Les Moonves Says ‘CSI: Cyber’ Feels Relevant in Wake of Sony Hack Attack
CBS CEO looks forward to finally owning “Late Show,” suggests NFL could be added to on demand–streaming subscription service CBS All Access
Tony Maglio | December 9, 2014 @ 3:13 PM
Last Updated: December 9, 2014 @ 3:28 PM
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Touting the network’s success in drama franchises, CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves predicted Tuesday “CSI: Cyber” will resonate with audiences and said the “CSI” spin-off will feel very current, particularly given the recent Sony hack.
“If we see what’s happening in the world … with Sony, and Home Depot, and all these other companies, it’s a pretty relevant subject matter,” Moonves said at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. “It happens to be a very good show. Can we get another ‘CSI’ hit? That would be nice. We got another ‘NCIS’ hit. Once again, remember, each one of those shows have turned into billion-dollar profit-makers. So, it’s nice to know that. It’s nice to look at the future that way.”
The new series will debut Wednesday, March 4 at 10 p.m. and stars Patricia Arquette as the head of the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI.
Moonves also spoke glowingly about the upcoming changes in CBS late-night, as Stephen Colbert takes over for David Letterman on “Late Show,” and James Corden pulls up to Craig Ferguson‘s “The Late Late Show” desk. Not only is Colbert a much-needed viral hit, the departure of Letterman and his Worldwide Pants production company means that CBS will own the new versions of both evening talkers, something Moonves called “fairy significant.”
In the appearance, Moonves reflected on the accomplishments of most-watched broadcast network and its affiliates, including the launch of two new products that he considers to be “major” additions to its portfolio: digital subscription video-on-demand and live-streaming service CBS All Access and digital streaming news network CBSN.
“Considering they’re in their elementary stages, they’re both working remarkably well and the growth is obviously there,” Moonves said and noted that the service’s current $5.99/month price tag could change if NFL football became part of the package.
The CBS chief said All Access is ahead of internal subscriber projections and joked that he’ll reveal those exact numbers when Netflix makes public how many people watch “House of Cards.”
After praising Netflix’s programming, Moonves said: “I don’t look at it as a disrupter — 20 million people are still watching ‘NCIS’ on a Tuesday night.”
Moonves is looking forward to a potential Showtime over-the-top option next year, but didn’t disclose when or any other details.
In his discussion of broadcast programming, Moonves noted the increased value of dramas over comedies in the current state of television. Despite the fact that sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” is one of CBS’s biggest hits, Moonves pointed toward his fall schedule as evidence. The exec boasted that all four of his new dramas are working, but admitted new comedy “The McCarthys” is doing “so-so.”
In terms of ratings, Moonves predicted that by May’s upfront, C7 numbers will be “the new currency”; that said, he specified that 77 percent of his audience watches shows in their original time slot.
On Nielsen being a slow to adapt to a changing marketplace, Moonves joked: “We’re winning the game, so we’re not going to challenge the referee.”
11 Hollywood Hacker Movies: From an Angelina Jolie Stinker to a Potential Oscar Winner (Video)
"Hackers" (1995): It's only on the top of the list because of the name, since this cyberpunk adventure starring Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller and Matthew Lillard didn't exactly impress critics. It was, however, on the forefront of predicting a cyber crime wave that has finally hit Hollywood.
"The Net" (1995): The trailer tells viewers that "computer analyst Angela Bennett was just doing her job when she stumbled onto something she never should have seen." The same could be said about future Oscar winner Sandra Bullock, who was just doing her job by leading the cast of this terrible science fiction movie nobody should have seen. Still, people around the globe paid $110 million to see it in theaters.
"Antitrust" (2001): This Silicon Valley techno thriller earned "Cruel Intentions" star Ryan Phillippe his first million-dollar paycheck, which ended up being 1/18 of what the entire movie made in theaters. The critically panned MGM release followed a gifted computer programmer being given a dream job by a Bill Gates-like genius who will do whatever it takes to make sure his computer firm remains the most powerful in the world.
"Live Free or Die Hard" (2007): This worthy addition to the beloved Bruce Willis action franchise revolved around John McClane joining forces with a young hacker (Justin Long) to stop a cyber terrorist (Timothy Olyphant) from crippling Washington D.C. with his keyboard. Fortunately for America, the world's toughest cop was too old at that point to understand technology, so his fists won out in the end.
"The Matrix" (1999): Keanu Reeves' character in this sci-fi classic was a computer hacker before he was "the One," and the Wachowski siblings went ahead and ruined the franchise by completing the trilogy that never lived up to fans' expectations. But hey, remember the first time Neo dodged all those bullets in slow motion? Yeah. That was awesome.
"WarGames" (1983): Matthew Broderick proved in this Cold War thriller that hacking into your school's computer system to change your grades is a gateway activity that could lead to accidentally starting global thermal nuclear warfare. In his defense, this movie makes playing global nuclear warfare from your desktop computer look really fun.
"Swordfish" (2001): Long story short, Hugh Jackman plays a hacker hired by John Travolta to help him steal millions of dollars to pay Berry to show her breasts, or something like that.
"Firewall" (2006): Cyber criminals force Harrison Ford into robbing his own bank when they break into his home and hold his family hostage. It wasn't very good, but at that point in Ford's career, just about anything could have been considered a step up from "Hollywood Homicide."
"Blackhat" (2015): This movie hasn't hit theaters yet, but since the majority of movies about hackers aren't memorable for being good, here's to hoping director Michael Mann's will be. Chris Hemsworth stars as the sexiest hacker alive who is released from prison to help law enforcement catch a cyber criminal threatening to take down international financial markets.
"We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists" (2012): We've all read about Anonymous at some point or another -- the hackers united under a Guy Fawkes mask and a mission for truth -- and this documentary charts the organizations rise and evolution, while even unmasking a few members.
"The Internet's Own Boy" (2014): This documentary about hacker and Reddit co-founder Aaron Swartz just landed on the short list of films competing in the Oscar race for Best Documentary Feature, and for good reason. It explores the computer prodigy's relationship with technology, and how its affecting our civil liberties.
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Sony is reeling from being hacked, but Hollywood has been producing stories around cyber crime for years. Here are 11 of the most memorable.
"Hackers" (1995): It's only on the top of the list because of the name, since this cyberpunk adventure starring Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller and Matthew Lillard didn't exactly impress critics. It was, however, on the forefront of predicting a cyber crime wave that has finally hit Hollywood.
