CBS -- AMERICA'S MOST WATCHED NETWORK -- UNVEILS 2004-2005 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FEATURING FIVE NEW SHOWS

"CSI: NY" to Air Wednesday at 10 PM

CBS to Win Current Season in Viewers by Widest Margin of Any Network in 14 Years

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- CBS, America's most watched network, will add five new series to its 2004-2005 primetime schedule, headlined by the highly anticipated CSI: NY. The new CBS lineup will include three new dramas and two comedies � shows that will strengthen an already dominant primetime schedule and continue CBS�s ratings leadership.

CBS will win the 2003-2004 season by more than two million viewers ahead of second place NBC -- the largest margin any network has held in 14 years. The network is also #1 in adults 25-54 for the first time in a non-Olympics year since 1980. CBS is also the only network to have audience growth versus last year in all major rating categories.

In addition to CSI: NY, the Network will premiere four additional series � all supported with lead-ins from established, successful shows. The new series include: dr. vegas, CLUBHOUSE, LISTEN UP and CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.

They join a lineup that is uniquely balanced with established franchises, young hits and strong CBS News magazines. CBS will return television's number one drama, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION; the #1 returning comedy, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND; television�s number one new comedy, TWO AND A HALF MEN; the top two new dramas, COLD CASE and NCIS, and the number one news magazine, 60 MINUTES.

Overall, the Network will return 16 primetime programs, including two editions of 60 MINUTES (Sunday and Wednesday) and 48 HOURS MYSTERY; 13 entertainment series (STILL STANDING, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, TWO AND A HALF MEN, CSI: MIAMI, NCIS, JUDGING AMY, THE KING OF QUEENS, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, WITHOUT A TRACE, JOAN OF ARCADIA, JAG, COLD CASE and SURVIVOR), as well as the Emmy award-winning THE AMAZING RACE and the CBS SUNDAY MOVIE.

CBS�s powerful Thursday night line-up of SURVIVOR, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION and WITHOUT A TRACE returns intact. The Network is #1 on Thursday, ahead of NBC�s Thursday lineup by an average of more than two million viewers this season.

In a newly modeled Saturday night lineup, 48 HOURS MYSTERY will lead-off at 8 PM, followed by the critically acclaimed reality series THE AMAZING RACE 6 at 9 PM. CRIMETIME SATURDAY, which will air at 10:00 PM, will feature encore broadcasts of CBS�s deep and successful roster of crime dramas including CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, CSI: MIAMI, COLD CASE, WITHOUT A TRACE and NCIS.

CBS also announced that it has ordered a new midseason series starring Jenna Elfman ("Dharma & Greg") to be executive produced by Chuck Lorre (creator, "Dharma and Greg," "Two and a Half Men").

The new dramas (all times ET/PT):

CLUBHOUSE (Tuesday, 9:00 PM) is a drama about a 16-year-old boy who becomes a man in a world of overgrown boys when he takes a job as a batboy for a professional baseball team. For the first time, Pete Young (Jeremy Sumpter) takes a risk � perhaps the only risk of his young life - when he applies for and lands his dream job as a batboy for the New York Empires. The problem is his single mom, Lynne (Mare Winningham), has no idea what he�s up to. Until now, he�s been the golden boy while his rebellious older sister, Betsy (Kirsten Storms), has always been in the doghouse. On the job, Pete becomes a part of a new family that includes Conrad Dean (Dean Cain), the team�s captain and star third baseman and one of the boy�s all-time idols who takes on the role of an older brother. Also, in the clubhouse is his boss, Lou Russo (Christopher Lloyd), a gruff but fair equipment manager who becomes a much-needed father figure; Rich (Marc Donato), a fellow batboy who just happens to be the general manager�s nephew; Carlos Tavares (John Ortiz), a rookie who believes that Pete is his good luck charm, and Jose Marquez (J.D. Pardo), the Empire�s territorial head batboy. Pete is over the moon at being a member of his favorite team, but he must still balance life at home and life in the big leagues as he faces the moral dilemmas and curve balls that life throws his way. Emmy Award-winners Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent ("And The Band Played On," "Day One"), Academy Award-winner Mel Gibson ("Braveheart") and Bruce Davey ("The Passion of the Christ"), Daniel Cerone ("Charmed") and Ken Topolsky ("Party of Five") are the executive producers for Spelling Television.

CSI: NY (Wednesday, 10:00 PM) stars Academy Award-nominee, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise ("Forrest Gump," "Truman") and Emmy Award-nominee Melina Kanakaredes ("Providence") in a crime drama, spun-off from "CSI: Miami," about forensic investigators who use high-tech science to follow the evidence and solve crimes in The Big Apple. Det. Mack "Mac" Taylor (Sinise) is a dedicated and driven crime scene investigator who believes that everything is connected and for everyone there is a story. He and his partner, Det. Stella Bonasera (Kanakaredes), a workaholic and a jack-of-all-trades, share a passion for the job. They lead a team of experts amid the gritty and kinetic city that never sleeps. Their team includes Danny Messer (Carmine Giovinazzo), a Brooklyn-born investigator with rugged good looks, an unflappable spirit and a colorful family history, and Dr. Sheldon Hawkes (Hill Harper), a reclusive coroner who walked away from a promising surgical career after the traumatic loss of two patients. Rounding out the team is Aiden Burn (Vanessa Ferlito), a smart and sexy investigator whose chameleon-like behavior allows her to adapt to any situation at any time. Inspired by the #1 drama series, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the New York CSIs may have a different process than those in Vegas or Miami, but they are guided by the same steadfast determination. These skilled investigators, who see New York City in a whole different light, follow the evidence as they piece together clues and eliminate doubt to ultimately crack their cases. Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"), Anthony E. Zuiker ("CSI"), Carol Mendelsohn ("CSI"), Ann Donahue ("CSI"), Danny Cannon ("CSI") and Andrew Lipsitz ("CSI") are the executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Productions in association with Alliance Atlantis Communications.

dr. vegas (Friday, 10:00 PM) stars Emmy Award-nominee Rob Lowe ("The West Wing") and Emmy Award-winner Joe Pantoliano ("The Sopranos") in a drama about an unconventional physician who takes a gamble when he leaves behind the world of emergency medicine to become the in-house doctor at a high-end casino in Las Vegas. From his penthouse office suite, Dr. Billy Grant (Lowe) attends to the round-the-clock medical needs of guests, employees and their families amid the lures of Sin City. The doctor�s always in when it comes to catering to the often frivolous medical requests of his good friend and boss, Tommy Canterna (Pantoliano), the hotel�s general manager. Tommy�s priority is the well-being of his high rollers and the casino�s bottomline, while Billy�s committed to upholding the Hippocratic Oath, often putting them at odds. Assisting Billy is his former ER colleague, Alice Doherty (Amy Adams), who serves as his trusted nurse practitioner but who spends most of her time watching his back. The frenetic pace continues on the casino floor where the action never stops. Always on hand is beautiful blackjack dealer, Veronica Harold (Sarah Lancaster), who attends classes during the day and works nights to help support her father. Whether it�s a celebrity headliner who takes a header from the stage, an employee hurt on the job or a desperate guest whose luck has run out at the tables, it�s a safe bet that Dr. Grant will see his share of unique medical cases. But, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and for Billy, it�s all in a day�s work on the Strip. Jack Orman ("ER"), Lawrence Bender ("Pulp Fiction"), Kevin Brown ("The Survivor�s Club") and Mark Sennett ("Martin and Lewis") serve as executive producers for CBS Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Production, Inc.

The new comedies (all times ET/PT):

LISTEN UP (Monday, 8:30 PM) stars Jason Alexander ("Seinfeld") in a comedy about a well-regarded sports talk show host and columnist who struggles to get the respect and admiration from his family that he gets from his fans. Based on the writings of real-life sports commentator and columnist Tony Kornheiser, Tony Clineman (Alexander) is an irreverent sports show host who banters about all things sports with his witty sidekick, Bernie Widmer (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), a former football player turned sports show host, on their television talk show, "Shut Up and Listen." Tony has also begun writing a humorous syndicated newspaper column that includes commentary on his family who are less than thrilled to have their trials and tribulations made public. Tony's wife, Dorothy, works as a fundraiser. While not a sports fan, she is always supportive of her paranoid and obsessive-but-loving husband. Lauren (Daniella Monet) is the Clineman�s know-it-all, soccer-playing 14-year-old daughter. Mickey (Will Rothhaar) is their 15-year-old golf prodigy son. While Tony�s inability to self-edit before broadcasting his thoughts is what makes him most endearing to his fans, it keeps his friends and family on their toes as everything could be fodder for his column. Jeff Martin ("The Simpsons") and Lindy DeKoven are the executive producers for Regency Television in association with CBS Productions.

CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE (Wednesday, 9:30 PM) stars Emmy Award-nominee John Goodman ("Roseanne") in a comedy about a family man who, by default, is the go-to guy for his eccentric extended clan. John (Goodman) and Kate (Emmy Award-winner Jean Smart, "Frasier") Barnett are still very much in love after 20 years of marriage and are looking forward to the next 20. Only one thing interrupts their bliss: John�s family. His sex-obsessed father, Art (Emmy Award-winner Ed Asner, "Lou Grant"), and his loopy mother, Marge (Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis, "Moonstruck"), have a penchant for coming over unannounced, ready to stir the pot. As the owner of a security company, John just hired his gleefully oblivious brother, Tommy (Diedrich Bader), who is having trouble wrapping his mind around the concept of "office hours." John�s sister, Lily (Melinda McGraw), is a therapist who is her own best patient. If that�s not enough, their 12-year-old son, Miles (Spencer Breslin), has the makings of a perfectly nutty third generation Barnett. As the family patriarch, John fights an uphill battle with Kate�s help to keep the peace while his oddball family spins around him. Mitch Katlin & Nat Bernstein ("The Gregory Hines Show"), and Eric Tannenbaum & Kim Tannenbaum ("Two and a Half Men") are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television Production, Inc. in association with CBS Productions.

Following is the 2004-2005 CBS Television Network primetime schedule:

CBS TELEVISION NETWORK 2004-2005 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(N=New; NT=New Time; all times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-8.30 PM STILL STANDING (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM LISTEN UP (N)
9:00-9:30 PM EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND
9:30-10.00 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
10:00-11:00PM CSI: MIAMI

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM CLUBHOUSE (N)
10:00-11:00 PM JUDGING AMY

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM 60 MINUTES
9:00-9:30 PM THE KING OF QUEENS
9:30-10:00 PM CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE (N)
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY (N)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR: VANUATU
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM JOAN OF ARCADIA
9:00-10:00 PM JAG
10:00-11:00 PM dr. vegas (N)

SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERIES
9:00-10:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE (NT)
10:00-11:00PM CRIME TIME SATURDAY

SUNDAY
7:00- 8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00- 9:00 PM COLD CASE
9:00-11:00 PM CBS SUNDAY MOVIE