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The Tiffany network has announced its plans for the 2021-22 television season. Other than a few interesting schedule changes, ol' reliable CBS has few surprises.

Returning shows include 48 Hours, 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, B Positive, Blood & Treasure, Blue Bloods, Bob ♥ Abishola, Bull, The Equalizer, FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, Magnum Pi, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Neighborhood, Seal Team, Survivor, Swat, Tough As Nails, Undercover Boss, United States of Al, and Young Sheldon.

New shows for 2021-22 include The Activist, Come Dance with Me, CSI: Vegas, FBI: International, Ghosts, Good Sam, NCIS: Hawai'i, and Smallwood.

The fate of Clarice is still unknown but if it's renewed, it will likely be moving to Paramount+. The network has already announced that Evil is moving to the streaming service as an exclusive. After airing four episodes of season...

The 2021-22 TV season will be a season of change for CBS.

The network on Wednesday unveiled its fall schedule, and one of the biggest changes is that Ncsi is leaving its Tuesday perch.

The veteran crime solver is moving to Mondays at 9 pm, out of The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola.

It's a huge swing, especially when fans have grown accustomed to watching the show on the same night for 18 years.

It will lead into the latest spinoff, NCIS: Hawai'i, the latest spinoff of the beloved franchise.

The move leaves Tuesdays as Dick Wolf's night of dramas on the network.

FBI is moving into the 8 pm slot, followed by new spinoff FBI: International and the night will be closed off with FBI: Most Wanted.

Will the FBI franchise to pull off what NBC has with OneChicago on Wednesdays? It will be fun to find out.

Wednesdays will (finally!

CBS unveiled its fall schedule for the 2021-22 TV season on Wednesday, adding new versions of “NCIS” and “FBI” to the lineup, as well as bringing back “CSI.”

The biggest change will come to its longest-running series. “NCIS” will move to Monday nights — after airing its first 18 seasons on Tuesdays — at 9 p.m., where it will lead into its latest spinoff, “NCIS: Hawaii.” Tuesdays will now be an all-“FBI” night, with the newest spinoff, “FBI: International” slotted in between “FBI” and “FBI: Most Wanted.”

“Survivor” returns after a year off due to Covid-19 production delays to lead off Wednesdays, followed by “Tough as Nails.” The “CSI” revival, “CSI: Vegas,” will anchor the night at 10 p.m.

On Thursdays, new comedy “Ghosts” will take over the time slot that “Mom” held for the past few years, airing at 9 p.m. “Bull” will move from Mondays to anchor Thursdays. “Young Sheldon,...

Two CBS drama series, Evil and Seal Team, are relocating to Paramount+, ViacomCBS’ streaming service, for their new seasons.

Following intense talks, Paramount+ has closed deals with Evil and Seal Team producer CBS Studios. Negotiations for the move of another CBS Studios-produced CBS drama to Paramount+, Clarice, are still ongoing. All three shows had been on the bubble at CBS and all three have been strong digital performers. Seal Team ranks among the most-watched CBS dramas on Paramount+ this season, and Evil ranked similarly as one of the most-watched during its debut season last year.

“Our Studio and Network have a strong track record of developing high-quality dramas that have multiplatform success, and these series speak to that strength,” said George Cheeks, President & CEO of the CBS Entertainment Group. “These moves mark another example of how our linear and streaming ecosystem can strategically work together to maximize value for the...

“Evil” could be on the move. The supernatural drama may head from CBS over to Paramount+, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.

If it makes the move, it would join “Clarice” and “Seal Team” as CBS dramas to get shifted over to Paramount+.

Reps for CBS and Paramount+ declined to comment.

“Evil” aired its first season in 2019 and was quickly renewed for a second season, which has yet to air. It stars Mike Colter and Katja Herbers.

The series centers on skeptical but open-minded psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Herbers), who meets and begins working with priest-in-training David Acosta (Colter) and a blue-collar contractor (Aasif Mandvi) to determine whether or not a man on trial for a string of grisly murders was driven by demonic possession. “Evil” also stars Michael Emerson as Leland Townsend, an expert witness to the defense with something sinister up his sleeve.

On Friday, news...

All Rise will not be returning to CBS for a third season.

CBS has canceled the Simone Missick-fronted legal drama. It comes after a number of behind issues on the show including the departure of creator and showrunner Greg Spottiswood.

It is one of two cancelations announced by the Eye today after The Unicorn was also axed. It follows a busy 24 hours for the network, ahead of its upfronts next week, which saw it plan to move Seal Team and Clarice to Paramount+ for its upcoming seasons, pick up Sophia Bush pilot Good Sam and Pete Holmes comedy Smallwood to series and pass on pilots Ways & Means starring Patrick Dempsey, the Sarah Cooper/Cindy Chupack comedy and Welcome to Georgia.

All Rise followed the chaotic, hopeful and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice...

As part of ViacomCBS’ efforts to leverage the symbiotic relationship between its TV and streaming platforms, the dramas “Seal Team” and “Clarice” will be moving from CBS to Paramount+ in their next seasons, TheWrap has learned.

“Clarice,” based on the character from “The Silence of the Lambs” by author Thomas Harris, will move to Paramount+ beginning with its upcoming second season. The show has averaged 6.1 million viewers during Season 1. The show is produced by Alex Kurtzman, a major player on Paramount+ thanks to his success shepherding the “Star Trek” franchise on the streaming service.

“Seal Team,” currently in its 4th season, will kick off season 5 in the fall with a run of episodes aired on CBS, before making the jump to Paramount+. The show averaged 6.5 million viewers this season.

In addition to taking advantage of a platform where popular-leaning entertainment has succeeded — CBS shows like NCIS have performed well on...

CBS is handing out series orders!

While the network is passing on Patrick Dempsey's political drama, Ways and Means, and two others, they picked up a comedy and a drama.

Another potential series, Only True Lies, has been pushed off-cycle but is still in contention.

A multicamera comedy titled Smallwood starting Pete Holmes has been given the greenlight.

It comes from executive producers David Hollander and Brian D'Arcy James, and the pilot was directed by Mark Cendrowski.

Holmes stars as an ordinary guy who turns to pro bowling to support his family after being laid off from the Gm factory.

Chi McBride and Katie Lowes costar.

Smallwood, from CBS Studios, seems like a good fit for Holmes.

He previously created and starred on Crashing that aired on HBO from 2017-19.

The Sophia Bush pilot, Good Sam, also got the greenlight.

This show was held over from last year's pilot season,...

“Seal Team” and “Clarice” could soon be on the move. Variety has learned from sources that there are plans taking shape to move the series off of CBS to the ViacomCBS streaming service Paramount Plus.

According to sources, the current plan would be to air a few episodes of the fifth season of “Seal Team” on CBS before moving it over to the streamer, though deals for this are still being worked out. The move would also likely mean a reduced episode count for the series, which ran for 22 episodes its first two seasons, then 20 in Season 3, and 16 in Season 4, with the Season 4 set to wrap up on May 26. “Clarice,” meanwhile would move to Paramount Plus for the entirety of its second season.

Reps for CBS and CBS Studios declined to comment.

Should the move to Paramount Plus take place, it would be the latest example of a broadcast network...

In what could be a glimpse of the future of a symbiotic relationship between broadcast networks and their streaming siblings, I hear two high-profile CBS drama series on the bubble, Seal Team, and Clarice, will be moving to Paramount+ next season.

The deals are still being finalized but I hear the David Boreanaz-starring military drama, which is wrapping its fourth season, will kick off its fifth season on CBS next fall and air its first several episodes — likely four — on the broadcast network before migrating to Paramount+. Freshman Clarice‘s second season will stream exclusively on Paramount+. Reps for the streamer and CBS Studios, which produces both series, declined comment.

Already seen with the moves of A.P. Bio from NBC to Peacock, Search Party from TBS to HBO Max and Younger from TV land to Paramount+, broadcast/basic cable series, owned or co-owned by the net’s parent company,...

CBS today made its new series pickups, going for one drama,Good Sam, headlined by Sophia Bush, and one comedy, the multi-camera Smallwood starring Pete Holmes.

The network also passed on political drama Ways & Means, starring Patrick Dempsey, the untitled Sarah Cooper/Cindy Chupack single-camera comedy, as well as comedy pilot Welcome To Georgia, starring Hannah Simone and Elizabeth Hurley. Both Ways & Means and Welcome To Georgia were from the previous pilot season.

Dempsey plays a powerful congressional leader in Ways & Means, which was ordered to pilot in the early stages of the 2020 primaries when politics was very much on everybody’s mind. Fifteen months later, after a grueling Presidential campaign and two impeachment trials amid a pandemic, there appears to be some political fatigue, which likely impacted the project’s prospects, along with its ability to sell internationally. That is crucial for owned series — which both Good Sam,...

Medical drama Good Sam, starring Sophia Bush, and bowling comedy Smallwood fronted by Pete Holmes have been picked up to series by CBS.

The pick-ups come ahead of CBS’ upfronts on Wednesday and follow a busy day of pick-ups, renewals and cancellations at ABC and NBC.

Good Sam and Smallwood are expected to be for fall, as per traditional CBS practice, but that has yet to be confirmed.

However, they won’t be joined on the schedule by CBS’ other three pilots; political drama Ways & Means, starring Patrick Dempsey, the Sarah Cooper/ Cindy Chupack single-camera comedy and Welcome To Georgia, starring Hannah Simone and Elizabeth Hurley, have all been passed on.

Both Good Sam and Smallwood were seen as frontrunners in their genre with Good Sam considered a solid medical drama for the network that has been looking for a curative franchise, and pro bowling comedy Smallwood was getting...

CBS is betting on a couple of familiar faces next season: The Eye network has handed series orders to medical drama Good Sam, starring Sophia Bush, and bowling comedy Smallwood, starring Pete Holmes, TVLine has learned.

Good Sam stars Bush (Chicago P.D.) as a talented but stifled surgeon who “embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss falls into a coma,” per the official description. “When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.”

More from...

CBS has added one comedy and one drama to its fall TV lineup, with series orders for “Smallwood” and “Good Sam.”

“Smallwood,” based on the real-life story of professional bowler Tom Smallwood, stars Pete Holmes, Chi McBride and Katie Lowes. Mark Gross is executive producing and writing, with David Hollander and Brian D’Arcy James also exec producing and Mark Cendrowski directing. The comedy follows a seemingly ordinary man who, after being laid off from his assembly line job at the Gm factory, decides to provide for his family by pursuing his dream of becoming a pro bowler.

“Good Sam,” meanwhile, stars Sophia Bush, Jason Isaacs, Edwin Hodge, Skye P. Marshall, Michael Stahl-David, Davi Santos, Omar Maskati and Wendy Crewson. Katie Welch is executive producing and writing, with Jennie Snyder Urman also serving as exec producer and Joanna Klein exec producing for Sutton St. Productions. Tamra Davis is exec producing and directing the pilot.

CBS has ordered a pair of series for the 2021-22 season, the comedy “Smallwood” and medical drama “Good Sam.”

“Smallwood,” based on the real-life story of professional bowler Tom Smallwood, is being written by Mark Gross, who executive produces with David Hollander and Brian D’Arcy James. Mark Cendrowski will direct. The logline reads: After being laid off from the assembly line at the Gm factory, a seemingly ordinary man makes the extraordinary decision to provide for his family by following his dream of becoming a professional bowler.

Pete Holmes will star alongside Chi McBride and Katie Lowes.

“Good Sam” stars Sophia Bush as a “talented yet stifled surgeon.” She embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard, who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

CBS has started making decisions on its remaining pilots.

The network on Friday handed out series orders to Pete Holmes bowling comedy Smallwood and Sophia Bush-led family medical drama Good Sam. Both pilots had been frontrunners for the past few weeks and were expected to get the green light to join CBS’ 2021-22 schedule.

CBS has also passed on all of its remaining pilots, including Patrick Dempsey’s political drama Ways and Means, Sarah Cooper’s How to Succeed and Hannah Simone’s Welcome to Georgia. Only True Lies, which was pushed off-cycle, remains in contention at CBS.

Smallwood is a multicamera comedy based on the ...

CBS has started making decisions on its remaining pilots.

The network on Friday handed out series orders to Pete Holmes bowling comedy Smallwood and Sophia Bush-led family medical drama Good Sam. Both pilots had been frontrunners for the past few weeks and were expected to get the green light to join CBS’ 2021-22 schedule.

CBS has also passed on all of its remaining pilots, including Patrick Dempsey’s political drama Ways and Means, Sarah Cooper’s How to Succeed and Hannah Simone’s Welcome to Georgia. Only True Lies, which was pushed off-cycle, remains in contention at CBS.

Smallwood is a multicamera comedy based on the ...

After months of development, production and fine-tuning, it’s decision time for dozens of broadcast pilots hopeful of getting the greenlight to series for the 2021-2022 TV season.

As the major studios rack up series orders over the coming week of network upfront presentations, it’s time to tally the wins and losses. The clear theme of the series orders unveiled to date are franchises, built-in IP and procedural dramas in a year when the total volume of development was down significantly due to pandemic-related disruptions.

Here’s a breakdown by conglomerate and studio imprint of new comedy, drama and unscripted series orders to date, to be updated regularly as broadcast, cable and streaming programming executives tout their wares in the coming days.

This year, virtual programming presentations will be held May 17-19 in lieu of the traditional razzle-dazzle mounted at Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall and other New York City venues.

As we head into the first broadcast upfront presentations on Monday, the two networks that are going up first, NBC and Fox, have made the decisions on their outstanding pilots. This leaves ABC and CBS, which also are presenting next week, as well as the CW, which has some leeway as it is not unveiling its fall 2021 schedule until the week after. Things have never been murkier so close to showtime but here is what I have heard since publishing the initial 2021 Pilot Buzz last week.

No major changes at the front of the ABC echelon, with The Wonder Years reboot, from Saladin Patterson, the original series’ Fred Savage and Lee Daniels, and drama Queens, headlined by Brandy, Eve, Naturi Naughton, Nadine Velazquez and Pepi Sonuga, staying hot through the screenings and still looking good.

Comedy pilot Maggie lived up to the “dark horse” moniker I gave it in the original handicap.

It’s the first week of May, which is normally when Deadline does its final handicapping of the new crop of broadcast pilots’ pickup changes. As the TV industry — and the country — are starting to see the first signs of a return to normalcy, the broadcast networks are gearing up for the upfronts, in their usual timeframe just two weeks away. However, the pilot evaluation process is anything but conventional this year after the 2020 pilot cycle was delayed by the pandemic, so we see 2020 pilots being screened alongside 2021 ones and pilot-to-series orders being handed out alongside straight-to-series pickups and off-cycle pilot green lights.

It is risky trying to make any predictions this year, but, keeping up a Deadline tradition, here is what I hear is going on at the five broadcast networks.

ABC, which had a top executive change mid-development cycle, with Hulu’s Craig Erwich taking over programming, has...

Call it the pilot season that wasn’t. One year later, the Covid-19 pandemic is still casting a long shadow over the new crop of broadcast shows.

Across the Big Five networks, the majority of the pilots in contention this year are holdovers from 2020. The backlog is still being sorted out, underscoring the disruption of last spring when the public health crisis shut down work for months just as pilot production would have normally reached its peak. Some projects were scrapped and some are only now going before the cameras.

Studio and agency sources say they expect this to translate into fewer new series pickups this year, with the broadcasters largely expected to renew their existing lineups like they did last year. This year has also broken with precedent in that several networks have already made multiple series pickups a month out from upfronts, the annual broadcast showcase that typically...

Exclusive: Geoff Stults (Little Fires Everywhere), newcomer Jules Latimer, Tiya Sircar (Good Sam), Alanna Ubach (Euphoria), Laurie Davidson (The Good Liar) and Andre Hyland (The Death of Dick Long) are set as series regulars opposite Kate Beckinsale in Guilty Party, Paramount+’s half-hour dark comedy from Funny or Die.

Written by Rebecca Addelman (Dead to Me) and to be directed by Trent O’Donnell (No Activity), Guilty Party stars Beckinsale as Beth Baker, a discredited journalist desperate to salvage her career by latching on to the story of a young mother sentenced to life in prison for maiming and murdering her husband — crimes she claims she didn’t commit. In trying to uncover the truth, Beth finds herself in over her head as she contends with Colorado gun smugglers, clickbait culture, the doldrums of marriage and her own tarnished past.

Latimer will play Toni, a young woman who has been sentenced...

The Lincoln Lawyer has a new ex-wife: Ugly Betty vet Becki Newton has joined David E. Kelley’s Netflix legal drama, our sister site Deadline reports.

Based on Michael Connelly’s novels, the series — which was developed as a CBS drama pilot last year before moving to the streamer — follows Mickey Haller (Goliath‘s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), who runs his law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car. Newton replaces Kiele Sanchez, who was previously cast as Mickey’s second ex-spouse and office manager Lorna in the CBS iteration. Meanwhile, Angus Sampson (Nightflyers, Shut Eye) and Jazz Raycole...

Edwin Hodge is set as a lead opposite Sophia Bush in Good Sam, CBS’ family medical drama pilot from Katie Wech, Jennie Snyder Urman and her Sutton St. Productions, and CBS Studios.

Written by Wech and directed by Tamra Davis, Good Sam centers on Sam (Bush), a talented yet stifled heart surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

Hodge will play Malcolm A. Kingsley. Malcolm’s family is the hospital’s wealthiest donor. But despite this, Malcolm works for a living as an administrative executive at the hospital, where he and Sam (Bush) bond over the struggle to step out of their fathers’ shadows.

Cast also includes Jason Isaacs,...

CBS is one of the networks that believes in the traditional pilot season – Kelly Kahl is a noted fan of the process. But the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to pivot and hand out a handful of straight-to-series orders for the 2020-21 season including The Equalizer, starring Queen Latifah, and Silence of the Lambs sequel Clarice.

As this year’s development season continues to be interrupted by the pandemic, the network is considering doing the same again.

Thom Sherman, Senior EVP Programming, CBS Entertainment, said Wednesday at CBS’ virtual press tour: “We learned a lot this past year: how to adapt and look at things differently and break the whole model. We might even order some projects straight to series like we did with The Equalizer and Clarice.”

Development projects in the works at CBS this year include drama Antarctica from The Boys’ Paul Grellong, Josh Berman and Sony Pictures TV,...

The Modern Family brood has two new homesteads: The ABC sitcom will be available to Hulu and Peacock subscribers beginning Wednesday, Feb. 3, the streaming services announced on Tuesday.

As part of the unprecedented multi-year agreement, both Hulu and Peacock will be the dedicated subscription streaming homes to all 250 episodes, spanning 11 seasons. (Peacock’s free tier will only offer 12 total episodes; the paid tiers get you everything.) This also marks the first time the entire Emmy-winning series will be available on a subscription VOD platform in the U.S.

More from TVLineABC Shakes Up Thursday Lineup: Million Little Things Out, Rebel In -- Plus,...

Exclusive: Michael Stahl-David is set as a lead opposite Sophia Bush, Jason Isaacs and Skye P. Marshall in Good Sam, CBS’ family medical drama pilot from Katie Wech, Jennie Snyder Urman and her Sutton St. Productions, and CBS Studios.

Originally greenlighted last season and pushed by the coronavirus pandemic, the pilot is set to film next month.

Written by Wech and directed by Tamra Davis, Good Sam centers on Sam (Bush), a talented yet stifled heart surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

Stahl-David will play Caleb, a cocky resident with half the experience but twice the confidence of the other residents, all who outrank him.

Wech executive...

It is January, which marks the start of the broadcast pilot season when networks begin to pick up their crop of pilots for next season. Not this year. In January 2021, most broadcast networks are still getting ready to film some of their 2020 pilots and the country is going through a deadly Covid-19 surge, with California as the epicenter.

The coronavirus pandemic blew up the 2020 pilot season by grounding almost all pilots just as they were heading into production. The shakeup led to nets embracing straight-to-series orders in a bigger way, relying on extra backup scripts to make their decisions. Fox, which already had started a transition to year-round development, over the summer adjusted its approach to development and will be commissioning a mix of traditional pilots, lower-cost presentations, writers rooms as well as outright straight-to-series orders going forward. ABC also has stepped up its plans to move development to off-cycle...

Exclusive: Skye P. Marshall (Black Lightning) is set as a lead opposite Sophia Bush and Jason Isaacs in Good Sam, CBS’ family medical drama pilot from Katie Wech, Jennie Snyder Urman and her Sutton St. Productions, and CBS Studios, where Sutton St. is under a deal.

Written by Wech, Good Sam centers on Sam (Bush), a talented yet stifled heart surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss, Griff (Isaacs), falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

Marshall will play Dr. Lex Trulie, an ambitious and capable surgeon who has achieved success despite the lack of support of her family. Lex and Sam (Bush) share a bond as the only women in their department, though Lex’s loyalty to...

Paramount Plus is in early development on a dark comedy that hails from Katie Wech, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.

The project is titled “Rip.” Wech will write and executive produce, with Gina Rodriguez and Jennie Snyder Urman also executive producing. The trio previously collaborated on the hit CW series “Jane the Virgin.” The project originated with Rodriguez and Tiana Feghali. Snyder Urman will executive produce via Sutton Street Productions, while Rodriguez will executive produce via I Can and I Will Productions. CBS Studios will produce.

Reps for Paramount Plus declined to comment.

The project tells the story of an aging widow in Florida whose children move her into assisted living for fear she is a danger to herself, only to realize later on, just how dangerous she is.

Wech most recently sold an R-rated untitled comedy to New Line with Alexa Faigen producing. On the television side, she...

Exclusive: New Line has acquired an untitled spec script by Katie Wech for an untitled but hard R-rated comedy spec script that is best described was referred to me as Sausage Party meets Toy Story, done in a CGI and animation hybrid with some live action thrown in.

Pic will be produced by Alexa Faigen, who is also producing for New Line the studio’s recent acquisition of Sarah Knight’s bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck.

Wech is currently in pre-production for her pilot Good Sam for CBS and Cbstvs. She is also currently serving as a Consulting Producer for Republic of Sarah for the CW. She previously served as a Co-ep for Jane The Virgin and was a co-ep for Rizzoli & Isles on TNT and Fox’s Star, and she was a co-producer of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland for ABC. She wrote...

Back in May and June, the broadcast networks made decisions on their pilots that had been grounded by the coronavirus pandemic. Some projects went straight to series, some pilots were rolled, some were passed on, and the rest got commitments to film in 2020 when safety conditions allow. Because pilot cast options traditionally expire on June 30, the options on the actors from pilots earmarked for production were extended through September 30.

Three months later, only one pilot from that list has been shot, as far as I know: NBC’s comedy Night School. The networks were faced with the same dilemma and, overwhelmingly, asked the studios to extend the options on the pilots. I hear the length of the extensions vary project by project, with most actors secured through June 2021, and some pilots going for a hold through December 2020.

The only pilot whose cast was not extended further is CBS comedy Jury Duty,...

Is war about to break out on The Boys? What romantic mystery will NCIS resolve? Is The Walking Dead‘s “finale” worth the wait? Read on for answers to those questions plus teases from other shows!

Anything on The Boys‘ remaining Season 2 episodes? –Dee

Well, the unspoken war between Queen Maeve and Homelander will continue to escalate in this Friday’s episode of the Amazon series. “Some of her humanity has been awakened by Starlight and being reminded of who she used to be,” showrunner Eric Kripke tells TVLine. “So I think that gave her, in our minds, the courage...

A month ago, several TV studios, including Disney TV Studios, Warner Bros. TV and Universal TV, started to pay actors on broadcast pilots, which could not be produced because of the coronavirus pandemic. CBS TV Studios in the past couple of weeks also initiated compensation for most of the series regulars on the studio’s pilots, with several deals still in negotiations, I have learned.

I hear the formula used by CBS TV Studios involves actors receiving 50% of their pilot fees now as part of an agreement to extend their options through Sept. 30. If the pilots are not produced by then, the studio would pay the remaining 50% to hold the casts through Dec. 30, with actors entitled to another payment representing 50% of the pilot if a further extension is needed.

The template is similar to the one used by Disney TV Studios and Universal TV as all major TV studios have...

With pilot season well underway, several beloved TV stars are lining up their small screen returns.

Kylie Bunbury, who blew fans away with her performance on Pitch, has lined up a lead role on ABC's The Big Sky, starring oppossite Vikings' alum Katheryn Winnick.

This show has a straight-to-series order at ABC.

The Big Sky centers on a private detective named Cassie Dewell and ex-cop Jenny Hoyt (Winnick), who join forces to search for two sisters that were kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana.

“But when they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area,” the official logline reads, “they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken.”

Ryan Phillippe, John Carroll Lynch, and Dedee Pfeiffer are also a part of the expansive cast.

Bunbury's Cassie is an ex-rodeo rider who sets her...

Jason Isaacs has been tapped for a lead role in the CBS medical drama pilot “Good Sam,” Variety has confirmed.

He joins previously announced series lead Sophia Bush. In the show, talented yet stifled heart surgeon Sam (Bush) embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss (Isaacs) falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

Isaacs’ character is named Dr. Paul “Griff” Griffith. He is described as being notoriously hard on his residents, none more than his equally gifted daughter, Sam. But when he suddenly awakens from a months-long coma, he learns that Sam has become the new Chief of Surgery. The only way to resume his job is as her subordinate, an arrangement which, for him, proves harder than heart surgery.

Exclusive: Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter franchise) has been tapped as the male lead opposite Sophia Bush in Good Sam, CBS’ family medical drama pilot from Katie Wech, Jennie Snyder Urman and her Sutton St. Productions, and CBS Television Studios, where Sutton St. is under a deal.

Written by Wech, Good Sam centers on Sam (Bush), a talented yet stifled heart surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss, Griff (Isaacs), falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

Isaacs’ Dr. Paul ‘Griff’ Griffith is the brilliant, arrogant, unrivaled Chief of Cardiothoracic surgery, a wizard with a scalpel. He’s notoriously hard on his residents – none more than his equally gifted daughter, Sam (Bush). But when he suddenly awakens from a months-long coma,...

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Friday, 28 February 2020.

CBS has suspended production on The Amazing Race Season 33 over concerns about the coronavirus, Variety is reporting.

“Due to increased concerns and uncertainty regarding the coronavirus around the world, CBS and the producers of The Amazing Race have taken the precautionary measure of temporarily suspending production on the 33rd season of the series,” a network spokesperson said in a statement.

“All contestants and production staff are in the process of returning home.”

The statement also stated that “at this time, no Racers or anyone on the production team traveling with them have contracted the virus, or shown symptoms, and we are not aware of anyone being exposed to it."

"Out of an abundance of caution, everyone involved in the show will continue to be monitored when they return home. The health and wellbeing of the...

Brace yourselves, Sophia Bush is trading in her Intelligence badge for a set of surgical knives. The Chicago P.D. alum is set to star in the pilot for the CBS medical drama Good Sam, according to Variety.

The potential series follows the eponymous bright surgeon whose talents have gone underutilized

...

Read More >

Other Links From TVGuide.com Sophia Bush...

Sophia Bush is angling to play a doctor on TV, signing on to star in the CBS medical drama pilot Good Sam, TVLine has confirmed.

The Chicago Pd alum will portray the title character, a gifted heart surgeon who works in the same hospital as her domineering father Griff (casting Tbd), who is impossible to please and never acknowledged her talents. Second in command to him and always in his shadow, Sam rises to the occasion when her father falls into a coma and she takes charge of the department as chief of surgery. Sam comes into her own professionally and personally,...

“Chicago P.D.” alum Sophia Bush has been cast as the title character in the CBS drama pilot “Good Sam.”

A medical drama from writer Katie Wech and executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman, “Good Sam” centers on a talented yet stifled surgeon embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss falls into a coma.

Bush will play Sam, a gifted heart surgeon who works in the same hospital as her domineering father Griff, who is impossible to please and never acknowledged her talents. Second in command to him and always in his shadow, Sam rises to the occasion when her father falls into a coma and she takes charge of the department as chief of surgery. Sam comes into her own professionally and personally, however, when her world is upturned again after Griff awakens and wants to practice again, even if it means being supervised by his daughter.

Sophia Bush has signed on for the title role in the CBS drama pilot “Good Sam,” Variety has learned.

In the show, talented yet stifled heart surgeon Sam (Bush) embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss, Griff (not yet cast), falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

This marks the second pilot season in a row Bush has signed on to lead a CBS project, with the actress starring in the network’s drama pilot “Surveillance” last year. She is best known for her starring role on the CW (formerly WB) drama “One Tree Hill,” on which she appeared for nearly 200 episodes. She also starred in the NBC drama “Chicago P.D.” from 2014-2017, appearing on both of the other NBC...

Sophia Bush is set to pay the title character in CBS' drama pilot Good Sam.

The former One Tree Hill and Chicago Pd star will play a surgeon in the medical drama that centers on the character's relationship with her domineering father — who works in the same hospital. The project marks a return to CBS for Bush, who toplined the network's drama pilot Surveillance in 2019.

Sam is a gifted heart surgeon who works in the same hospital as her father, Griff (the role has yet to be cast), who is impossible to please and has never acknowledged her talents. Second ...

CBS has ordered two more drama pilots, bringing its total to six so far for the 2020 development season. They are Good Sam, from writer Katie Wech (BH90210), Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman and her Sutton St. Productions; and Out The Door from 24 veteran Evan Katz and Jerry Bruckheimer Television. CBS Television Studios, where Urman and Bruckheimer are under deals, is the studio for both.

Written by Wech, Good Sam centers on a talented yet stifled surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

Wech executive produces with Urman and Joanna Klein for Sutton St. Productions.

Most recently, Wech was a writer on Fox’s summer drama series BH90210. Wech also wrote The Hypnotist’s Love Story,...

“Jane the Virgin” creator Jennie Snyder Urman is celebrating extending her CBS Television Studios overall deal with a pilot order at the Eye.

Only a day after announcing Urman’s five-year extension, CBS has ordered her drama project “Good Sam” to pilot, alongside another drama from prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

“Good Sam” hails from CBS TV Studios and Katie Wech, who worked with Urman on “Jane the Virgin” and serves as writer and executive producer. Wech’s other credits include Lee Daniels’ “Star” and “Rizzoli & Isles.”

The prospective show centers around a talented yet stifled surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss falls into a coma. When her boss awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents, and also happens to be her father.

Urman is exec producing with Joanna Klein...

Exclusive: CBS has put in development Arranged, a romantic comedy from Man With A Plan co-producer Farhan Arshad, Jane The Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman, The Nacelle Company and CBS Television Studios, where Urman and Joanna Klein’s Sutton Street Productions is based.

Written by Arshad, Arranged is a romantic comedy about the messy but ultimately hopeful relationship between Sabrina and Samir, two polar opposites, who get set up by their families after they have trouble finding true love on their own.

Arshad executive produces with Urman and Klein for Sutton Street, along with Michael Pelmont for Nacelle, which co-produces with Sutton Street. CBS TV Studios is the studio.

Arshad has been with CBS’ Man With A Plan starring Matt LeBlanc since the series’ launch, starting as a staff writer and rising to his current role as co-producer. He has also written for Dr. Ken and Kirby Buckets, and is...

Exclusive: The CW has put in development Obsessed, a one-hour dark comedy from writer Jessica Amento, Sweet/Vicious creator Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman and her Sutton Street Productions, and CBS Television Studios, where Urman is under a deal.

Written by Amento, Obsessed centers on Farren Bell, an outwardly optimistic millennial who struggles to conceal unwanted dark thoughts under her shiny blonde highlights. As a form of psychologist-approved exposure therapy, she joins forces with a coworker to launch a true crime podcast chronicling an active serial killer in L.A., helping her understand and confront her own fears while simultaneously putting her in imminent danger.

Robinson executive produces and directs with Urman and Joanna Klein for Sutton Street Prods. Amento is co-executive producer. CBS Television Studios is the studio.

Amento is a fashion editor turned screenwriter from the Midwest. She...

Exclusive: Good Sam star Tiya Sircar is set as a lead alongside Kiefer Sutherland and Boyd Holbrook in Quibi’s The Fugitive, a new take on the 1993 Harrison Ford film which was based on the 1960s TV series of the same name, from Scorpion creator Nick Santora, Thunder Road Films, 3 Arts Entertainment and Warner Bros. TV.

Written by Santora, The Fugitive centers on blue collar worker Mike Russo, who just wants to make sure his wife, Allison, and 10-year-old daughter, Pearl, are safe, when a bomb rips through the Los Angeles subway train he’s riding on. But the faulty evidence on the ground and “tweet-now, confirm-later” journalism paint a nightmarish picture: it looks to all the world that Mike was responsible for the heinous act. Wrongfully—and very publicly—accused, Mike must prove his innocence by uncovering the real perpetrator, before the legendary cop heading the investigation can apprehend him.

Exclusive: Fox has given a script commitment with penalty to The Two Dolls, a one-hour drama from writer Katie Wech (BH90210), McG’S Wonderland Sound & Vision and 20th Century Fox TV, where Wonderland is under a deal.

Written by Wech, The Two Dolls revolves around the “Two Dolls,” who dominate the cutthroat world of high-end Malibu Real Estate. But when they bend the rules, they find themselves in a gauntlet of suspicion and subterfuge that threatens everything they’ve built – including their friendship.

Wech executive produces with Wonderland’s McG, Mary Viola and Corey Marsh. 20th Century Fox TV co-produces with Fox Entertainment.

The Two Dolls is Wech’s third broadcast sale this cycle. She also has drama Fml with producer Sabrina Wind at ABC, and family medical drama Good Sam with Jennie Snyder Urman at CBS.

Most recently, Wech was a writer on Fox’s summer drama series BH90210.

CBS is developing a medical drama that hails from writer Katie Wech, Variety has learned.

Currently titled “Good Sam,” the series follows a talented yet stifled surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss falls into a coma. When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise this overbearing blowhard who never acknowledged her talents — and also happens to be her father.

Wech will write and executive produce. Jennie Snyder Urman and Joanna Klein of Sutton St. Productions will also executive produce under their overall deal with CBS Television Studios.

CBS is currently the only one of the Big 4 broadcast networks without a medical drama on the air, though they will debut the hospital-set comedy “Carol’s Second Act” later this month. CBS previously had the medical series “Code Black,” but that show ended last year after three seasons.