Paramount Global unveils upcoming programming, including the CBS fall lineup
NEW YORK -- CBS2's parent company, Paramount Global, has unveiled its vast slate of programming across a diverse portfolio of brands, including Paramount+ and the CBS fall lineup.
There are three new dramas and one unscripted series joining 18 returning shows.
FIND OUT MORE: CBS Unveils 2022-2023 Primetime Lineup
"Fire Country," about California's inmate firefighter program, is one of the new dramas debuting on CBS this fall. "SEAL Team" star Max Thieriot is both the star and an executive producer. He says a lot of the show is based on people he grew up with in a small northern California town.
"It's some of the coolest firefighting I think you're gonna see on television by far, and then our storylines are great," Thieriot said.
Watch: Jenna DeAngelis speaks with stars of CBS drama "Fire Country"
"CAL fire, you know, their department is considered the Navy SEALs of the firefighting department ... I mean, these individuals are skilled in water rescue, you name it, so being able to be a part of that and get into the action aspect of that, as well as the drama," actor Jordan Calloway said. "It's a story of redemption as we see with the inmate program, so you're seeing these inmates that are getting a second chance, which is something to rally behind."
"When we first started filming, we did a boot camp, and I was like, I had no idea we were boot camping here. It was intense. It was informative. I had no idea all the different parts that CAL Fire had, and I'm just so proud of Max for bringing this to life for people across America to know how important CAL Fire is," actress Jules Latimer said.
Skylar Astin co-stars with Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden in "So Help Me Todd," about a lawyer who hires her aimless son as her law firm's investigator.
Watch: Jenna DeAngelis talks to "So Help Me Todd" stars Skylar Astin and Marcia Gay Harden
CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis spoke to the stars on the blue carpet for the Paramount Upfront afterparty.
"'So Help Me Todd' centers around a mother and a son. She's a high-powered attorney. I'm the black sheep of the family who's a bit tech savvy, a little bit scrappy and eventually we have to work together as mother and son and that's where the real case begins," Astin said.
"It's a mother-son dramedy. We are polar opposites ... She's very analog, she's very old school, and he's very, you know, kind of hip and loose and young school, and between the two of them, that creates a lot of conflict, which is funny, but it also, they end up getting the job done which is the important thing," Gay Harden said.
The gritty new police drama "East New York" stars Amanda Warren as the newly promoted boss of Brooklyn's 74th Precinct.
Watch: Jenna DeAngelis speaks with stars of CBS drama "East New York"
"[Getting into the character] wasn't too hard, I'm a native New Yorker, I'm from Kips Bay, and I was just really excited about the strength of this woman and the group that she leads during the time that she leads it," Warren said. "So it was just really excited, thrilling and really joyous. And she is all things that you would want in a leader. She's someone who's fierce, someone who knows how to compartmentalize things, delegate things, and someone who knows how to think from a very fair, you know, vantage point and try to execute that with the level of bureaucracy and administrative challenges that she has in NYPD."
"The changes and gentrification and issues that are happening in East New York now, so it's a little bit a real time drama," actress Olivia Luccardi said.
"As an actor, I think any role you play, there has to be a certain amount of research, you know, to bring out to have something to say about that particular character you're playing, but also, the research in life to be able to say something about life, as a human being, is the greater part of acting," actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson said.
In addition to the new dramas, a new romance adventure competition series inspired by "the Love Boat" called "The Real Love Boat" joins long-running reality hits "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" on Wednesday night.
Among CBS' 18 returning shows is the number one new series "Ghosts," starring Rose McIver.
"It's fun. People get to enjoy some of the humor in it," McIver told CBS2's Dana Tyler.
"I think we'll also dive into more of the relationships between all the ghosts," actor Roman Zaragoza said.
"Maybe a love story. Who knows?" actress Sheila Carrasco said.
The hit comedy "Young Sheldon" will also be back, as will the number one broadcast series "NCIS" and the number one new drama, "NCIS: Hawai'i."
"This is what I've dreamt of my entire career, being on a hit show," actress Vanessa Lachey said.
CBS also announced another new drama, "True Lies," will debut mid-season. It's based on the 1994 James Cameron film of the same name.
The night brought all the Paramount brands together for the first time from entertainment, sports, news and more.
"There's nothing better than being under one roof, one family," CBS Mornings' Vladimir Duthiers said.
"We haven't been able to do it for two years, so it feels great to be in the same room with people, to help promote each other, celebrate each other," CBS Mornings' Gayle King said.
These announcements came as part of Upfront Week, one of the most exciting times for broadcast networks. Every year some of the industry's biggest players gather to present their new and current shows hitting the airwaves this year.
