CBS Answers Long-Awaited Renewal Questions

bluebloodsAs CBS unveiled its new series for the 2015-16 television season’s lineup at the Upfronts in New York City, it announced the renewal of 22 returning favorites. Among them were the Lenkov/Orci/Kurtzman-driven Hawaii Five-0 and the Tom Selleck helmed Blue Bloods, both returning for a fifth season, both airing on Friday night. Because of the ratings dip for both these series, particularly Hawaii Five-0, a return was questionable. However, with a 9.48 million viewership average for the season, Five-0 (the lower rated of the two) and Blue Bloods have been granted renewal for a sixth season.

Sophomore Year

It’s difficult enough as it is for a series to make it through one entire season with good ratings, Some shows thrive in the ratings, while others barely get a second chance to prove they’re renewal worthy.

CBS series making it through their freshman run and returning for their sophomore season are CSI: Cyber, starring Patricia Arquette; Madam Secretary, starring Tea Leoni and Tim Daly; The Odd Couple, starring Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon; Scorpion, with its ensemble cast; and the Mark Harmon Executive-Produced NCIS: New Orleans, starring Scott Bakula.

ncisStill #1

CBS still boasts the #1 show on television, NCIS (starring Mark Harmon), returning for a thirteenth season, and the #1 comedy The Big Bang Theory (with its ensemble cast), premiering its ninth season.

Long-running renewed CBS series airing over 20 seasons include Don Hewitt’s 60 Minutes, Charlie Parsons’ Survivor, Howard Stringer’s 48 Hours, and Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster’s The Amazing Race.

Two Unique Series

Two CBS shows are set to air special series finales as they come to the end of their run. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered on October 6, 2000 with William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger starring. Since its premiere, the series has undergone many changes and won many awards. It spawned two series, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY, both of which have been cancelled over the years. It also celebrated the airing of more than 300 episodes. CSI has the distinction of being the seventh longest-running scripted U.S. television series of all time. Ted Danson joined the series in 2012. CSI ends its fifteen-season run with a two-hour finale on September 27. Original cast members Petersen and Helgenberger are set to return for the series finale, following which Danson will join the cast of CSI: Cyber.

The other CBS series of note for the new season is Person of Interest, which will air the final 13 episodes of its series sometime during the 2015-16 season. Person of Interest premiered on September 22, 2011 and starred Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson.

hawaiifive0The Rest of the Story

Other CBS series returning in the 2015-16 season are Criminal Minds (returning for an eleventh season), NCIS: Los Angeles, The Good Wife, and Undercover Boss (all returning for a seventh season).

Mike & Molly are renewed for a sixth season, while 2 Broke Girls is renewed for season five. Elementary will be airing season four, and Mom, season three.