CBS Renews 11 Returning Series Including ‘MacGyver’, ‘Hawaii Five-O’, ‘Blue Bloods’ & ‘Bull’

CBS Renews 11 Returning Series Including ‘MacGyver’, ‘Hawaii Five-O’, ‘Blue Bloods’ & ‘Bull’

CBS has renewed eleven returning series for 2018-2019, including its entire Friday lineup of dramas MacGyver, Hawaii Five-O and Blue Bloods, along with Bull, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Los Angeles and Madam Secretary, two reality series Survivor and The Amazing Race, and news programs 60 Minutes and 48 Hours. All seven scripted series whose renewal was announced today hail from CBS sibling CBS TV Studios.

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They join previously announced The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Mom, NCIS, SEAL Team, and S.W.A.T. for a total of 17 shows, including its entire Tuesday and Friday night lineups comprised of ten dramas, three comedies, two reality series and two news programs.

What is missing from the list? Veteran drama Criminal Minds, freshman Instinct, comedy Life In Pieces, CBS’ entire Monday lineup, including comedies Kevin Can Wait, Man with a Plan and Superior Donuts and drama Scorpion. For more on the CBS shows left on the bubble, read my story.

The series renewed so far are considered the no-brainers. They represent 12 of the top 20 scripted series; 12 series with 10+ million viewers; and three of the top six most-watched freshman series, Young Sheldon, SEAL Team and S.W.A.T.

MacGyver, Hawaii Five-O and Bull return for their third seasons and Blue Bloods for its ninth. NCIS: New Orleans and Madam Secretary return for their fifth seasons and NCIS: Los Angeles for its tenth. With today’s renewal, CBS is keeping the NCIS franchise intact, with all three series coming back.

While MacGyver has not necessarily been a critical darling, it has done respectable business on Friday and has done well internationally for CBS based on its recognizable title and popcorn, procedural nature. It draws a respectable 8.5 million viewers and has been able to reenergize CBS’ Friday drama lineup when it joined it last season.

MacGyver, a reimagining of the 1985 show, stars Lucas Till and George Eads. Director James Wan executive produces alongside Peter Lenkov, Craig O’Neill, Henry Winkler, Lee Zlotoff and Michael Clear for CBS Television Studios in association with Lionsgate.

Hawaii Five-0, also from Lenkov, has been solid 9 PM anchor on Friday. It has lucrative off-network and international deals, and its star Alex O’Laughlin already is looked in for next season, so the renewal was a no-brainer.

Police procedural Blue Bloods, created by Shane Brennan, stars Chris O’Donnell, Peter Cambor, Daniela Ruah and Adam Jamal Craig. In its eighth season, Blue Bloods continues to be a viewership powerhouse.

Bull, based on the early days of talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw and created by Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio, stars Michael Weatherly, Freddy Rodriguez, Geneva Carr and Christopher Jackson, hails from Amblin TV and CBS TV Studios.

NCIS: New Orleans, created by Gary Glasberg, stars Scott Bakula, Lucas Black and Vanessa Ferlito. NCIS: Los Angeles, created by Shane Brennan, stars Chris O’Donnell and Daniela Ruah.

Political drama Madam Secretary, created by Barbara Hall, stars Tea Leoni and Tim Daly.