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CBS fall schedule builds on the strength of winning season
CBS is claiming to be the number one network for the past 14 straight seasons, winning 19 of the past 20 seasons. Airing the Super Bowl and the NFL’s AFC Championship game this year proved to be a ratings boost.
“CBS had another incredible season. In addition to repeating as America’s most-watched network, we launched several breakout hits, not to mention winning and improving many time periods across our schedule,” said Kelly Kahl, the network’s president of Entertainment.
Thursday night’s time slot of 8 to 9 p.m. will be branded as the “power hour” for comedy with the return of “Young Sheldon” and breakout hit “Ghosts.” When does “Young Sheldon” become “Old Sheldon?” Just asking, because at some point the kid has to become Jim Parsons.
The “power hour” will be followed by witty new drama “So Help Me Todd,” starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin as razor-sharp, meticulous attorney Margaret Wright and Todd, her talented but scruffy, aimless son whom she hires as her law firm’s in-house investigator.
As the black sheep of the well-heeled Wright family, Todd is a laid-back, quick-thinking, excellent former private detective who fell on hard times after his flexible interpretation of the law got his license revoked.
Margaret’s penchant for strict adherence to the law is at complete odds with Todd’s scrappy methods of finding his way through sticky situations by the seat of his wrinkled pants.
However, Todd proves his crafty ability to sleuth out information with his charm and wide-ranging tech savvy. As a result, Margaret asks her son to join her firm, and Todd agrees since it means getting his license reinstated.
Will mother and son working together mend their fragile dysfunctional relationship? Will they accept others for who they are? Tune in to “So Help Me Todd” on Thursday nights to find out.
Considering what happens too frequently in California, “Fire Country” will be a topical new drama series, starring Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program.
In Northern California, Bode and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk assignment.
The heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once an all-American son until his troubles began. Now he’s back with a criminal rap sheet and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
“Fire Country,” inspired by series star Max Thieriot’s experiences growing up in Northern California fire county, will air on Friday nights.
From executive producers of “NYPD Blue,” new drama “East New York” stars Amanda Warren as Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood, the newly promoted boss of the 74th Precinct in East New York, a working-class neighborhood on the edge of Brooklyn in the midst of social upheaval.
With family ties to the area, Haywood is determined to deploy creative methods to protect her beloved community with the help of her officers and detectives.
But first, she has the daunting task of getting them on board, as some are skeptical of her promotion, and others resist changes she is desperate to make.
Her team includes her mentor, shrewd veteran two-star Chief John Suarez (Jimmy Smits); Marvin Sandeford (Ruben Santiago-Hudson), a highly respected training officer and expert on the neighborhood; Tommy Killian (Kevin Rankin), a detective with some old-school approaches to policing.
Captain Stan Yenko (Richard Kind) is Haywood’s gregarious and efficient right hand. Also on board is Crystal Morales (Elizabeth Rodriguez), an intuitive detective, and Andre Bentley (Lavel Schley), a trainee from an upper middle-class background.
Ambitious patrol officer Brandy Quinlan (Olivia Luccardi) is the sole volunteer to live in a local housing project as part of Haywood’s plan to bridge the gap between police and community.
Deputy Inspector Haywood has a vision that she and the squad of the 74th Precinct will not only serve their community – they’ll also become part of it. “East New York” will air on Sunday nights.
The long-running scripted series “The Love Boat” that aired on the ABC network was arguably a cultural phenomenon, and now it’s the inspiration for new reality romance adventure “The Real Love Boat” scheduled to air on Wednesday nights.
“The Real Love Boat” brings singles together to travel the Mediterranean on a luxury cruise ship while looking for love. Destination dates, challenges and surprise singles will test the couples’ compatibility and chemistry.
Indispensable crew members, including “captain” and “cruise director,” selected from actual Princess Cruises staff, will play pivotal roles in the matchmaking and navigation of the romantic waters ahead.
After almost a month at sea, only one winning couple will make it to the final port and take home a cash prize plus a once-in-a-lifetime trip courtesy of Princess Cruises.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
