"Crime pays," was today's gleeful refrain from CBS chief Les Moonves.

The network placed first in total viewers this year based, in part, on the strength of its crime-solving dramas, including Nielsen topper CSI and successful freshman entries CSI: Miami and Without a Trace.

Given the series' success, CBS Chairman Moonves announced, at the network's annual schedule-revealing upfront presentation at Carnegie Hall in New York, that three of the network's seven new shows are whodunits, including JAG spinoff Navy CIS, Jerry Bruckheimer's Cold Case, and FBI-based The Handler. Also on the Eye's 2003-04 slate, two dramas and two comedies.

Across the board CBS is taking no chances, tapping veteran TV types to develop their new series, including a dysfunctional family sitcom from the creators of Will & Grace titled The Stones, a small-town drama from David E. Kelley named The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H. and an ethereal offering from Judging Amy executive producer Barbara Hall titled Joan of Arcadia.

Staffing these shows are a roster of familiar faces including Charlie Sheen, Randy Quaid, and Mary Steenburgen. In fact, CBS seems to have plucked their talent from TV land's recently axed or whacked list. There's Blythe Danner fresh off failed series Presidio Med and Joe Mantegna from the ill-fated First Monday and recent small-screen murder victims Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos) and Mark Harmon (West Wing).

Two actors who won't be standing in line for unemployment next year are David Morse and Andre Braugher, stars of the sophomore series Hack, which received an eleventh-hour pardon from network programming execs. Hack will fill the Saturday night slot vacated by recently nixed series The Agency.

Other on-the-bubble shows that won't be coming back next season include the Ted Danson vehicle Becker and My Big Fat Greek Life. The TV adaptation of Nia Vardalos' 2002 sleeper hit movie didn't have a long honeymoon on the small screen. Around 22.9 million curious tuned in when it debuted during February sweeps, but the series finished the season averaging a disappointing 12.1 million viewers.

Meanwhile, CBS has shuffled its Monday night man-heavy lineup to include a new hairy-chest series. Still anchoring the evening's comedies is the Ray Romano laffer Everbody Loves Raymond. CBS recently upped the comedian's salary to an estimated $2 million per episode next season, hoping to convince the funnyman to strick around for at least two more years. Not so fortunate was The King of Queens, which has been moved to Wednesday nights to make room for the Sheen vehicle Two and a Half Men.

Again, reality offerings were frowned upon with the exception of Survivor, returning for its seventh installment next season. While the recent Survivor: The Amazon finale drew only 22.5 million viewers, the lowest closing numbers in the adventure series' history, it still warranted renewal after placing ninth overall in Nielsen ratings. Buzz is also growing over Survivor's tournament of champions edition announced for early 2004. Among the alums competing for the $2 million jackpot: Jerri Manthey, Richard Hatch, Susan Hawk, Tina Wesson, Ethan Zohn and Rudy Boesch.

A brief rundown of the new series:

Two and a Half Men: Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer and Blythe Danner star in this family laffer about a rich Malibu bachelor (Sheen) whose lifestyle is seriously cramped by the arrival of his younger brother (Cryer) and his 10-year-old nephew. Danner serves as the tie that binds: the men's socialite mother and a source of mutual dislike. Navy CIS (Criminal Investigative Service): This is part of a CBS trend in cloning successful shows. The JAG spinoff stars Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly and David McCallum as naval agents assigned to investigate crimes connected to the Marine Corps. The Stones: Veteran TV faces Judith Light and Robert Klein team up with young talents Jay Baruchel (Undeclared) and Lindsay Sloane (Grosse Pointe) in the sitcom theme of the season: adult kids living with their parents--except in this case, the folks are divorced. Wacky. The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.: David E. Kelley could regain TV's golden boy title if this small town drama scores. Randy Quaid is the most recognizable name in this series about three brothers coping with their families and careers in the town where they were born and raised. Joan of Arcadia: Newbie Amber Tamblyn stars as Joan Girardi, a teen who receives cryptic messages from God through those around her, including the high school lunch lady and the guy sitting next to her on the bus. Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen star as Tamblyn's parents, who are convinced that there's something strange going on with their teen. The Handler: Joey Pants operates on the right side of the law as Joe Renato, an FBI agent who trains G-men to go undercover while tracking crime on Los Angeles' seedier side. Cold Case: Newcomer Kathryn Morris stars as Philly detective Lilly Rush, assigned to crack "cold cases"--unsolved crimes--in this Jerry Bruckheimer offering that borrows from the technical style of his CBS hits CSI and Without a Trace.

Missing from the presentation was any mention of midseason replacements. The network says it has no plans to announce any contenders, Star Search the one exception mentioned as a possible comeback.

The following is a night-by-night look at the network's fall schedule:

MONDAY: Yes, Dear, Still Standing, Everybody Loves Raymond, Two and a Half Men, CSI: Miami
TUESDAY: Navy CIS, The Guardian, Judging Amy
WEDNESDAY: 60 Minutes II, The King of Queens, The Stones, The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.
THURSDAY: Survivor, CSI, Without a Trace
FRIDAY: Joan of Arcadia, JAG, The Handler
SATURDAY: 48 Hours Investigates, Hack, The District
SUNDAY: 60 Minutes, Cold Case, CBS Sunday Movie