CBS has ordered three new drama shows for the 2022-2023 broadcast season. According to sources, the network has decided not to move forward with any of its four comedy pilots.
The network has picked up the police drama “East New York,” the firefighter drama “Fire Country” (formerly known as “Cal Fire”), and legal drama “So Help Me Todd.” The comedies “Rust Belt News,” “Unplanned in Akron,” “Sober Companion,” and “The Hug Machine” have been passed over.
“East New York” follows Regina Haywood (Amanda Warren), the newly promoted deputy inspector of East New York, a working-class neighborhood at the edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.
The cast also includes Kevin Rankin, Jimmy Smits, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Richard Kind, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Lavel Schley, and Olivia Luccardi.
William Finkelstein and Mike Flynn co-wrote the pilot and executive produce. Christine Holder and Mark Holder of Wonder Street also executive produce. Michael M. Robin directed the pilot and executive produces via Skyemac Productions. Andrew Maher of Skyemac co-executive produces. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.
“Fire Country” stars “SEAL Team” alum Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict who joins a firefighting program that returns him to his small Northern California hometown, where he and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region. The show is inspired by Thieriot’s experiences growing up in northern California fire country.
Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway, and Jules Latimer also star. Thieriot co-wrote the story with Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, with Phelan and Rater writing the teleplay. All three executive produce along with Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed of Jerry Bruckheimer Television and David Grae. James Strong directed and executive produced the pilot. CBS Studios produces.
“So Help Me Todd” stars Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin. Astin plays a talented but directionless P.I. who is the black sheep of his family. He begrudgingly agrees to work as the in-house investigator for his overbearing mother (Gay-Harden), a successful attorney reeling from the recent dissolution of her marriage.
Madeline Wise, Tristen J. Winger, Inga Schlingmann, and Rosa Arredondo round out the cast. Scott Prendergast serves as writer and executive producer, with Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro co-showrunning and executive producing. Dr. Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, and Julia Eisenman of Stage 29 Productions also executive produce. Amy York Rubin directed and executive produced the pilot. CBS Studios produces.
Variety's Joe Otterson contributed to this post.
https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/cbs-dramas-2022-2023-broadcast-season-comedies-1235265676/
