CBS axes 7 shows to make room for fall newcomers
<p>In this TV publicity image released by CBS, Jim Belushi, left, and Jerry O'Connell are shown in a scene from "The Defenders," about two Las Vegas defense attorneys. (AP Photo/CBS, Robert Voets)</p>
CBS is giving seven of its old shows the heave-ho to make room for new fall fare with a shake-'em-up schedule for the 2010-11 season.
On Wednesday, the network said it would be introducing five new series - three dramas and two comedies - with stars like William Shatner and Tom Selleck on the roster.
New dramas include "Blue Bloods," with Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg playing members of a multigenerational family of New York cops, and the comedy-tinged "The Defenders," starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as two colorful Las Vegas attorneys.
CBS has also scheduled a modern revival of the 1970s cop drama "Hawaii Five-O" with Daniel Dae Kim, fresh from the Hawaii-based "Lost," in the cast. Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan also star.
A new romantic comedy, "Mike & Molly," highlights a working-class couple who meet through Overeaters Anonymous. Starring Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy, the series comes from red-hot producer Chuck Lorre ("The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men").
Finally, Shatner stars in his first sitcom whose title alone is sure to be noticed. Called something akin to "(Bleep) ... My Dad Says," it focuses on Shatner's character as an opinionated dad whose rants find their way into the public sphere when his son posts them on a Twitter account read by millions.
An additional series was announced by CBS for midseason: an as-yet-untitled spinoff of the hit drama "Criminal Minds," starring Academy Award-winning Forest Whitaker.
Clearing the way for CBS' new entries are canceled series "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "Ghost Whisperer," "Cold Case," "Miami Medical," "Numb3rs," "Gary Unmarried" and "Accidentally on Purpose."