Rueben's Ramblings

The following is the proposed CBS line-up for the new fall 2015-2016 TV season:

Monday:

8 PM – The Big Bang Theory
8:30 PM – Life in Pieces (NEW)
8 PM – Supergirl (NEW) (in November)
9 PM – Scorpion
10 PM – NCIS: Los Angeles

Supergirl – Based on the DC Comics character Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist from Glee and The Longest Ride), this modern adaptation will focus on Superman’s cousin, who, after 12 years of keeping her powers a secret on Earth, decides to finally embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be. Twelve-year-old Kara escaped the doomed planet Krypton with her parents’ help at the same time as the infant Kal-El. Protected and raised on Earth by her foster family, the Danvers, Kara grew up in the shadow of her foster sister, Alex (Chyler Leigh from Grey’s Anatomy), and learned to conceal the phenomenal powers she shares with her famous cousin in order to keep her identity a secret. Years later at 24, Kara lives in National City assisting media mogul and fierce taskmaster Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart from Ally McBeal and Brothers & Sisters), who just hired the Daily Planet’s former photographer, James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks from Necessary Roughness), as her new art director. However, Kara’s days of keeping her talents a secret are over when Hank Henshaw (David Harewood from Homeland), head of a super-secret agency where her sister also works, enlists her to help them protect the citizens of National City from sinister threats. The executive producers include Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, Sarah Schecter and Andrew Kreisberg.

Tuesday:

8 PM – NCIS
9 PM – NCIS: New Orleans
10 PM – Limitless (NEW)

Limitless – Based on the feature film, this TV version is a fast-paced drama about Brian Finch (Jake McDorman from Greek), who discovers the brain-boosting power of the mysterious drug NZT and is coerced by the FBI into using his extraordinary cognitive abilities to solve complex cases for them. Working closely with Brian in the major case squad in New York City is Special Agent Rebecca Harris (Jennifer Carpenter from Dexter), a formidable investigator with a dark past, and Special Agent Boyle (Hill Harper from CSI: NY and Covert Affairs), a former military officer and Rebecca’s confidante. They report to Special Agent in Charge Nasreen “Naz” Pouran (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio from Grimm), a canny manipulator of the reins of power. Unbeknownst to the FBI, Brian also has a clandestine relationship with Senator Edward Mora (Bradley Cooper), a presidential hopeful and regular user of NZT who has plans of his own for his new protégé. The executive producers include Craig Sweeny, Marc Webb, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Heather Kadin, Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley and Tom Forman.

Wednesday:

8 PM – Survivor
9 PM – Criminal Minds
10 PM – Code Black (NEW)

Code Black – This medical drama takes place in the busiest, most notorious ER in the nation, where the staggering influx of patients can outweigh the limited resources available to the extraordinary doctors and nurses whose job is to treat them all, creating a condition known as Code Black. At the heart of the ER’s controlled chaos is Residency Director Dr. Leanne Rorish (Marcia Gay Harden from Mystic River), renowned for successfully performing high-risk procedures in Center Stage, the trauma area reserved for the most critical cases. Her four new first-year residents are Christa Lorenson (Bonnie Somerville from Golden Boy), Malaya Pineda (relative newcomer Melanie Kannokada), Mario Savetti (Benjamin Hollingsworth from Cult and The Joneses) and Angus Leighton (relative newcomer Harry M. Ford). Leanne’s confidante, Jesse Sallander (Luis Guzman from The Count of Monte Cristo), is an amiable seen-it-all senior nurse who manages the residents. Also working in the ER is Dr. Neal Hudson (Raza Jaffrey from Smash), an excellent physician who sometimes disagrees with Leanne’s “cowboy” approach, and Dr. Rollie Guthrie (William Allen Young from Moesha), the energetic, longest-serving attending. The executive producers include Michael Seitzman, Marti Noxon, Linda Goldstein-Knowlton, Ryan McGarry and David Semel.

Thursday:

8 PM – NFL Thursday Night Football
8 PM – The Big Bang Theory (Starting in November)
8:30 PM – Life in Pieces (Starting in November)
9 PM – Mom (Starting in November)
9:30 PM – Angel from Hell (NEW) (Starting in November)
10 PM – Elementary (Starting in November)

Friday:

8 PM – The Amazing Race
9 PM – Hawaii Five-0
10 PM – Blue Bloods

Saturday:

8 PM – Crimetime Saturday
9 PM – Crimetime Saturday
10 PM – 48 Hours

Sunday:

7 PM – 60 Minutes
8 PM – Madam Secretary
9 PM – The Good Wife
10 PM – CSI: Cyber

NOTE: Person of Interest will air later in the season as will 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly and The Odd Couple.

The new CBS dramas that will debut later in the season include:

Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders – Gary Sinise (CSI: NY) will star in this spin-off drama about the specialized International Division of the FBI tasked with solving crimes and coming to the rescue of Americans who find themselves in danger while abroad. Heading the department is Unit Chief Jack Garrett (Sinise), a seasoned 20-year veteran of the Bureau. The team he trusts with his life includes Matthew Simmons (Daniel Henney from Revolution and Three Rivers), a former military hero with split-second profiling skills he honed on the battlefield, and Russ “Monty” Montgomery (Tyler James Williams from Everybody Hates Chris), the unit’s compassionate, brilliant tech analyst who additionally liaises stateside with the families of those in trouble while his group is far from home. The executive producers include Mark Gordon, Erica Messer and Nick Pepper.

Rush Hour – This is a reimagining of the hit feature film franchise, featuring a maverick LAPD detective and a by-the-book detective from Hong Kong who knock heads when they are forced to partner together. Detective Lee (Jon Foo from Tekken) is a reserved, honorable master martial artist with lightning-fast moves who comes to L.A. to avenge his sister’s alleged death and learn more about her connection to a Chinese organized crime ring. Detective Carter (Justin Hires from the box office film 21 Jump Street), on the other hand, is a wisecracking cop who plays by his own rules and has never wanted a partner. As exasperated as Carter’s boss, Captain Cole (Wendie Malick from Hot in Cleveland), gets with him, she knows he’s a brilliant detective who gets results. Attempting to help the two get along is Sergeant Didi Diaz (Aimee Garcia from Dexter), Carter’s friend and former partner who doesn’t hesitate to call him out on his antics. But even as cultures clash and tempers flare, Carter and Lee can’t deny they make a formidable team, and grudgingly admit that sometimes an unlikely pairing makes for a great partnership. The executive producers include Bill Lawrence, Blake McCormick, Jeff Ingold, Jon Turteltaub, Arthur Sarkissian and Brett Ratner.