Yellowstone coming to CBS to help lift fall TV schedule

Like a classic western hero, Yellowstone is riding in to try and save the day for CBS, as the hit TV show that has for five seasons been exclusive to Paramount Network is going to make its debut on the network as part of its 2023 fall TV lineup.

But it's not alone, as CBS has a number of shows that have aired in the UK that it has licensed, primetime versions of its classic game shows and reality TV to fill in for the lack of new scripted programming because of the ongoing writers and actors strikes.

Yellowstone is the big headline here, as the Taylor Sheridan-created neo western has become one of TV's biggest hits over the last few years. It'll now make its broadcast premiere on CBS, starting with season 1 premiere.

In case you haven’t seen Yellowstone yet, the series follows the Dutton family, who own one of the biggest cattle ranches in the US and fight to protect it from various people trying to take it from them, by just about any means necessary. Kevin Costner stars as the family patriarch John Dutton. Also starring in the series are Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille and Gil Birmingham.

Yellowstone is scheduled to air on Sundays on CBS, though a specific date for when it will premiere on the network has not been announced. If the NFL on CBS only features a single game, there will be two episodes of Yellowstone airing at 8 pm ET/PT and 9 pm ET/PT; if CBS has a football doubleheader, only one episode of Yellowstone will air at 9 pm ET/PT.

To be clear, these episodes are not the second half of Yellowstone season 5, but Yellowstone season 1.

In addition to Yellowstone, CBS is swapping out its popular comedy Ghosts with the UK version that predated it. The UK Ghosts follows the same basic premise — a couple inherit a rickety mansion and one soon gets the ability to see and communicate with the ghosts that inhabit it — and stars Charlotte Ritchie, Kiell Smith-Byone, Mathew Byaton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond. The UK Ghosts premiered in 2019 on the BBC and has aired four seasons, with Ghosts season 5 on the way.

The UK Ghosts will air on Thursdays, with two episodes running back-to-back during the 9 pm ET/PT hour. It'll follow reruns of the US Ghosts.

Other new programming that CBS is using to fill its slate include Paramount Plus original series SEAL Team (which was actually a CBS series before being moved to the streamer) and FBI True, which features FBI agents talking about their toughest cases. Another Paramount Plus original is expected to be added to the lineup, but is TBD for now.

There will also be primetime versions of The Price Is Right and Let's Make a Deal and new reality and game shows like Buddy Games, which sees groups of close-knit friends compete in different challenges, Loteria Loca, based on the Latin game of chance and hosted by Jaime Camil, and Raid the Cage, where teams answer trivia questions and try to grab as many prizes as they can from a cage before the door closes.

There are some usual staples to the CBS primetime lineup, like reruns of Blue Bloods and NCIS, Young Sheldon and Ghosts and new episodes of the news program 60 Minutes. There will also be new seasons of favorite CBS reality shows, including Big Brother season 25, Survivor season 45, The Amazing Race season 35 and The Challenge: USA season 2.

No premiere dates have been announced for any of these shows, but we do know that the UK Ghosts will premiere after Buddy Games concludes its run.

Here is the current breakdown of the CBS 2023 fall TV schedule:

Mondays

• 8 pm: Loteira Loca

• 9 pm: NCIS

• 10 pm: Paramount Plus Original TBA

Tuesdays

• 8 pm: Big Brother

• 9 pm: FBI True

• 10 pm: FBI

Wednesdays

• 8 pm: Survivor

• 9:30 pm: The Amazing Race

Thursdays

• 8 pm: Big Brother

• 9 pm: Buddy Games

• 10 pm: The Challenge: USA

Thursdays later fall 2023

• 8 pm: Young Sheldon

• 8:30 pm: Ghosts

• 9 pm: UK Ghosts

• 9:30 pm: UK Ghosts

• 10 pm: SEAL Team

Fridays

• 8 pm: The Price Is Right at Night/Let's Make a Deal Primetime

• 9 pm: Raid the Cage

• 10 pm: Blue Bloods Classics

Saturdays

• 8 pm: encores and sports

• 10 pm: 48 Hours

Sundays with NFL on CBS singleheader 

• 7 pm: 60 Minutes

• 8 pm: Yellowstone

• 9 pm: Yellowstone

• 10 pm: Big Brother

Sundays with NFL on CBS doubleheader

• 7:30 pm: 60 Minutes

• 9 pm: Yellowstone

• 10 pm: Big Brother