Kevin Can Wait
CBS, announcing a fall schedule that CEO Leslie Moonves said was the most difficult in years to finalize, slotted in three new comedies, pivoting back to a comedy-rich Monday lineup after last years laugh-free experiment.
This has frankly been one of the most difficult scheduling years ever, Moonves said during the network's annual press breakfast preceding its Carnegie Hall upfront. Not because we didn't have the programs, but there are so many factors that enter into our decisions now that didn't exist before: digital, ownership, the international marketplace, measurement, the DVR, et cetera.
Newbies Kevin Can Wait, starring Kevin James, and Man With a Plan, with Matt LeBlanc, join Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls and The Odd Couple on Mondays. Thursday Night Football games kick off Sept. 15 with the New York Jets at the Buffalo Bills. When those games end Oct. 27, Joel McHale comedy The Great Indoors will join the Thursday lineup.
We like comedy because there's not a lot of comedy out there, including the SVODs and basic cable and other networks, especially multi-cams, said CBS senior executive VP Kelly Kahl. We look at that as a piece of real estate we can own.
Supergirl, now headed to the CW, was a big swing for CBS on Mondays for 2015-16, signaling a major shift, the first time in decades the network hadn't had a comedy on Mondays. It struggled after a fast start.
Other new entries on a schedule largely dependent on powerhouse returning shows (Kahl noted the network has 17 shows that draw more than 10 million total viewers, more than other broadcast nets combined) are MacGyver, a reboot of the 1980s classic that Kahl described as a blue-sky show; Bull, with Michael Weatherly as a trial consultant; and Pure Genius, a Silicon Valley medical drama with Dermot Mulroney and Augustus Prew. Doubt, starring Katherine Heigl, comes midseason, as does Training Day.
Execs noted the network will notch its 13th total audience win in the past 14 years, including the last eight in a row. They also said CBS will capture the demo crown-NBC had predicted a win also but was removing Super Bowl 50 from CBS.
In his opening, Moonves said, Some have said, Oh gee, they had the Super Bowl.' Yes, we did and the Super Bowl helped. But let me tell you a fact. Without football, we still win in every single demographic. He added, There are a lot of misquotes out there, a lot of misinformation. That happens this time of year when people brag about statistics that they just made up last week.
Kahl noted that CBS also finished No. 1 in C3 viewing.
In terms of the overall philosophy, Kahl said there would be no cute phrases this year. Just a desire with the schedule to get a little better, get a little younger, improve time periods and improve nights. At CBS, consistency is a good thing. Complacency is a dirty word.
Among the shows not mentioned during Kahl and Geller's presentation of the schedule was Limitless, an adaptation of the Bradley Cooper movie that the star appeared in briefly and also produced. Asked later about the show's fate, Geller said, We are in discussions with other potential buyers. He declined to elaborate or confirm its status on the schedule.
Asked about diversity (a perennial topic faced by CBS execs), Geller maintained the schedule for 2016-17 is more diverse than last year's. Doubt, he said, will feature the first transgender series regular played by a transgender actor. I think we're heading in the right direction, he said.
While CBS is largely an oasis of stability in a changing business, from 60 Minutes in its sixth decade to repeats on Saturday nights, there were some noteworthy changes. The upcoming schedule is the first since 2000, for example, without a show with the initials CSI. (CSI Cyber was cancelled earlier this spring.) Geller was non-committal when asked about the franchise's future. We're proud of all four shows, he said. It may come back in another incarnation.
Moonves promised plenty of retaliation at Carnegie Hall to the other broadcast upfronts, where rivals zinged CBS for successful-but-low-buzz titles like NCIS and Fox even altered his photo to portray him as Les Luthor.
The chairman offered a preview of the bullish speech he plans to deliver to media buyers. You've heard all week about the lack of effect of digital advertising, he said. There are a lot of stats. We see money coming back to networks, not that it ever left. Some of the glow of digital the bloom is off the rose. By the same token, basic cable doesn't have the reach or the ratings that we do.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Kevin Can Wait 
