Writers’ Strike May Drive CBS to Air Select Paramount+ Series on Broadcast TV This Fall
The Writers Guild of America has been striking since May 1, walking off the job due to disputes over pay and residuals that have arisen thanks to the age of streaming. As the strike continues, fall TV schedules are being put into jeopardy, as this is the time of year studios use to start production on scripted series.
Earlier this year, CBS had thought that it had finalized its fall schedule featuring a large number of scripted shows, however, the Eye Network is now having to carefully examine the alternatives. CBS President and CEO George Cheeks spoke about that issue at the 2023 Banff World Media Festival earlier this week and said that borrowing already-filmed shows from streaming and using them as reruns might be one way for CBS to fill out its primetime fall lineup.
“We’re looking at some of the Paramount+ originals,” Cheeks said. “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.”
CBS has some experience with airing Paramount’s streaming exclusives. “Star Trek: Discovery” aired reruns on the linear channel in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the filming of any new episodes. But what shows can fans expect to see this time around? Might they possibly be treated to episodes of “Yellowstone” or its spinoffs “1883” and “1923”?
Sadly for fans, the amount of editing required to remove enough nudity and explicit language from those shows will likely keep them off of CBS. Rules governing content on broadcast are obviously far stricter than on cable, where Paramount is planning to show episodes of the streaming-original “1883” via its cable channel Paramount Network starting Sunday, June 18.
So what shows will fans see move from Paramount+ to CBS? The evaluation process is still underway, but Cheeks hinted that audiences might see some very familiar faces reintroduced into the CBS fall lineup if the WGA strike continues unabated.
“One of [the titles] won’t surprise you because it may have been on CBS before.” Cheeks coyly remarked.
Both “SEAL Team” and “Evil” started out as CBS shows before becoming streaming originals, and “Criminal Minds” ran on the broadcast channel for 15 years before releasing a self-contained season — “Criminal Minds: Evolution” — exclusively on Paramount+.
CBS is also looking to other measures to fill out its fall programming schedule, including a step-up in its reality offerings. The network is pushing back the release dates of summer staples like “Big Brother” into August, so they will continue to air until November. CBS is also preparing supersized, 90-minute episodes of unscripted programs like “The Amazing Race,” “The Price is Right,” and more to keep the content coming while the strike is resolved.
As the work stoppage in Hollywood continues, more media outlets may decide to raid their streaming pantries for reruns to keep their fall TV lineups full. The ideal solution would be for studios and the writers’ union to agree on terms for a new contract, but until that happens, executives will have to find other alternatives to keep their channels from showing dead air.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and more. The lineup includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.