CBS's upfront previews: Renewology | Upfront Questions
More Upfront Answers: NBC | Fox | ABC | CBS | CW
Monday
Season
| 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fall | The Big Bang Theory | 9JKL | Kevin Can Wait | ME MYSELF & I | Scorpion | |
| late fall | Kevin Can Wait | 9JKL | ME MYSELF & I | Superior Donuts | Scorpion | |
Spot's Question: Will CBS roll back from its comedy explosion?
Not in terms of real estate. But another heavy dose of new series (actually leaving Man with a Plan on the shelf out of the gate) might be another way of communicating they were less than thrilled here. The presence of Me Myself & I ensures that there will be quite a bit of mixing between multi-camera and single-camera comedies. It's a lot of shuffling, and a Young Sheldon preview on premiere Monday when it won't return for over a month seems particularly egregious.
Tuesday
| 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCIS | Bull | NCIS: New Orleans | |||
Spot's Question: Is there a new drama that warrants breaking up Tuesday success?
Nope. There's no question that the developments of upfront week (This Is Us leaving the night, comedies on all three networks) made this an even juicier opportunity for a new drama than it appeared to be when I wrote the preview a week ago. But CBS declined to take advantage, and sophomore Bull will get to face off with a ton of comedies. If I were CBS, I would have some fairly high expectations for its performance under these conditions.
Wednesday
| 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survivor | SEAL TEAM | Criminal Minds | |||
Spot's Question: Is it finally time for CBS to move Criminal Minds to 10/9c?
Yep. That's a significant development that should not be taken for granted. But instead of Shemar Moore's S.W.A.T., a different new drama Seal Team wins out for the coveted slot.
Thursday
Season
| 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fall | Thursday Night Football Pregame | Thursday Night Football | ||||
| late fall | The Big Bang Theory | YOUNG SHELDON | Mom | Life in Pieces | S.W.A.T. | |
Spot's Question: What will the network try to launch on Thursday?
Like ABC, CBS stands pat in the 9/8c hour as the This Is Us move made it a much more crowded space. That show may not be a welcome development for family comedies Mom and Life in Pieces. Big Bang Theory spin-off Young Sheldon will get the mothership lead-in full time. And much like ABC returning to Tuesday 10/9c newbies, CBS is trying yet again to launch something in its ill-fated Thursday 10/9c hour...
Friday
| 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacGyver | Hawaii Five-0 | Blue Bloods | |||
Spot's Question: Is there a reason to change anything?
Nope. Changes on this night were a long shot, and perhaps even moreso during upfront week as the first two hours have become surprisingly crowded with dramas.
Sunday
| 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WISDOM OF THE CROWD | NCIS: Los Angeles | Madam Secretary | |||
Spot's Question: Will CBS add another decent-rated hour on Sunday?
They will certainly try. Instead of Saturday, the renewed Elementary (which has just 13 episodes) will simply wait for midseason. In the fall, CBS is bumping NCIS: Los Angeles back an hour and launching newbie Wisdom of the Crowd with the help of football-fueled 60 Minutes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
My snap reaction to this schedule is that it's a lot of new shows, especially considering how many returnees they had. CBS gets some credit for finding two pretty good opportunities to launch new dramas. But did they really need to tack on S.W.A.T. in the rough Thursday 10/9c hour when it could've been Code Black or some other filler? And Monday's shuffling and multi/single mixes should be... interesting. I can understand the general desire to take drastic measures to reinvigorate Monday, as Man with a Plan and Superior Donuts were certainly nothing special. But I'm skeptical that this was the way to go about it.
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