‘Celebrity Big Brother’ Among CBS Series Making Early 2022 Debuts (TV News Roundup)

Katie Song and Selome Hailu
·12 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

CBS announced its winter 2022 lineup, including the series premiere date of new drama “Good Sam” on Jan. 5 at 10 p.m. and the third season premiere of “Celebrity Big Brother” on Feb. 2 at 8 p.m.

“Good Sam” stars Sophia Bush and Jason Isaacs and takes over “CSI: Vegas’s” time-slot after that drama finishes its 10-episode first season. Bush plays the titular Dr. Sam Griffith, who is a gifted heart surgeon who took on the role of chief of surgery after her renowned boss — and father — Dr. Rob “Griff” Griffith (Isaacs), fell into a coma. However, Dr. Griffith wakes up months later and demands to resume his duties, which leaves Sam in a complicated position.

More from Variety

The third season of “Celebrity Big Brother” will launch three years after its prior season. No celebrity houseguests have yet to be announced, but the network did confirm the reality competition will follow its usual pattern of airing “multiple nights each week” throughout February, leading up to the finale on Feb. 23. Its full season will be contained within the month.

Additionally, Jan. 2 will see the midseason returns of the current seasons of “The Equalizer” (at 8 p.m.), “NCIS: Los Angeles” (at 9 p.m.) and “SWAT,” which moves to a new time period at 10 p.m., while Jan. 3 sees the midseason returns of “The Neighborhood” (at 8 p.m.), “Bob Hearts Abishola” (at 8:30 p.m.), “NCIS” (at 9 p.m.) and “NCIS: Hawai’i” (at 10 p.m.). The “FBI” franchise returns from its winter hiatus on Jan. 4 with the original flagship series at 8 p.m., “FBI: Most Wanted” at 9 p.m. and “FBI: International” at 10 p.m.

“The Amazing Race” will debut its 33rd season on Jan. 5 at 8 p.m with a special two-hour premiere before moving to its regular time period of Wednesdays at 9 p.m. the following week. The race is confirmed to being back in full-swing after the pandemic, with teams of two once again traveling the world in the hope of winning the $1 million prize.

CBS’ Thursday night block of “Young Sheldon” at 8 p.m., “United States of Al” at 8:30 p.m., “Ghosts” at 9 p.m., “B Positive” at 9:30 p.m. and “Bull” at 10 p.m. resumes airing new episodes on Jan. 6, while the 11th season of “Undercover Boss” premieres Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. followed by the midseason returns of “Magnum PI” at 9 p.m. and “Blue Bloods” at 10 p.m.

January will also see primetime specials for “The Price Is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal,” with the former (titled “The Price Is Right at Night”) airing Jan. 12 and Jan. 19, each at 8 p.m., and the latter (“Let’s Make a Deal Primetime”) airing Jan. 26 at 8 p.m.

Finally, the 42nd season of “Survivor” premieres March 9 with a two-hour special event.

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

FIRST LOOKS

Netflix released a trailer for Season 4 of “Selling Sunset,” which premieres Nov. 24. The unscripted series follows realtors who work at The Oppenheim Group: Jason and Brett Oppenheim, Chrishell Stause, Christine Quinn, Mary Fitzgerald, Romain Bonnet, Heather Rae Young, Amanza Smith, Maya Vander, Davina Potratz, Vanessa Villela and Emma Hernan. Done and Done Productions and Lionsgate produce. Adam DiVello serves as executive producer. See the trailer below.

Netflix released a trailer for the third and final season of “Lost in Space,” which premieres Dec. 1. The eight-episode season follows Judy (Taylor Russell), Penny (Mina Sundwall), Will (Maxwell Jenkins) and the Robot (Brian Steele) as they lead the 97 young Colonists in an evacuation after a year of being trapped on a mysterious planet while John (Toby Stephens), Maureen (Molly Parker) and Don (Ignacio Serricchio) seek to reunite with the kids. Creator and showrunner Zack Estrin executive produces alongside Kevin Burns, Jon Jashni, Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Legendary produces. See the trailer below.

Amazon Prime Video debuted a trailer for “Hanna” Season 3, which is also the final season. It stars Esmé Creed-Miles, Mireille Enos, Dermot Mulroney, Adam Bessa and Ray Liotta and continues the journey of the titular woman (Creed-Miles) created by the sinister organization Utrax and trained to be an assassin. As she continues to secretly try to destroy Utrax from the inside, she works with former-CIA agent Marissa Wiegler (Enos) and uncovers secrets that go deeper than she could have ever imagined. The trailer features new assignments for Hannah, romantic scenes in a bedroom, multiple shootouts and chase scenes and closes with Hanna imploringly saying, “Trust me.” “Hanna” Season 3 will premiere globally on Nov. 24 and is written by David Farr, who also serves as executive producer along with Tom Coan, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements and Scott Nemes. The series is produced by NBCUniversal International Studios, Working Title Television and Amazon Studios. Watch the trailer below.

Netflix unveiled a clip from the upcoming comedy special “Jonas Brothers Family Roast.” The clip features Pete Davidson roasting the Jonas brothers. “Nick’s a legit actor now. He’s won everything from a Kids’ Choice Award to a Teen Choice Award,” says Davidson in the clip, which you can watch below. Hosted by Kenan Thompson, the special will roast the Jonas brothers through sketches, songs, games and special guests. “Jonas Brothers Family Roast” premieres globally Nov. 23 and is produced by Fulwell 73. James Longman, Emma Conway, Gabe Turner, Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas and John Lloyd Taylor executive produce.

Paramount Plus unveiled a trailer for the new drag singing competition “Queen of the Universe,” which premieres Dec. 2. It was also announced that RuPaul will serve as an executive producer on the series. The trailer features clips of extravagant performances, outfits and stages. “There will be no lip syncing,” says host Graham Norton to the audience. “Queen of the Universe” will bring together fourteen queens to compete through musical performances for a cash prize of $250,000.

The contestants include Ada Vox (for the U.S.), a former “American Idol” finalist; Aria B. Cassadine (for the U.S.), 2018 Miss Black Gay America winner; Betty Bitschlap (for Denmark), a full-time performer both in and out of drag; Chy’enne Valentino (for the U.S.), 2018 Miss Continental Plus winner; Gingzilla (for Australia), a former performer on “America’s Got Talent” and “The X Factor” in the United Kingdom; Grag Queen (for Brazil), a TikTok queen with 2 million fans; Jujubee (for the U.S.), a double “RuPaul’s Drag Race” All Star; La Voix (for England), a former participant on “Britain’s Got Talent;” Leona Winter (for France), France’s “The Voice” semi-finalist and winner of “The Switch”; Matante Alex (for Canada), a yodeler with a country heart of gold; Novaczar (for the U.S.), the youngest competitor in the series trained in opera, rock and musical theater; Rani Ko-He-Nur (for India), 2014 Mr. Gay India winner; Regina Voce (for Mexico), a former performer in “Cirque Du Soleil”; and Woowu (for China), a Shanghai performer inspired by Christina Aguilera, Cher and Patti Labelle. “Queen of the Universe” is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and World of Wonder. Watch the trailer below.

Discovery Plus debuted a trailer for “Mary McCartney Serves it Up,” which returns with four new episodes on Nov. 23. The episodes follow McCartney, a photographer, cookbook author and the daughter of Paul McCartney, as she prepares meat-free dishes for her friends and family during the holidays. Special guests include Paul McCartney, Stella McCartney, Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey. See the trailer below.

DATES

HBO Max announced that “Sort Of,” a new coming-of-age comedy, will premiere on Nov. 18. The eight-episode first season tells the story of Sabi Mehboob (Bilal Baig), a Pakistani gender-fluid millennial who bartends at an LGBTQ bookstore and bar. Baig and Fab Filippo serve as co-creators and showrunners, and executive producers alongside Sienna Films’ Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny. Writers include Jenn Engels, Nelu Handa and Ian Iqbal Rashid. Filippo and Renuka Jeyapalan direct. “Sort Of” is produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, co-produced between HBO Max and CBC with Sienna Films/Sphere Media and distributed worldwide by Sphere Media with Abacus Media Rights handling international sales. See a trailer below.

“Chasing Ghislaine,” a new docuseries about Ghislaine Maxwell, will debut Nov. 22 on Discovery Plus and then air its three-part special Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. on ID. The series follows journalist Vicky Ward and looks into Maxwell’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before his arrest and death in 2019, examining her business partnership with him and potential involvement in his crimes. “Chasing Ghislaine” is produced for Discovery Plus and ID by Blackfin in association with James Patterson Entertainment. Patterson, Ward, Geno McDermott, Bill Robinson, Emily M. Bernstein and Discovery Plus and ID’s Pamela Deutsch executive produce.

TNT announced that “Shaq Life” Season 2 will premiere with two episodes back-to-back on Dec. 2 at 9 p.m., and the fourth and final season of “Claws” has been moved to a two-hour premiere on Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. “Shaq Life” will continue to follow Shaq as he lives his life to the fullest, from wrestling debuts to a celebrity-filled Super Bowl event. “Shaq Life” is produced by Steve Michaels, Jodi Flynn and James Macnab of The Content Group and Michael Bloom for Bongo Pictures, with Perry Rogers, Colin Smeeton and Tess Gamboa as executive producers. “Claws” Season 4 follows Desna Simms (Niecy Nash) and her crew of manicurists as they rise to power in the crime world to claim cash and respect. “Claws” also stars Carrie Preston, Judy Reyes, Karrueche Tran, Jenn Lyon, Kevin Rankin, Jason Antoon, Harold Perrineau and Dean Norris and is executive produced by Janine Sherman Barrois, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Eliot Laurence, Sharon Lee Watson and Emily Silver. The series is produced by Jones and Le Train Train in association with Warner Bros. Television.

HBO Max will debut the second half of “Gossip Girl” Season 1 on Nov. 25. These episodes will continue to explore social media in the landscape of the Upper East Side, and star Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, Zion Moreno, Whitney Peak and Savannah Lee Smith. Joshua Safran executive produces along with Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo. Lis Rowinski is co-executive producer. “Gossip Girl” is produced by Fake Empire and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios.

INITIATIVES

The Television Academy Foundation is taking applications now through Jan. 19, 2022 for its paid 2022 Hollywood internship program for college media students nationwide. The internships may be in person, hybrid or remote and will take place in the spring or summer. The program aims to give students hands-on experience in several television careers including animation, cinematography, program development, directing, editing, interactive media, news and writing. The foundation also offers the Diversity and Inclusion Unscripted Internship program exclusively for Southern California college students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, internships for foster youth in the greater L.A. area are available through an endowment from the Wolf Family Foundation. For more information and to apply, visit TelevisionAcademy.com/Internships.

DEALS

ESPN announced that senior Major League Baseball insider Jeff Passan has received a multi-year extension to continue to serve as a lead reporter and commentator for MLB coverage. Passan joined ESPN in 2019. He writes for espn.com and makes regular appearances on “SportsCenter,” “Baseball Tonight,” “Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown,” “Sunday Night Baseball,” ESPN podcasts and ESPN’s social media.

EXECUTIVES

Trioscope hired John Evershed as chief strategy officer and Taylor Church as vice president of production. Evershed will help formulate and articulate Trioscope’s corporate strategy and trajectory, including corporate, project and slate financing, international co-production and business development. He previously served as the CEO of Mondo Media, where he also produced multiple originals for networks including Adult Swim, MTV, Syfy and IFC. As vice president of production, Church will supervise all facets of production at Trioscope, from pre-production to post. She previously was a longtime collaborator on Trioscope’s series “The Liberator” on Netflix and spent several years at the School of Humans where she produced hours of programming and spearheaded the podcast division.

RENEWALS

Streetwear competition series “The Hype” has been renewed for a second season at HBO Max. “The Hype” features fashion visionaries who compete in challenges that elevate their designs in order to avoid elimination. Each episode offers a unique perspective about the process of designing streetwear, from the business side of fashion to the savvy ability to identify trends. Host Speedy Morman will return with judges Offset, Bephie Birkett and Marni Senofonte for Season 2. “The Hype” is produced by Scout Productions with executive producers David Collins, Rob Eric and Michael Williams, along with Rachelle Mendez, Rikki Hughes, Jay Brown and Tyran Smith.

HBO Max renewed “Selena + Chef” has been renewed for a fourth season, which is slated to premiere next year. Season 4 will bring Gomez and her friends and family to the beach, where Gomez will continue to learn the joys of cooking with all-star chefs in a new beach house. Like the first three seasons, each chef will highlight a different charity each episode. To date, the series has raised $400,000 for 26 nonprofit organizations. “Selena + Chef” is executive produced by Selena Gomez for July Moon Productions, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman for The Intellectual Property Corporation, and Leah Hariton and Melissa Stokes.

LATE NIGHT

Will Ferrell, Lucy Hale and Dusty Slay will appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” while Ryan Reynolds, Science Bob, Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris will be on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Gayle King, David Copperfield and Aurora will be on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will feature Aubrey Plaza and Bruce Springsteen. Dwayne Johnson and Avril Lavigne will be on “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.