CBS is supersizing two of its signature reality franchises: “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” will permanently expand to 90-minute episodes next season, the network unveiled its 2023-2024 TV lineup Thursday morning.
The I Network went first with its fall plans, but there’s a caveat to all of that: A writers’ strike means primetime won’t look like this in September. And indeed, CBS already has contingency plans, including several unscripted series waiting in the wings.
But for now, CBS will go into the fall with a primetime schedule that looks similar to its current one. Wednesday’s switch will only take “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” for example, the night’s current 10 p.m. resident, the canceled “True Lies,” out of the equation. Last fall, CBS opened the season with three reality shows at night: “Survivor,” “The Real Love Boat” and “The Amazing Race,” so an all-reality Wednesday isn’t unusual. (The 90-minute versions of “Survivor” or “The Amazing Race” aren’t extended, but until now they’ve been reserved for special moments like premieres and finales.)
Among other changes, new drama “Elsbeth” starring Carrie Preston and based on her “The Good Wife”/“The Good Fight” character will air Thursdays at 10 p.m., returning comedies “Young Sheldon” and “Ghosts,” as well as comedy drama “So Help me Todd.”
That will replace the current Thursday 10 pm series “CSI: Vegas” on Sundays at 10 pm, but with a twist. CBS often faces Sunday night NFL football overlap, sometimes pushing the last show of the night deep into the 11 pm local news hour, which this fall airs at 10 reruns (or nothing if the game goes late). pm slot. “CSI: Vegas” returns when football is almost over.
For the rest of the night, CBS did 1988 again through science or magic. The night sees a back-to-back pairing of eye-popping “Matlock” and “The Equalizer” revivals. “Matlock,” starring Kathy Bates in the role originally made famous by Andy Griffiths, is brand new and takes advantage of being sandwiched between “60 Minutes” and Queen Latifah’s “The Equalizer.”
“The Equalizer” will move to 9 p.m. in that slot, knocking off the canceled “East New York,” while the current 10 p.m. series “NCIS: Los Angeles” is retiring.
Thanks to a last-minute deal that saved “SWAT” for the final season and sent “East New York” to the East River, here it is for schedule changes. Monday is the same with “The Neighborhood,” “Bob Hart’s Abishola,” “NCIS” and “NCIS Hawaii.” Tuesday continues to be Dick Wolf of all time with “FBI,” “FBI: International” and “FBI: Most Wanted.” And then Friday keeps the “SWAT”/”Fire Country”/”Blue Bloods” First Responders vibe right now.
Waiting in the Wings: Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. star in the new comedy “Poppa’s House,” a multi-generational family comedy. And then there’s “Tracker,” which gets a plum post-Super Bowl time slot on Feb. 11, 2024, immediately after the big game. After that, we’ll see where Justin Hartley’s streak could land.
Because once again, this year’s network advance announcements will be on paper. The reality of it all depends on a lot of things, including how long the strike will last.
Each network has its own contingency plans; On CBS, that includes a mix of reruns (procedurals like “NCIS” still do well in reruns, ask Netflix), as well as CBS Studios’ “new to you” shows previously aired on Paramount+ (“Star Trek” night, anyone?), international Acquisitions and unscripted fees.
In the reality department, CBS has a lot on the shelf that could roll out this fall if scripted shows aren’t ready. That includes new seasons of “Tough as Nails” and “Lingo” and primetime versions of “The Price Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal.” Also ordered: “Buddy Games” and “Loteria Loca.” CBS also has a “Big Brother” machine.
It will also unveil the first schedule for new CBS entertainment president Amy Reisenbach, who took over the division last fall. And it’s a bit bittersweet: For the first time in decades, CBS (and parent Paramount Global) has decided not to reveal its schedule at Carnegie Hall in New York during the week of the advance. Instead, the plan was to celebrate at a Los Angeles party this week — until the strike postponed those plans.
Nevertheless, Reisenbach had a strong message for advertisers: CBS’ consistency. “I’m incredibly excited to introduce four new series with big-name talent portraying diverse, bold, engaging characters, along with our outstanding team at the network,” he said in a statement. “These new shows in the marquee Asylum capture everything our viewers love about CBS series – unique personalities, suspenseful drama, intrigue, high stakes and relatable laugh-out-loud comedy with heart and humor. The new additions to our lineup complement our winning series wins and our growth across broadcast and streaming platforms. We are confident that they will resonate with viewers.
CBS is claiming its 15th consecutive season as the No. 1 network in viewers, tying its previous streak between 1955 and 1970. According to its research, the network averaged 5.97 million viewers as of April 30, ahead of NBC’s 5.39 million.
Here is the CBS Fall 2023 schedule:
Monday
“Neighborhood” at 8 p.m.
8:30 pm “Bob Hearts Abishola”
“NCIS” at 9 p.m.
“NCIS Hawaii” at 10 p.m.
Tuesday
“The FBI” at 8 p.m.
“FBI: International” at 9 p.m.
“FBI: Most Wanted” at 10 p.m.
Wednesday
“Survivor” at 8 p.m.
“Amazing Race” at 9:30 PM
Thursday
“Young Sheldon” at 8 p.m.
“Ghosts” at 8:30 p.m.
“So Help Me Todd” at 9 p.m.
“Elsbeth” (new play) at 10 p.m.
Friday
“SWAT” at 8 p.m.
“Land of Fire” at 9 p.m.
“Blue Bloods” at 10 p.m.
Saturday
Repeats at 8 p.m
Repeats at 9 p.m
“48 Hours” at 10 p.m.
Sunday
7 p.m. “60 Minutes”
“Matlock” (New Drama) at 8 p.m.
“The Equalizer” at 9 p.m.
10 pm reruns/”CSI: Vegas” (after football)
And here’s a first look at the new fall series “Elsbeth” and “Matlock” trailers:
#CBS #Unveils #Fall #Schedule #Survivor #Amazing #Race #Supersized #CSI #Vegas #Delayed #Football