“Bull” — Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
CBS has unveiled its 2016-2017 primetime lineup featuring three new comedies, five new dramas and 21 returning series. CBS will expand its comedy lineup, increasing the number of comedies from four to eight, compared to last fall, and programming two two-hour blocks on Mondays and Thursdays.
The Network’s new series will feature stars in comedy and drama such as Kevin James, Matt LeBlanc, Joel McHale, Michael Weatherly, Katherine Heigl, Dermot Mulroney, Laverne Cox, Dulé Hill and Bill Paxton.
The new fall comedies are: KEVIN CAN WAIT, starring Kevin James as a newly retired police officer who faces tougher challenges at home with his wife and three kids than he ever did on the streets; MAN WITH A PLAN, starring Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc as a contractor who starts spending more time with his kids when his wife goes back to work and discovers the truth every parent eventually realizes: his little angels are maniacs; and THE GREAT INDOORS, starring Joel McHale as a renowned adventure reporter for an outdoor magazine who becomes the desk-bound boss to a group of eager millennials in the publication’s digital edition.
The new fall dramas are: BULL, starring Michael Weatherly as a brilliant and charming trial consultant; the action-adventure drama MACGYVER, an origin story of the classic series starring Lucas Till and George Eads; and PURE GENIUS, starring Dermot Mulroney and Augustus Prew in a medical drama about a Silicon Valley billionaire superstar who enlists the world’s best medical minds to work in his state-of-the-art hospital.
Two new series also set to premiere in 2016-2017 are: TRAINING DAY, a crime drama that begins 15 years after the events of the successful feature film, starring Bill Paxton as a hardened, morally ambiguous detective for the LAPD, and Justin Cornwell as a young, idealistic officer tapped to go undercover as his trainee to spy on him; and the legal drama DOUBT, starring Katherine Heigl, Steven Pasquale, Dulé Hill and Laverne Cox, about an attorney who begins to fall for her charismatic client accused of murdering his girlfriend.
The 21 returning shows for the 2016-2017 season are dramas NCIS, television’s #1 drama for seven consecutive seasons; BLUE BLOODS and MADAM SECRETARY, the #1 broadcast dramas on Friday and Sunday, respectively; time-period winners CODE BLACK, CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS, ELEMENTARY, HAWAII FIVE-0, NCIS: LOS ANGELES and NCIS: NEW ORLEANS; Monday night’s most-watched drama, SCORPION; and CRIMINAL MINDS. The comedies are THE BIG BANG THEORY, television’s #1 comedy for the past six years; LIFE IN PIECES, this season’s #1 new comedy; the critically acclaimed MOM, THE ODD COUPLE and 2 BROKE GIRLS.
The returning reality series are the Emmy Award-winning programs SURVIVOR, THE AMAZING RACE and UNDERCOVER BOSS.
In addition to the new shows and 21 established series, NFL THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL returns to CBS’s #1 primetime lineup for the third consecutive year with five early-season games. The Thursday broadcasts kick off on Sept. 15 with New York Jets at Buffalo Bills.
The 2016-2017 night-by-night schedule:
MONDAYS – Comedy is back on Monday! With THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL premiering Sept. 15, the Network will again move THE BIG BANG THEORY to Mondays at 8:00 PM to start the season, giving the best lead-in on television to the new family comedy KEVIN CAN WAIT, starring Kevin James. Following football, THE BIG BANG THEORY will move to its regular Thursday time period, and KEVIN CAN WAIT will shift to 8:00 PM to anchor the night and lead in to the new comedy MAN WITH A PLAN starring Matt LeBlanc. The expanded night of comedy will continue with Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs in 2 BROKE GIRLS at 9:00 PM, paired with Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon in THE ODD COUPLE at 9:30 PM, creating a two-hour comedy block. Moving to 10:00 PM to wrap up the night is SCORPION, Monday night’s top-rated scripted series.
TUESDAYS – NCIS, television’s #1 drama for seven years with over 20 million viewers, returns at 8:00 PM, providing the perfect lead-in for former NCIS star Michael Weatherly in his new legal drama, BULL, at 9:00 PM. This highly compatible and powerful night of television continues with the top three drama NCIS: NEW ORLEANS at 10:00 PM, to cap the evening.
WEDNESDAYS – SURVIVOR once again opens the night at 8:00 PM, where it continues to win in viewers and demographics. CRIMINAL MINDS, a top 10 drama, returns at 9:00 PM, leading in to the fast–paced medical drama CODE BLACK at 10:00 PM, Wednesday’s #1 new series in viewers in its freshman season.
THURSDAYS – NFL THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL kicks off on Sept. 15, giving CBS big ratings in the middle of the week and a strong promotional platform to launch the new season. The Network’s top-rated entertainment schedule returns Oct. 27 with THE BIG BANG THEORY in its regular 8:00 PM slot, providing a potent lead-in for the new comedy THE GREAT INDOORS, starring Joel McHale as the boss to a group of millennials in his magazine’s digital department, at 8:30 PM. Anna Faris and seven-time Emmy Award winner Allison Janney star in the critically-acclaimed MOM at 9:00 PM, followed by this season’s #1 new comedy, LIFE IN PIECES, at 9:30 PM. Then, after opening the night with a group of geniuses, the evening closes with another group in PURE GENIUS, the medical drama about an Internet billionaire and his brilliant team of doctors, starring Dermot Mulroney and Augustus Prew, at 10:00 PM.
FRIDAYS – Kicking off the night at 8:00 PM will be the new action-adventure drama MACGYVER, a reimagining of the classic series, followed by another classic franchise, time-period winner HAWAII FIVE-0 at 9:00 PM. BLUE BLOODS, Friday’s most-watched show, anchors CBS’s winning Friday night at 10:00 PM.
SATURDAYS – CBS’s Saturday lineup features CRIMETIME SATURDAY, encore broadcasts of the Network’s popular dramas at 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM, followed by 48 HOURS at 10:00 PM, Saturday’s most-watched program.
SUNDAYS – The renowned 60 MINUTES, television’s #1 news program for nearly five decades, returns at 7:00 PM. At 8:00 PM, Monday hit NCIS: LOS ANGELES moves to its new home, leading into MADAM SECRETARY, Sunday’s most-watched broadcast drama, which shifts to 9:00 PM. At 10:00 PM, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are back on the case in ELEMENTARY, capping a night of three strong dramas from 8:00-11:00 PM.
In addition to TRAINING DAY and DOUBT, CBS will once again present year-round programming, rolling out new and established series throughout the season, including CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS, which is winning its Wednesday (10:00-11:00 PM) time period in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54; the award-winning reality series THE AMAZING RACE and UNDERCOVER BOSS; and the new one-hour alternative series, HUNTED, which was previously announced.
THE NEW FALL COMEDIES:
KEVIN CAN WAIT
KEVIN CAN WAIT stars Kevin James as a newly retired police officer looking forward to spending carefree, quality time with his wife and three kids, only to discover he faces tougher challenges at home than he ever did on the streets. Kevin’s retirement plans consist of chilling with his family and having epic adventures with fellow retirees Goody (Leonard Earl Howze), his former partner and close friend, and Duffy (Lenny Venito), his oldest pal, as well as his brother, Kyle (Gary Valentine), a fireman whose closest encounter with a blaze would be a grease fire in the firehouse kitchen. However, Kevin’s dream is jeopardized when he discovers that Donna (Erinn Hayes), his wonderful wife of 20 years, has shielded him from key family info while he worked overtime protecting the community. Their usually reliable eldest, Kendra (Taylor Spreitler), is dropping out of college so she can support her unemployed fiancé, Chale (Ryan Cartwright), while he designs the next “big app”; his teenage daughter, Sara (Mary-Charles Jones), is having issues at school; and their youngest, Jack (James DiGiacomo), is a bit of a hypochondriac. For now, his plans for a cushy life will have to wait, because Kevin has work to do, and this time, his family is his beat. Bruce Helford, Rock Reuben, Kevin James, Jeff Sussman and Andy Fickman are executive producers for CBS Television Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television. Fickman directed the pilot.
MAN WITH A PLAN
MAN WITH A PLAN stars Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc in a comedy about a contractor who starts spending more time with his kids when his wife goes back to work and discovers the truth every parent eventually realizes: their little angels are maniacs. Adam (LeBlanc) feels fully equipped to take on more parenting responsibilities while his self-assured wife, Andi, returns to the work force after being a stay at home mom for 13 years. However, Adam’s blindsided by how tough it is to wrangle three messy kids who can’t live without Wi-Fi. Their pre-teen daughter, Kate (Grace Kaufman), is a master manipulator and initially thrilled that “daddy fun times” is taking over, middle child Teddy (Matthew McCann) can’t seem to keep his hands out of his pants despite constant reminders, and their precious youngest, Emme (Hala Finley), is nervous about starting kindergarten. But with Andi’s encouragement and advice from a couple of equally stressed parents, Marie (Jessica Chaffin) and Lowell (Matt Cook), Adam takes charge of his brood, lays down the law and discovers he’s going to “nail” this job. Jeff & Jackie Filgo, Matt LeBlanc, Michael Rotenberg and Troy Zien are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Multiple Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed the pilot.
THE GREAT INDOORS
THE GREAT INDOORS stars Joel McHale in a comedy about a renowned adventure reporter for an outdoor magazine who must adapt to the times when he becomes the desk-bound boss to a group of millennials in the digital department of the publication. Jack has led a thrilling “outdoorsy” life exploring the edges of the earth while chronicling his adventures for Outdoor Limits. But his globe-trotting days end when the magazine’s charismatic founder and outdoor legend, Roland (Stephen Fry), announces the publication’s move to web-only and assigns Jack to supervise their online team of “journalists.” Jack’s eager 20-something colleagues include Clark (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a tech nerd who knows everything about surviving on Mars and a
zombie apocalypse; Emma (Christine Ko), their social media expert who views Jack as the human version of dial-up; and Mason (Shaun Brown), a hipster-lumberjack who hasn’t spent any actual time outside. Jack reports to Roland’s daughter, Brooke (Susannah Fielding), an ex-flame who caters to the sensitive staffers by giving them all trophies just for working hard. Jack’s best friend, Eddie (Chris Williams), runs the local dive bar that’s popular with the younger set and helps Jack “decode” his co-workers. Jack is baffled by the world of click-bait and listicles, but if he’s patient, he may be able to show these kids that the outside world is much more than something on a screen… if he doesn’t beat them with their selfie-sticks first. Mike Gibbons, Chris Harris and multiple Emmy Award winner Andy Ackerman are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Ackerman directed the pilot.
THE NEW FALL DRAMAS:
BULL
BULL stars Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull in a drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, the founder of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time. Brilliant, brash and charming, Dr. Bull is the ultimate puppet master as he combines psychology, human intuition and high tech data to learn what makes jurors, attorneys, witnesses and the accused tick. Bull employs an enviable team of experts at Trial Analysis Corporation to shape successful narratives down to the very last detail. They include his quick-witted brother-in-law, Benny Colón (Freddy Rodriguez), who plays a defense attorney in mock trials; Marissa Morgan (Geneva Carr), a cutting-edge neurolinguistics expert from the Department of Homeland Security; former NYPD detective Danny James (Jaime Lee Kirchner), the firm’s tough but relatable investigator; haughty millennial hacker Cable McCrory (Annabelle Attanasio), who is responsible for gathering cyber intelligence; and Chunk Palmer (Chris Jackson), a fashion-conscious stylist and former All-American lineman who fine tunes clients’ appearances for trial. In high-stakes trials, Bull’s combination of remarkable insight into human nature, three Ph.D.’s and a top-notch staff creates winning strategies that tip the scales of justice in his clients’ favor. Paul Attanasio, Dr. Phillip C. McGraw, Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Jay McGraw, Mark Goffman and Rodrigo Garcia are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Garcia directed the pilot.
MACGYVER
MACGYVER, a reimagining of the classic series, is an action-adventure drama about 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver (Lucas Till) who creates a clandestine organization within the U.S. government where he uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives. Joining his team on high-risk missions around the globe is maverick former CIA agent Lincoln (George Eads). Under the aegis of the Department of External Affairs, MacGyver takes on the responsibility of saving the world, armed to the teeth with resourcefulness and little more than bubble gum and a paper clip. Peter Lenkov, Golden Globe Award winner Henry Winkler, Lee Zlotoff, James Wan and Michael Clear are executive producers for CBS Television Studios in association with Lionsgate.
PURE GENIUS
PURE GENIUS is a cutting-edge medical drama about a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists an exceptional veteran surgeon with a controversial past to run a state-of-the-art hospital with an ultramodern approach to medicine. Billionaire genius James Bell (Augustus Prew) built Bunker Hill Hospital determined to revolutionize healthcare and treat the rarest and most challenging medical mysteries, at no charge. Bell persuades maverick surgeon Dr. Walter Wallace (Dermot Mulroney) to be his Chief of Staff, who believed medicine is a human endeavor, not technological, until a “eureka” moment at the hospital convinced him otherwise. Bell’s team of trailblazers includes Dr. Zoe Brockett (Odette Annable), an exceptional, fearlessly frank physician; Dr. Talaikha Channarayapatra (Reshma Shetty), an idealistic, maddeningly literal neurosurgeon who believes the hospital is a beacon for change; Dr. Malik Verlaine (Aaron Jennings), a former gangbanger now spearheading efforts to provide 24/7 health monitoring in poor neighborhoods via computer; Dr. Scott Strauss (Ward Horton), an intense neurologist with an Ivy league pedigree; and Angie Cheng (Brenda Song), an enthusiastic 3-D printer programming whiz. At Bunker Hill, Bell pairs the most brilliant minds in medicine with the most forward thinkers in technology, and cuts bureaucracy out of the equation, all in the interest of saving lives, including his own. Jason Katims, Michelle Lee and David Semel are executive producers for Universal Television in association with CBS Television Studios. Semel directed the pilot.
NEW SERIES FOR LATER THIS SEASON:
TRAINING DAY is a crime thriller that begins 15 years after the events of the feature film, about a young, idealistic police officer who is tapped to go undercover in an elite squad of the LAPD where he partners with a veteran, morally ambiguous detective. Detective Frank Rourke (Bill Paxton) is the maverick head of the Special Investigation Section (S.I.S.) that hunts the city’s most dangerous criminals, and is one of the finest investigators the department has ever produced. However, when the LAPD brass notices Rourke’s penchant for operating in a gray area to fight the war on crime, they assign Kyle Craig (Justin Cornwell), a heroic, untarnished cop, to pose as Frank’s trainee to spy on him and report on his off-book methods. The members of Frank’s loyal team include Rebecca Lee (Katrina Law), a formidable officer with killer aim and a dark past, and Tommy Campbell (Drew Van Acker), a former pro surfer who follows Frank’s orders without hesitation. Providing Frank with intel is his girlfriend, Holly Butler (Julie Benz), a well-connected, unapologetic Hollywood madam. While LAPD Deputy Chief Joy Lockhart (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) coolly puts Kyle in danger in her mission to take down Frank, Kyle’s schoolteacher wife, Alyse (Lex Scott Davis), worries her husband’s resolve to avenge the murder of his father, a cop, may be his undoing. As Frank starts teaching his principled trainee the way of the streets, where the ends often justify the means, they form an uneasy alliance that will irrevocably change the course of both their lives. Based on the feature film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. Jerry Bruckheimer, Antoine Fuqua, Will Beall, Barry Schindel, Jonathan Littman and Danny Cannon are executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Fuqua Films in association with Warner Bros. Television. Cannon directed the pilot.
DOUBT stars Katherine Heigl as Sadie Ellis, a brilliant attorney at a boutique firm who starts to fall for her charismatic client, Billy Brennan (Steven Pasquale), an altruistic pediatric surgeon recently accused of murdering his girlfriend 24 years ago. Sadie is hiding her growing feelings from everyone, including her close friend and colleague, Albert Cobb (Dulé Hill), who thinks he knows everything about her. Working on other cases at the practice is Cameron Wirth (Laverne Cox), a transgender Ivy League graduate who fights passionately for her clients since she’s experienced injustice first hand; Tiffany Simon (Dreama Walker), a second-year associate who is quickly learning the ropes from Wirth; and Nick (Kobi Libii), a former felon who earned his degree while serving time. They all consider it a privilege to work for Isaiah Roth (Elliott Gould), a revered legal lion and “lefty” legend, whose approval is their holy grail. Sadie’s decision to become involved with her client could put her career, as well as her happiness, at risk if Billy is found guilty, which means she needs to work all the harder to prove reasonable doubt, even if she has some herself. Tony Phelan & Joan Rater, Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein, Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Bernstein directed the pilot.
CBS TELEVISION NETWORK 2016-2017 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(N=New, RTP=Regular Time Period, NTP=New Time Period)
All Times ET/PT
MONDAY
8 p.m. — THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30 p.m. — KEVIN CAN WAIT (N)
8 p.m. — KEVIN CAN WAIT (RTP) (Starting in October)
8:30 p.m. — MAN WITH A PLAN (N) (Starting in October)
9 p.m. — 2 BROKE GIRLS (NTP)
9:30 p.m. — THE ODD COUPLE (NTP)
10 p.m. — SCORPION (NTP)
TUESDAY
8 p.m. — NCIS
9 p.m. — BULL (N)
10 p.m. — NCIS: NEW ORLEANS (NTP)
WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. — SURVIVOR
9 p.m. — CRIMINAL MINDS
10 p.m. — CODE BLACK
THURSDAY
8 p.m. — NFL THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (Premieres Sept. 15)
8 p.m. — THE BIG BANG THEORY (RTP) (Starting Oct. 27)
8:30 p.m. — THE GREAT INDOORS (N) (Starting Oct. 27)
9 p.m. — MOM (Starting Oct. 27)
9:30 p.m. — LIFE IN PIECES (NTP) (Starting Oct. 27)
10 p.m. — PURE GENIUS (N) (Starting Oct. 27)
FRIDAY
8 p.m. — MACGYVER (N)
9 p.m. — HAWAII FIVE-0
10 p.m. — BLUE BLOODS
SATURDAY
8 p.m. — CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9 p.m. — CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10 p.m. — 48 HOURS
SUNDAY
7 p.m. — 60 MINUTES
8 p.m. — NCIS: LOS ANGELES (NTP)
9 p.m. — MADAM SECRETARY (NTP)
10 p.m. — ELEMENTARY
