Oh, that's interesting about CSI. I wasn't aware of its history. I sometimes think execs have no patience, so they'll move a show to a time slot and then not leave it there long enough to build an audience. Obviously CSI really draws the audience in - the way some shows sadly never will - but I'm sure that leaving it in the time slot helped those numbers. Some of the most success shows - in terms of popularity - were slow builds (eg. Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond).

I'm baffled when networks don't match appropriate show together. Buffy after 7th Heaven is pretty funny. Could there be more different shows? They continue to pair Everwood with 7th Heaven which makes sense in theory, except that Everwood's in a whole different league that 7th Heaven; it's actually a smart and complex show that doesn't suggest there's one right answer for everything (nor is it a "Christian" show). However, I can understand the Everwood & 7th Heaven pairing because they're both family shows and, on the surface, have some similarities. I'd rather Everwood was paired with Gilmore Girls because I think they're a better fit, but at least it's not as idiotic as airing According to Jim before Commander in Chief like ABC does/did.

I think you're right that execs just live in their own bizarre world. Hollywood seems to be very insular in many ways.