‘The Equalizer’ Starring Queen Latifah Lands Post-Super Bowl Slot On CBS; ‘FBI’ Midseason Return Set Post-AFC Championship Game

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New CBS drama The Equalizer starring Queen Latifah has landed a plum post-Super Bowl slot for its series premiere. It will air immediately following CBS Sports’ broadcast of Super Bowl LV on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/7:00-8:00 PM, PT; time approximate after post-game coverage) on CBS. It will move to its regular Sunday (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) time slot on Feb. 14, 2021.

The decision was made after CBS brass saw the first completed episodes of The Equalizer, which started production earlier this fall.

This marks only the third time out of nine times CBS has carried the Super Bowl since it got back in rotation in 1990 that a scripted series has landed the post-Super Bowl berth. The other two times, the network went with dramas that had already premiered, Elementary (iSeason 1) and Criminal Minds (Season 2).

FBI will make its midseason return following the NFL’s AFC Championship Game on Jan. 24, 2021 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT; time is approximate after post-game coverage). FBI returns to its regular Tuesday (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) time period with an original episode on Jan. 26, 2021. The AFC Championship Game kicks off at 6:30 PM ET on CBS.

In addition, on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will broadcast a special original edition following late local news. The Emmy-winning The Late Late Show with James Corden will also air a special weekend edition on Sunday, Jan. 24, following late local news.

“The Super Bowl and the AFC Championship Game in primetime is the ultimate combination to promote and showcase an episode of a highly anticipated new series, a rising procedural drama and our acclaimed late night franchises,” said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. “With these games and the Grammys, CBS will have the biggest audience events on television for three consecutive weeks in early 2021. I can’t think of a better way to start the new year or a better promotional environment for our mid-season schedule.”

The Equalizer
, a reimagining of the classic series, stars Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. The cast also includes Chris Noth as William Bishop, Lorraine Toussaint as Viola “Aunt Vi” Marsette, Tory Kittles as Det. Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg as Harry Keshegian, Liza Lapira as Melody Bayani and Laya DeLeon Hayes as Delilah. Andrew Marlowe, Terri Miller, Dana Owens (Queen Latifah), John Davis, John Fox, Debra Martin Chase, Richard Lindheim (co-creator of the original “Equalizer” TV series that ran on CBS for four seasons), Shakim Compere and director Liz Friedlander (EP on pilot only) are executive producers for Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with CBS Studios.

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