CBS hands out full-season pickups to three shows

‘Kevin Can Wait’

It took CBS the usual – a few weeks – to decide on its new shows.

The network has given full-season orders to all three of them, after each did well in its timeslot during the first month of the season.

It has picked up the back nine episodes for “Bull,” “Kevin Can Wait” and “MacGyver.”

Strong all-around ratings

“Bull” is the top-rated new show among total viewers and households. The Tuesday 9 p.m. drama, about a jury consultant who can read people well, has benefitted from a strong lead-in from “NCIS,” where “Bull” star Michael Weatherly worked for years before jumping to his new program.

“Kevin Can Wait” can also thank its lead-in for its success thus far. The Kevin James family comedy airs behind “The Big Bang Theory,” broadcast’s top scripted series, which has boosted “Kevin” to an average 2.4 adults 18-49 Nielsen rating and 10 million viewers.

However, it loses that cushy lead-in next week and will need to start hauling its own weight as “Bang” moves back to Thursdays.

Finally, “MacGyver” has been a pleasant surprise for CBS, emerging as Friday’s top show in 18-49s and seeing good DVR playback as well. It fits nicely into the network’s schedule and could be a long-term staple if ratings can stabilize after some early losses.

This brings the number to seven total shows that have received full-season pickups so far: ABC’s “Speechless” and “Designated Survivor,” Fox’s “Lethal Weapon” and NBC’s “This Is Us” also have gotten orders.

No new show has been canceled.

Tags: bull, cbs, full-season pickups, full-season shows, kevin can wait, macgyver, new shows