(Image via EW)
CBS is receiving criticism for its new fall lineup featuring six new shows — all starring men.
According to Entertainment Weekly, a reporter at the CBS press breakfast on Wednesday asked CEO Les Moonves “if having no new shows with female leads is really a good idea.”
“We saw this with you guys last year,” the reporter said, referring to its 2016 fall lineup, again featuring all male leads. “Are you concerned, particularly in a medium like television where women watch more than men, that you have such a male-centered [lineup]?”
“Well, number one, more women watch CBS, percentage-wise, than any other network, so our shows have a lot of female appeal,” Moonves replied. “I don’t think we’ve ever had to apologize for having Madam Secretary and Lucy Liu [on Elementary], and The Good Fight, and The Good Wife. We do a number of pilots, a lot of them have women in starring roles. There are a lot of women on the schedule. The best pilots win at the end of the day. And we think our track record is okay.”
“We’re at this point in the industry — FX, for example, is trying to make sure half its directors are female. It seems like you guys might be facing in the wrong direction?” the reporter pressed.
“I don’t think that’s the case,” said Moonves. “Let me put on my CEO hat for a second because I’m not the president of entertainment. When I look at the totality of what CBS is, I look at news, I look at daytime, I look at sports, I look at Showtime, I look at The CW. And when you look at the totality of that, I think we’re fine in terms of the amount of women who are behind the camera and in front of the camera. I think we’re doing a very good job. I don’t think we’re looking in the wrong direction, on the contrary.”
The CBS fall schedule features six new shows, all of them starring men. The shows are as follows: SEAL Team starring David Boreanaz, S.W.A.T. starring Shemar Moore, Young Sheldon starring Iain Armitage, 9JKL starring Mark Feuerstein, Me Myself & I starring Bobby Moynihan, and Wisdom of the Crowd starring Jeremy Piven.
Popular shows with female leads like Elementary and Code Black are on hold for midseason. Other shows that continue to air in the fall are Mom and Madam Secretary, both starring women.
Do you think CBS is "facing in the wrong direction" for its 2017 fall lineup starring all men? Or do you agree with CBS CEO Moonves that “the best pilots win at the end of the day”? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
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