‘The Equalizer’, ‘The Neighborhood’, 2 ‘FBI’s & ‘S.W.A.T.’ (Again) Among CBS Series That Didn’t Get Early Renewal – Are They In Danger

CBS today delivered great news for the fans of some of its biggest scripted series, handing early renewals to all NCIS dramas: flagship NCIS, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney; as well as Tracker, Fire Country and Elsbeth, alongside comedies Ghosts, which got a two-season pickup, and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. They join previously renewed freshman drama Matlock and the mothership FBI, which has two more seasons on its 3-year deal.

As usual, the news set alarm bells for fans of the series that didn’t make the early renewal list, dramas FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International, The Equalizer and yes, the twice-canceled S.W.A.T., as well as veteran comedy The Neighborhood and freshman sitcom Poppa’s House. (It’s too early for new drama Watson which just premiered.)

Some of the shows on the list, which includes all of CBS’ current series with Black leads, will be picked up. But if history — and simple math — is any indication, it is certain that several of the series that were not picked up today won’t be back next season. Last year, The Equalizer, NCIS: Hawai’i, Elsbeth, CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd had not gotten a renewal by mid-April. Of them, three, NCIS: Hawai’i, CSI: Vegas and So Help Me Todd, ended up canceled. (Meanwhile, S.W.A.T., which was supposed to end last May after a cancellation reversal with a pickup of a “final” seventh season, nabbed a surprise Season 8 renewal.)

CBS already has two drama slots reserved on next season’s schedule for new series Sheriff Country, a spinoff from Fire Country, and Boston Blue, an extension of the Blue Bloods universe.

It also has potential FBI and Equalizer spinoffs — the latter starring Titus Welliver — in the works and a high-profile drama pilot Einstein starring Criminal Minds alum Matthew Gray Gubler.

The FBI franchise and The Equalizer come from an outside studio, Universal Television, with negotiations often going down the wire as was the case last year with the Queen Latifah-starring drama. In a cost-saving measure, the casts of FBI and Most Wanted agreed to reduce their minimum guarantees heading into this season (which translates to them appearing in fewer episodes); I hear a similar effort is afoot on The Equalizer whose season finale I hear could potentially work as a series finale. (A sixth and potentially final season is also a possibility.)

According to sources, CBS and Universal TV have started conversations on the four series they have in play for next season, the existing dramas and the FBI CIA planted spinoff.

CBS is likely to pick up at least one of the Einstein pilot and proposed FBI and Equalizer spinoffs. Even if the network passes on all three or picks up any of them for the 2026-27 season, CBS will still have to cancel at least one drama series, likely more. (This season marked the end of Blue Bloods, which vacated its longtime Friday slot in December.

Like last season, when all of CBS’ scripted series were performing well, the network will be in for some tough decisions this spring. (In a normal year, NCIS: Hawa’i and So Help Me Todd likely wouldn’t have been canceled as they did last may.)

Given its history, S.W.A.T. would be an obvious candidate as it is lower rated than the other dramas on the bubble but it also performs well its thankless job to keep the lights on Friday, and has an attractive business model for CBS, coming from an outside studio Sony TV.

“The show I think is beloved in the executive ranks at CBS, the show is beloved by our audience,” series’ executive producer Shawn Ryan told Deadline last month. “But we also understand that a corporate change is happening in that world. I don’t know what the plans are. I don’t know what the criteria for renewal is going to be. It seems like it could be much different than years past.”

He referred to the pending acquisition of CBS parent Paramount Global by Skydance, which had been slated to close in March-April. Word is that renewal decisions on the remaining CBS series may not be made until the new owners come in.

On the comedy side, that includes sitcoms The Neighborhood, now in its seventh season, and freshman multi-cam sitcom Poppa’s House, which received a full-season pickup but was the only new fall CBS scripted series to not get an early renewal.

As a series in its seventh season, The Neighborhood is expensive, which likely put the Cedric the Entertainer sitcom on the bubble for the first time. Its season finale serves a backdoor pilot for the proposed spinoff, setting up Marty and Malcolm’s move to Venice. Still, I hear it does not provide closure for the other characters, something CBS could do for a series of that longevity with an order for an eighth and final season. (I hear The Neighborhood and the potential spinoff, whose premises are somewhat of a mirror image, have been designed to be able to run simultaneously alongside each other.)

Poppa’s House, starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. has done a respectable job holding onto The Neighborhood lead-in on Monday for a solid comedy block.

The fate of those two Monday comedies may depend on how CBS executives feel about its three comedy pilots, The Neighborhood planted spinoff as well as the single-camera DMV and multi-cam Zarna.