CBS Trims JonBenét Ramsey Series, Moves Up & Expands ‘NCIS: LA’ Premiere

CBS is tweaking its premiere week schedule, trimming the unscripted true-crime limited series The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey, which revisits the JonBenét Ramsey murder on its 20th anniversary, from six to four hours. The mini will now be a two-night event, airing on Sunday and Monday, September 18-19. On Sunday, September 25, when the conclusion of JonBenét Ramsey was slated to air, CBS is slotting a two-hour season premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles from 8:30-10:30 PM.

NCIS: LA is opening its new season with a two-part episode, so the network brass found running that as a two-hour premiere following an NFL doubleheader a good way to launch the crime drama on its new night. Starting the following Sunday, NCIS: LA will air in its new regular Sunday 8 PM slot.

Meanwhile, after seeing a cut of The Case Of: JonBenét Ramsey, a decision was made that the limited series would benefit from tightening the action into four hours. The new format avoids a six-day gap between Part 2 and Part 3. Additionally, the CBS series was the first JonBenét Ramsey project announced for this fall. It is now one of five or six such specials, so the bar to stand out has risen, putting more pressure on making the content as compelling as possible.

Here is CBS’ revised schedule for Sunday, September 25:

7-7:30 PM, ET/CT NFL FOOTBALL

7:30-8:30 PM, ET/CT 60 MINUTES (Season Premiere)
7-8 PM, PT

8:30-10:30 PM, ET/CT NCIS: LOS ANGELES (Two-Hour Season Premiere)
8-10 PM, PT

10:30-11:30 PM, ET/CT Drama (Rebroadcast-TBD)
10-11 PM, PT

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