CBS’ new (new-ish) line-up this fall adds just two shows

Facing the possibility of a long strike, CBS has a novel solution: It will start the fall season with virtually no new shows.
The line-up, announced today (Wednesday), has only two newcomers – a spin-off (shown here) of “The Good Fight” and a reboot of “Matlock,” this time with Kathy Bates in the Andy Griffith role.
Two other shows will arrive later: “Tracker,” starring Justin Hartley, will debut after the Super Bowl on Feb. 11; “Poppa’s House” is a comedy with Damon Wayans, Damon Wayan Jr. and Essence Atkins.
The network’s announcement made no reference to “CSI: Vegas” (which has been renewed for next season) or to the two new game shows – with Josh Duhhamel and Jaime Camil as producers and hosts – that it recently picked up.
In a late flurry of changes, CBS canceled “SWAT” … reversed itself and gave “SWAT” a final, 13-episode season … and canceled both “True Lies” and “East New York.” Also, “NCIS: Los Angeles” had already planned to end its 14-year run, with its finale May 21.
Replacing some of those shows will be gradual. On Wednesdays, CBS will simply expand “Survivor” and “Amazing Race” to 90 minutes each, eliminating any need for a 10 p.m. show. On Sundays, football overruns often force the final show to start at 10:30 p.m. or later on the East Coast; now that slot will have reruns until after football season.
The few-changes approach comes as a long Writers Guild strike is being predicted. Post-strike, an old show can usually be started more quickly than a new one.
That’s similar to what CBS did during the pandemic, when it announced only two new dramas. “Clarice” only lasted a season, but “The Equalizer” debuted after the Super Bowl and became an immediate hit. Now “Tracker” – with Hartley as a lone-wolf survivalist, helping find people – will get that same Super Bowl treatment.
Both of the new shows will seem familiar:
— Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Prestron) was a quirky lawyer who was a favorite on “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight”; in “Elsbeth,” she’ll be working with New York police, led by Wendell Pierce. (Preston and Pierce are shown here.)
–”Matlock” had a nine-year run with Griffith as a folksy old lawyer; now it stars Bates … the second time she had an attorney role once intended for a man. She starred in the two seasons of “Harry’s Law,” a show originally planned for Tim Allen.
That leaves CBS’ fall line-up with:
NO CHANGES: Mondays, with “The Neighborhood,” “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” “NCIS” and “NCIS: Hawaii.” Tuesdays, with three FBI shows. Fridays, with “SWAT,” “Fire Country” and “Blue Bloods.” Also, Saturdays have reruns or sports.
SLIGHT CHANGE: On Wednesdays, “Survivor” and “Amazing Race” expand to 90 minutes apiece, at 8 and 9:30.
ONE NEW SHOW: Thursdays add “Elsbeth” at 10; the other shows – “Young Sheldon,” “Ghosts,” “So Help Me Todd” remain. Sundays add “Matlock” at 8 p.m. PT (but 8:30 p.m. ET during football season), with “Equalizer” moving to 9 (or 9:30); the 10-or-10:30 slot has reruns until after football.
ALSO, on a semi-related note:
The Fox network will have at least one comedy – besides all those cartoons – next season.
The network announced today (Wednesday) that it will bring back Joel McHale’s “Animal Control” (shown here) for a second season. That comes shortly after it canceled “Call Me Kat” after a three-season run; “Welcome to Flatch” – a surprise renewal last season – still hasn’t been canceled or renewed.
The move comes as networks – wary of a long strike – have been careful to renew many of the scripted shows they already have. CBS today announced a fall line-up with only two new shows.
For Fox – which wraps its schedule at 10 p.m., not 11 – that’s less of a problem. With wrestling, reality, animation (written far in advance) and football, it only has to worry about scripted shows for two hours each on Mondays and Tuesdays and one on Thursdays.
The network has canceled “The Resident” and “Monarch” and let “9-1-1” move to ABC. But it has renewed “9-1-1: Lone Star,” “The Cleaning Lady,” “Accused,” “Alert” … and now “Animal Control.”