As a result of the change, the network will be airing 90-minute episodes of its reality heavy hitters on September 24th, with the season premiere of Survivor running until 9:30 and leading into the season finale of Big Brother 16. The move makes sense considering Extant‘s time slot downgrade and the fact that they might not want to use the Survivor lead-in on something that was already underperforming. More importantly, Survivor and Big Brother should make for an especially strong night during Premiere Week, something that’s bad news for NBC’s lineup, which premieres the week prior, and FOX’s lineup, which premieres September 10th. CBS would rather risk damage to Extant and inflict its own damage on the competition rather than give Extant a boost that might not get it to renewal status and allow the likes of Red Band Society and The Mysteries of Laura to gain an audience in the absence of huge competition.

You can check out the CBS fall schedule here, as well as the CBS fall premiere dates here.

Have you been watching Extant? Who do you think is the favorite to win Big Brother? What would you like to see from Survivor this coming season?

The post CBS Shifts Extant Finale, Extends Survivor Premiere appeared first on TVHackr.

CBS is set to reveal its 2014-2015 schedule on Wednesday, May 15th.

MONDAY, MAY 5
2 BROKE GIRLS (8:00-8:30 PM)
When Caroline (Beth Behrs) discovers that Max (Kat Dennings) didn’t graduate high school, she decides to help her best friend get her degree and reconnect with her estranged mother.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (10:00-11:00 PM)
The CSIs investigate a present-day crime with ties to a mob heist that occurred 25 years ago, and Brass has to make a decision when his daughter attempts suicide. Treat Williams guest stars.

THURSDAY, MAY 8
Two and a Half Men (9:01-9:31 PM)
Alan confesses his true identity to Larry (D.B. Sweeney), who continues to bless Alan’s wedding to his sister, Gretchen (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). With the wedding comes one surprise after another, including a big one from Gretchen. Country music star Brad Paisley, Williams-Paisley’s real-life husband, guest stars.

FRIDAY, MAY 9
HAWAII FIVE-0 (9:00-10:00 PM)
Evil genius Ian Wright (Nick Jonas) resurfaces and uses Grover’s (Chi McBride) daughter as bait in order to get him to steal $100 million for him. Meanwhile, Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos) escapes prison and unexpectedly returns to Oahu.

BLUE BLOODS (10:00-11:00 PM)
When Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) disobeys orders and investigates a case he was told was off-limits, he uncovers shocking information that he shares with Frank (Tom Selleck) that could have enormous repercussions within the department.

TUESDAY, MAY 13
NCIS (8:00-9:00 PM)
The NCIS team investigates whether a fire on a U.S. Navy ship, which also served as a detention site for terrorists who had been indicted, was accidental or an intentional diversion for prisoner escape. Meanwhile, Gibbs (Mark Harmon) travels home following news about his father’s passing, played by the late Ralph Waite. The episode is a tribute to both the character and the actor.

NCIS: LOS ANGELES (9:00-10:01 PM)
When the NCIS: Los Angeles team and DEA uncover the cartel’s plans to slyly transport billions of dollars’ worth of cocaine from Colombia to the U.S. using a submarine, Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and Sam (LL COOL J) must quickly locate the missing vessel. Meanwhile, Hetty (Linda Hunt) is called to Washington in the aftermath of the controversial mission in Afghanistan.

PERSON OF INTEREST (10:01-11:00 PM)
The team takes desperate action in its race to prevent the malevolent AI program Samaritan from coming online and making them its first targets. Meanwhile, the months-long battle with the anti-surveillance terrorist group Vigilance comes to a shocking conclusion.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14
CRIMINAL MINDS (9:00-10:00 PM)
As a team member clings to life, the BAU continues its investigation in Texas where they uncover a deep web of corruption, and Garcia is thrust into action to save a friend. Esai Morales returns.

THURSDAY, MAY 15
THE BIG BANG THEORY (8:00-8:31 PM)
With his entire world changing around him, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) considers a major move.

THE MILLERS (8:31-9:01 PM)
Carol (Margo Martindale) has the worst Mother’s Day ever when Nathan (Will Arnett) forgets to get her a present.

ELEMENTARY (10:01-11:00 PM)
Rising tension between Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) and Joan (Lucy Liu) brings their partnership to a crossroads, but they endeavor to put their differences aside while they help Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft (guest star Rhys Ifans), who faces accusations of treason and murder.

SUNDAY, MAY 18
THE AMAZING RACE (8:00-9:00 PM)
With the one million dollar prize on the line, the final teams race through Las Vegas, where the world’s greatest illusionist, David Copperfield, designs a final challenge that requires the remaining teams to master the art of magic.

THE GOOD WIFE (9:00-10:00 PM)
The futures of Florrick/Agos and Lockhart/Gardner are at stake when the firms consider merging, driving a wedge between Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and Cary (Matt Czuchry). Meanwhile, Diane (Christine Baranski) makes a big decision when Louis Canning (guest star Michael J. Fox) challenges her role at her firm.

THE MENTALIST (10:00-11:00 PM)
A new lead in a cold case requires Lisbon (Robin Tunney) to delay her plans to leave for Washington, D.C., giving Jane (Simon Baker) time to finally come to terms with his feelings for her and decide on a course of action.

MONDAY, MAY 19
MIKE & MOLLY (9:00-9:30 PM)
Molly’s thrilled when she is accepted into an elite eight-week writer’s workshop in Iowa, but when Mike asks her not to go and leave him for the entire summer, Molly questions whether or not to pass up her opportunity of a lifetime.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21
SURVIVOR (8:00-10:00 PM)
Four Castaways remain and one will be crowned the Sole Survivor during the two-hour season finale, followed by the Live Reunion Show (10:00-11:00 PM), hosted by Emmy Award-winning host Jeff Probst.

The post CBS May 2014 Sweeps Spoilers appeared first on TVHackr.

Finale dates for the likes of Friends with Better Lives and Bad Teacher have yet to be released, likely due to the fact that they’ll be running into the summer. You can get a look at the full list of CBS 2013-2014 finale dates below.

Do you think CBS should have allowed How I Met Your Mother to air into May? Will any of the currently unrenewed shows (The Crazy Ones, The Mentalist, Intelligence) be renewed for next season? Should more networks allow full nights of programming to end on the same date?

Monday, March 31st
8:00 How I Met Your Mother (One-Hour Series Finale)
10:00 Intelligence

Monday, April 14th
9:30 Mom

Thursday, April 17th
9:00 The Crazy Ones (One-Hour Season Finale)

Monday, May 5th
8:00 2 Broke Girls

Wednesday, May 7th
10:00 CSI

Thursday, May 8th
9:00 Two and a Half Men

Friday, May 9th
9:00 Hawaii: Five-0
10:00 Blue Bloods

Thursday, May 13th
8:00 NCIS
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 Person of Interest

Wednesday, May 14th
9:00 Criminal Minds

Thursday, May 15th
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 The Millers
10:00 Elementary

Sunday, May 18th
8:00 The Amazing Race
9:00 The Good Wife
10:00 The Mentalist

Monday, May 19th
9:00 Mike & Molly

Wednesday, May 21st
8:00 Survivor (Two-Hour Season Finale)
10:00 Survivor Reunion Special

The post CBS Announces Season Finale Dates appeared first on TVHackr.

This season on Survivor, filmed in Cagayan, Philippines, the theme is Brawn vs. Beauty vs. Brains, as eighteen contestants will be divided among the three tribal lines – athletic, physically-gifted Brawn; aesthetically pleasing Beauty; and intellectually-gifted Brains. The show’s most recent edition, which concluded this past December, averaged 11.58 million viewers, 3.2/10 in adults 18-49 and 4.2/11 in adults 25-54 and ranked as the #2 reality series on broadcast television in adults 18-49.

Having averaged over 10 million viewers for its last season, nine-time Emmy winner The Amazing Race will feature 11 returning teams on the hunt for the $1 million prize. A full cast list has yet to be announced, though names have been circulating online as to who could be on the journey of a lifetime one more time.

CBS has yet to reveal what will be airing Sundays and Wednesdays at 8:00 until Survivor and The Amazing Race make their respective premieres. This is the first midseason announcement from the network and likely the first of several to come at today’s TCA session; given how stable Survivor and The Amazing Race are despite their advancing ages, it was a given that they would stay where they’ve been able to flourish, the former extremely competitive in its time slot and the latter coming off a season dealing with fall football overrun.

Will you be watching the upcoming seasons of Survivor or The Amazing Race? Does the Survivor theme sound interesting or do you hope it’ll fizzle out within the first few weeks of the game? Which teams would you like to see return to The Amazing Race for another shot at the prize?

The post CBS Announces Premiere Dates for Survivor and The Amazing Race appeared first on TVHackr.

“We are thrilled to announce this landmark renewal for Survivor, a groundbreaking show that changed the TV landscape and helped usher in a new era of ratings dominance for the Network,” said Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment.  “Survivor continues to set the bar for outstanding production values, compelling storytelling while delivering fresh new adventures every season.  The show’s enduring success is a testament to the creativity and passion of Mark Burnett and Jeff Probst, and an amazing production team. We’re proud to continue this incredible journey together.”

Currently in its 27th season, Survivor wins its time period in all key ratings measures, averaging 11.29 million viewers, 3.1 in adults 18-49 and 4.1 in adults 25-54. It ranks as the #2 reality series on broadcast television in adults 18-49, trailing only The Voice. The show has been on the air since 2000 when it helped kick off the age of the reality-competition series and brought CBS back to ratings prominence on Thursdays with a blockbuster first season whose finale was only outrated by the Super Bowl.

Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8:00 on CBS. The two-hour season finale is set to air Sunday, December 15th at 8:00, with a one-hour reunion special at 10:00. As CBS has yet to announce its midseason schedule and premiere dates, the 28th cycle of Survivor has yet to be announced.

Have you been enjoying Survivor this season? What type of format do you want to see from seasons 29 and 30? How long do you think the show can (and should) continue?

The post Survivor Renewed for Seasons 29 and 30 by CBS appeared first on TVHackr.

“We’re using a variety of distribution platforms – online, mobile and on-demand – to help audiences catch up with their favorite CBS shows,” said Marc DeBevoise, Executive Vice President, General Manger, Entertainment, Sports & News, CBS Interactive. “Viewers will have tremendous choice and flexibility to stay current and get ready for the launch of the new fall season on the Network later this month.”

In addition, the first four seasons of critically-acclaimed The Good Wife have been available on Hulu+ since September 1st, a noticeable departure from CBS’s reputation of being the most technologically averse broadcast network. While the likes of ABC and NBC have fully embraced Hulu, Apps, and the new direction that the television has been moving towards for years, CBS has been reticent to buck its (very) successful business model, opting to move full steam ahead with its more traditional approach to television. However, there’s been no sign that the alternative ways of viewing television are going away anytime soon, so in order to make sure it caters to its audience, and doesn’t fall further behind the other networks in adapting, they have to do events like the Catch-Up Marathon, lest they fall too far behind or see drops in live viewing.

Will you be catching up on any CBS shows from now through premiere week? Do you like that the network has embraced technology and alternative means of consuming its products? Should more networks attempt to make full seasons of their series available in time for premiere week and so the audience can either catch up or discover a new favorite?

The post CBS Puts Entire Seasons of Selected Shows Online and On-Demand appeared first on TVHackr.

Currently unscheduled are new comedies Bad Teacher and Friends with Better Lives, new drama Reckless, and Mike & Molly, which was pushed to midseason for the first time but will have 22 episodes this season.

You can check out the CBS 2013 fall schedule here, as well as trailers and previews for its new series here and here.

Wednesday, Sept. 18
8:00-9:30 PM              Survivor (27th edition premiere)

Monday, Sept. 23
8:00-9:00 PM              How I Met Your Mother (9th season premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM              2 Broke Girls (3rd season premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM            Mom (Series Debut)
10:00-11:00 PM          Hostages (Series Debut)

Tuesday, Sept. 24
8:00-9:00 PM              NCIS (11th season premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM            NCIS: Los Angeles (5th season premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM          Person Of Interest (3rd season premiere)

Wednesday, Sept. 25
9:00-10:00 PM            Criminal Minds (9th season premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM          CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (14th season premiere)

Thursday, Sept. 26
8:00-8:30 PM              The Big Bang Theory (7th season premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM              The Millers (Series Debut)
9:00-9:30 PM              The Crazy Ones (Series Debut)
9:30-10:00 PM            Two and a Half Men (11thseason premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM          Elementary (2nd season premiere)

Friday, Sept. 27
8:00-9:00 PM             Undercover Boss (5th season premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM           Hawaii Five-0 (4th season premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM          Blue Bloods (4thseason premiere)

Saturday, Sept. 28
10:00-11:00 PM           48 Hours (26th season premiere)

Sunday, Sept. 29
7:00-8:00 PM              60 Minutes (46th season premiere)
8:00-9:00 PM              The Amazing Race (23rd edition premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM            The Good Wife (5th season premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM          The Mentalist (6th season premiere)

Monday, Feb. 24
10:00-11:00 PM          Intelligence (Series Debut)

The post CBS Announces 2013-2014 Premiere Dates appeared first on TVHackr.

Or, well, three champions in total.

CBS has announced season finale dates for two of its reality franchises. The current season of The Amazing Race will be concluding on Sunday, December 9th with a two-hour event beginning at 8:00. With the final four teams in contention for the million dollars (and perhaps two million, if the team that won the first leg is still in play), it’s sure to be a barn-burner of a finish. This season has had several close calls and legs that were decided by split-second decisions, so even when you think a team might be the favorite, they can be shown the door just as easily.

Meanwhile, Survivor: Philippines will draw to a close on Sunday, December 16th. The 120-minute final episode airs from 8:30-10:30, with the reunion show beginning at 10:30.  The show just merged the two tribes and there are plenty of players left in the game that are one move away from changing the game; the only thing is when to make that move. Too early and you can still be left out of the finale, while doing something too late can leave a sour taste with the jury and ruin your chance at taking home the money. Interestingly, all three “celebrity” contestants (Penner, Jeff, and Lisa) are still in the game; might their status come into play the closer to the finale that we get? And what if one manages to get into the final three – will the jury be willing to give them the money?

The Amazing Race, which narrowed down to the final six last night, airs Sundays at 8:00, while Survivor, which has begun building its next jury, airs Wednesdays at 8:00.

Who are you rooting for on The Amazing Race and Survivor: Philippines? Do you think your favorites will manage to take home their respective titles? If not, who do you think are the current favorites for each series and will they go on to win?

The post The Amazing Race, Survivor: Philippines Get Season Finale Dates appeared first on TVHackr.