By:  Valerie Milano

Nina Tassler

The Television Critics Association began the summer press tour this week and CBS executive Nina Tassler began the day discussing the current year, “On the series side, it was one of the best freshman classes in years. And I think the Emmy nominations for “Glee,” “Modern Family,” “Undercover Boss,” and “The Good Wife” were really a great exclamation point for a terrific season. And throughout the media universe, what’s really quite interesting, is that all the network shows, they continue to be programming engines for all the other platforms: cable, international, online, mobile. And what’s really interesting, it was a terrific year for us, but we’re restless and motivated, and, as I like to say, paranoid. And as we turn the page to a new season, we’re continuing to mix up all different resources for what inspires our hit shows.”

Several CBS staples are changing time days and slots, “The Big Bang Theory” is moving to Thursdays and Tassler explained, “The show is certainly enjoying an extraordinary amount of support and love. This was a great opportunity for us to really move it into a strategic place, let it open the night, and it earned its way there. We don’t expect it to do the numbers that it’s done on Monday just yet, but I think the show has distinguished itself in a way, I think that we haven’t seen a comedy like this in awhile, and it’s really exciting to be a part of it.” The CSI’s are moving as well. To that she said, “You know, I think going into this season, we had very strong development. We really wanted to get a number of those new dramas on the air and both “Miami” and “New York” are still strong players for us. So we said, “Look, we can use them to improve the time periods they’re going into, as well as support new shows that they’re launching side by side with.”

CBS will be launching a few new programs from various sources, including “$#*! My Dad Said” from a Twitter feed, a remake of “Hawaii Five-O”,  “The Defenders” which was initially a reality series but developed into a scripted drama and a daytime talk show hosted by Sara Gilbert. Other changes from the staid network (and after receiving poor ratings from GLAAD) they will be addressing the gay and lesbian visibility, “we’re adding a few characters to this season because we’re very disappointed in our track record so far. We know, and we will do better.  You’re going to meet Alicia’s brother in “The Good Wife,” a gay character. We’re also going to be adding a new character to “Rules of Engagement.” Jeff and Audrey’s surrogate will be a member of Jeff’s softball team, and she’s a lesbian. We’re also going to be recurring a character in “$#*! My Dad Says,” the character Tim Bagley played. He will be returning this season. So once you come out of your pilot development season disappointed with yourself, you go into the current series season saying, “Look, let’s look for every opportunity we can to improve the numbers we have represented in the casts.” So we’re going to do that, and then we’ll continue to focus on it as we go into the development season. “