CBS sets date for King-sized, 'event drama'

CBS sets date for King-sized, 'event drama'

Sonja Flemming/AP

'The Big Bang Theory,' which co-stars Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons, is one of CBS' biggest hits.

PASADENA, CALIF. - CBS will roll out Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” as a 13-part “event drama” this summer, and Entertainment President Nina Tassler said Saturday she expects it will be the icing on a very sweet season.

“Under the Dome,” the tale of a small American town suddenly sealed off by a mysterious impenetrable dome, premieres June 24. No casting has been announced.

“It’s the kind of ‘big-idea’ show we look for,” said Tassler. “In the summer, you want to make some noise.”

Other original CBS programming this summer will include “The Great British Bake-Off,” a reality show premiering May 29, and an earlier start for “Big Brother,” on June 26.

The network will also bring back the Poppy Montgomery cop drama “Unforgettable” for a second season, starting July 28.

Shorter-term, it will introduce the new drama “Golden Boy” on March 8, leading in to “Blue Bloods” and giving the network back-to-back Friday-night dramas about two different New York police commissioners.

Tassler noted this season has already been a major success for CBS, which has been No. 1 by almost every measurement.

It has the most total viewers and almost all the top broadcast comedies and dramas, with “Big Bang Theory” and “NCIS” both topping 20 million viewers a week.

She noted that while there hasn’t been a single breakout hit this season, CBS’ “Elementary” has been the most successful, while veteran shows like “Big Bang” and “Person of Interest” have had increased viewership.

Looking forward, she said the network is “very close” to wrapping up a deal for a ninth season of “How I Met Your Mother” and that she hopes “Two and a Half Men” will return for an 11th season.

That would mean bringing back Angus T. Jones, the “half” man who trashed the show this fall as a pit of immorality.

“He apologized and we’ve moved on,” Tassler said - though that doesn’t completely close the issue for the show, since stars Jon Cryer and Ashton Kutcher also aren’t signed for another season.