CBS Upfront/General News and Discussion: 2023-24

[icecream]

Good for nothing Fire Country might be headed for a well deserved sophomore slump. Last night was down over 35% to an 0.33 demo. Lame duck S.W.A.T. actually outrated Fire Country at 0.36.

https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/f...wwe-smackdown/

[James28]

Actually, both Fire Country and the 2017 version of S.W.A.T. both beat Blue Bloods in the demo last Friday (the final ratings for February 23 had both S.W.A.T. 2017 and Fire Country at 0.38, while Blue Bloods had an 0.32 even though BB was the most-watched primetime show of that day, with FC not too far behind by just a couple hundred thousand).

Maybe CBS doesn't have to order a Fire Country spinoff series after all after Blue Bloods finishes its run, but if such a spinoff is launched, it's proof that CBS stands for "Craft Bull *****". Always launching spinoffs just for the sake of it, and too many spinoffs would take up too much space on the network.

[James28]

BREAKING NEWS: Tracker is Renewed for Season Two

https://deadline.com/2024/03/tracker...bs-1235845019/

The viewership for Tracker's initial couple of episodes after its post-Super-Bowl-LVIII launch could alleviate some of my doubts about the series's long-term future, but not all, as its ratings and writing for this unowned production could drop off at any time as its original run goes on.

After Tracker had beaten the 2021 version of The Equalizer in its second installment on February 18, the February 25th installment of Tracker actually beat 60 Minutes in both the 18-49 demo and total viewers (0.48 and 7.1 million vs. 0.39 and 6.8 million). Something like this has not been seen since Touched by an Angel in 1997. Does this mean CBS Studios can't still be brought in to co-produce Tracker alongside 20th Television for the sake of its long-term security?

[icecream]

Tracker is the most watched new series since Young Sheldon and the most watched new drama since Empire. The post Super Bowl launch payed off!

[icecream]

Finale dates

https://tvline.com/lists/cbs-season-...tes-list-2024/

[icecream]

If one of the FBI spin-offs is ending next year (one season renewals vs. three seasons for parent FBI), it should be International ending. Getting rid of Heida Reed was a horrible decision, she was the best part of the show. Most Wanted finally has a solid cast all around for the first time in a few years with Shantel VanSanten replacing Alexa Devalos.

[James28]

BREAKING NEWS: The 2017 version of S.W.A.T. is rather shockingly renewed for an eighth season.

This is the first time I've actually seen a final-season confirmation (not a cancellation) actually get reversed. Clearly, this does not come with the concerns of S.W.A.T. 2017's ratings going down and production costs rising during next season to the point of a repeat of its (first) cancellation in May 2023, and such a cancellation will stick this time, so there is no proper conclusion for this series. I do hope that S.W.A.T. 2017 does not struggle creatively next season, or its 22-episode order doesn't get shortened because of the potential IATSE strike this Summer. Otherwise, such cancellation-without-a-proper-sendoff fears will be confirmed in May of 2025.

Deadline says the final episode of its current season seven (which was still being filmed at the time of this renewal announcement) is not being rewritten in light of this renewal. I can't say I'm not disappointed, as supportive as I am of S.W.A.T. 2017 just for far outlasting the original 1975 version of S.W.A.T..

[icecream]

Originally Posted by James28

BREAKING NEWS: The 2017 version of S.W.A.T. is rather shockingly renewed for an eighth season.

This is the first time I've actually seen a final-season confirmation (not a cancellation) actually get reversed.

7th Heaven's final season announced for season 10 was reversed, and it went on to season 11. That was a merger of networks though, with the WB becoming the CW.

[icecream]

So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas did not deserve their renewals this season at the expense of screwed over East New York. Therefore, I am not sad to see their cancellation announcements today. Now to stop with the 90 minute episodes of their reality crap. The Amazing Race should go back to a bridge show between Survivor seasons. TAR does not need two seasons a year unless one of them is in summer.

[James28]

Originally Posted by icecream

So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas did not deserve their renewals this season at the expense of screwed over East New York. Therefore, I am not sad to see their cancellation announcements today. Now to stop with the 90 minute episodes of their reality crap. The Amazing Race should go back to a bridge show between Survivor seasons. TAR does not need two seasons a year unless one of them is in summer.

I always thought CSI: Vegas should move to Paramount+ if it got cancelled by CBS. I doubt that's gonna happen now given that streaming services' mass cancellations for cost-cutting content write-downs can happen at anytime. Both CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd will certainly end their original runs on massive unresolved cliffhangers now.

Also, I thought East New York was competing with the 2017 version of S.W.A.T. for the same slot on its schedule before the former's cancellation after last season? I guess that's why you're resenting the eighth-season renewal of S.W.A.T. 2017 after planning season seven as its last.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by James28

I always thought CSI: Vegas should move to Paramount+ if it got cancelled by CBS. I doubt that's gonna happen now given that streaming services' mass cancellations for cost-cutting content write-downs can happen at anytime. Both CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd will certainly end their original runs on massive unresolved cliffhangers now.

Also, I thought East New York was competing with the 2017 version of S.W.A.T. for the same slot on its schedule before the former's cancellation after last season? I guess that's why you're resenting the eighth-season renewal of S.W.A.T. 2017 after planning season seven as its last.

I don't like it as much as East New York, but I have watched S.W.A.T. from the beginning. And there would have been room for both if the reality crap didn't expand to 90 minutes. My mom watched season 1 of CSI: Vegas but lost interest when William Petersen and Jorja Fox left.

[James28]

^^Also, last Friday (April 19) was the first time I have seen broadcast-network cancellations and WWE releases on the same day. Jinder Mahal, a former WWE Champion, was among the five WWE Superstars released last Friday and Saturday. Also let go is Xia Li (WWE's first Chinese female superstar), who never won any championships within the company.

(Apologies for the off-topic. This is what you get when you have a discussion with somebody who has followed professional wrestling for as long as I have.)

[James28]

BREAKING NEWS: The cast and crew of NCIS: Hawaii will be cleaning out their desks after its current third season.

This should be seen as a sign that networks should just stop creating spinoffs of shows just for the sake of it. This is the second straight year that CBS cancelled a Top-20-ranked show (after East New York last season).

https://deadline.com/2024/04/ncis-ha...-4-1235896481/

Do you think NCIS: Hawaii would still have gotten cancelled if its third season had a 20-plus episode order?

[icecream]

What I would make their fall schedule

Sunday
7:00 60 Minutes
8:00 Matlock
9:00 The Equalizer
10:00 FBI: International- This show is going downhill fast with first Heida Reed leaving and now Luke Kleintank.

Monday
8:00 NCIS: Sydney
9:00 NCIS
10:00 NCIS: Origins

Tuesday
8:00 FBI
9:00 New Drama
10:00 FBI: Most Wanted

Wednesday
8:00 Survivor/The Amazing Race/Survivor- TAR is not strong enough to keep airing two seasons a year unless one of them is in summer.
9:00 Tracker- This will make Wednesdays a lot stronger. And it is good counter-programming to Abbott Elementary.
10:00 New Drama

Thursday- Bring back the two hour comedy block. It would be nice to get a Sheldon in College spin-off, all they would need is a new deal for Iain Armitage then cast the supporting actors. But I doubt that happens in time for fall.
8:00 The Neighborhood
8:30 Poppa's House
9:00 Ghosts
9:30 Georgie & Mandy- Keep this single cam like Young Sheldon was to pair better with Ghosts.
10:00 Elsbeth

Friday
8:00 S.W.A.T.- Losing Luca and Street is one thing. But they have to reverse Deacon's retirement, show would really go down without Jay Harrington and not worth being uncancelled.
9:00 Fire Country- Pass on Sheriff Country spin-off, one of these shows is bad enough.
10:00 Blue Bloods- Work with Tom Selleck's pitch to extend the final season and go over 300 episodes overall.

Ending/Cancelled
Young Sheldon
Bob Hearts Abishola
NCIS: Hawaii
So Help Me Todd
CSI: Vegas
Lingo- Being relegated to summer burn-off despite a strike sized hole last fall is a good sign this version of Lingo is done.

[TMC]

CBS declares itself winner of the truncated 2023-2024 broadcast TV season

CBS has been averaging 5.59 million viewers this season, putting it 580,000 ahead of its closest competitor NBC. Tracker, TV's most-watched new show, helped boost CBS, as did NCIS, Young Sheldon and FBI.