CBS is moving forward with NCIS: New Orleans, the third spinoff of the super lucrative NCIS franchise, which itself is a spinoff of JAG. Scott Bakula anchors the new show which comes after a backdoor pilot aired during the season.
They’ve also picked up The McCarthys, a sitcom that was originally developed last season, but didn’t make the cut (same thing happened to The Big Bang Theory). CBS thought there was a good base, and redeveloped the show, giving it an order today for next season.
CBS has also ordered Scorpion, Stalker (from Kevin Williamson), Madam Secretary (starring Tea Leoni), and The Odd Couple (with Matthew Perry) to series. Battle Creek had already been given a straight-to-series order. With very few holes to fill in the lineup, that’s at least 5 dramas and two sitcoms.
Rumor has it that the CSI spinoff with Patricia Arquette and How I Met Your Dad are still on the table. I can’t see The Mentalist getting a reprieve with that many new dramas. CBS could either stick with one of its sitcoms, or go with How I Met Your Dad. They have room to work with one more sitcom in their lineup, at least as a midseason replacement.
Speaking of midseason shows, NBC has picked up One Big Happy for midseason. One Big Happy is produced by Ellen DeGeneres.
ABC is in tight negotiation over Nashville and Last Man Standing. Last Man may get a fourth season as part of a package deal, whereas Nashville seems to be getting a truncated 3rd season.