CBS, If it ain't broke...

Alright, it's CBS's turn this week. Just to let you know up front. This is a pretty short list. It should be since CBS seems to have struck gold at least once a year for the last four years. Over the last four years they have added Big Bang Theory, The Mentalist, Hawaii Five-O, The Good Wife, and popular spin off NCIS: Los Angeles. Those shows bolstered a line up that already included perennial favorites Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, Survivor, NCIS, Two and a Half Men and CSI among others. This network is in a state of “if it ain't broke, don't fix it”. So their offerings for this year include some safe plays with one standout in my mind, with out many open slots in their lineup it's a smart play.

First up is the one that got my attention. Unforgettable is a new spin on the buddy cop procedural that has become popular as of late with shows like Bones and Castle. The spin on this one seems to be the distinct lack of any comedy. While the others tend to use an almost Laurel and Hardy juxtaposition for laughs, Unforgettable is all about the serious. The main idea is that the leads here were once police partners and lovers who have been thrown back together by chance. There will, I'm sure, be plenty of emotional angst between the two as they not only work on cases but also their relationship. Sounds really melodramatic and kinda derivative doesn't it. Well here's the part that got me to put this on the top of my list for CBS, the female lead character has hyperthymesia which means she can't forget anything, ever. Watch the trailer and let me know what you think.

Next up is what I am hoping might be a new show in my sitcom rotation, but I'm not putting too much behind it. 2 Broke Girls (see how they used the number 2 to set it apart from Two and a Half Men, clever right?) is exactly what it sounds like, a sitcom about two girls who are broke trying to make it in the big city. One is a snarky and quick witted waitress while the other the daughter to a now indicted rich father and hence broke. This fish out of water meets the odd couple sitcom would be an automatic pass for me if it weren't for Kat Dennings who takes quick wit to all new lever. If the writing can stay somewhat smart and relevant, this might be a gem, despite the laugh track. I really think this trailer does the show no favors. How about you?

This next one just missed with me, for now. Person of Interest, a slightly new and realistic spin on the superhero story line starring Jim Caviezel as an ex-CIA agent sounds like a hit. But something just misses the mark for me here. I think the lack of any kind of story arc might be it. I hope that the trailer is just not showing what I need to get into this one. I really want to like it. Oh yeah, guess what, JJ Abrahms again. Picking up on theme?

Ladies, this one is for you. Or at least CBS thinks so. Take Greys Anatomy, throw in some Ghost Whisperer, and you get.... A Gifted Man. That's all I got, just watch the trailer.

And so we come to my last and definitely least of the CBS offerings. When the “funniest”(I use that term VERY loosely) parts of your trailer come from the sister and brother-in-law of you main character, you may want to think about starting over from scratch. I give you, How to be a Gentleman.

In closing, I think this may be the end of the road for the hits for CBS unless Unforgettable turns out to be just that.