CBS Announces Winter and Spring Series Premiere Dates

CBS has announced programming plans in primetime through this spring, which will feature the series premieres of scripted dramas “Ransom,” “Training Day” and Doubt;” new competition series “Hunted;” and new seasons of “Undercover Boss” and “The Amazing Race.”

“Ransom,” a crime drama about a world-renowned crisis and hostage negotiator whose team is brought in to resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom case is up first, debuting on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017 after a football doubleheader. Surprisingly, CBS has scheduled “Ransom” in the Saturday 8 p.m. hour effective on Jan. 7, which is a rare attempt for a broadcast network to feature something of a scripted nature on the low HUT-level evening.

“Training Day,” a crime thriller starring Bill Paxton and Justin Cornwell that begins 15 years after the events of the feature film, about a young, idealistic police officer who is tapped to go undercover in an elite squad of the LAPD where he partners with a morally ambiguous veteran detective, opens on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 10 p.m. It replaces current occupant “Pure Genius.” And “Doubt,” with Katherine Heigl as an attorney at a boutique firm who starts to fall for her charismatic client, an altruistic pediatric surgeon recently accused of murdering his girlfriend 24 years ago, will replace “Code Black” in the Wednesday 10 p.m. hour effective on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

As previously announced, the new competition series “Hunted” premieres Sunday, Jan. 22, immediately following the NFL’s AFC Championship game before moving to Wednesdays on Jan. 25 with a special two-hour episode.

In returning series news, season eight of “Undercover Boss” opens with a two-hour episode on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m., setting into the 8 p.m. hour in place of “Survivor” one week later and until “Hunted” inherits the time period. “Survivor” is back for its next edition on Wednesday, March 8 with a two-hour installment. And “The Amazing Race” returns on Friday, April 21 at 8 p.m., also with a two-hour premiere.

The premiere of sitcom “Superior Donuts” and sophomore “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” will be announced at a later time.

Here is the following schedule (with new shows in caps):

Wednesday, December 21
8:00 p.m. ET “Undercover Boss” (season premiere)

Wednesday, December 28
8:00 p.m. “Undercover Boss” (time period premiere)

Sunday, January 1, 2017 (Football Doubleheader)
8:30 p.m. “RANSOM” (premiere)

Saturday, January 7
8:00 p.m. “RANSOM” (Time Period Premiere)

Sunday, January 22
10:00 p.m. “HUNTED” (Series Premiere)

Wednesday, Jan. 25
8:00 p.m. “HUNTED” (two hours)
10:00 p.m. “Code Black”

Wednesday, Effective Feb. 1
8:00 p.m. “HUNTED”
9:00 p.m. “Criminal Minds”
10:00 p.m. “Code Black”

Thursday, Effective Feb. 2
8:00 p.m. “The Big Bang Theory”
8:30 p.m. “The Great Indoors”
9:00 p.m. “Mom”
9:30 p.m. “Life in Pieces”
10:00 p.m. “TRAINING DAY” (series premiere)

Wednesday, Effective Feb. 15
8:00 p.m. “HUNTED{
9:00 p.m. “Criminal Minds”
10:00 p.m. “DOUBT” (Series Premiere)

Wednesday, March 8
8:00 p.m. “Survivor” (season premiere, two hours)
10:00 p.m. “DOUBT”

Friday, April 21
8:00 p.m. “The Amazing Race” (season premiere, two hour)
10:00 p.m. “Blue Bloods”