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CBS to add 5 series in fall; Tea Leoni in drama

By WTOP Staff

NEW YORK (AP) — Tea Leoni will portray the U.S. secretary of state in a new CBS drama this fall, the long-running comedy “Two and Half Men” will enter its final season and television’s top-rated network will introduce a new generation of crime procedurals.

CBS said Wednesday it has ordered eight new series for next season, five of them premiering in the fall, with a New Orleans-based spinoff of TV’s most popular series, “NCIS,” among them.

As it has been for 11 of the past 12 years, CBS will end the season as television’s top network. Viewership was down this season, however, and CBS is doubling down on what its viewers find familiar: five of the six new dramas will be about fighting crime.

The exception is “Madam Secretary,” on which Leoni will star as a former college professor turned secretary of state. It will be paired on CBS’ Sunday night schedule with the network’s most critically acclaimed drama, “The Good Wife.”

“Two and a Half Men,” which began airing in 2003, will have its farewell season. The series has survived despite losing one and a half of the men, Charlie Sheen and youthful actor Angus T. Jones, in noisy fashion. Creator Chuck Lorre promises plenty of surprises for the final season, but top CBS entertainment executive Nina Tassler said she doesn’t know whether bringing Sheen’s character back from the dead will be one of them.

“NCIS: New Orleans,” which will star Scott Bakula, gets the prized time slot of Tuesday following “NCIS.” The already established spinoff, “NCIS: Los Angeles,” will move to Monday nights.

“Late Show” host David Letterman, who plans to retire next year, appeared to a standing ovation Wednesday afternoon at CBS’ annual schedule presentation to advertisers. Standing next to CBS Corp. Chairman Leslie Moonves, he recalled a two-day, phone-slamming battle they had years ago.

“We’ve since made up,” said Letterman, who saluted Moonves as “nothing but supportive.”

For the first time in more than 25 years, CBS’ Monday schedule will not include four comedies. The 9 p.m. Monday time slot, long the home to CBS’ most high-profile comedies, will instead be filled by “Scorpion,” about eccentric geniuses fighting crime. While a drama, “Scorpion” has its funny moments, Tassler said.

CBS will air NFL football games on Thursday nights through late October, meaning its regular Thursday evening of entertainment shows won’t premiere until Oct. 30. The network will temporarily move “The Big Bang Theory” to Mondays until the Thursday football games stop.

CBS is canceling “The Crazy Ones,” starring Robin Williams, after one season. The two highest-profile new comedies of last season, starring Williams and Michael J. Fox on NBC, proved to be failures. CBS also ended “Bad Teacher,” ”Intelligence,” ”Hostages” and “Friends With Better Lives.”

Somewhat surprisingly, CBS rejected “How I Met Your Dad,” the planned spinoff to “How I Met Your Mother” featuring Meg Ryan as a narrator. Tassler said CBS had creative problems with the pilot and wanted producers to redo it but they would not.

The network stressed its plans to stay open for business all year, bringing fresh programming on the air constantly. To that end, “The Mentalist,” ”Mike & Molly” and “Undercover Boss” will return next season; it’s just not certain when. New series starring Matthew Perry, Josh Duhamel and Patricia Arquette were ordered but won’t appear in the fall.

Other new series planned by CBS:

— “Stalker,” starring Dylan McDermott as a detective investigating stalking incidents.

— “The McCarthys,” a comedy about a sports-crazed Boston family.

— “Battle Creek,” with Duhamel and Dean Winters as a mismatched law enforcement team in Michigan.

— “CSI: Cyber,” a high-tech spinoff of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” starring Arquette.

— “The Odd Couple,” a comedy remake with Perry as the slob and Thomas Lennon as his neat-freak friend.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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