CBS declares television season victory with weeks to go

EXCLUSIVE: Range Media Partners has added two key staffers to it scripted television division at Range Studios, with Sarah Brownstein joining as VP of Scripted Television, and Katheen Schenck coming aboard as a Creative Executive of Scripted Television.

Monday8 p.m. ET/PT: “The Neighborhood”8:30 p.m. ET/PT: “Bob Hearts Abishola”9 p.m.

NEW YORK -- Network TV’s fondness for reality fare and reboots combine in “The Real Love Boat,” a sea-going dating show that’s part of the CBS fall schedule announced Wednesday.Described as a “romance adventure competition,” the series credits as its inspiration the popular and kitschy comedy-drama “The Love Boat,” which aired from 1977-86 on ABC. “The Real Love Boat” will follow returning shows “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” on Wednesday, a rare all-reality night for CBS.With so much programming available to viewers, “flow is important, lead-ins are important, compatible programming is important,” said Kelly Kahl, CBS Entertainment president.

CBS has unveiled its fall schedule and while there’s a few changes, it’s largely business as usual.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCBS has unveiled their fall 2022 schedule, which largely keeps intact the schedule the broadcaster established last season.The network is very heavy on drama programming this year, with only four comedies on the fall schedule. CBS picked up four new dramas for next season, while also passing on all of their comedy pilots. To that end, only Mondays and Thursdays on CBS will feature any comedy programming.

Some 260 WGA members employed at CBS News have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract. The new agreement, which was approved by 89% of those who voted, the guild said Monday, covers WGA East and WGA West members who work as news writers, producers, graphic artists, desk associates and others at the network’s news operations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C.

NEW YORK -- Jesse Williams vowed not to be discouraged after leaked video and images of his onstage nude scene in the Broadway play “Take Me Out” were posted online.“I’m not down about it. Our job is to go out there every night, no matter what,” Williams told The Associated Press on Thursday.The leaked video and images prompted an outcry from the show's producers and the union that represents actors and stage managers.“I’m not really worrying about it. I can’t sweat that.

It took an extra day but True Lies, which had been expected to get a nod yesterday, along with CBS’ other new series orders, is officially picked up to series. As Deadline reported yesterday, the reboot of James Cameron’s hit 1994 action comedy movie, from Matt Nix, MgG and 20th Television, is targeted for midseason. It joins CBS other newly picked up hourlong series, Fire Country, East New York and So Help Me Todd, which are expected to be on the fall schedule.

CBS has ordered three new series for the 2022-23 broadcast season: “East New York,” “So Help Me Todd” and “Fire Country.”In “East New York,” Amanda Warren stars as Regina Haywood, “the newly promoted deputy inspector of East New York, a working-class neighborhood at the edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification,” per a logline from the network.It costars Kevin Rankin, Jimmy Smits, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Richard Kind, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Lavel Schley and Olivia Luccardi.It’s from writers and executive producers William Finkelstein and Mike Flynn and director and EP Michael M.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCBS has ordered three new drama shows for the 2022-2023 broadcast season. According to sources, the network has decided not to move forward with any of its four comedy pilots.The network has picked up the police drama “East New York,” the firefighter drama “Fire Country” (formerly known as “Cal Fire”), and legal drama “So Help Me Todd.” The comedies “Rust Belt News,” “Unplanned in Akron,” “Sober Companion,” and “The Hug Machine” have been passed over.“East New York” follows Regina Haywood (Amanda Warren), the newly promoted deputy inspector of East New York, a working-class neighborhood at the edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.

CBS has given series orders to three of its five drama pilots, Max Thieriot’s Fire Country (fka Cal Fire); East New York, headlined by Amanda Warren, Jimmy Smits, and So Help Me Todd (fka Untitled Mother & Son Legal Drama), starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin. CBS is not commenting beyond that but I hear Fire Country, East New York and So Help Me Todd are for fall. True Lies, from 20th Television, ordered as an off-cycle pilot, remains undecided as of yet.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Magnum P.I.” has been canceled after four seasons at CBS, Variety has learned.The reboot of the beloved 1980’s action series debuted Season 4 back in October. The show is described as a modern take on the original series centering on Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez), a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigatorAlong with Hernandez, the series stars Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Zachary Knighton as Orville “Rick” Wright, Stephen Hill as Theodore “TC” Calvin, Tim Kang as Det.

Good Morning Britain viewers couldn't believe what they were hearing as Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid spoke to a woman who makes her dates take an IQ test to find her perfect partner.

EXCLUSIVE: Bash Naran, a literary manager and producer at Writ Large, is leaving the company to become an agent in the Scripted Television department of WME. He will be based in the agency’s Beverly Hills office.

NEW YORK -- American Ballet Theatre has named its first new artistic director in 30 years, and she's a former top ballerina at the company.Susan Jaffe, who was a celebrated principal dancer at ABT for more than two decades, takes over from Kevin McKenzie in December. McKenzie announced last year that he'd be retiring in 2022 after 30 years at the helm.The former ballerina, who has been serving as artistic director at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater since 2020, noted in a statement that this would be her seventh role at ABT, starting as a student and moving up through dancing, teaching and other roles.“What a profound honor it is for me to come back home to lead the artistic helm of American Ballet Theatre,” Jaffe, 59, said in a statement.In addition to her 22 years as a principal dancer at ABT — one of the top classical ballet companies in the world and, along with New York City Ballet, one of America's two leading ballet troupes — Jaffe danced as a guest with companies like the Royal Ballet, the Kirov, the Stuttgart Ballet, La Scala and many others.

FBI: Most Wanted have earned two-season renewals at the network, it was announced Monday. This brings through at least season 6 and its spinoffs, and, through seasons 3 and season 5, respectively.“The s are one of the most successful brands in the entire TV landscape and a powerful cornerstone of our #1 lineup,” said Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment, in a statement.

New York Post reported that CBS News staffers are being overworked and under-resourced by new boss Neeraj Khemlani.In a written memo and video message sent last week to staff members, obtained by the Post, Cheeks talked about improving work-life boundaries at CBS, which a spokesperson said was not aimed specifically at the news division. “We need to set a goal avoid sending emails, texts or otherwise engaging on routine matters after hours or over the weekend,” said Cheeks, according to an article published Thursday by the Post.He went on to say that he was advising managers to schedule “no-meeting” days or blocks in response to employees reporting that they were often made to work outside of normal workday hours and on weekends, and were otherwise were denied the opportunity to “unplug.”“Our workplace dynamics across the country are evolving as a result of COVID,” the CBS spokesperson said.