We’re boring. That was the front-and-center message of CBS’ upfront pitch to advertisers, not just covertly but overtly: CBS Corporation chief Les Moonves actually used the term. “We’re not sexy,” he added to the advertisers assembled at Carnegie Hall Wednesday afternoon. But you could argue that’s a strong sales pitch in these economic times. [...]

Every year, CBS introduces its schedule to reporters at a bacon-laden breakfast at their headquarters. Usually, you can count on the network’s chief, Les Moonves, to take  entertaining potshots at the competition, especially NBC’s Jeff Zucker. This year, however, he disappointingly chose not to snark at NBC’s move to put Jay Leno on the air [...]

Rufus Sewell blinds bad guys with science in Eleventh Hour. / Monty Brinton/CBS At Carnegie Hall yesterday, CBS screened trailers from five new fall shows and one midseason pickup. After a brief period of experimentation (Jericho, Viva Laughlin), the network went back to its tradition of crime procedurals and domestic sitcoms. And I went back [...]

Leave it to CBS to maintain some sort of tradition in this strike-and-ratings-collapse-disrupted upfront. For years the network has had a ritual of revealing its schedule to reporters over a buffet breakfast at its Midtown headquarters. Even though the Eye is—in this year’s trendy spirit of austerity—canceling its Tavern on the Green after-party, it kept [...]