CBS renews Evil, takes four others to series

Comedy Bob Hearts Abishola has been handed a full-season order

US broadcast network CBS has renewed its freshman drama Evil for a second season and taken four other debutant shows to full series.

Evil will return to CBS for a second season in 2020/21, while courthouse drama All Rise and comedies Carol’s Second Act, The Unicorn and Bob Hearts Abishola have all received full-season orders for 2019/20.

Evil focuses on a sceptical female psychologist who joins a priest-in-training and a contractor as they investigate the Church’s backlog of unexplained mysteries. Averaging 7.1 million viewers per episode since its launch last month, the first season will conclude on January 30. The Good Wife creators Michelle and Robert King executive produce the series alongside Liz Glotzer for CBS Television Studios.

All Rise, which follows judges, prosecutors and public defenders in an LA courthouse, has been averaging eight million viewers. The exec producers are Greg Spottiswood, Len Goldstein, Michael Robin and Sunil Nayar for Warner Bros Television.

Comedy series Carol’s Second Act features Emmy winner Patricia Heaton as she pursues her dream of being a doctor after having raised kids, gotten a divorce and ditched teaching. The CBS Television Studios production is exec produced by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Patricia Heaton, Adam Griffin, David Hunt, Rebecca Stay, Aaron Kaplan and Dana Honor.

Fellow comedy The Unicorn follows a man as his group of friends help him get over the loss of his wife. Bill Martin, Mike Schiff, Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor, Wendi Trilling, Peyton Reed and John Hamburg exec produce for CBS Television Studios.

Finally, Bob Hearts Abishola, another comedy, centres on a middle-aged businessman from Detroit who falls for his cardiac nurse, a Nigerian immigrant, while recovering from a heart attack. Gina Yashere is the writer, co-creator and producer, while Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory) and Al Higgins are the executive producers and co-creators for Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros Television