LOS ANGELES ā CBS said it plans a fall schedule that's a close match to last season, but the network is keeping a watchful eye on when the industry will emerge from its virus-caused production shutdown.
The majority of the networkās returning shows will be back in the time slots they held in the 2019-20 season, with a few exceptions: āThe Amazing Raceā and āSEAL Teamā are each shifting ahead an hour on Wednesday nights, as will āThe Unicornā on Thursdays.
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āThe Equalizer,ā a 1980s drama reboot starring Queen Latifah, and the comedy āB Positiveā with Thomas Middleditch are CBS' fall newcomers.
The network's schedule, as with those of other outlets, is dependent on when the two-month TV and movie production halt to contain the coronavirus ends or at least eases.
CBS isn't ignoring that reality but hopes to see taping resume sometime this summer, said Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment.
āWe are optimistic we're going to have our shows on in the fall. ... That might not mean all our shows, or 90 percent, premiere Sept. 21," the season's official start, Kahl said. But the network hopes eventually to air a schedule āthat looks a lot like the one we announced today.ā
The stable lineup reflects the ratings success of CBS, which has been the most-watched network for more than a decade.
āWe have five returning strong freshman shows, and that wasn't going to leave a ton of room for new shows," Kahl said.
The pandemic also forced networks to make calls on new series without the advantage of having a completed pilot in hand, with āB Positiveā the rare if not only industry-wide exception.
āThe process was unusual, to be sure. And it made for some hard decisions along the way and unusual decisions,ā Kahl said. "But at the end of the day, we really got to where we always like to be, which is a strong, stable schedule with the opportunity to launch some exciting new shows.ā
If production delays leave CBS with unfilled time slots, Kahl said, the network can draw on content available to it as part of ViacomCBS. He declined to cite specifics.
The full schedule released Tuesday by CBS (all times Eastern):
Monday
8 p.m. - āThe Neighborhoodā
8:30 p.m. - āBob Hearts Abisholaā
9 p.m. - āAll Riseā
10 p.m. - āBullā
Tuesday
8 p.m. - āNCISā
9 p.m. - āFBIā
10 p.m. - āFBI: Most Wantedā
Wednesday
8 p.m. - āSurvivorā
9 p.m. - āThe Amazing Raceā
10 p.m. - āSEAL Teamā
Thursday
8 p.m. - āYoung Sheldonā
8:30 p.m. āB Positiveā
9 p.m. - āMomā
9:30 p.m. - āThe Unicornā
10 p.m. - āEvilā
Friday
8 p.m. - āMacGyverā
9 p.m. - āMagnum P.I.ā
10 p.m. - āBlue Bloodsā
Saturday
9 p.m - āCrimetime Saturdayā
10 p.m. - ā48 Hoursā
Sunday
7:00 p.m. - ā60 Minutesā
8:00 p.m. - āThe Equalizerā
9:00 p.m. - āNCIS: Los Angelesā
10:00 p.m. - āNCIS: New Orleansā