CBS wants to make more shows for other networks

Hollywood studio CBS is looking to ramp up the number of shows it produces for rival networks as space becomes more limited on its network’s schedule.

CBS has renewed 18 series this season and has a number of high-profile pilots in contention for later this month including Jerry Bruckheimer’s Trooper, Sherlock Holmes reboot Elementary and Widow Detective from CSI producer Carol Mendelsohn.

CBS president and chief executive Les Moonves, speaking after the company’s latest financial quarter, said that it would look to produce more series such as Common Law, a buddy cop series that airs on USA Network.

“We, right now, are producing one show for USA. We have another pilot right now in the works for Turner. And CBS also has a pilot for Showtime, which is internal. So with the pipeline into CBS and into CW, we are now expanding, and we are looking to [produce for other networks]. We’re in pretty good shape, and we do have the capacity to do that,” he said.

Moonves added that the CBS network will concentrate on drama series this year over comedies.

“We have twice as many dramas on our schedule right now as comedies,” he said. “In addition, very few of the comedies, if they score, they score big. All dramas pretty much score big internationally. So that’s a better marketplace. We are primarily a drama place and that’s worked out just fine for us.”