Ted Danson's sitcom "Becker" looked dead less than two months ago when it didn't show up anywhere on CBS' schedule for the fall. Its prospects improved last month, when the network gave the show a 13-episode order for midseason.

Now, it's all the way back. CBS is moving "Becker" to 9:30 p.m. ET Wednesdays in the fall, where it will be paired with "The King of Queens." New comedy "The Stones," which was initially announced for that slot, gets pushed back to midseason.

"This move is designed to further strengthen our fall schedule and to give 'The Stones,' a freshman series that we are very excited about, the best opportunity to succeed," Nancy Tellem, president of CBS Entertainment, says in a statement.

"Both of these shows provide instant name recognition" as CBS attempts to establish a new comedy block on Wednesday nights, Tellem says.

Making inroads at 9 p.m. Wednesdays will be no easy task this fall. The time period is shaping up as one of the most competitive on TV, with NBC's "The West Wing" -- still a Top 25 show despite all the ink about its decline -- and ABC's "The Bachelor" leading the way. FOX ("The Bernie Mac Show") and The WB ("Angel") also have established series in the time period.

UPN's "Jake 2.0" is now the only new series launching in the timeslot in the fall.

Moving "The Stones" to midseason will allow CBS to put more of its promotional weight behind the show, Tellem says. The series, from Jenji Kohan and "Will & Grace" creators David Kohan (Jenji's brother) and Max Mutchnick, is about two siblings (Jay Baruchel and Lindsay Sloane) who are shocked when their parents (Judith Light and Robert Klein) decide to divorce.