CBS has given full season orders to this year’s three most-watched new series on any network: Fire Country, East New York – which is also the #1 new show among African-American viewers – and So Help Me Todd.
Fire Country is the 2022-2023 season’s #1 new series, averaging 8.26 million viewers to date and beating its closest competitor in the time period each week by +3 million viewers. The premiere on Oct. 7 delivered CBS’ best seven-day audience for a series in the time period since May 8, 2020.
East New York is the #2 new series on any network and Sunday’s #1 new program with 7.37 million viewers. It is also the #1 new show among African-American viewers and the #2 entertainment series among African-American viewers, second only to CBS’ The Equalizer.
So Help Me Todd is the #3 new series on any network and is Thursday’s #1 new series with a time period-winning 6.48 million viewers. Also, since its premiere, the program has been among the most-watched TV series on Paramount+, based on viewership.
“CBS is off to a tremendous start this season,” said Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment. “We are thrilled to have the three most-watched new series, each with their own unique settings, characters, and storylines.
“These dramas are elevating our already successful lineup, resonating with diverse audiences both on-air and on streaming, and continuing to grow each week.”
Kahl added, “We thank the talented casts, executive producers, and their incredible writing and production teams for bringing these shows to life.
“Additional kudos to our CBS programming teams for shepherding these series to success. We are delighted to give them well-deserved full-season orders.”
Fire Country (Friday, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) stars Max Thieriot, Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway and Jules Latimer.
Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Tia Napolitano, Max Thieriot, David Grae (pilot only), James Strong (pilot only), Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman (pilot only), and KristieAnne Reed are executive producers. The series is produced by CBS Studios.
East New York (Sunday, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) stars Amanda Warren, Jimmy Smits, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Kevin Rankin, Richard Kind, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Olivia Luccardi and Lavel Schley.
Emmy Award winner William Finkelstein, Mike Flynn, Emmy Award winner Michael M. Robin, Christine Holder, and Mark Holder are executive producers. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television.
So Help Me Todd (Thursday, 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) stars Marcia Gay Harden, Skylar Astin, Madeline Wise, Tristen J. Winger, Inga Schlingmann and Rosa Evangelina Arredondo.
Scott Prendergast, Liz Kruger & Craig Shapiro (pilot only), Elizabeth J.B. Klaviter, Amy York Rubin (pilot only), Michael Spiller, Dr. Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, and Julia Eisenman are executive producers. The series is produced by CBS Studios.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.