NEW YORK, May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS today unveiled
its 2015-2016 primetime lineup, featuring seven new shows and 22
returning series. CBS will build on a schedule that will finish the
current season as America's most-watched network in viewers for the
12th time in 13 years, including the last seven years
straight.
The new fall dramas are: the heart-pounding medical series CODE
BLACK, set in the busiest, most notorious ER in the nation; the
fast-paced LIMITLESS, based on the feature film with Bradley Cooper, starring Jake McDorman as an average guy who can suddenly
access 100% of his brain capacity with a mysterious pill; and
SUPERGIRL, starring Melissa Benoist
in the title role based on the DC Comics superhero.
The new fall comedies are: ANGEL FROM HELL, about a loud,
colorful, often inappropriate woman who claims to be a guardian
angel, starring Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch and Maggie
Lawson; and LIFE IN PIECES, an irreverent look at a family's
sometimes awkward, often hilarious and ultimately beautiful
milestone moments, starring Academy and Emmy Award winner
Dianne Wiest, Emmy Award winner
James Brolin, Zoe Lister Jones, Colin
Hanks, Angelique Cabral,
Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt and Dan
Bakkedahl.
Two new dramas also set to premiere in 2015-2016 include the
buddy-cop drama RUSH HOUR, based on the successful film franchise,
starring Justin Hires as a maverick
detective from Los Angeles and
John Foo as a stoic detective from
Hong Kong who knock heads when
they are forced to work together; and CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND
BORDERS, a CRIMINAL MINDS spinoff starring Emmy Award winner
Gary Sinise about the International
Division of the FBI tasked with solving crimes and rescuing
Americans in danger while abroad.
The 22 returning shows for the 2015-2016 season are dramas NCIS,
television's #1 drama for six consecutive seasons; NCIS:
NEW ORLEANS, television's #1 new
show of the 2014-2015 season; BLUE BLOODS, CRIMINAL MINDS, CSI:
CYBER, ELEMENTARY, THE GOOD WIFE, HAWAII FIVE-0, MADAM SECRETARY, NCIS:
LOS ANGELES, PERSON OF INTEREST
and SCORPION. The comedies are THE BIG BANG THEORY, television's #1
scripted program, the critically acclaimed MOM, THE ODD COUPLE,
MIKE & MOLLY and 2 BROKE GIRLS.
The returning reality series are time period-winning SURVIVOR,
10-time Emmy Award winner THE AMAZING RACE, and the two-time Emmy
Award-winning UNDERCOVER BOSS.
In news, CBS will return 60 MINUTES, television's #1 news
program for more than four decades, and 48 HOURS, Saturday's #1
non-sports program.
In addition to the new shows and 22 established series, NFL
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL returns to CBS's #1 primetime lineup. The
Thursday broadcasts kick off on Sept.
17 with Denver at
Kansas City, and will feature
CBS's lead broadcasters and production team, including Jim Nantz, Phil
Simms and reporter Tracy
Wolfson.
The 2015-2016 season will also feature a lineup of big events,
including the premiere of THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT on Tuesday, Sept. 8, and the two-hour series finale
farewell for CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION on Sunday, Sept. 27, reuniting original cast members
including William Petersen and
Marg Helgenberger.
And CBS will feature the exclusive presentation of SUPER BOWL 50
on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, when the
event celebrates its golden anniversary at Levi's Stadium in
Santa Clara, Calif. This will mark
the Network's 19th Super Bowl telecast, the most by any
broadcaster.
"This is a schedule well-positioned to build on the foundation
of last year when we introduced five successful new series and
increased our audience by 5%," said Nina
Tassler, Chairman, CBS Entertainment. "With 'Thursday Night
Football,' many of the biggest hits on primetime television and
huge events throughout the year, all of our exciting new shows have
the best possible environment to succeed, and to help deliver
another winning season for CBS."
The 2015-2016 night-by-night schedule:
MONDAYS – With THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL premiering Sept. 17, the Network will once again move THE
BIG BANG THEORY to 8:00 PM to start
the season, providing a potent lead-in to the new comedy LIFE IN
PIECES. When THE BIG BANG THEORY and LIFE IN PIECES move to their
regular Thursday time periods after football, the new
action-adventure drama SUPERGIRL will open Monday at 8:00 PM. The action-packed evening continues with
the high-octane dramas SCORPION at 9:00
PM and NCIS: LOS ANGELES at
10:00 PM.
TUESDAYS – Television's #1 drama for six years, NCIS, returns at
8:00 PM, followed by television's #1
new show of the season, NCIS: NEW
ORLEANS, at 9:00 PM. The
two-hour block provides a powerful lead-in for the smart new
drama LIMITLESS at 10:00 PM.
WEDNESDAYS – SURVIVOR once again opens the night at 8:00 PM, where it continues to win in viewers and
demos. CBS's highest-rated 18-49 drama, CRIMINAL MINDS, which grew
its audience this year, delivers the perfect lead-in at
9:00 PM for the fast-paced new
medical drama CODE BLACK at 10:00
PM.
THURSDAYS – NFL THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL kicks off on Sept. 17, giving CBS a strong platform to launch
the new season. The Network's entertainment schedule returns in
November with all-new episodes for virtually the rest of the
season. THE BIG BANG THEORY is back at 8:00
PM, followed by LIFE IN PIECES at 8:30 PM. MOM, the fastest-growing returning
series on television, starring Anna
Faris and Allison Janney,
returns at 9:00 PM, which pairs
incredibly well with the new comedy ANGEL FROM HELL at 9:30 PM, starring Jane
Lynch and Maggie Lawson.
Capping the night at 10:00 PM,
Sherlock Holmes is back in
ELEMENTARY, a proven time period performer that also adds four
million viewers in DVR playback every week.
FRIDAYS – CBS's winning night returns intact with the Emmy
Award-winning reality series THE AMAZING RACE at 8:00 PM, followed by the two-hour crime-solving
block of HAWAII FIVE-0 at
9:00 PM and BLUE BLOODS, Friday's
most-watched show, 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, Saturday's #1 non-sports
program.
SUNDAYS – CBS presents a smart, upscale night of programming on
Sunday. The #1 news program for more than four decades, 60 MINUTES,
returns at 7:00 PM. MADAM SECRETARY,
Sunday's top-rated broadcast drama, is back in office at
8:00 PM, followed by the most
acclaimed series on network television, THE GOOD WIFE, at
9:00 PM. To start the season, CSI:
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION will have a special two-hour series
finale farewell. Then, CSI: CYBER will move in at 10:00 PM to carry on the CSI legacy, with Emmy
Award winner Ted Danson joining
Academy Award winner Patricia
Arquette on the cast.
CBS will once again present a year-round programming strategy,
rolling out series throughout the season, including three
established comedies, 2 BROKE GIRLS, MIKE & MOLLY and THE ODD
COUPLE, the thrilling drama PERSON OF INTEREST and the
award-winning reality series UNDERCOVER BOSS.
THE NEW FALL DRAMAS:
CODE BLACK, based on the award-winning documentary by
Ryan McGarry, is a heart-pounding
medical drama that takes place in the busiest, most notorious ER in
the nation, where the staggering influx of patients can outweigh
the limited resources available to the extraordinary doctors and
nurses whose job is to treat them all – creating a condition known
as Code Black. At the heart of the ER's controlled chaos is
Residency Director Dr. Leanne Rorish
(Academy Award winner Marcia Gay
Harden), renowned for successfully performing high-risk
procedures in Center Stage, the trauma area reserved for the most
critical cases. Her four new first-year residents are Christa Lorenson (Bonnie
Somerville), Malaya Pineda (Melanie Kannokada), Mario
Savetti (Benjamin Hollingsworth) and
Angus Leighton (Harry M. Ford). Leanne's confidante,
Jesse Sallander (Luis Guzman), is an amiable seen-it-all senior
nurse who manages the residents. Also working in the ER is Dr.
Neal Hudson (Raza Jaffrey), an excellent physician who
sometimes disagrees with Leanne's "cowboy" approach, and Dr.
Rollie Guthrie (William Allen Young), the energetic,
longest-serving attending. In Center Stage, life is measured in
seconds, and these heroic doctors and nurses operate with speed and
skill within an overwhelmed system to treat the crowds of people
who are often there for one of two reasons: to die or to receive a
life-saving miracle. Michael
Seitzman, Marti Noxon,
Linda Goldstein-Knowlton,
Ryan McGarry and David Semel are executive producers for ABC
Studios in association with CBS Television Studios. The pilot was
directed by David Semel ("Madam
Secretary").
LIMITLESS, based on the feature film, is a fast-paced drama
about Brian Finch (Jake McDorman), who discovers the brain-boosting
power of the mysterious drug NZT and is coerced by the FBI into
using his extraordinary cognitive abilities to solve complex cases
for them. Working closely with Brian in the major case squad in
New York City is Special Agent
Rebecca Harris (Jennifer Carpenter), a formidable investigator
with a dark past, and Special Agent Boyle (Hill Harper), a former
military officer and Rebecca's confidante. They report to Special
Agent in Charge Nasreen "Naz" Pouran (Mary
Elizabeth Mastrantonio), a canny manipulator of the reins of
power. Unbeknownst to the FBI, Brian also has a clandestine
relationship with Senator Edward
Mora (Academy Award nominee Bradley
Cooper, recurring), a presidential hopeful and regular user
of NZT who has plans of his own for his new protégé. Fueled now
with a steady supply of NZT that enables him to use 100% of his
brain capacity, Brian is more effective than all of the FBI agents
combined, making him a criminal's worst nightmare and the greatest
asset the Bureau has ever possessed. Craig
Sweeny, Marc Webb,
Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Heather
Kadin, Bradley Cooper,
Todd Phillips, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker
Tooley and Tom Forman are
executive producers for CBS Television Studios in association with
K/O Paper Products and Relativity Television. The pilot was
directed by Marc Webb ("The Amazing
Spider-Man" 1 and 2 Feature Films).
SUPERGIRL is an action-adventure drama based on the DC Comics
character Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist), Superman's (Kal-El) cousin
who, after 12 years of keeping her powers a secret on Earth,
decides to finally embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero
she was always meant to be. Twelve-year-old Kara escaped the doomed
planet Krypton with her parents' help at the same time as the
infant Kal-El. Protected and raised on Earth by her foster family,
the Danvers, Kara grew up in the shadow of her foster sister, Alex
(Chyler Leigh), and learned to conceal the phenomenal powers she
shares with her famous cousin in order to keep her identity a
secret. Years later at 24, Kara lives in National City assisting media mogul and fierce
taskmaster Cat Grant (Golden Globe Award winner Calista Flockhart), who just hired the Daily
Planet's former photographer, James
Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), as her new art director. However,
Kara's days of keeping her talents a secret are over when
Hank Henshaw (David Harewood), head of a super-secret agency
where her sister also works, enlists her to help them protect the
citizens of National City from
sinister threats. Though Kara will need to find a way to manage her
newfound empowerment with her very human relationships, her heart
soars as she takes to the skies as Supergirl to fight crime.
Greg Berlanti ("The Flash,"
"Arrow"), Ali Adler, Sarah Schecter and Andrew Kreisberg are executive producers for
Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
The pilot was directed by Glen
Winter ("Arrow").
THE NEW FALL COMEDIES:
ANGEL FROM HELL stars Golden Globe and multiple Emmy Award
winner Jane Lynch in a single-camera
comedy about Amy (Lynch), a
colorful, brassy woman who insinuates herself into Allison's
(Maggie Lawson) organized and
seemingly perfect life, claiming to be her "guardian angel."
Allison is an intense, driven doctor who is sure that Amy is just
an inebriated, outspoken nut, until every one of her warnings
proves true. Cautioned by Amy not tell anyone about her, Allison
can't discuss this over-the-top oddball with her father and
business partner, Marv (Kevin
Pollak), a sunburned dermatologist who shares an office with
Allison, or her younger brother, Brad (Kyle
Bornheimer), a pharmaceutical sales rep who lives over her
garage. As Allison tries to push Amy away, Amy makes her final
pitch: her sole mission is to provide Allison with helpful guidance
that nudges her in the right direction in life – and it's
her final chance to prove herself as an angel. With that, Allison
agrees to this unlikely relationship because maybe a weird friend
is exactly what she needs… and what if Amy really is her
"guardian angel"? Tad Quill and Emmy
Award winner Don Scardino ("30
Rock") are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. The
pilot was directed by Don
Scardino.
LIFE IN PIECES is a single-camera comedy about one big happy
family and their sometimes awkward, often hilarious and ultimately
beautiful milestone moments as told by its various members. Of the
three siblings, middle child Matt (Thomas
Sadoski) may have just found his true love, his co-worker,
Colleen (Angelique Cabral); his
coddled youngest brother, Greg (Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee
Colin Hanks), and his wife, Jen
(Zoe Lister Jones), are overwhelmed
by the birth of their first child; and the eldest, Heather
(Betsy Brandt), and her husband, Tim
(Dan Bakkedahl), are dreading their
impending empty nest so much, they're considering having another
baby. Their parents are Joan (Academy, Golden Globe and Emmy Award
winner Dianne Wiest), the family's
adoring matriarch who would do anything for her kids – as long as
she agrees with it – and John (Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner
James Brolin), the gregarious
patriarch who's searching for ways to soften the blow of turning
70. As the family's lives unfold in four short stories each week,
they try to savor these little pieces of time that flash by but
stay with you forever, because these moments add up to what life's
all about. Niall Cunningham,
Holly J. Barrett and Giselle Eisenberg also star. Justin Adler, Emmy Award winner Jason Winer ("Modern Family") and Aaron Kaplan are executive producers for
20th Century Fox Television in association with Kapital
Entertainment. The pilot was directed by Jason Winer.
NEW SERIES FOR LATER THIS SEASON:
CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS (Spinoff) stars Golden Globe and
Emmy Award winner Gary Sinise in a
drama about the specialized International Division of the FBI
tasked with solving crimes and coming to the rescue of Americans
who find themselves in danger while abroad. Heading the department
is Unit Chief Jack Garrett (Sinise),
a seasoned 20-year veteran of the Bureau. The team he trusts with
his life includes Matthew Simmons
(Daniel Henney), a former military
hero with split-second profiling skills he honed on the
battlefield, and Russ "Monty" Montgomery (Tyler
James Williams), the unit's compassionate, brilliant tech
analyst who additionally liaises stateside with the families of
those in trouble while his group is far from home. These
exceptional agents are dedicated to safely returning U.S. residents
home by profiling and identifying criminals who are beyond our
borders. The pilot was a planted spin-off of an episode of CRIMINAL
MINDS broadcast on April 8, 2015.
Emmy Award winner Mark Gordon,
Erica Messer and Nick Pepper are executive producers for ABC
Studios in association with CBS Television Studios and The Mark
Gordon Company. The episode was directed by Glen Kershaw ("Criminal Minds").
RUSH HOUR, a reimagining of the hit feature film franchise, is a
buddy-cop drama about a maverick LAPD detective and a by-the-book
detective from Hong Kong who knock
heads when they are forced to partner together. Detective Lee
(Jon Foo) is a reserved, honorable
master martial artist with lightning-fast moves who comes to L.A.
to avenge his sister's alleged death and learn more about her
connection to a Chinese organized crime ring. Detective Carter
(Justin Hires), on the other hand,
is a wisecracking cop who plays by his own rules and has never
wanted a partner. As exasperated as Carter's boss, Captain Cole
(Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee Wendie
Malick), gets with him, she knows he's a brilliant detective
who gets results. Attempting to help the two get along is Sergeant
Didi Diaz (Aimee Garcia), Carter's friend and former
partner who doesn't hesitate to call him out on his antics. But
even as cultures clash and tempers flare, Carter and Lee can't deny
they make a formidable team, and grudgingly admit that sometimes an
unlikely pairing makes for a great partnership. Bill Lawrence, Blake
McCormick, Jeff Ingold,
Jon Turteltaub and the team behind
the "Rush Hour" movies, Arthur
Sarkissian and Brett Ratner,
are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television. The pilot was
directed by Jon Turteltaub.
CBS TELEVISION NETWORK
2015-2016
PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(N=New, RTP=Regular Time Period,
NTP=New Time Period)
All Times ET/PT
MONDAY
8:00-8:30
PM
THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00
PM
LIFE IN PIECES (N)
8:00-9:00
PM
SUPERGIRL (N) (Starting in November)
9:00-10:00
PM
SCORPION
10:00-11:00
PM NCIS:
LOS ANGELES
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM
NCIS
9:00-10:00
PM
NCIS: NEW ORLEANS
10:00-11:00
PM LIMITLESS
(N)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00
PM
SURVIVOR
9:00-10:00
PM
CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00
PM CODE BLACK
(N)
THURSDAY
8:00-11:00 PM,
ET/ NFL THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
(Premieres Sept. 17)
5:00-8:00 PM, PT
8:00-8:30
PM
THE BIG BANG THEORY (RTP) (Starting in November)
8:30-9:00
PM
LIFE IN PIECES (NTP) (Starting in November)
9:00-9:30
PM
MOM (Starting in November)
9:30-10:00
PM
ANGEL FROM HELL (N) (Starting in November)
10:00-11:00
PM ELEMENTARY
(Starting in November)
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM
THE AMAZING RACE
9:00-10:00
PM
HAWAII FIVE-0
10:00-11:00
PM BLUE
BLOODS
SATURDAY
8:00-9:00
PM
CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00
PM
CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00
PM 48
HOURS
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00
PM
60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00
PM
MADAM SECRETARY
9:00-10:00
PM
THE GOOD WIFE
10:00-11:00
PM CSI: CYBER
(NTP)
Follow @CBSTweet for Upfront content throughout the day – and
for CBS series content all year long.
Photos are available at www.cbspressexpress.com
Video preview packages will be available today on
http://www.cbs.com/ and CBS's YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/CBS after 5:30
PM, ET.
* * *
Follow CBS's New Series and Talent on Social Media:
#CodeBlack
Twitter: @CodeBlackCBS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Code-Black-on-CBS/785911034828888
Google+:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/116451072585063683517/116451072585063683517/about
Instagram: @CodeBlack_cbs
"Code Black" Talent on Twitter:
Marcia Gay
Harden
@Beloving2
Bonnie Somerville
@BonSomerville
Melanie Kannokada @melaniekann
Luis
Guzman @IamLuisGuzman
Raza
Jaffrey
@RazaJaffrey
Ben Hollingsworth
@hollingsworthb
* * *
#Limitless
Twitter: @LimitlessCBS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Limitless-on-CBS/791415830951641
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/117670981870451393188/117670981870451393188/about
Instagram: @LimitlessCBS
"Limitless" Talent on Twitter:
Jake
McDorman
@JakeMcDorman
Jennifer Carpenter
@J2thecarpenter
Hill
Harper
@hillharper
* * *
#Supergirl
Twitter: @SupergirlCBS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Supergirl/570115506451474
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/107651957060679984042/107651957060679984042/about
Instagram: @Supergirlofficial
"Supergirl" Talent on Twitter:
Melissa
Benoist
@MelissaBenoist
Chyler
Leigh
@chy_leigh
Mehcad
Brooks
@MehcadBrooks
David
Harewood
@DavidHarewood
* * *
#AngelFromHell
Twitter: @AngelFromHell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angel-From-Hell/448882591925803
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/1/b/111159288936250660611/111159288936250660611/about
Instagram: @AngelFromHellCBS
"Angel From Hell" Talent on Twitter:
Jane
Lynch
@janemarielynch
Maggie
Lawson
@maggielawson
Kyle Bornheimer
@KyleBornheimer
Kevin
Pollak
@kevinpollak
* * *
#LifeInPieces
Twitter: @LifeInPiecesCBS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-In-Pieces/773183982773086
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/1/b/117226323679493082607/117226323679493082607/about
Instagram: @LifeInPiecesCBS
"Life in Pieces" Talent on Twitter:
Zoe Lister
Jones
@ZoeListerJones
Colin
Hanks
@ColinHanks
Angelique
Cabral
@angeliquecabral
Thomas
Sadoski
@ThomasSadoski
Betsy
Brandt
@betsy_brandt
Dan
Bakkedahl
@bakkedahl
* * *
#RushHour
Twitter: @RushHourCBS
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rush-Hour-on-CBS/782764688428017
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/111186489709394057049/111186489709394057049/about
Instagram: @RushHourCBS
"Rush Hour" Talent on Twitter:
Justin
Hires
@JustinHires
Aimee
Garcia
@Aimee_Garcia
* * *
#BeyondBorders
Twitter: @CriminalMindsBB
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Criminal-Minds-Beyond-Borders/1546547835596029
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/101057442221311792737/101057442221311792737/about
Instagram: @CriminalmindsBB_cbs
"Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders" Talent on
Twitter
Gary
Sinise
@GarySinise
Tyler James Williams @TylerJamesWill
Daniel
Henney @danielhenney
* * *
About CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and
CBS) is a mass media company that creates and distributes
industry-leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences
around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date
back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures
that operate on the leading edge of media. CBS owns the
most-watched television network in the U.S. and one of the world's
largest libraries of entertainment content, making its brand – "the
Eye" – one of the most recognized in business. The Company's
operations span virtually every field of media and entertainment,
including cable, publishing, radio, local TV, film, and interactive
and socially responsible media. CBS's businesses include CBS
Television Network, The CW (a joint venture between CBS Corporation
and Warner Bros. Entertainment), CBS Television Studios, CBS Global
Distribution Group (CBS Studios International and CBS Television
Distribution), CBS Consumer Products, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS
Films, CBS Interactive, Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network, POP
(a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Lionsgate),
Smithsonian Networks, Simon & Schuster, CBS Television
Stations, CBS Radio and CBS EcoMedia. For more information, go to
www.cbscorporation.com.
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SOURCE CBS Corporation