CBS Orders More Episodes Of ‘Man With A Plan’, ‘The Great Indoors’ & ‘Code Black’
CBS has picked up six episodes each from new comedy series Man With a Plan and The Great Indoors, bringing their freshman seasons to 19 episodes. Additionally, the network has ordered three more episodes of Code Black, bringing its sophomore season to 16 episodes.
The back orders for Man With a Plan, starring Matt LeBlanc, and The Great Indoors toplined by Joel McHale, come after three airings of the comedies, which launched more then a month after the start of the season, following the end of CBS’ Thursday Night Football. Their late start explains the need of fewer originals and CBS’ 19-episode orders, three shy of a full-season 22 given to the Kevin James starrer Kevin Can Wait, which premiered during premiere week.
Neither a breakout, Man With a Plan and The Great Indoors have done OK, staying close to their premiere ratings in Weeks 2 and 3. However, The Great Indoors, which has the better time slot behind the biggest comedy on TV, The Big Bang Theory, dropped its Live+same day retention to 50% last week. Season to date, The Great Indoors is averaging 8.67 million viewers and 1.9 in adults 18-49. Man With a Plan, which follows Kevin Can Wait on Monday, averages 6.96 million viewers and a 1.5.
There is no decision yet on the third fall CBS series to premiere after Thursday Night Football, new Thursday drama Pure Genius, which has been stable but underperforming by CBS standards, most recently matching its Week 2 Live+same day rating in Week 3 (0.9 in 18-49).
CBS’ other medical drama, Code Black, had a 13-episode sophomore order after being on the bubble last spring. Following a creative reboot, its performance this fall has been on par with Pure Genius, also logging a 0.9 in 18-49 (L+SD) in its most recent airing. In most current ratings, Code Black is averaging 7.94 million viewers and 1.5 in 18-49.
CBS has four drama series on tap for midseason, new additions Doubt, Training Day and Ransom and sophomore Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. The network already gave full-season, 22-episode pickups to new fall dramas Bull and MacGyver, which have done well on Tuesdays and Fridays.
To recap: CBS has given back orders to five of its six new fall series, 22-episode pickups of all three shows that premiered during premiere week, Kevin Can Wait, Bull and MacGyver; and 19-episode orders to late entries The Great Indoors and Man With a Plan. Yet to hear its fate is Pure Genius.
On the comedy side, CBS has not made a decision on whether to order more episodes for The Odd Couple, which has a 13-episode Season 3 pickup after 13-episode Season 1 and Season 2 midseason runs. The network has midseason comedy Superior Donuts waiting in the wings.
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