A major chunk of the new TV season has finally been scheduled.
CBS announced November starts for 10 of its series. That includes all three “NCIS” shows and five of its six comedies — including one new show, “B Positive” (shown here) — plus “SWAT” and “All Rise.”
That still leaves 10 others waiting to be scheduled. Most are hourlong dramas, including the two “FBI” shows and the three Friday ones.
The move matches others made by big-three networks. NBC will launch several of its shows around the Nov. 10 season-opener of “This Is Us”; two days later, ABC starts its big moves with a crossover of “Station 19” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Two other networks – Fox and CW – chose a two-part plan. They have full line-ups for this fall, but are saving their main shows for January.
At first, CBS seemed to be leaning that way. It filled its fall line-up by extending reality shows, creating non-fiction shows and inserting a few fiction ones (“Manhunt,” “One Day at a Time,” “Star Trek: Discovery”) that had aired elsewere.
But now it has its November plans. The season-openers are:
– Nov. 5: Three of the returning comedies: “Young Sheldon” and “Mom” will sandwich “B Positive”; all are from producer Chuck Lorre.
– Nov. 8: “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans.” For now, they’ll be followed by “NCIS” reruns, which CBS calls “fan-favorite” episodes.
– Nov. 11: “SWAT.”
– Nov. 16: The Monday comedies – “The Neighborhood” and “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” which is also from Lorre. They’re followed bhy “All Rise.”
– Nov. 17: “NCIS.”
– Still missing: Only one comedy (“The Unicorn”) remains in limbo, but many of the dramas are still waiting. That includes all three Friday ones (“MacGyver,” “Magnum” and “Blue Bloods”) and both FBI ones, plus “Bull,””Evil,” “SEAL Team” and the only new drama CBS planned for fall – Queen Latifah in a reboot of “The Equalizer.”