Most Surprising (Possible) Renewal: I’d be surprised to see more Superior Donuts. The show might have drawn positive critical notices upon its debut, but that hasn’t translated into broader, more mainstream support and CBS is at a place where they have too many bottom of the hour comedies as it is. With Donuts still a ways from syndication, CBS having no desire to expand their comedy hours, and multiple comedies with inclusive casting in development, I don’t know if the network has much in the way of need for the show at this point.
Show That Likely Won’t Be Renewed But Should Be: I think it’s going to be renewed, but I’ll talk up Criminal Minds again. It’s done a more than fine job transitioning to 10:00, sometimes building out of its 9:00 lead-in, and it’s one less slot for CBS to worry about while they attend to their problem areas elsewhere. And I feel like every show that makes it a significant amount of time should have some type of goodbye, so CBS cancelling something 14 years (and 299 episodes) in without prior notice would hurt. And frankly, further erode the wavering trust that audiences have in broadcast television.
Possible Scheduling Disaster: Monday might be a mess regardless of what they do. I don’t know if there’s much clamor, at least among the demo, for more Murphy Brown, which isn’t streaming anywhere and hasn’t been in syndication in a while. If that doesn’t hit the way CBS wants it to, it could topple the entire lineup, assuming they want to use it on something new and the 9:00 hour isn’t fortified using Mom. I honestly don’t know what CBS could do to long-term help their Monday lineup, though, as Young Sheldon isn’t really compatible with the Kevin Can Waits of the world and Big Bang Theory is on the cusp of concluding, making a Monday move more of a band-aid than a tourniquet.
Possible Biggest Surprise: I would be surprised if either Murphy Brown or Magnum, PI were a significant breakout. I could see one or both becoming a solid part of the CBS schedule, but I’m not sure they have a super high ceiling considering their current lack of streaming/syndication presence, the fact that both properties targeted adults when they were first on (vs. something like Roseanne, which had a family audience with a sizable portion still in the demo), and the uncertainty surrounding Sunday football overruns and the travesty that is Mondays. All that being said, CBS is in such a shape that they might not even need either to really breakout in order to count as wins.
Safest Bet: Fridays will be the same as they were this year. CBS has their attention elsewhere, so they’re not going to add more moves they have to promote by shaking up a solid, consistently winning night like Fridays. Look for MacGyver, Hawaii, and Blue Bloods to ride out the season this year and every year until one of the latter two decides to conclude on their own terms.
Project I’m Rooting For: History of Them. CBS needs to freshen its comedy brand up and if they’re really going to make a play for younger viewers, I think this is the project they’re going to have to platform. Plus television could use more romantic comedies.
