Mondays remain intact with returns for The Neighborhood, Bob Hearts Abishola, NCIS and NCIS: Hawaii closing out the night. Likewise, Tuesday will continue its FBI-filled schedule.
Wednesday slightly changes, with Survivor and The Amazing Race expanding to 90 minutes each.
Thursday was the big story at CBS’ last fall schedule announcement, with only two comedies appearing on the day for the first time in a decade. This time around, the broadcaster will continue that strategy, with Young Sheldon and Ghosts starting the night. So Help Me Todd returns after the comedies, this time accompanied by new drama Elsbeth.
Elsbeth, a spinoff of The Good Wife and The Good Fight focusing on Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth Tascioni, has the unconventional attorney take on mastermind criminals alongside the NYPD and Captain C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce).
Again, Friday and Saturday remain the same, with Friday featuring S.W.A.T., Fire Country and Blue Bloods and Saturday having series encores before 48 Hours hits the air at 10 p.m.
Then, following 60 Minutes on Sunday, CBS’ reimagined Matlock, starring Emmy and Academy Award winner Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, will showcase a septuagenarian deciding to rejoin the workforce at a prestigious law firm. The Equalizer and CSI: Vegas then close out the week, though the latter won’t air until later in the year due to afternoon NFL broadcasts.
In addition to Hartley’s Tracker premiering after the Super Bowl, new comedy Poppa’s House, starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Wayans, will join the schedule midseason. The show features Wayans as a legendary talk radio host and happily divorced “Poppa,” who has his point of view challenged by a new female co-host (Essence Atkins) and finds himself still parenting his adult son (Wayans Jr.).
“Along with our outstanding team at the network, I am incredibly excited to introduce four new series with big-name talent portraying distinct, bold, engaging characters,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. “These new shows from marquee auspices capture everything our viewers love about a CBS series – unique personalities, suspenseful drama, intrigue, high stakes and relatable laugh-out-loud comedy with heart and humor. The new additions to our lineup are a stellar complement to our winning slate of returning series, and we are confident they will resonate with our viewers on broadcast and streaming platforms.”
CBS’ programming is also set to feature tentpole events, including the Tony Awards, the Grammy Awards, the CMT Music Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors. In addition, viewers can expect plenty of sports offerings in the form of the NFL, including Wild Card, Divisional playoff games and the AFC Championship; NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in March; the Masters Tournament in April; the PGA Championship in May; and the UEFA Champions League Final in June.