It’s that time, TV people! As usual, stay tuned for my thoughts on The CW, Fox and NBC. Click here for ABC. For CBS, keep reading!
My first thoughts on returning shows… I am ecstatic that Life in Pieces has been renewed! It’s the only comedy on CBS that I stay on top of so thank you CBS for doing me this one solid. It’s the least they can do. They really should just lean into the dynamic family comedies (Life in Pieces, Mom, The Big Bang Theory) rather than keep on their formulaic, tired and tropey crap comedies (everything else). Which brings me to saying that other than Life in Pieces, there is literally no other show on CBS, comedy or drama that i am jumping up and down about regarding its renewal…
Thoughts On Notable Cancelled Series:
They put a pin in that when they cancelled Scorpion. Why on earth would they do that?! GAHHH *Pulls hair out*. This show was AMAZING. I am so mad at CBS for this one. Ugh. And then there’s Zoo, a show that I didn’t realize I’d enjoy so much but did. I truthfully have only been half paying attention this past season because they killed off my favorite in the season before, so. But I always wondered about the longevity of this show so I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did and bravo for telling the stories that it did in the time that it was on the air. It was fun.
As for new shows that were cancelled, yeah, I have nothing to say here. It’s CBS. The network that I am the least invested in because my expectations are so white, whoops, I meant low.
Thoughts On New Series:
Starting with dramas…FBI…the trailer starts off feeling like a typical CBS show but if you keep with it, it gets its time to shine as the Dick Wolf show that it is. Because it’s a Dick Wolf show, it has way more promise than any other CBS drama of a similar vein so I’m going to actually look forward to this one. Great cast too! God Friended Me seems like a more thoughtful approach to a network show revolving around faith so I think I actually might give this a chance. It’s not condescending and it’s hopeful and uplifting whether you believe or not, so I think CBS has something here. Next, there’s Magnum P.I., which I wasn’t alive for the show’s original run and never took upon any opportunity to watch any reruns of the show. But this new rendition of it looks like so much fun. It looks great and now I wonder if I should check out the original while I wait for this to premiere. What do you think I should do? There are no trailers for the midseason dramas, The Red Line and The Code but based on who’s attached to the former, I’m ALL IN. I can’t wait for The Red Line! Woo! The Code sounds yawn worthy, it’s got the typical CBS vibe about it in that there doesn’t appear to be anything special about it, so, we’ll see.
As for the comedies…Happy Together stars Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West so I’m already in. Luckily, the show looks good. It’s actually funny! Good job, CBS! They really have been putting more thought into their comedies the past few years and I am loving it. Cannot wait for this one! The Neighborhood stars Cedric the Entertainer and Tichina Arnold so, again, I’m already in. And again, ditto about the show actually looking funny. In this instance, I love that they’re taking a look at race through a different lens…CBS is honestly the last place I’d expect a show like this to land but here it is. So hopefully, CBS gives the show a chance to shine because there’s a lot of amazing conversation that can come from this show. Also, it’s great to see Marcel Spears on this show after the short-lived The Mayor on ABC and The Mayor‘s Brandon Micheal Hall now lead God Friended Me. Murphy Brown wasn’t a show that I ever got to either but I’m determined to binge the original so I can appreciate the show coming back in all its glory. It looks like so much fun. What do people who saw the original think? Finally, there’s no trailer for the mid-season show, Fam but it stars Nina Dobrev and that’s all I need to know to check it out.
New series are in CAPS.
Sunday
7-8pm 60 Minutes
8-9pm GOD FRIENDED ME
9-10pm NCIS: Los Angeles
10-11pm Madam Secretary
Monday
8-8:30pm THE NEIGHBORHOOD
8:30-9pm HAPPY TOGETHER
9-10pm Magnum P.I.
10-11pm Bull
Tuesday
8-9pm NCIS
9-10pm FBI
10-11pm NCIS: New Orleans
Wednesday
8-9pm Survivor
9-10pm SEAL Team
10-11pm Criminal Minds
Thursday
8-8:30pm The Big Bang Theory
8:30-9pm Young Sheldon
9-9:30pm Mom
9:30-10pm MURPHY BROWN
10-11pm S.W.A.T.
Friday
8-9pm MacGyver
9-10pm Hawaii Five-0
10-11pm Blue Bloods
Saturday
8-9pm Crimetime Saturday
9-10pm Crimetime Saturday
10-11pm 48 Hours
Midseason Drama: THE RED LINE, THE CODE
Midseason Comedies: FAM
NEW DRAMAS:
From Emmy Award-winner Dick Wolf and the team behind the Law & Order franchise, FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These first-class agents bring all their talents, intellect and technical expertise to tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime and counterintelligence, in order to keep New York and the country safe.
Craig Turk, Dick Wolf, Arthur W. Forney, Peter Jankowski and Niels Arden Oplev (pilot only) are Executive Producers for Universal Television, in association with CBS Television Studios. Oplev directed the pilot from a story by Wolf and Turk, and a script by Turk.
FBI stars Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki as Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, Jeremy Sisto as Jubal Valentine, and Ebonée Noel as Kristen Chazal.
GOD FRIENDED ME stars Brandon Micheal Hall in a humorous, uplifting drama about Miles Finer (Hall), an outspoken atheist whose life is turned upside down when he receives a friend request on social media from God and unwittingly becomes an agent of change in the lives and destinies of others around him. After repeated pokes by God, Miles’ curiosity takes over, and he accepts the ultimate friend request and follows the signs to Cara Bloom (Violett Beane), an online journalist.
Brought together by the “God Account,” the two find themselves investigating God’s friend suggestions and inadvertently helping others in need. Miles is set on getting to the bottom of what he believes is an elaborate hoax, but in the meantime, he’ll play along and, in the process, change his life forever.
Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrandt, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Marcos Siega are Executive Producers for Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. Siega directed the pilot from a script by Lilien & Wynbrandt.
God Friended Me stars Brandon Micheal Hall as Miles Finer, Violett Beane as Cara Bloom, Suraj Sharma as Rakesh Singh, Javicia Leslie as Ali Finer, and Joe Morton as Reverend Arthur Finer.
MAGNUM P.I. is a modern take on the classic series starring Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator.
A charming rogue, an American hero and a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan, Magnum has Juliet Higgins and her Dobermans to keep him in line, as well as his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors TC and Rick when he needs back-up on a job.
With keys to a vintage Ferrari in one hand, aviator sunglasses in the other, and an Old Düsseldorf longneck chilling in the fridge, Thomas Magnum is back on the case!
Peter Lenkov, Eric Guggenheim, Justin Lin, John Davis, John Fox and Danielle Woodrow are Executive Producers for CBS Television Studios in association with Universal Television. Lin directed the pilot from a script by Lenkov and Guggenheim.
Magnum P.I. stars Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Zachary Knighton as Orville “Rick” Wright, and Stephen Hill as Theodore “TC” Calvin.
The Red Line
From acclaimed producers Ava DuVernay and Greg Berlanti, THE RED LINE is a drama that follows the lives of three vastly different Chicago families whose stories of loss and tragedy intersect in the wake of the mistaken shooting of an African American doctor by a white cop.
As the stories of the Calder, Young and Evans families crisscross and converge, a message of hope appears—it’s possible to emerge from tragedy stronger, and it’s important to come together with others, not just to survive, but to thrive.
Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee Ava DuVernay, Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter are Executive Producers, and Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss are co-Executive Producers for Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. Victoria Mahoney directed the pilot from a script by Parrish and Weiss.
The Red Line stars Noah Wyle as Daniel Calder, Emayatzy Corinealdi as Tia Young, Aliyah Royale as Jira Calder-Brennan, Noel Fisher as Paul Evans, Howard Charles as Ethan Young, Elizabeth Laidlaw as Vic Renna, Vinny Chhibber as Liam Bhatt, and Michael Patrick Thornton as Jim Evans.
The Code
THE CODE is a drama about the military’s brightest minds who take on our country’s toughest legal challenges, inside the courtroom and out, in the only law office in the world where every attorney is trained as a prosecutor, a defense lawyer, an investigator—and a Marine.
Operating out of Judge Advocate General Headquarters in Quantico, these active-duty Marines are attorneys who have chosen to serve their country in pursuit of military justice at home and abroad.
Craig Sweeny, Marc Webb, Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman and Craig Turk are Executive Producers for CBS Television Studios. Webb directed the pilot from a teleplay by Sweeny, and story by Sweeny and Turk.
The Code stars Anna Wood as Major Maya Dobbins, Ato Essandoh as Major Trey Ferry, Phillipa Soo as Lt. Harper Rein, and Raffi Barsoumian as Warrant Officer Rami Ahmadi.
NEW COMEDIES:
HAPPY TOGETHER stars Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West in a comedy about a 30-something happily married couple who begin to reconnect with their younger, cooler selves when Cooper (Felix Mallard), an exuberant young pop star drawn to their super-ordinary suburban life, unexpectedly moves in with them.
Austen Earl, Tim McAuliffe, Ben Winston, Harry Styles, Michael Rotenberg and Jonathan Berry are Executive Producers for CBS Television Studios. Phill Lewis directed the pilot from a script by McAuliffe and Earl.
Happy Together stars Damon Wayans Jr. as Jake, Amber Stevens West as Claire, Felix Mallard as Cooper James, Stephnie Weir as Bonnie, and Chris Parnell as Wayne.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD stars Cedric the Entertainer as an opinionated neighbor in a comedy about what happens when the friendliest guy in the Midwest moves his family to a neighborhood in Los Angeles where not everyone looks like him or appreciates his extreme neighborliness.
When Dave Johnson (Max Greenfield) and his family arrive from Michigan, they’re unfazed that their new dream home is located in a community quite different from their small town. However, their opinionated next-door neighbor, Calvin Butler (Cedric the Entertainer), is wary of the newcomers, certain that they’ll disrupt the culture on the block.
Dave realizes that fitting into their new community is more complex than he expected, but if he can find a way to connect with Calvin, they have an excellent chance of making their new neighborhood their home.
Jim Reynolds, Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor (Kapital Entertainment), Wendi Trilling, Cedric the Entertainer, Eric Rhone and James Burrows (pilot) are Executive Producers for CBS Television Studios. Burrows directed the pilot from a script by Reynolds.
The Neighborhood stars Cedric the Entertainer as Calvin, Max Greenfield as Dave, Sheaun McKinney as Malcolm, Tichina Arnold as Tina, Dreama Walker as Gemma, Marcel Spears as Marty, and Hank Greenspan as Grover.
Multiple Emmy Award winners Candice Bergen and series creator Diane English reunite for MURPHY BROWN, the revival of the groundbreaking comedy about the eponymous broadcast news legend and her biting take on current events, now in a world of 24-hour cable, social media, “fake news” and a vastly different political climate.
Amid a divided nation, chaotic national discourse and rampant attacks on the press, Murphy returns to the airwaves with her original FYI team: lifestyle reporter Corky Sherwood, investigative journalist Frank Fontana and producer Miles Silverberg. Murphy’s son, Avery, shares his mother’s competitive spirit and quick wit, and has followed in her journalistic footsteps—perhaps too closely.
Now back in the game, Murphy is determined to draw the line between good television and honest reporting, proving that the world needs Murphy Brown now more than ever.
Diane English returns as Executive Producer with Candice Bergen for Bend in the Road Productions, Inc., in association with Warner Bros. Television. English created the series. Pamela Fryman will direct the pilot from a script by English.
Murphy Brown stars Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown, Faith Ford as Corky Sherwood, Joe Regalbuto as Frank Fontana, Grant Shaud as Miles Silverberg, Jake McDorman as Avery, Tyne Daly as Phyllis, and Nik Dodani as Pat Patel.
Fam
FAM stars Nina Dobrev and Tone Bell in a comedy about a woman whose vision of a perfect life with her adoring fiancé and his wonderful parents is radically altered when her 16-year-old, out-of-control half-sister unexpectedly comes to live with her.
As the family Clem (Dobrev) chose and the family she has blend, Clem realizes that this new happy fam may be the perfection she’s always been seeking.
Corinne Kingsbury, Bob Kushell, Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling, Dana Honor and Scott Ellis (pilot only) are Executive Producers for CBS Television Studios in association with Kapital Entertainment. Ellis directed the pilot from a script by Kingsbury.
Fam stars Nina Dobrev as Clem, Tone Bell as Nick, Odessa Adlon as Shannon, Brian Stokes Mitchell as Walt, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Rose.