With the summer TV schedule cresting and making way for eventual fall premieres, NFL games, and more, all of of the broadcast networks have been ramping up promotions for their impending lineups, with ABC set to debut Kaitlin Olson’s new show as NBC will be missing Organized Crime from its Law & Order Thursdays. Now, CBS has unveiled its plans for the back half of 2024, and it’s shockingly pushing most of its new scripted episodes back to October, with a specific plan for its September fare.
Despite September being the traditional go-to month for network TV premieres, CBS called a wild audible with its fall schedule, with the goal being to hype up two of its newest series with sneak peeks ahead of the “official” CBS premiere week. Here’s what fans can expect to see in September, with pro football having quite an influence on Kathy Bates' arrival as TV's newest Matlock.
- Survivor Season 47 - Wednesday, Sept. 18 (8 p.m. ET)
- 48 Hours Season 37 - Saturday, Sept. 21 (9 p.m. ET)
- 60 Minutes Season 57 - Sunday, Sept. 22 (7 p.m. ET)
- Matlock Series Premiere Sneak Peek - Sunday, Sept. 22 (8 p.m.ET)
- The Summit Series Premiere Sneak Peek - Sunday, September 29 (9 p.m. ET)
While things will be perfectly normal for unscripted hits like Survivor and 60 Minutes, CBS made the call to give both Matlock and the competition series The Summit a special spotlight in post-NFL time slots, which tend to enjoy higher viewerships and demo ratings simply from football fans who don't change the channel.
It's a smart move on paper, but it's hard to say whether or not pushing the rest of the schedule back will be a risk. Granted, CBS dramas are usually the kings of the castle, so it's not extremely likely that viewers will be so plugged into other networks' shows that they'll completely forget about NCIS and others when they arrive the next month.
CBS' Official Premiere Schedule
Perhaps strangely enough, CBS will be re-airing both Matlock's pilot and The Summit's series debut in the week before all the other premieres, though not attached to any football games. Then it all leads to this big week of new episodes, as noted below.
Monday, October 14
- NCIS Season 22 - 8 p.m. ET (Regular 9 p.m. ET time slot starts 10/21)
- NCIS: ORIGINS series premiere - 9 p.m. ET (Special two-hour debut, regular 10 p.m. ET time slot starts 10/21)
Tuesday, October 15
- FBI Season 7 - 8 p.m. ET
- FBI: International Season 4 - 9 p.m. ET
- FBI: Most Wanted Season 6 - 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, October 16
- Survivor (new episode) - 8 p.m. ET
- The Summit (second episode) - 9:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, October 17
- GEORGIE & MANDY'S FIRST MARRIAGE series premiere - 8 p.m. ET
- Ghosts Season 4 - 8:30 p.m. ET
- Matlock (second episode) - 9 p..m. ET
- Elsbeth Season 2 - 10 p.m. ET
Friday, October 18
- S.W.A.T. Season 8 - 8 p.m. ET
- Fire Country Season 3 - 9 p.m. ET
- Blue Bloods Season 14 midseason premiere - 10 p.m.
Monday, October 21
- The Neighborhood Season 7 - 8 p.m. ET
- POPPA'S HOUSE series premiere - 8:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, October 27
- Tracker Season 2 - 8:30 p.m. ET
- The Equalizer Season 5 - 9:30 p.m. ET
So as fans can see, it's not quite a single premiere week, but rather two weeks of debuts, combined with the sneak peeks. Perhaps not the easiest scheduling to pay attention to and memorize, but we can all take comfort in knowing CBS will be advertising the bejesus out of its upcoming series during NFL games and more.
Plus, Young Sheldon and Big Bang Theory fans will likely be all over the first episode of the spinoff Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage to see how well the new show plays with a studio audience and multi-cam filming. And you know everybody who was upset about S.W.A.T.'s cancellation (which was later reversed) will be watching Shemar Moore's return before diving into the final Blue Bloods episodes ever (unless spinoff plans can be speeded up in the meantime).
