
fan). Oy, was that painful!

and a Half Men'.

premiere will come one day after CBS airs Super Bowl XLI, allowing the
net to give the David Spade-Patrick Warburton laffer a major promo
push during the big game.

CBS Paramount and Sony Pictures TV produce "Rules" in association with
Sandler's Happy Madison shingle. Tom Hertz, Jack Giarraputo and Doug
Robinson are exec producers.

Move will mean a timeslot switch for "The New Adventures of Old
Christine," which has occupied the plum slot after "Men" since its
premiere last spring. After a brief hiatus during February, "Old
Christine" will shift to Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on March 12.

"The Class," which currently airs in the 8:30 p.m. slot, will wrap its
first season on March 5.

Eye's strategy is designed to virtually eliminate comedy repeats in
the 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Monday timeslots. Net also wants to give all of
its comedy players a fair shake on Mondays before it makes up its mind
about how to schedule the night next season.

Sked shuffle marks a major vote of confidence in "Rules." Eye execs
are no doubt hoping the male-skewing "Rules," which features a heavy
dose of ribald humor, will be a better fit with "Men" than the more
femme-friendly "Old Christine."

evwill...

Skewing male is supposed to be a winning strategy against "Heroes" and
"24"?

While "Christine" has been a solid performer on Mondays and has even
landed on some critics' year-end top 10 lists, skein still loses about
20% of its lead-in. Not helping matters: "Christine" has had to face
off against the red-hot "Heroes" for most of the fall.

evwill...

Being taken off for February sweeps is NOT a vote of confidence for
"Old Christine," that's for sure.

Obveeus...

February sweeps mean nothing compared with May sweeps.

Everett W.

As for "Rules," CBS plans to air seven episodes of the laffer on
Mondays. On April 9, net will bring back "King of Queens" -- which
goes on hiatus after its Jan. 3 broadcast -- in the 9:30 p.m. Monday
slot.

CBS will have seven episodes of "Queens" in the can, which means the
skein's series finale will likely air on May 21. Net hasn't locked in
any dates for the finale, however.

Taylor...

lol Why don't just go on and admit it, David. You posted this because
it was chalked full of industry insider "buzz words" ('Studio 60 On The
Sunset Strip') like, skein and laffer male-skewing, etc. ;-) You silly
little-boy-on-Christmas-morn.

Barry Margolin...

It was a Variety article, they're all like that. Are you new here?