CBS has finally set a premiere date and time period for the anticipated new drama “Battle Creek,” from Vince Gilligan and David Shore, though it's a time period that was previously set aside for the now-on-the-move “CSI: Cyber.”
The network announced on Friday (December 5) morning that “Battle Creek” is going to take the Sunday 10 p.m. slot beginning on March 1. “Battle Creek,” which stars Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters was created by Gilligan, but has been entirely run by Shore (“House”) with the “Breaking Bad” mastermind off co-showrunning “Better Call Saul.”
The Sunday 10 p.m. time period is tough for a quality drama due to the regular presence of cable shows — Gilligan spent a little time drawing big ratings there on AMC — but it's also a time period that at least gives “Battle Creek” another “quality drama” as a lead-in, in “The Good Wife,” rather than using a more traditional CBS procedural as a lead-in for what appears to be a quirky character-based series.
It's also a time period that had been slated for “CSI: Cyber” back in May. However, “CSI: Cyber” is now shifting to Wednesdays at 10 p.m. after “Criminal Minds” beginning on March 4. CBS notes that “Stalker” “will return to the schedule later this season.”
“CSI: Cyber” stars Patricia Arquette, who is expected to be an Oscar contender for “Boyhood” and, in a perfect world for CBS, would be in the spotlight at the Academy Awards ceremony on February 22. The wildly eclectic “CSI: Cyber” cast also includes James Van Der Beek, Peter MacNicol and somebody CBS is calling Shad Moss, but who you probably know as Bow Wow.