Fall back: CBS makes room in its lineup for ‘NCIS: Hawai‘i’ and more
Fall back: The wait for the final season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and the long-awaited debut of FX’s “Impeachment: American Crime Story” will soon be over! Now about a month away from the start of the much-heralded fall TV season, this is when networks and streamers are hyping the return of old favorites and the debut of some soon-to-be favorites, too.
The big networks have all released their fall premiere schedules, and while many of the top performers from the 2020-21 season will be back in September and October, some may not be airing in their usual time-slot.
CBS, for one, has three new franchise newcomers that are ready to roll out. “NCIS: Hawai’i,” which stars “Love Is Blind” co-host Vanessa Lachey, is set to premiere Monday, Sept. 20, right after the Season 19 premiere of “NCIS.”
Wait,“NCIS”on a Monday?After 18 years as the Tuesday leadoff, “NCIS” is relocating to Monday nights, where it will lead into the spinoff series and hopefully give “NCIS: Hawai’i” a good start ratings-wise.
Before you start accusing CBS of messing with a good thing, the move actually frees up space on Tuesday nights for not one, not two, but three FBI series from Law & Order mastermind Dick Wolf. Beginning Sept. 21, the network’s Tuesday night lineup is an all FBI affair, with “FBI,” “FBI: Most Wanted” and the freshman series “FBI: International” all airing back to back.
With “S.W.A.T.” moving to Fridays beginning Oct. 1, another new crime drama, “CSI: Vegas,” will take over its usual time-slot on Wednesday, Oct. 6, right after “Tough as Nails.”And “SEAL Team” has been relocated to Sundays for just four weekly episodes beginning Oct. 10, before finishing out its season on Paramount+.
Back to “S.W.A.T.”: you’ll need to keep an eye on the listings for this one. The cop drama was originally supposed to take over “SEAL Team’s” Sunday time-slot after its limited run. Instead, expect “S.W.A.T.” to disappear from the schedule in November. But don’t worry, it’ll be back from its monthlong hiatus on Dec. 3 and will likely remain in the Friday lineup … at least, for now.
Woodard in Winnipeg: Highly acclaimed actress Alfre Woodard (“Clemency”) has joined the cast of a new Canadian civil rights drama shot in Winnipeg.
A co-production from Canadian broadcaster CBC and streamer BET
Plus, “The Porter” shines the spotlight on the experiences of Black railway porters during the roaring 1920s.
The story, which is largely set in Montreal and Chicago, focuses on two Black porters who, according to the official log line, “hustle, dream, cross borders and confront racial barriers on and off the railways that crossed North America. One pushes to create the first ever Black union and the other chases power on the wrong side of the law, as both aim to free themselves and their families from oppression.”
Woodard has signed on to play the role of Fay, a local brothel owner in St.Antoine, Montreal, who “lives life on her own terms.” Other cast members include Oluniké Adeliyi (“Flashpoint”), “American Idol” alumna Loren Lott,Aml Ameen (“Sense8”), Ronnie Rowe Jr. (“Star Trek: Discovery”) and Mouna Traoré (“Rookie Blue”). Co-creators Arnold Pinnock (“Life With Derek”) and Bruce Ramsay (“19-2”) will also star as series regulars Glenford and Dinger.
More Momoa: Aquaman, a rock climber? You bet.
It turns out actor Jason Momoa, a.k.a. Khal Drogo in “Game of Thrones” and Aquaman in the
DC movies, is a huge fan of the sport — he’s even working on a new rock-climbing competition series for HBO Max.
“The Climb” — coincidentally, the same title as an episode of “Game of Thrones” that did not feature Momoa — is an eight-episode series that is being described as “a visually arresting and lifechanging adventure that represents the foundations of rock climbing and the exploration of the human spirit. In this all-encompassing competition, amateur climbers are put through a rigorous series of mental and physical challenges, utilizing the most intimidating ascents in the world to crown the world’s best amateur climber.”
Momoa, who arrived in London just last month to begin filming “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (informally dubbed “Aquaman 2”), is on board as producer of “The Climb” through his production company, On the Roam, but he’ll also be popping up in front of the camera.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Solution on page 2
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 0 through 9 the letters A-F.
Solution on page 2