Crimetime After Primetime
Crimetime After Primetime is the umbrella title for a group of late-night crime-investigation shows that debuted at various times on CBS during 1991 and 1992, running through late summer of 1993. The line-up was originally supposed to debut in January 1991, but was delayed several weeks due to the beginning of the Gulf War.
History
Prior to 1989, CBS aired the similarly formatted CBS Late Night. The block was canceled to make way for The Pat Sajak Show, a conventional late-night talk show. After the shortening, and eventual failure, of The Pat Sajak Show, a revamped CBS Late Night block debuted, airing a variety of news, talk shows, reruns and adult game shows.
In March 1991, after a two-month hiatus due to Gulf War coverage, CBS retooled their late night by airing original series under a new umbrella title of Crimetime After Primetime.
Much like CBS Late Night did in the late 1980s, Crimetime After Primetime relied heavily on dramas that were imported from Canada, giving the programs (most of which were produced to meet Canadian content quotas) an additional revenue stream. CBS also invested in producing some original series for the block.
The block was dropped when CBS began broadcasting Late Show with David Letterman.
General lineup
The shows in the series followed this general lineup:
- late Monday nights/early Tuesday mornings: Tropical Heat a.k.a. Sweating Bullets,[1] and Urban Angel.
- late Tuesday nights/early Wednesday mornings: Forever Knight and The Exile[2]
- late Wednesday nights/early Thursday mornings: Scene of the Crime replaced by Dangerous Curves[3]
- late Thursday nights/early Friday mornings: Fly by Night [4] replaced by Silk Stalkings (continued with original shows on USA Network after CBS cancelled)
- late Friday nights/early Saturday mornings: Dark Justice (TNT had reruns)
See also
- List of late night network TV programs