Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has ended and the bulk of the entertainment industry can return to their previously scheduled duties, TV network execs are finally able to start hammering out scheduling details for when everyone's favorite shows will be able to return. CBS is the first broadcaster to go to bat with its additions to the 2024 Winter/Spring schedule, with dates locked down for new (alebit shortened) seasons for ratings winners such as NCIS, the FBI franchise, Young Sheldon and more, including This Is Us vet Justin Hartley's TV return.
CBS viewers will be able to use NCIS: Sydney and its upside-down previews as a procedural life preserver until all the returning favorites start raining down, with the bulk of the planned premieres set for February. (Starting up production again right before the holidays doesn't exactly allow for immediate turnarounds.) Let's take a look at what'll be popping up the soonest, and note that all times listed are in ET.
That should be a busy week for all involved at CBS, and audiences will hopefully be along for the ride. The network wisely left that Wednesday wide open, as not to compete with Valentine's Day evening drawing millions of potential viewers' away from their TVs and onto their loved ones.
Still, it's a stocked schedule, and largely resembles what CBS viewers are used to, with Justin Hartley's Tracker as one of only two brand new series joining the network's ranks. From Monday's sitcoms and NCIS franchise eps to Tuesday's FBI lineup to Thursday's dramedy motif to Friday's star-heavy dramas, it's a schedule that clearly works, and won't be messed with going into all these shows' shortened seasons.
There are more hits left to arrive after that big premiere week, however, including returning favorites and the other new addition, the Good Wife and Good Fight spinoff Elsbeth, starring Carrie Preston's Elsbeth Tascioni.
Elsbeth will likely feel right at home amidst the quirkiness of CBS' Thursday night lineup, which also includes Young Sheldon, Ghosts and So Help Me Todd. And for those hoping that Survivor and Amazing Race would adhere to their extended runtimes going into the next seasons, that will indeed be the case.
Check out the promo video CBS released to hype fans up for new episodes, which seemed like a pipe dream in the weeks and months prior.
Stay tuned for more possible release dates coming from CBS, and be sure to snag a Paramount+ subscription to watch all the most recent seasons of your favorite shows before the new ones arrive.
