CBS Upfront/General News and Discussion: 2025-26

[James28]

Ahead of its premiere on October 13, CBS has given a big vote of confidence to its new DMV sitcom, giving it a full-season order of 20 episodes. According to Deadline, this back-order decision is because the timpani network is pleased with output so far, and it comes as the single-cammer's original 13-episode order was nearing completion; CBS wants to keep the show in continuous production.

I'm also guessing the decision to give DMV, a new show, a full-season order was made easier because CBS doesn't have any other new sitcoms in the works for 2025-26 and the network's comedy schedule continuing to be limited to two hours per week.

[icecream]

Ugh, so many Blue Bloods fans that won't give Boston Blue a chance, it's all or nothing for them. Someone even said Donnie Wahlberg stabbed Tom Selleck in the back.

[icecream]

CBS will air a new episode of DMV at a special time on November 24 at 9:30. DMV will follow the Everybody Loves Raymond 29th anniversary reunion. It is not the 30th anniversary morons! Watson will still air a new episode at its regular time of 10:00 that night.

A few weeks later on December 15, FBI will air a 2 hour episode from 8:00-10:00, perfect week for that as I will be able to watch live.

[icecream]

I am glad to see the series premiere of The Road was a massive flop, 0.16 out of an 0.45 Tracker lead-in. What CBS gets for airing reality after Tracker and not another drama.

[icecream]

When CBS has the Sunday football doubleheader, first game is allotted more time, 3 hours and 25 minutes from 1:00-4:25. Second game only has 3 hours and 5 minutes from 4:25-7:30 which leads to inevitable long overruns. It would be a better move if they just scheduled football coverage until 8:00. Then the primetime lineup would start on time with 60 Minutes at 8:00, Tracker at 9:00, and The Road at 10:00. 10PM hour is just repeats anyway, and the local newscasts at 11:00 would like not having to wait for long delays.

[icecream]

Next Sunday's schedule is pathetic. DMV is airing with a starting time outside of primetime at 11:00 following Ghosts at 10:30. And those times will be even later when the overrun kicks in.

[James28]

I think it's possible that CBS just airs the Ghosts repeat and cuts the DMV repeat entirely if the NFL overrun exceeds one hour (that way, viewers on the Eastern and Central time zones will see only the Ghosts repeat, anyway, and the DMV repeat will air only on the Mountain and Pacific time zones).

I remember over a decade ago, one episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation's final season ("Girls Gone Wilder") ended up being delayed for two weeks straight (on October 26 and November 2 of 2014) due to the late-afternoon NFL overruns exceeding a full hour, even though it first aired on October 26 on CTV in Canada. The CSI airings on those days were dropped entirely on the East Coast, and replaced with repeats from its previous (fourteenth) season on the West Coast, and only 60 Minutes, Madam Seccretary, and The Good Wife were able to air.

Similarly, one episode from the second season of CSI: Cyber ("iWitness") was delayed for two weeks after its originally planned November 29 of 2015 airing due to an ultra-long NFL overrun (also exceeding a full hour) (December 6 had a two-hour Sinatra 100 All-Star Grammy Concert that started at 9, and all of MS, Good Wife, and CSI: Cyber were preempted that day). As was the case with "Girls Gone Wilder", only 60 Minutes, MS, and TGW were able to air.

[icecream]

CBS has way too many NFL doubleheader weeks. Tracker will start on time for the first time this season Sunday (season premiere was no national overrun but here in Colts country still got delayed). Then the next Sunday they have a doubleheader yet again. I don't care about FOX's Sunday lineup at all, give them a lot more doubleheader weeks and a lot less for CBS.

[James28]

I wouldn't do that with The Simpsons still being in first-run right now (which it shouldn't). The Simpsons has already been getting way too many ratings boosts from those NFL doubleheaders, which has helped secure its repeated multi-year renewals. It would have been better if original episodes of Bob's Burgers, or Family Guy, or any of the younger FOX Entertainment shows aired after those NFL doubleheaders in the future instead.

[icecream]

Tracy Morgan has zero appeal as an actor. Crutch spinning off from The Neighborhood is a terrible idea, likely one season and done. And Tracy somehow is starring in an upcoming NBC sitcom as well, pass! The Malcolm and Marty backdoor pilot had terrible execution, but at least they are good actors.

[icecream]

The Paw Patrol CBS airing on Thanksgiving weekend has been advertised several times. But there is nothing yet for the Everybody Loves Raymond reunion.

[icecream]

CIA will air where it was originally announced Mondays at 10:00, when CBS lineup returns after the Olympics. Watson will then move back to Sundays at 10:00. A horrible move putting Y Marshals the stupid Yellowstone spin-off Sundays at 8:00, moving Tracker later to 9:00. Something advertised as TV's #1 show deserves a lot better treatment.

[TMC]

CBS’ midseason schedule includes Survivor 50 and Survivor repeats

CBS' midseason schedule includes the premiere of Survivor 50 on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET, preceded by a two-week event featuring 10 encore episodes from the show's history. These repeats will highlight players from the new 50th season to build anticipation for the three-hour premiere event.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by icecream

A horrible move putting Y Marshals the stupid Yellowstone spin-off Sundays at 8:00, moving Tracker later to 9:00.

Is it stupid just because you have no interest in it?

[James28]

Originally Posted by icecream

CIA will air where it was originally announced Mondays at 10:00, when CBS lineup returns after the Olympics. Watson will then move back to Sundays at 10:00. A horrible move putting Y Marshals the stupid Yellowstone spin-off Sundays at 8:00, moving Tracker later to 9:00. Something advertised as TV's #1 show deserves a lot better treatment.

I'm not sure if Y: Marshals really needs the post-60 Minutes timeslot (IIRC, it was originally announced for Sundays at 9 once The Road finished airing). I'm not happy about Tracker being bumped off that timeslot at all. Is CBS trying to force a ratings decline for Tracker so it stops beating 60 Minutes in viewership? I wish this were just for Y: Marshals's premiere, and they swap timeslots the following week. I hope such a swap happens before the end of this season, probably after March Madness ends.