CBS Unveils Their 2023-2024 Fall Schedule With Three New Series Pickups
Yup, the 'Matlock' reboot is real. Save your Bated breath
It's the middle of May, which means it's upfronts time for the major broadcast networks, or at least it would be. CBS was the first to present its new fall schedule. Just before doing so, they announced the pickups of three series to showcase on said schedule: Matlock, starring Kathy Bates; Elsbeth, a new spinoff of The Good Wife; and a comedy starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., revealed to be titled Poppa’s House.
Matlock is indeed a reboot of the 1986-1995 mystery legal drama series starring Andy Griffith which ran for 9 seasons and 193 episodes. It comes from Jane the Virgin’s creator Jennie Snyder Urman. However, it's the sort of reboot Disney+'s Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. is, where the original is a TV show in the series's universe. Bates stars as Madeline Matlock, who after having a very successful early career rejoins the workforce at a distinguished law firm. There, she uses her modest appearance and unorthodox tactics to win cases and reveal corruption from within. The cast includes Jason Ritter as Julian, Skye P. Marshall as Olympia, David Del Rio as Billy and Leah Lewis as Sarah.
It's scheduled for the 8 PM slot after 60 Minutes, but because football overrun is so common in the Fall, it might not always start at that time. It's why The Equalizer is moving to 9 PM and 10 PM on that night is being left for repeats until after football season, at which point CSI: Vegas is slotted.
Elsbeth stars Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni, reprising her role from The Good Wife and The Good Fight. She's an astute but unconventional attorney who, after her successful career in Chicago expresses her unique thoughts to confront criminals in collaboration with the NYPD. Also starring are Wendell Pierce as Captain CW Wagner and Carra Patterson as Officer Kaya. Jonathan Tolins is showrunner and an executive producer with franchise creators Robert King and Michelle King, who also write. It takes CSI: Vegas's Thursday at 10 PM timeslot. The night is otherwise the same with Young Sheldon, Ghosts, and So Help Me Todd.
Poppa’s House is a multi-camera comedy starring the Wayans father-son duo. Damon plays a renowned talk radio host and happily divorced Poppa, who becomes contentious at work when a new female co-host is hired. At home, he's still parenting his adult son, played by Damon Jr., a dreamer in pursuit of his passion while still with his own familial responsibilities as father and husband. Other confirmed main cast are Essence Atkins as Ivy and Tetona Jackson as Nina. It will premiere midseason and does not have a trailer ready. Tracker, a new series starring Justin Hartley, will be Super Bowl XLVIII's lead-out, the first scripted series premiere in the slot since 24: Legacy in 2017 on Fox.
JumpStart, a comedy pilot starring Terry Crews based on the Robb Armstrong comic strip Jump Start, is not moving forward at the network.
With the ongoing writers' strike, no episode orders are specified but there's flexibility since all three shows come from CBS Studios. Otherwise, Wednesday is now filled with 90-minute episodes of Survivor and The Amazing Race. Monday's lineup of The Neighborhood, Bob Hearts Abishola, NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i, Tuesday's FBIs, Friday's S.W.A.T., Fire Country, and Blue Bloods are all unmoved, though of course, S.W.A.T. is in its final season. Saturday (Drama encores and 48 Hours) is also unchanged.
