CBS Boss Sizes Up Friday Night’s New S.W.A.T./Fire Country/Blue Bloods Slate
Only twice in the past 10 years had CBS scheduled a freshman drama for the end of the week — the most recent instance being MacGyver, which called Friday home for five seasons.
This fall, CBS will do it again, when the firefighter drama Fire Country claims the cancelled Magnum P.I.‘s time slot, hammocked between rock steady S.W.A.T. and the long-running Blue Bloods (which consistently cops the night’s largest audience).
Hailing from prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer and inspired by SEAL Team vet Max Thieriot’s real-life experiences growing up in Northern California fire country, the new series stars Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining an unconventional prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region.
“It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment,” the synopsis tells us, “and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son until his troubles began.” Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption via Cal Fire.
The Fire Country cast also boasts Billy Burke (Zoo), Kevin Alejandro (Lucifer), Diane Farr (Rescue Me), Stephanie Arcila (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), Jordan Calloway (Black Lightning) and Jules Latimer (Guilty Party).
Explaining Fire Country‘s freshman time slot, CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl told TVLine, “To be honest, it felt like a Friday show, in a good way. It’s not ‘blue sky,’ it’s got a smoky sky, but it’s outdoor and it’s big and it just kind of feels like an end-of-week, Friday-night show.”
And one that should pair nicely with both Friday’s reliable leadoff hitter and the night’s most watched program on any network. “When you put it between S.W.A.T. and Blue Bloods…. We were happy we could support it with a lead-in,” Kahl noted, “and thematically it felt right with those other shows.”
Speaking of Fire Country‘s lead-in, Kahl is also pleased to have Hondo, Deacon et al back holding down the fort on Fridays, after a half-season stint in the Sundays-at-10 spot, once SEAL Team relocated to Paramount+.
“They were great soldiers when we needed them on Sunday,” Kahl said, “but we also knew [S.W.A.T.] did well on Friday, so we’re happy to be bringing them home.”
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Loving that cast for Fire Country. I hope it does well.
I’m still angry with CBS for cancelling Magnum PI. Won’t be watching Fire Country.
I completely agree @wrstlgirl! Great cast & Great storyline. It’s not going to be anything like Chicago Fire. I’m excited!
Rather have Magnum PI how many fire shows can one endure?
As many as they choose I suppose. I couldn’t watch Magnum. Hated the female Higgins. And it was so obvious where they were going with it.
The husband felt the same way! On the other hand, I loved her character and acting. They did an excellent job with characterizations, plotting and filming, imho. different strokes for different folks, I guess … haha
My thoughts exactly.
Friday won’t be the same without Magnum boycott cbs
What good would boycotting CBS do? Smh. Those of us up here in Northern California are pretty excited about this show. Now the rest of the country can see what we deal with all year long. They need to get rid of reality TV. That is trash TV!
Thank you! Feel the same way
Would rather have Magnum P.I
Me too!
Me too!
Me also
I am definitely for Magnum and have expressed that previously. However, I didn’t want Magnum and Higgins to start a romantic relationship. I think that would have ruined the show.
And me. They HAD to sandwich it between them for it to have a chance.
I as well as everyone else love Magnum PI
I missed Fire Country,will it be repeated on another channel?
I agree!
I’d rather have Magnum P.I. also. God how I’m going to miss it.:( :( :( :(
Chicago Fire and Station 19 are joke. They are literally like bold and beatiful relationship dramas. Nothing to do with fire shows anymore. Hopefully this is a real one. At least for first season. They just milk these shows too long these days and they get so bad.
How many fire shows do we need to endure? I am over it.
I’ll pass, you canceled my favorite show which finally had a Mexican in a positive role.
I agree.. let’s boycott cbs
I’d rather have Magnum back on. Instead we got stuck with tons of reality TV..WHY?? It gave us Trump! (goes to the bathroom to throw up)
Lol, I agree I have had it when they pulled NCIS L.O.L.A. Because They stuck it in a Bad time slot the ratings dropped so They say.. But it was still the best show on TV
Ugh…I’m going to miss Magnum P.I. I hope there’s serious talks with another outlet to pick it up too!
NBC should snatch it up!
Yes! 👏
If not, here’s hoping some deal can be reached so that we can see Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum P.I. characters on NCIS: Hawai’i on occasion.
Junior Reigns from 5.0 has already played a different character on NCIS Hawaii. I know on Macgyver 5.0 Jerry Ortega did a crossover. I wanna say he was on NCIS Hawaii this season but don’t hold me to that.
I will miss Magnum. Loved that show. Very sad. I love SWAT too. Glad to still have it. Will just have to wait and see about Fire Country!
Fire country hopefully will be cancelled after a couple of episodes.Show them how wrong they were to cancel Magnum pi
Agree 100%
That would be awesome!!! Karma.
We need more Spanish actors in positive role models, tired of seeing black role models,like that B’s Chicago fire.
Agree
Smart move moving S.W.A.T. back to Friday at 8pm – Got good numbers there last fall.
This could be a strong line-up.
I no longer watch CBS on Friday nights.
Definitely not watching anymore
Replacing Magnam Pi with Swat and another show about fire departments will do CBS. Viewers A disservice…Shame on them..
No please leave swat on Sundays. I mean great TV night. Alot of people goes out on Friday night and misses good shows Some people don’t have things they can tape. And crying out loud put seal team back on cbs.
Yes I miss Seal Team on CBS and I dont want to pay extra to watch it im on a very tight budget
Let’s see… new show, Friday nights at 9, and while I have heard of the producer (Bruckheimer – CSI, Amazing Race) before I have not heard of most of the cast. Add to that the fact you already have Chicago Fire which I think far superior to Fire Country. Point is: give me a reason to watch Fire Country and I will watch. I was kinda meh on Magnum, PI but still enjoyed watching most of the time. Either way the real attraction is Blue Boods.
Gee, 2nd time a show with decent ratings for a friday night time slot gets cancelled. And something new takes its place. I am sure the people in northern California want to be reminded of the fire issues they endured.
Given how well Station 19 & Chicago Fire as well as the 9-1-1 series there’s plenty of demand. These are the strongest performing drama’s on television(Along with Grey’s).
Yep — Fox’s #1 and #2-rated dramas, NBC’s #1 drama (tie) with This Is Us gone, ABC’s #2 drama….
Never watched SWAT, and Chicago Fire is enough for me. Watched Magnum/Blue Bloods always – so I’ll record Blue Bloods and skip CBS on Friday night. CBS already makes tons of $$ off viewers and to cancel Magnum, even though a fan favorite, because they wouldn’t pay Universal a fee shows how they feel about their customers. I’m not investing any more of my time in new shows – I’ll read a book instead!
Feel the same. I’ll catch up on my streaming shows.
Cbs you suck keep your crappy reality shows and singing dancing crap. Magnum pi was the best show you had on tv
Really? The best show in tv? I found it intolerable. If I wanted romance and UST I’d watch Lifetime. None of the actors were right for their parts. I can’t believe it survived its first season, much less resulted in all this sackcloth and ashes at the idea of it being canceled
LOL…oooo the outlier has twisted panties about what other people like to watch on TV….🤣
You got me 💀💀💀💀literally busted up LoL here at the store at checkout 😅😅
Basically a fire version of the A Team
Won’t be watching. Rather have Magnum.
Blue sky?? I may sound dumb for asking, but please explain. 🙄🤔
Shows that generally have a happy tone, filmed in beautiful locations…brighter and lighter programming. 🌞
No Magnum not watching. Don’t care what CBS has on a Friday night. No respect for fans who invest time in a show. Not even the decency to conclude properly. I really hope another network picks up Magnum and runs it at same time as the CBS shows
No Magnum, SO sad. So Magnum Is good enough ratings-wise to plug a repeat episode in on Sat nights for CBS as filler…but not good enough to keep. Ridiculous.
I won’t be watching CBS.
ABC could pick-up Magnum, keep same 9p time slot since the ratings and fan base are there, pick up new audience by running Shark Tank at 8pm as lead in.
Magnum is the best show. New stuff will suck..
It’s always been Swat for me . Like every other TV show intence , a little romance . The Swat team is always on top of things no matter how bad it get’s . The casts of Swat are truely amazing .Swat wouldn’t be Swat if it didn’t have a few bumps and brushes . I’m looking forward to seeing Swat on Friday’s once again .
Wont be watching. Sorry CBS you cancel a top twenty show for this you’ve lost a viewer. I hope you lose a lot more viewers too.
The only way I will watch this new series is if Magnum PI stays on the air. No Magnum no new shows. Fridays were m most favorite line up. I’ll change the channel between SWAT and BLUE BLOODS. I’M MAD
I agree but I will go a little further. I’m sick of all the idiotic reality and dance shows . Big Brother, really? Welcome to the dumbing down of America. Bluebloods is getting old too. No Magnum, no more CBS for me.
I agree on big brother type reality shows I love the voice and AMG, I prefer survivor, magnum pi, mcgiver , Hawaii 50
I won’t be watching CBS without Magnum PI.
I was and still am disappointed that CBS cancelled Magnum. The show taking it’s place does not do it for me. Fire is not interesting , it’s devasting. I for one won’t watch it. Bring back Magumn.
I’m with you! How many fire shows do we need? Bring back Magnum, if not on CBS, then any network with more sense.
Sounds good…except Magnum should continue somewhere else or on another night!! Ridiculous that it was cancelled!
Cheers to CBS for original scripted programming on Friday night. People do still watch!
Not interested in this. I will definitely miss Magnum this Fall. Guess I’ll have time for a nap before Blue Bloods comes on.