It's only been a couple of days since CBS announced two of its summer shows would be ending. Both BrainDead and American Gothic got the axe on the network. However, if you were wondering whether or not any other originals would be joining CBS' Zoo in the summer lineup, we do have an answer for you. The network has signed on for event series Salvation, which will hit the schedule during the summer of 2017.
CBS has tried to put together big event programming during the summer in recent years and Salvation fits the bill nicely. Described as a "fast-paced, dramatic ride" by CBS President Glenn Geller, Salvation will follow two individuals who figure out that an asteroid is hurtling quickly toward Earth. An impact is expected, and the MIT grad and his techie pal will have to be the people to let the Pentagon know that Earth will not be the same when the asteroid hits in sixth months. Unfortunately, it looks like the person they tell is a low-level Pentagon employee, so I'm guessing some shenanigans will occur as the asteroid continues to move closer and closer to the Earth. Armageddon is coming, and we don't want to miss a thing.
CBS TV is producing the series and the network has already given it a straight-to-series order. Like other shows that run during the summer, Salvation is getting a short season of 13 episodes. Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro penned the series, and Matt Wheeler initially conceptualized the hour-long program. In addition, Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin and Peter Lenkov are all signed on to executive produce the new drama. CBS is calling it an event series, but as we saw with Under the Dome, if the show does well the network will probably find a way to bring it back for a second season. There's very little risk here, because if the drama doesn't do well, CBS can just say, "Well it was an event series, anyway," and move on.
The network has often chosen projects of a science fiction nature for its summer lineup. BrainDead had aliens, Under the Dome had aliens. Extant was a wild science fiction series that featured artificial intelligence and more. Zoo is about a virus that is changing natural animal behaviors and affecting humanity. American Gothic was an exception to that original drama rule, but that show is off the air now, and clearly many of the science fiction shows have lasted longer than one season. With that in mind, Salvation should fit right in.
Other than Zoo and Salvation, CBS currently has the next season of Big Brother slated for the summer TV season in 2017. (A season of Big Brother is also currently airing on CBS All Access.) We'll let you know if the network adds any more programs to the lineup in the coming months. In the meantime, you can see what is headed to TV with our fall TV premiere schedule.
