There is no such thing as a traditional Upfront season anymore. Last year, very briefly, it felt like the Upfronts — the events when the networks announce their upcoming fall schedules and new series — were back following the pandemic and the steady decline of network television in general. But now with a writers’ strike that could very well stretch through the summer, and potential strikes by the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild on the horizon, the networks are having to play the upcoming fall season entirely by ear. With some networks, this looks like loading up on reality content; with others, it looks like they are moving forward with their scripted material and hoping for the best.
CBS is taking a bit of a mixed approach. The most popular network clearly hopes that the strike(s) will be over before production has to begin for the fall season, as all of their scripted hits are on the schedule. That said, they’ve super-sized Survivor and The Amazing Race, eliminating the need for at least one hour of prime-time programming. Not sure that will do the trick, but I suppose you have to start somewhere.
CBS has also added two new dramas to their fall schedule — a spinoff of one of their popular franchises, and a gender-swapped reimagining of a television classic. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait long for them to premiere.
Schedule
MONDAY
7/8 p.m.: The Neighborhood
7:30/8:30 p.m.: Bob ♥ Abishola
8/9 p.m.: NCIS
9/10 p.m.: NCIS: HAWAI’I
TUESDAY
7/8 p.m.: FBI
8/9 p.m.: FBI: INTERNATIONAL
9/10 p.m.: FBI: Most Wanted
WEDNESDAY
7/8 p.m.: Survivor
8:30/9:30 p.m.: Amazing Race
THURSDAY
7/8 p.m.: Young Sheldon
7:30/8:30 p.m.: Ghosts
8/9 p.m.: So Help Me Todd
9/10 p.m.: ELSBETH
FRIDAY
7/8 p.m.: SWAT
8/9 p.m.: Fire Country
9/10 p.m.: Blue Bloods
SATURDAY
7/8 p.m.: Repeats
8/9 p.m.: Repeats
9/10 p.m.: 48 Hours
SUNDAY
6/7 p.m.: 60 Minutes
7/8 p.m.: MATLOCK
8/9 p.m.: The Equalizer
9/10 p.m.: Seal Team
New Fall Shows
ELSBETH
Official synopsis: ELSBETH stars Carrie Preston (The Good Wife) as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who, after her successful career in Chicago, utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD. Based on the character featured in The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Elsbeth stars Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, Wendell Pierce as Captain C.W. Wagner and Carra Patterson as Officer Kaya Blanke. Robert King, Michelle King, Liz Glotzer and Jonathan Tolins are executive producers. Tolins will serve as showrunner. Robert King directed the pilot from a script he wrote with Michelle King. The series is produced by CBS Studios.
T’s Take: Look. It’s a procedural. But it’s a Richard and Michelle King procedural so chances are very good that it will be very good. Also, Carrie Preston! Who is delightful! (And 1. she’s married to Evil star Michael Emerson (Evil is also made by the Kings) and 2. please note the True Blood reunion in this trailer. I think I’m going to enjoy this little show.)
MATLOCK
Official synopsis: MATLOCK stars Kathy Bates as the brilliant septuagenarian Madeline “Matty” Matlock, who achieved success in her younger years, and decides to rejoin the workforce at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases and expose corruption from within. Inspired by the classic television series of the same name. Matlock stars Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, Skye P. Marshall as Olympia, Jason Ritter as Julian, David Del Rio as Billy and Leah Lewis as Sarah. Bates, Jennie Snyder Urman, Joanna Klein, Eric Christian Olsen and John Will are executive producers. Kat Coiro directed the pilot from a script written by Urman. The series is produced by CBS Studios.
T’s Take: Frankly, I’m surprised it has taken CBS this long to remake a hit show about a brilliant and underestimated septuagenarian. This seems like the easiest call to patronize their audience. So, when are they bringing Murder, She Wrote back?
Midseason
TRACKER
Official synopsis: TRACKER stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist who roams the country as a “reward seeker,” using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family. The series is based on the bestselling novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver. Tracker stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, Fiona Rene as Reenie, Robin Weigert as Teddi, Abby McEnany as Velma and Eric Graise as Bobby. Hartley, Ken Olin, Ben Winters, Hilary Weisman Graham and Jeffrey Deaver are executive producers. Olin directed the pilot from a script written by Winters. The series is produced by Twentieth Television.
T’s Take: All I know is that CBS is premiering this after the Super Bowl, so they’re betting that it will be a pretty big hit.
Poppa’s house
Official synopsis: POPPA’S HOUSE, starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., features Wayans as legendary talk radio host and happily divorced “Poppa” who has his point of view challenged at work when a new female co-host (Essence Atkins) is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son (Damon Wayans Jr.), a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband. Poppa’s House stars Damon Wayans as Poppa, Damon Wayans Jr. as Damon, Essence Atkins as Ivy and Tetona Jackson as Nina. Wayans and Kevin Hench are executive producers. Andy Ackerman directed the pilot from a script written by Hench and Wayans. The series is produced by CBS Studios.
T’s Take: While I am not likely to consistently watch this series, I do love me some Damon Wayans, Jr. and might give it a chance just for him alone. In fact, as most people in my generation, I have a soft spot for the entire Wayans clan, and I can see this being a successful companion to The Neighborhood.
Cancellations
- East New York
- NCIS: Los Angeles (ended)
- True Lies
Renewals
- The Amazing Race
- Blue Bloods
- Bob Hearts Abishola
- CSI: Vegas
- The Equalizer
- FBI
- FBI: International
- FBI: Most Wanted
- Ghosts
- NCIS
- NCIS: Hawai’i
- The Neighborhood
- So Help Me Todd
- Survivor
- S.W.A.T.
- Tough as Nails
- Young Sheldon
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