It’s that time of year again, when television networks order shows for the upcoming season. CBS isn’t taking it lightly either, having ordered a total of five series to help solidify its 2016-2017 broadcast schedule.
Among the shows ordered are a reboot of the popular 1980s series MacGyver, as well as a drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil, before he became a TV host.
CBS is following the reboot trend this year with a new MacGyver. The series will feature X-Men star Lucas Till, and reimagines the secret agent series that ran from 1985-92. It’s important to note that the show won’t be as much a remake as it will be a prequel, following MacGyver in his 20s as he uses his problem-solving skills to, well, solve problems.
Bull is based on the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, who ran a trial consulting firm before becoming known as a TV host. The series stars exiting NCIS star Michael Weatherly, as Dr. Bull, who uses a combination of psychology and intuition to figure out the inner workings of juries, lawyers, witnesses, and so on. The show will air on Tuesdays.
Next up is Training Day, which takes place 15 years after the film of the same name. The series will follow a young, naive police officer (Justin Cornwell) who is paired up with a “morally ambiguous detective,” played by Bill Paxton.
Pure Genius is a medical drama that is being developed by Universal TV and CBS TV Studios. It was reportedly a favorite of test audiences, and is about a young tech titan in the Silicon Valle, who enlists a veteran surgeon to help start a hospital with a “new school” approach to medicine.
Comedy fans shouldn’t feel too left out. CBS also ordered two new comedies, including Man with a Plan, which stars Friends alum Matt LeBlanc as a contractor who decides to spend more time with his kids. The Great Indoors stars Community’s Joel McHale as an adventurous reporter who becomes the head of the digital department at his magazine.
