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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

ABC, CBS Cobble Together Fall TV Lineups

Courtesy CBS
"Star Trek: Discovery" from the CBS streaming service will be broadcast on CBS this fall.

One Day At A Time. That's the name of Netflix's revival of a 1975 sitcom which CBS will broadcast this fall, since its own shows haven't resumed production due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One day at a time also explains how the TV networks are dealing with the annual fall TV season launch when unable to air the lineups they announced in May.

Credit Courtesy CBS
Queen Latifah stars in CBS' "The Equalizer" remake later this fall.

Without access to new episodes of scripted shows – everything from The Good Doctor, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Bob (Hearts) Abishola to Queen Latifah's new Equalizer rebootABC and CBS will fill the fall airwaves with reality shows, game shows, series acquired from streaming services and limited series produced by the news division.

ABC Thursday announced a fall schedule with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Supermarket Sweep, Celebrity Family Feud, Press Your Luck, Match Game, The Bachelorette, Card Sharks, Shark Tank and Dancing with the Stars. ABC also said it will air a town hall discussion with President Trump and undecided voters at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.

CBS viewers will see Star Trek: Discovery from the CBS All Access streaming service; Manhunt: Deadly Games from Spectrum on demand; One Day At A Time; and more Undercover Boss, Greatest #AtHome Videos and The Amazing Race.

Credit Courtesy ABC
Steve Harvey hosts ABC's "Celebrity Family Feud."

"We're fortunate to have such a strong unscripted slate to launch our first wave of programming this fall. Presenting the new 'Supermarket Sweep' with Leslie Jones alongside fresh, original episodes of returning shows that viewers have come to know and love is invigorating. And with our scripted series ramping up production, we look forward to announcing more premiere dates very soon," said Karey Burke, ABC Entertainment president, in a Thursday media release.

"This is hardly a traditional fall season, but we are prepared with a strong slate of original content while our regular scripted series begin production,"Kelly Kahl, CBS Entertainment president, announced Wednesday. "Based on our current timeline, we hope to start rolling out our previously announced fall series as they become available in November."

In addition to 60 Minutes and 48 Hours, CBS News will provide The FBI Declassified on Tuesdays and 48 Hours: Suspicion on Wednesdays. Summer reality shows Big Brother and Love Island also will be extended further into fall, Kahl says.

As I reported in May, the CW picked up Coroner from Canada, Dead Pixels from BBC Studios in England, and the DC Universe canceled series Swamp Thing for fall, while holding its own series until JanuaryFox acquired another Spectrum drama series, L.A.'s Finest, for fall. 

Credit Courtesy Sony Pictures Television
"One Day At A Time" stars Justina Machado, Rita Moreno, Todd Grinnell, Isabella Gomez, Elena Alvarez, Marcel Ruiz and Stephen Tobolowsky.

From the CBS release:

"The critically acclaimed comedy One Day At A Time from Pop and Sony Pictures Television debuts on network television with all episodes from its fourth season beginning with back-to-back episodes on Monday, Oct 12. The award-winning series inspired by Emmy winner Norman Lear's 1975 show of the same name, starring Screen Actors Guild Award winner Justina Machado, tells the story of the Cuban American Alvarez family.

"The first full season of CBS All Access' Star Trek: Discovery makes its broadcast debut Thursday, Sept. 24 as a special limited promotional run prior to its third season return on CBS All Access. The third season of the hit series, starring Sonequa Martin-Green, is scheduled to launch Thursday, Oct. 15 exclusively on CBS All Access, ViacomCBS' subscription video on-demand and live streaming service.

"The broadcast premiere of the drama Manhunt: Deadly Games from Lionsgate and Spectrum Originals will debut Monday, Sept. 21. The scripted true crime anthology series, starring Cameron Britton, Jack Huston and Carla Gugino, chronicles one of the largest and most complex manhunts on U.S. soil following the deadly terrorist attack at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta."

Here's a link to my May stories about ABC's new fall series, CBS' new fall series, and CWdelaying most new series until January.

Here's my fall TV premiere dates list to date:

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9

10 p.m.: 48 Hours: Suspicion, CBS.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12

10 p.m.: 48 Hours, CBS.

MONDAY, SEPT. 14

8 p.m.: Dancing With The Stars, ABC.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15

9 p.m.: The Presidential Town Hall: Your Voice, Your Vote with President Trump and George Stephanopoulos, ABC.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 18

8 p.m.: Masters Of Illusion, CW.

9 p.m.: World's Funniest Animals, CW.

SUNDAY SEPT. 20 (NFL Doubleheader)

7:30 p.m.: 60 Minutes, CBS.

MONDAY SEPT. 21

10 p.m.: Manhunt: Deadly Games (broadcast premiere), CBS.

THURSDAY SEPT. Sept. 24

8 p.m.: Celebrity Family Feud, ABC.

9 p.m.: Press Your Luck, ABC.

10 p.m.: Match Game, ABC.

10 p.m.: Star Trek: Discovery (broadcast premiere), CBS.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25

8 p.m.: Greatest #AtHome Videos, CBS.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27

8 p.m.: iHeartRadio Music Festival (first night), CW.

MONDAY, SEPT. 28

8 p.m.: iHeartRadio Music Festival (second night), CW.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 29

8 p.m.: Love Island (season finale), CBS.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2

9 p.m.: Undercover Boss, CBS.

SUNDAY, OCT. 4

8 p.m.: Pandora, CW.

TUESDAY, OCT. 6

8 p.m.: Swamp Thing, CW.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7

8 p.m.: Devils, CW.

9 p.m.: Coroner, CW.

THURSDAY, OCT. 8

8 p.m.: Supernatural, CW.

9 p.m.: The Outpost, CW.

MONDAY, OCT. 12

9 p.m.: One Day At A Time, CBS.

TUESDAY OCT. 13

8 p.m.: The Bachelorette, ABC.

8 p.m.: Swamp Thing (time period premiere), CW

9 p.m.: Tell Me A Story, CW.

10 p.m.; The FBI Declassified, CBS.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14

9 p.m.: The Amazing Race, CBS.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

8 p.m.: Shark Tank, ABC.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18

7 p.m.: America's Funniest Home Videos, ABC.

8 p.m.: Supermarket Sweep, ABC.

9 p.m.: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, ABC.

10 p.m.: Card Sharks, ABC.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 28

9 p.m.: Big Brother (season finale), CBS.

THURSDAY, NOV. 19

8 p.m.: Supernatural: The Long Road Home (special), CW.

9 p.m.: Supernatural (finale), CW.

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.