'Ringer': CBS liked Sarah Michelle Gellar's show but didn't have room for it

CBS developed seven drama pilots for the 2011-12 season, and five of them are going forward as series. Only four, however, will actually air on CBS.

The fifth is "Ringer," the Sarah Michelle Gellar-starring thriller that will air on The CW in the fall. According to CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler, the move isn't indicative of any lack of quality in "Ringer." It had more to do with a lack of space on CBS' schedule for next season.

"I don't know what happened behind the scenes vis a vis The CW. I know for us, we were really excited about developing the show," Tassler said Wednesday (May 18) at CBS' upfront press breakfast. "We thought it was a very unique concept, we were really excited about Sarah Michelle Gellar -- and it could have been on our schedule. Like I said, we had no more time periods."

CBS renewed most of its current series for next season, so that didn't leave Tassler a lot of room on the schedule for new shows (two comedies and three dramas will air in the fall, and another drama, "The 2-2," is on deck for midseason). "Ringer" just fell victim to a numbers game.

"Sarah Michelle Gellar is a force to be reckoned with -- she's got a huge fan base," Tassler says. "And I kid you not -- when we bought the script, the e-mails started coming in: 'Pick it up.' I'm like, we just bought it! From Idaho, everywhere. She's got a very loyal fan base, and god bless them, they're going to be sitting and waiting for that show to show up on The CW."

The CW will offer up the first look at "Ringer" at its upfront on Thursday.