CBS has long been home to some of the biggest procedurals on television, including franchises like FBI and NCIS. It’s also home to some of the biggest reality competition shows on television, like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race. When it comes to news, meanwhile, 60 Minutes is a mainstay in the primetime line-up.
There are new shows coming, too, like NCIS: New York (because, of course, why not another spin-off?), the vampire comedy Eternally Yours, and the legal drama Cupertino. CBS has kept the momentum going, and the 2020s have seen some great new TV show entries, including a few of my favorite network TV shows of late.
Why You Should Trust Me: I have been writing about TV for more than a decade and watching it for even longer. My obsession with TV began pre-streaming, and even today, I still have linear TV and watch a lot of network shows. I love a good procedural, drama, or sitcom, finding the formulaic and week-to-week nature comforting, especially when I’ve already binged my way through an entire season of a streaming show. I have a vast knowledge of shows to compare the latest series to as well, putting me in a unique position to express my informed opinion.
Honorable Mentions:
‘Sheriff Country’ (2025–): A police procedural that fits right in with the regular CBS line-up, Sheriff Country follows Sheriff Mickey Fox (Morena Baccarin) as she navigates fighting crime in her small California town. The unique spins, including her ex-con father and her troubled daughter, add humanity to the plot, too.
‘Fire Country’ (2022–): Coming into its fifth season, Fire Country has received mixed reviews. It’s a thrilling action drama about young convict Bode Donovan (Max Thieriot) trying to reinvent his life by volunteering with a conservation camp program and assisting forestry and fire protection. It’s cookie-cutter fiction at its finest, but that’s precisely what fans love about the show.
‘Watson’ (2025–2026): Fans were outraged at Watson‘s premature cancellation, which speaks volumes about the show. The series combines medical drama with detective work as Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut) continues his work as a doctor. But he’s interrupted with the news that the villain Moriarty (Randall Park) is still alive. The combination of medical drama and detective work was too confusing for some to wrap their heads around, but Watson is worth a watch for fans of the character and both genres.
‘Marshals’ (2026–): A must-watch for fans of Yellowstone, Marshals picks up with Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), who is now working as a U.S. Marshal, helping protect Montana. The spin-off and sequel show combines the neo-Western feel of Yellowstone with a traditional police procedural. While it hasn’t quite blown up as Yellowstone did, there’s promise for Marshals to improve with its second season once viewers accept that it’s not as heavy and in-your-face as the original.
‘CIA’ (2026–)
A Procedural With Promise
Tom Ellis commanded the screen in Lucifer, and while CIA doesn’t quite push the same buttons, it presents an interesting perspective within the growing procedural landscape. Ellis stars as CIA case officer Colin Glass, who, much like his title character in Lucifer, likes to do things his own way and isn’t afraid to take risks. He’s partnered with FBI special agent Bill Goodman (Nick Gehlfuss), who is the antithesis of that, a man who always follows the rules
The odd couple, buddy cop vibe has been done many times in both movies and TV shows, which may be why CIA only received a lukewarm reception for its inaugural season. There’s nothing that particularly stands out about the show. But like other procedurals, if you like the mix of predictability, action, and comedic relief, it fits with Dick Wolf’s other shows.
‘So Help Me Todd’ (2022–2024)
Cancelled Too Soon
So Help Me Todd performed pretty well through its two-season run, which is why fans were surprised when the show was cancelled. What’s more, it ended on a cliffhanger, to boot, so keep that in mind if you decide to power through the 31 episodes. The legal comedy drama follows Todd (Skyler Astin), a private investigator with a penchant for getting into trouble. When his mother, Margaret (Marcia Gay Harden), a defense attorney, negotiates to get him out of criminal charges, she has him work for her.
The mother-son drama is at the center of the plot since Margaret’s way of doing things by the book is in direct contrast to Todd’s desire to operate in grey areas. It’s a fun show with a killer cast and two strong leads that had so much promise to continue. There was even a petition and Facebook group created to try and save the show.
‘The Equalizer’ (2021–2025)
A Gender-Swapped Remake With a Badass Female Lead
The Equalizer takes the original series of the same name and flips the script with Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, a single mother and former CIA operative with special skills she uses to help others. Airing for five seasons, the crime drama received decent reviews, with Latifah earning high praise for her ability to take on a role that so many equate with Edward Woodward from the original.
It’s nice to see a female lead the charge in such a dominant role, and the show has some great supporting actors, too, including Adam Goldberg, Chris Noth, Tawny Cypress, and Dominic Fumusa. There’s a long list of guest stars you might enjoy seeing too, including Laila Robins, Mike Epps, Titus Welliver, and Kelly Rowland.
‘Boston Blue’ (2025–)
A Worthy Spin-off Keeps The Blue Blood Flowing
Blue Bloods had a huge audience throughout its 14-season run, so fans were sad when it ended in 2024. And while Tom Selleck is no longer there to entertain, the spin-off Boston Blue brings back Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan. He’s now working with the Boston Police Department after relocating from New York.
Danny’s new partner is Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green), who comes from a long line of police officers and influential figures in the city, including her grandfather, Reverend Edwin Peters (Ernie Hudson), stepsister Sarah (Maggie Lawson), who is superintendent of detectives, and daughter of Mae (Gloria Reuben), Boston district attorney. Boston Blue has been a fantastic follow-up to Blue Bloods, the perfect watch if you’re missing that show.
‘NCIS: Origins’ (2024–)
The Compelling Backstory of a Beloved Character
Mark Harmon was at the center of NCIS as special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs for the show’s first 19 seasons. A few years after his departure, the character was resurrected in NCIS: Origins. Except this police procedural serves as a prequel with Austin Stowell playing a younger version of Leroy when he was just starting out.
Fans have been all for it, especially with Harmon providing narration to bring everything full circle. NCIS has seen many spin-offs since its inception, but NCIS: Origins is perhaps one of the best received. Fans love hearing and seeing the story of how his character came to be the veteran agent that he was, and the early days of grieving the loss of his wife and daughter.
‘Ghosts’ (2021–)
A Fun Mix of Personalities Across Time
It’s rare nowadays to come across a sitcom with an original concept: most are remakes, sequels, continuations, or heavily inspired by something that came before it. Ghosts, one of the best comedies on TV right now, might be based on a British show of the same name, but the American version adds its own spin. The story centers around Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), a married couple that inherits a gorgeous country house and decide to move in. But following a near-death experience, Sam starts to see ghosts and realizes that they are of people who existed at different times in history, all died there, and can’t leave.
It’s a hilarious sitcom as the couple navigates the conflicting personalities of everyone from a melodramatic Viking from 1,000 years ago to a closeted gay Continental Army officer from 1777 and an uptight lady of the manor from 1895. What adds to the hilarity is that Jay can’t see or hear them; only Sam can. You’ll get plenty of laughs with this sitcom, the perfect one to curl up to with the whole family.
‘Elsbeth’ (2024–)
A Legal Procedural With An Endearing Lead
Everyone loves a good quirky lead character, and Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston) fits the bill. In Elsbeth, she’s an attorney who moonlights as a detective when she’s working cases. She’s rarely taken seriously given her eccentric personality, but people soon realize that she’s no hare-brain: she knows how to get the job done and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
The police procedural comedy, a spin-off of The Good Wife and The Good Fight, employs the same inverted style as Columbo and Poker Face, whereby you know who committed the crime first, then follow Elsbeth as she puts the pieces of the puzzle together. A show with an endearing lead, fans love tuning in every week to see what hijinks she’ll get up to next.
‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’ (2024–)
A Sweet Throwback ’90s Style Sitcom
Just because we know that Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan) and Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment) eventually get divorced doesn’t make watching Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage any less entertaining. A sequel to Young Sheldon, which itself is a prequel to The Big Bang Theory, the story follows the young couple as they try to figure out their professional futures while living with Mandy’s parents, Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones) and Jim (Will Sasso), and her older brother, Connor (Dougie Baldwin).
Set in the ’90s, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is a sweet story of a young couple trying to make it in life while struggling to find their callings and afford a place on their own. It’s a relatable show with characters you love, plus plenty of cameos from Young Sheldon characters to keep the familial ties strong. The show can ride this marriage out for as long as necessary, as long as fans keep watching and laughing.
‘Matlock’ (2024–)
A Meta Homage With a Topical Story
Rather than make this story about the daughter or granddaughter from the original Matlock, played by Andy Griffith in the ’80s, the new version of Matlock goes full meta. Madeline Kingston (Kathy Bates) is a wealthy retired lawyer who pretends to be an impoverished widow so she can get an entry-level job at a law firm. Why? She believes the company has evidence that could have saved her daughter from becoming a victim of the opioid epidemic, and she’s hellbent on finding it and taking down those she deems responsible.
Where does the name Matlock come in? Madeline applies for the job using this fake surname, inspired by her love of the original series, which exists in the fictional world of the show. Earning Bates an Emmy nomination, Matlock is very different from the original, similar in name only. But it really didn’t need that hook since the show is a solid legal drama that stands on its own.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
