Amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, CBS is considering airing some Paramount+ originals this fall. The 2023 fall TV season is still a couple of months away, but broadcasters are already preparing in the event that the work stoppage continues until the end of the year.
George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports of Paramount+, delivered a keynote speech at Banff (via Deadline) and reveals plans in case the writers strike ends up derailing their previously unveiled fall 2023 line-up. Zeroing in on scripted shows, he shares the network is considering airing some Paramount+ originals on linear TV in lieu of their regular series. Read his full quote below:
“We’re looking at some of the Paramount+ originals. We’re spending a lot of time looking at research and figuring out which are the ones that A, have the best shot keeping our audience engaged but also that could really help drive awareness… One of them won’t surprise you because it may have been on CBS before.”
What To Expect From CBS’ Revamped Fall 2023 Programming
For context, CBS has previously released its fall 2023 schedule, and it’s essentially just its usual programming layout. It doesn’t seem like it even considered the WGA strike, which was already ongoing when it was rolled out. Chances are that CBS was operating on the idea that the current industry issue will be resolved in time for the production of its scripted shows, allowing them to stick to its original scheduling.
That being said, with the writers strike still on and seemingly with no resolution in sight, it’s understandable that CBS is starting to examine its options for what its fall 2023 TV season may look like. For what it’s worth, even the stars of Young Sheldon have supported their writers, which could be an indication that the much-anticipated season 7 may be delayed. That could also be the case for the rest of its scripted primetime shows.
As for the mystery Paramount+ shows that may air on CBS, the network has a couple of options. There are Evil and SEAL Team, which both have intriguing premises. There’s also Criminal Minds: Evolution, which is a continuation of the original Criminal Minds show on CBS that ran for 15 years. All these options have great premises that could appeal to a bigger audience if they are broadcast on network TV.
Source: Deadline
