‘Elementary’ nabs post-Super Bowl slot

Credit: CBS

One of the most coveted once-a-year timeslots on TV (hell, it’s probably the most coveted) goes to CBS’ freshman procedural drama, Elementary.

The post-Super Bowl slot is responsible for launching Survivor: Australian Outback and Survivor: All-Stars into the stratosphere, while also providing Undercover Boss an excellent platform for succeess. This is huge for the drama, which is TV’s second most-watched new show. The Jonny Lee Miller/Lucy Liu-fronted series was recently picked up for a full season.

Personally, I find it interesting that CBS is using the timeslot to prop up one of their more successful new series, instead of using it to launch a midseason series. But CBS has seen excellent returns in their post-Super Bowl choices, particularly with regards to Criminal Minds, which saw a significant increase in overall viewership, owing to its placement in the timeslot in 2007. So it’s pretty hard to fault their logic, in the sense that this move could transform Elementary from modest success to outright hit. The show certainly has a lot to recommend itself, from some fairly fascinating cases to the effortless chemistry of Miller and Liu. The show is not without its problems (an underdeveloped ensemble, the occasionally obvious solution to the crime), but I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if the show caught on more than it does. It’s genuinely one of the more engaging new series of the fall TV season.

Full story: HitFix