CBS has renewed SEAL Team, SWAT, Bull, Hawaii Five-0, MacGyver, and Madam Secretary, it was confirmed today.
None of the renewal decisions are a surprise given how important syndication and international success is to the CBS business model. A majority of these shows are owned by CBS, meaning they reap all the reward from whatever off-network life each series has, while unowned SWAT has looked stronger the further this season has gone on after a shaky beginning.
CBS failed to do its yearly mass renewal this spring, opting instead for individual renewals of its sturdiest performers (e.g. Mom, Blue Bloods, NCIS, etc.) while keeping a healthy amount of decisions for this pre-upfronts week. There had been some rumors in the Hollywood trades that SWAT, MacGyver, and Hawaii Five-0 could be vulnerable this year, but CBS does as CBS does and opted to embrace scheduling stability and back-end success for another season. Hence their renewal of scandal-plagued Bull, which is owned by CBS and headed into a syndication season.
The renewals leave The Code, The Red Line, and Ransom as the only in-season CBS dramas remaining on the bubble. Where the latter is an international acquisition, its renewal timeline might be different from the other two, both of whom seem like easy cancels considering their lack of buzz, poor Live + Same Day ratings, and zero back-end potential.
Of the network’s drama renewals, Criminal Minds is headed into a final season, while Elementary, Instinct, and Blood & Treasure are airing in the summer, with Elementary also headed into a final season. They also have a number of comedies awaiting renewal, including Man with a Plan, Fam, Murphy Brown, Happy Together, and Life in Pieces.
