CBS loves that cheese

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — CBS is going to up the cheese factor on its Sunday-night movies this coming season, and no one at the network is apologizing.

Hey, they've got to do something to combat "Desperate Housewives."

"We know we're up against a juggernaut on Sunday nights, so we had to adjust our strategy" to include more "high-concept and popcorn movies," said Nina Tassler, CBS Entertainment president.

Translated, that means more cheesy movies along the lines of "Spring Break: Shark Attack" and "Locusts."

It's not like CBS is abandoning higher-quality TV movies. It will have at least three "Hallmark Hall of Fame" projects. And not everything will be about monsters — the season premiere of the CBS Sunday Movie will be "Martha Stewart: Behind Bars." (OK, that's a different kind of monster movie.)

But the network is also taking steps beyond last season. There's a sequel to "Locusts" titled "Vampire Bats." There's a sequel to "Category 6: Day of Destruction" titled "Category 7: The End of the World." (I am not making this up.)

How far can this go?

"I think the sky is the limit," Tassler said. "But the truth is these movies are fun." (And, to be honest, they're a lot of fun to review. It's like tossing a critic a softball and giving him a chance to slam it out of the park. Or at least beat it to death with his bat.)

CBS is particularly interested in the "popcorn" movies because they appeal to younger viewers. And advertisers pay more to attract younger viewers.

"I think it really falls under the heading of the fact that we're bringing younger viewers to the network. It gives us an opportunity to do movies and do projects that will appeal to them. It's part of having a balanced and diverse slate." (Yes, I suppose garbage like "Sharks" and "Locusts" does sort of balance the scale with the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" flicks.)

Tassler said she thinks part of the appeal of the "popcorn" movies is that there aren't a lot of them in theaters these days either.

"As I said, they're appealing," she said. "And who knew what would happen with the flurry of shark attacks in Florida after our little shark movie." (Maybe the sharks saw CBS's little movie and were enraged.)

So . . . I'm kind of imagining meetings where the CBS execs gather and look for some cheesy-looking thing that they can produce and put a lot of ads with screaming teenagers and attacking sharks and so on.

Is that how it works?