‘The Equalizer' & ‘Poppa's House' Remain On The Bubble In Another Tough Year For CBS Renewals
The Season 2 renewal of Watson today left two CBS scripted series on the bubble, veteran drama The Equalizer and freshman comedy Poppa's House. The good news is that conversations on both are continuing; the bad news is that both are looking at an already packed 2025-26 CBS slate with little room left. And while their ratings have been OK, the numbers are in a range of CBS shows that already have been canceled as the network is facing tough cancellation decisions for a second year in a row as its scripted lineup has been performing.
In the case of Poppa's House, starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., I hear there are ongoing budget talks, and trimming the cost of the sitcom would improve its chances. Still, Poppa's House is being evaluated alongside three pilots — DMV, Zarna and The Neighborhood planted spinoff — for what I hear is likely one comedy slot next season. (CBS already renewed Monday comedy The Neighborhood for an eighth and final season as well as Thursday half-hours Ghosts and Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage.)
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As Deadline reported earlier this month, CBS has ordered backup scripts for both DMV and Zarna. The single-camera DMV, starring Colin From Accounts' Harriet Dyer and SNL alum Tim Meadows, is already in the can and tested well. The multi-cam Zarna, headlined by comedian Zarna Garg, is taping tonight after a good table read.
Both are said to be in serious contention, which would make it harder for Poppa's House and The Neighborhood offshoot though all are still in the running. (All except Warner Bros. TV-produced Zarna come from CBS Studios.) The decision may come down to scheduling and budget.
Vampire comedy Eternally Yours from Ghosts showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, which recently opened a development room, is on a different track and not expected to compete for a slot with Poppa's House and the three pilots.
Like last year, I hear The Equalizer star/executive producer Queen Latifah is negotiating her deal with lead studio Universal Television which has been looking to trim costs on the show. Things are looking good on that front, I hear, and conversations between CBS and Universal TV are ongoing, sources said. People close to the show are hopeful that The Equalizer would get a renewal for what could be a sixth and final season. (If that doesn't happen, the upcoming Season 5 finale could potentially serve as a series finale, I hear.)
There has been little talk about The Equalizer planted spinoff so it's unclear whether the mothership could be used to launch the offshoot next season. If that happens, the two shows may have to split the season with a fall and midseason order, respectively, because CBS' drama roster is packed.
The network has canceled three dramas so far, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International and S.W.A.T., with Blue Bloods ending after a brief run at the start of the season. But CBS already has two new drama series for fall, Fire Country spinoff Sheriff Country and Blue Bloods offshoot Boston Blue, and it also renewed all three of its freshman dramas, Matlock, NCIS: Origins and Watson. As Deadline reported earlier this month, the new FBI spinoff (fka FBI CIA) is eying a straight-to-series order — in part contingent on casting — with a new script commissioned.
Add to that an enthusiastic early reaction to drama pilot Einstein, starring Criminal Minds alum Matthew Gray Gubler, which just wrapped production, and the competition for whatever little drama space on the schedule is left will be fierce.
Robert and Michelle King's Cupertino script remains an internal favorite but, like Eternally Yours, it is on a different track. And then there is the potential Yellowstone spinoff starring Luke Grimes, which has been on a secret corporate track.
There is no active ongoing talk but it is conceivable that CBS could announce an early series pickup of one of its pilot/script contenders for the 2026-27 season like the network did with Sheriff Country last May for 2025-26. It would fit into CBS' long-term development strategy.
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