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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Reality shows, cable series in January plans during strike

Mark Dawidziak Newhouse News Service

Needing to improvise because of the writers strike, the broadcast networks are revising and reworking their January plans.

They are bringing in more reality shows. They are lifting series from cable channels. They are calling in midseason replacements, which have episodes written and produced before the strike began, earlier than expected.

Fox already has announced wholesale changes, including an indefinite postponement for the seventh season of “24.”

NBC is bolstering its Wednesday lineup with “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” being recalled from the NBC-owned USA Network to air at 9 p.m., followed by the 18th season of “Law & Order” at 10 p.m.

“Law & Order,” which aired on Fridays last season and was supposed to air on Sundays starting in January, will return with a two-hour premiere on Jan. 2 at 9 p.m.

Prime-time TV’s longest-running drama then moves into its regular 10 p.m. time slot on Jan. 9, preceded by the return of “Criminal Intent.”

NBC also announced the fourth-season premiere of “Medium” – which will be Jan. 7 at 10 p.m. – and the addition of the reality series “The Baby Borrowers” starting 8 p.m. Feb. 18.

The midseason replacement dramedy “Lipstick Jungle” will get the network’s 10 p.m. Thursday spot starting Feb. 7.

CBS, meanwhile, announced a revamped lineup for January. It includes another round of episodes for “Power of 10,” the prime-time game show starring “The Price Is Right” host Drew Carey, returning at 8 p.m. on Jan. 2.

“The Captain,” a CBS midseason replacement comedy about a group of people living in a fabled Hollywood apartment building – including Jeffrey Tambor and Raquel Welch – premieres at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 28.

Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns with “The New Adventures of Old Christine” at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 28, and the 16th edition of “Survivor” begins at 8 p.m. Feb. 7.

Never before aired in the winter, the summer reality veteran “Big Brother” will get three weekly time slots: 9 p.m. Tuesday starting Feb. 12; 8 p.m. Wednesday starting Feb. 13; and 8 p.m. Sunday starting Feb. 17.

“Jericho” begins its much-anticipated second season on Feb. 12 at 10 p.m., with “48 Hours Mystery” warming up the time period Jan. 22 and 29.

A six-hour miniseries, “Comanche Moon,” will take care of three 9-11 p.m. prime-time blocks for CBS on Jan. 13, 15 and 16.

The CBS game show “Do You Trust Me” has completed production, but a premiere date has not been set.

Even with all of these changes, the network will need to air repeats for many of its dramas and comedies, including, “CSI,” “CSI: Miami,” “CSI: NY,” “Without a Trace,” “Cold Case,” “Shark,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “Moonlight,” “Numb3rs,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “Two and a Half Men.”