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 The network is picking up four new dramas and two comedies for next TV season, which will be announced as part of its schedule presentation to advertisers on Wednesday, according to a Hollywood executive who is familiar with CBS' planning and spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the announcement.
Half of the series are based on ideas that have been successful overseas.
The romantic comedy "The Ex List," based on a show from Israel, is about a woman who contacts all of her former boyfriends after a prophet tells her she has already met the man she's going to marry.
Another new series, "The Mentalist," is about a former "celebrity psychic" who admits the psychic claim was a fraud but now uses his observational skills to work as a contractor with law enforcement. Simon Baker, formerly of "The Guardian," stars in the new show.
The drama "Eleventh Hour" comes from Jerry Bruckheimer, the prolific producer behind the "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" franchise, "Cold Case" and "Without a Trace," all current CBS hits.
"Eleventh Hour," based on a British miniseries, focuses on a science professor who advises a government agency, helping to track down evildoers.
The fourth one-hour show set to land on CBS (part of CBS Corp.) is "Harper's Island," a murder mystery set among old friends who meet for a wedding on an island off Seattle.
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 One of the two comedies, "Worst Week of My Life," is also based on a British series and was originally developed by Fox, which took a pass. CBS decided to go ahead with the show based upon a young couple's frantic week before their wedding.
The second comedy doesn't have a title and features comic Ed Yeager. The premise is a recently divorced man coping with his new life.
CBS hasn't said which of these shows will be on the air in the fall, and which will be held back for sometime later.
Hollywood's 100-day writers strike put a crimp in development for the new season, causing networks to look more closely at ideas that originated elsewhere.
[Associated
Press; By DAVID BAUDER]
Copyright 2008 The Associated
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