FACT: CBS has cancelled two spinoffs (FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted) but picked up three more for next fall.
FACT: As we speak, CBS has renewed all but two of its scripted shows. The Powers That Be previously foreclosed on Poppa’s House, but have not yet determined the fate of Queen Latifah’s The Equalizer.
WHAT IT ALL MEANS: A lot of hard decisions need to be made before CBS unveils its 2025-26 game plan on Wednesday, May 7.
Maybe you can help?
Heading into next season, rock-steady CBS can choose to play it safe, as it typically does… or dramatically shake things up. For instance, the network has a vacant half-hour slot, which it will inevitably plug with the newly ordered single-camera/audience-free comedy DMV. But what if, rather than stick it behind multi-cam veteran The Neighborhood on Mondays, they opt to pair it with fellow single-cam Ghosts on Thursdays, and move Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage to Mondays?
Then on Tuesday, you now have two hours to fill behind FBI. Assuming FBI stays put, does the Tom Ellis-led CIA (an “FBI Universe Expansion”) inevitably inherit the 9 pm hour? And if so, should we assume it will be strong enough to launch another new procedural at 10 pm — say, Matthew Gray Gubler’s Einstein? Or should a proven show relocate and close out the night?
Come Friday, we’re sure to see Fire Country joined by Sheriff Country. But does the mothership remain at 9, leaving Morena Baccarin’s Sheriff Mickey Fox to police the 10 pm hour? Or does #OneCountry™️ air from 8-10 pm, leaving the closer spot — aka Blue Bloods‘ longtime home — for, say… Donnie Wahlberg’s Boston Blue?
Review the list of CBS shows below, then play Armchair Scheduler and take a smart guess at how the broadcaster will round out its fall slate.
OFFICIALLY RENEWED
* The Amazing Race
* Elsbeth
* FBI
* Fire Country
* Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
* Ghosts
* Hollywood Squares
* Matlock
* NCIS
* NCIS: Origins
* NCIS: Sydney
* The Neighborhood (final season)
* Survivor
* Tracker
* Watson
NEWLY ORDERED SHOWS
* America’s Culinary Cup (cooking competition hosted by Padma Lakshmi)
* Boston Blue (Blue Bloods spinoff starring Donnie Wahlberg)
* CIA (working title; FBI spinoff starring Tom Ellis)
* DMV (half-hour workplace comedy starring Harriet Dyer)
* Einstein (crime-solving procedural starring Matthew Gray Gubler)
* The Road (country music competition headlined by Keith Urban)
* Sheriff Country (Fire Country spinoff starring Morena Baccarin)
AWAITING OFFICIAL RENEW/CANCEL DECISIONS
* The Equalizer
* Raid the Cage
Of note: FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted, Poppa’s House and The Summit have all been cancelled.
SHARE YOUR CBS FALL SCHEDULE!
Now, share how you would plan out CBS’ fall schedule, knowing that:
🏈 Sunday: Because of NFL overrun, CBS does not typically program the 10 pm hour until midseason.
⚓️ Monday: Following the cancellation of Poppa’s House, the 8:30 pm time slot is vacant.
🚨 Tuesday: The cancellations of FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted leave two-thirds of the night wide open.
🏝 Wednesday: Survivor will almost certainly remain at 8 pm. Last fall, the network tried out a new reality show (the cancelled The Summit) at 9:30 pm; The Amazing Race was brought off the bench at midseason.
🤣 Thursday: The entire line-up (which consists of Georgie & Mandy, Ghosts, Matlock and Elsbeth) has been renewed… but that doesn’t necessarily mean everything stays put.
🔥 Friday: Sheriff Country will presumably follow Fire Country, which leaves one slot open.
🥱 Saturday: There’s zero chance of any new shows (scripted or unscripted) landing here. The night belongs to “crimetime” reruns and 48 Hours.
