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CBS Moves 'Cupid' to New Night

Saturday, July 26, 2003

12:00 PM PT

The CBS dating show "Cupid" is entering the phase where viewers get to choose a man for its star, Lisa Shannon, and the network apparently wants more people to be able to make that choice.

The show will move from its current home at 10 p.m. ET Wednesdays to 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays beginning Aug. 5. Last week's show will be repeated this Tuesday (July 29), and an original episode will air the following night (July 30) before the show moves permanently to Tuesdays.

"Cupid's" move will take repeats of "The Guardian" off CBS' scheduled for the rest of the summer. The legal drama will return to its regular Tuesday-night home in the fall. Editions of "48 Hours Investigates" will fill the 10 p.m. Wednesday spot for the summer.

In its first three Wednesday airings, "Cupid" has averaged about 7.6 million viewers, well behind the 13 million or so that "Law & Order" repeats have been drawing for NBC at the same time. The show has done well among younger viewers, though, ranking in the top 10 among adults 18-49 and first among adults 18-34 among original summer programs.

"Cupid," created by "American Idol's" Simon Cowell, had men from across the country audition for Shannon, a 25-year-old copywriter from Detroit, and two of her close friends. They have narrowed the potential suitors to 10 finalists, and viewers will get to choose one guy to send home each week for the remainder of the series.

If Shannon and the final remaining suitor marry and stay together for a year, they'll receive a $1 million dowry.