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CBS: Stop Saying That ‘This Is Us’ Is the Biggest New Hit of the Year; ‘Bull’ Is

"We like winning," the network says. New fall 2017 schedule includes "The Big Bang Theory" spinoff "Young Sheldon" landing the plum Thursday 8:30 p.m. timeslot in late fall, after CBS is done with football.
CBS: Stop Saying That This Is Us Is TV's Biggest New Hit; Bull Is
START UP - ABC's "Start Up" stars Audyssie James as Soraya, Elisha Henig as Ben, Tiya Sircar as Rooni, Zach Braff as Alex, Hillary Anne Matthews as Deirdre and Michael Imperioli as Eddie. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)
ALEX, INC. - "Pilot" - Based on the podcast StartUp, Alex Schuman (Zach Braff, “Scrubs”) is a brilliant radio journalist, husband and father of two who is about to do something crazy---quit his job and start his own company. He quickly discovers it’s going to be a lot harder than he thought. (ABC/Elizabeth Fischer)AUDYSSIE JAMES, TIYA SIRCAR, ZACH BRAFF
ALEX, INC. - "Pilot" - Based on the podcast StartUp, Alex Schuman (Zach Braff, “Scrubs”) is a brilliant radio journalist, husband and father of two who is about to do something crazy---quit his job and start his own company. He quickly discovers it’s going to be a lot harder than he thought. (ABC/Elizabeth Fischer)ZACH BRAFF, TIYA SIRCAR
THE CROSSING - ABC’s "The Crossing" stars Sandrine Holt as Emma, Steve Zahn as Jude and Natalie Martinez as Reece. (ABC/Bob D'Amico)
77 Images

No “Bull,” CBS wants you to know that the freshman Michael Weatherly series is actually the No. 1 new show of the year in total viewers, over NBC’s lauded “This Is Us.”

“We congratulate them on their success, but we like winning,” CBS senior exec VP Kelly Kahl said. He also pointed out that even CBS’ “Blue Bloods” has a larger audience than any other drama on the other networks, except “This Is Us.”

The Big Bang TheoryCBS

“The Big Bang Theory” is the “Wayne Gretzky of comedy,” he noted, arguing that no other half-hour comes close in total viewers, which is why they’re big on spinoff entry “Young Sheldon.” The show was recently renewed for two more seasons, a negotiation that Moonves characterized as amicable.

He also said he “hoped” that the show will continue even beyond that. “We’ll do these two years and we’re not going to just lay down,” he said. “‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ closed down three years too early. You want to leave on top but you don’t want to leave money on the table.”

Also, Moonves confirmed that CBS had also been shopped “American Idol” but he thought it was too expensive. (The show wound up at ABC.) “You need a 35 share to break even,” he said. “That’s not going to happen. We looked at it very seriously, the economics just made absolutely no sense for us and for them it did.”

And while CBS has several reboots on its schedule, it hasn’t joined the reunion trend. “Some of these things are tricks,” he said. “‘Will & Grace,’ I understand, is very good. But ‘Roseanne’ is a stunt.”
Unveiling the schedule, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves quipped that he takes exception to the return of NBC’s famed Thursday night slogan. “We are ‘Must See TV,’ not Thursday night on NBC this year,” he said.

“We are very bullish about the network television business, we’re very bullish on CBS,” he said. “Any platform that exists out there, you can not exist without CBS.”

CBS will premiere a first-look clip of its long-delayed “Star Trek” digital series for CBS All Access, “Star Trek: Discovery,” later on Wednesday. “We are ready to show you something, we’re very proud of it,” he said.

Moonves took a more active role in recent weeks as CBS Entertainment president Glenn Geller took a medical leave. “He’s doing better but it’s not a good time to have a heart attack, just as upfronts are beginning,” Moonves said. “Our development people stepped up to the plate.”

READ MORE: Network Pilot Season: Why Someone Needs to Kill This Outdated Practice For Good

Here’s the Eye network’s new fall schedule:

CBS Fall 2017 Schedule: Early Fall

(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)

MONDAY
8 p.m. “The Big Bang Theory”
8:30 p.m. “9JKL”
9 p.m. “Kevin Can Wait”
9:30 p.m. “ME, MYSELF AND I”
10 p.m. “Scorpion”

TUESDAY
8 p.m. “NCIS”
9 p.m. “Bull”
10 p.m. “NCIS: New Orleans”

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. “Survivor”
9 p.m. “SEAL TEAM”
10 p.m. “Criminal Minds”

THURSDAY
8 p.m. “NFL Thursday Night Football”

FRIDAY
8 p.m. “MacGyver”
9 p.m. “Hawaii Five-O”
10 p.m. “Blue Bloods”

SATURDAY
8 p.m. CBS Crimetime Saturday
10 p.m. “48 Hours”

SUNDAY
7 p.m. “60 Minutes”
8 p.m. “WISDOM OF THE CROWD”
9 p.m. “NCIS: Los Angeles”
10 p.m. “Madam Secretary”

CBS Fall 2017 Schedule: Late Fall

(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)

MONDAY
8 p.m. “Kevin Can Wait”
8:30 p.m. “9JKL”
9 p.m. “ME, MYSELF AND I”
9:30 p.m. “Superior Donuts”
10 p.m. “Scorpion”

TUESDAY
8 p.m. “NCIS”
9 p.m. “Bull”
10 p.m. “NCIS: New Orleans”

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. “Survivor”
9 p.m. “SEAL TEAM”
10 p.m. “Criminal Minds”

THURSDAY
8 p.m. “The Big Bang Theory”
8:30 p.m. “YOUNG SHELDON”
9 p.m. “Mom”
9:30 p.m. “Life in Pieces”
10 p.m. “S.W.A.T.”

FRIDAY
8 p.m. “MacGyver”
9 p.m. “Hawaii Five-O”
10 p.m. “Blue Bloods”

SATURDAY
8 p.m. CBS Crimetime Saturday
10 p.m. “48 Hours”

SUNDAY
7 p.m. “60 Minutes”
8 p.m. “WISDOM OF THE CROWD”
9 p.m. “NCIS: Los Angeles”
10 p.m. “Madam Secretary”

MIDSEASON: “Elementary,” “Code Black,” “The Amazing Race,” “Man With a Plan,” “Undercover Boss,” “BY THE BOOK,” “INSTINCT.”

NEW DRAMA SERIES

Alan CummingHousing Works Groundbreaker Awards, New York, USA - 26 Apr 2017
Alan CummingMediaPunch/REX/Shutterstock

“Instinct” (CBS drama)

“Instinct,” centers on Alan Cumming as “a former CIA operative who has since built a “normal” life as a gifted professor and writer is lured back into his old life when the NYPD needs his help to stop a serial killer.”

The show, based on the soon-to-be-published James Patterson book, comes from executive producer/writer Michael Rauch, while Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin (Secret Hideout), James Patterson, Bill Robinson, Leopoldo Gout and Alan Cumming are also executive producers. Marc Webb is director and executive producer; show comes from CBS Television Studios.

“S.W.A.T.”CBS

“Seal Team” (CBS drama)

“Seal Team,” starring David Boreanaz, “follows the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high stakes missions our country can ask of them.”

Max Thieriot, Neil Brown Jr., A.J. Buckley, Toni Trucks, and Jessica Paré also star. Ed Redlich, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly are executive producers, while Chris Chulack is director/EP. CBS Television Studios is the studio.

S.W.A.T., a new drama series inspired by the feature film, stars Shemar Moore (pictured) as a locally born and bred S.W.A.T. sergeant newly tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. S.W.A.T. will be broadcast in the 2017-2018 season on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Michael Yarish/CBS ©2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
“S.W.A.T.”CBS

“S.W.A.T.” (CBS drama)

“S.W.A.T.,” starring Shemar Moore, centers on “a locally born and bred S.W.A.T. sergeant is torn between loyalty to the streets and duty to his fellow officers when he’s tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles.”

Based on the film, the show also stars Stephanie Sigman, Alex Russell, Jay Harrington, Lina Esco, Kenny Johnson, and Peter Onorati. It comes from writer Aaron Thomas, who executive produces with Shawn Ryan, Neal Moritz, Marney Hochman, Danielle Woodrow, and Pavun Shetty. Justin Lin is executive producer and director.

Sony Pictures Television is the studio, with CBS Television Studios.

“Wisdom of the Crowd”CBS

“Wisdom of the Crowd” (CBS drama)

“Wisdom of the Crowd” comes from executive producer Ted Humphrey and is “inspired by the notion that a million minds are better than one, a visionary tech innovator (Jeremy Piven) creates a cutting-edge crowdsourcing app to solve his daughter’s murder, and revolutionize crime solving in the process.”

Jeremy Piven stars with Richard T. Jones, Jake Matthews, Blake Lee, Natalia Tena, and Monica Potter. The show is based on the Israeli format of the same name. and comes from executive producers Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan (Keshet Media Group), Dror Mishani and Shira Hadad. Adam Davidson is executive producer and director; CBS Television Studios is the studio in association with Universal Television.

READ MORE: Alan Cumming, David Boreanaz, Bobby Moynihan, Shemar Moore Lead CBS Male-Heavy Series Orders

NEW COMEDY SERIES

9JKL stars Mark Feuerstein (in bed) in a family comedy inspired by his real life. Josh Roberts (Feuerstein) is a new divorcé and actor between projects who moves home to New York to regroup, living in an apartment sandwiched between his doting, meddlesome parents (Elliott Gould and Linda Lavin, pictured) on one side and his competitive brother, sister-in-law and their new baby on the other.9JKL will be broadcast in the 2017-18 season on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“9JKL”CBS

“9JKL” (CBS comedy)

“9JKL,” a multi-camera comedy starring Mark Feurstein (who also writes and executive produces with Dana Klein). The show is inspired by “a time in Mark Feuerstein’s adult life when he lived in apartment 9K in the building he grew up in, sandwiched between his doting parents’ apartment, 9J, and his brother, sister-in-law and their baby’s apartment, 9L, and his attempts to set boundaries with his intrusive but well-meaning family.”

Linda Lavin, Elliott Gould, David Walton, Liza Lapira, and Matt Murray also star. Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling, and Dana Honor are additional executive producers with director Pamela Fryman. CBS Television Studios is the studio.

Jay R FergusonrevorLIVE fundraiser, Los Angeles, USA - 04 Dec 2016
Jay R FergusonChelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock

“By The Book” (CBS comedy)

Multi-camera comedy starring Jay R. Ferguson as “a modern day man at a crossroads in his life decides to live according to the Bible.”

The show is based on the bestselling book by A.J. Jacobs, “The Year of Living Biblically.” Cast also includes Lindsey Kraft, Ian Gomez, David Krumholtz, Tony Rock, and Camryn Manheim.

Patrick Walsh is writer and executive producer; Johnny Galecki, Andrew Haas, and Spencer Medof also executive produce. Andy Ackerman is director/executive producer. Warner Bros. Television is studio.

“Me, Myself & I”CBS

“Me, Myself & I” (CBS comedy)

“Me, Myself & I,” starring Bobby Moynihan, is “a single-camera comedy examining one man’s life over a 50-year span. The show will focus on three distinct periods in his life – as a 14-year-old in 1991, a 40-year-old in present day, and a 65-year-old in 2042.”

Jack Dylan Grazer, Brian Unger, Jaleel White, Kelen Coleman, Skylar Gray, Christopher Paul Richards, Mandell Maughan, Reylynn Caster, with Sharon Lawrence and John Larroquette also star.

Dan Kopelman is executive producer/writer, while Aaron Kaplan and Dana Honor also executive produce. Randall Einhorn helmed the pilot. Show comes from Warner Bros. Television.

“Young Sheldon”CBS

“Young Sheldon” (CBS comedy)

Created by Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro, “Young Sheldon” follows “The Big Bang Theory’s” Sheldon Cooper at the age of 9, living with his family in East Texas and going to high school.

Jon Favreau is directing/executive producing the first episode of the series, which stars Iain Armitage as 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper, as well as Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Raegan Revord and Montana Jordan.

Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak will serve as executive producers of the series, from Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Jim Parsons will also narrate the comedy as Adult Sheldon.

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