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| CBS original programming | |
|---|---|
| Name | CBS original programming |
| Country | United States |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Owner | Paramount Global |
CBS original programming
CBS original programming refers to television series and special productions commissioned, produced, or premiered by the Columbia Broadcasting System network. The portfolio spans news, drama, comedy, reality, sports, and children's programming and includes landmark titles that influenced American television, Emmy Awards, and global formats. CBS has worked with studios, creators, and talent across Hollywood, Broadway, and international markets to shape broadcast scheduling, syndication models, and franchise development.
CBS traces origins to the Columbia Broadcasting System founding and early radio networks that featured personalities like Amos 'n' Andy, Orson Welles, and Ed Sullivan. The network moved into television with pioneers such as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz through I Love Lucy partnerships with Desilu Productions and later collaborated with producers like Norman Lear, Aaron Spelling, and David E. Kelley. During the Golden Age of Television CBS aired anthology series influenced by Rod Serling and institutions like New York City's live studios. In subsequent decades CBS became known for procedural dramas from teams including William Link, Richard Levinson, and series starring William Shatner, James Garner, and Michael Landon. Corporate chapters involved mergers and stakeholders such as Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Viacom, Paramount Global, and executives like Leslie Moonves and Sumner Redstone that affected commissioning, talent deals, and network strategy.
CBS's catalog includes legal dramas like Perry Mason and The Good Wife; police procedurals such as Dragnet, Hawaii Five-O, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and NCIS; comedies including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Big Bang Theory, and M*A*S*H contributors; soap-adjacent serials like Guiding Light and As the World Turns; reality hits such as Survivor-adjacent formats and competition series led by creators from Mark Burnett and Jeff Probst's peers; news and public affairs staples including 60 Minutes, Face the Nation, and anchors like Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather; and late-night programming with hosts from Johnny Carson to David Letterman transitions. Children's and family slots featured collaborations with Hanna-Barbera and specials tied to Mister Rogers-era figures. Sports programming included national rights for events like the Super Bowl and partnerships with leagues such as the National Football League and NCAA tournaments.
CBS has used multiple models: in-house production at studios like CBS Studios and outsourced production with companies such as Warner Bros. Television, Paramount Television, 20th Television, Sony Pictures Television, and independent producers like Shondaland and Bad Robot Productions. Development pipelines often combine pilot season practices influenced by Network television pilot season timing, showrunning systems popularized by creators like Aaron Sorkin and Shonda Rhimes, and franchise-building exemplified by the Law & Order and CSI production teams. Casting draws on unions including Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and directors from Directors Guild of America membership. CBS has negotiated talent deals with stars such as Terry McGill-era agents, package deals involving agencies like Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor, and distribution contracts with conglomerates including ViacomCBS affiliates.
CBS has curated daytime blocks for soap operas and talk shows influenced by entities like Broadcast syndication markets and late-night lineups born from rivalries with NBC and ABC. Prime-time strategies have featured Monday comedies, Thursday drama blocks, and event programming during sweeps periods coordinated with advertising buys by agencies like WPP and Omnicom Group. Seasonal scheduling adapts to sports windows such as NFL seasons overseen with partners ESPN competitors and calendar events like the Academy Awards and Emmy Awards broadcasts. Marathons, summer replacements, and limited-run series leverage summer festivals and markets like Canneseries and trade events such as MIPCOM.
Syndication of CBS-originated series propelled catalog value with distributors such as CBS Television Distribution, Rysher Entertainment, HIT Entertainment, and Debmar-Mercury. Off-network syndication deals placed reruns on local stations, cable networks like USA Network and TBS, and digital platforms. With the streaming era, CBS integrated content into services including Paramount+, previous partnerships with Netflix and deals with Hulu and Amazon Prime Video for windows and library licensing. International sales reached broadcasters like the BBC, ITV, Nine Network, and streaming operators in markets spanning Canada, Australia, and Germany through co-production agreements and format licensing.
CBS series and personalities have won Primetime Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and recognition from institutions like the Television Academy and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Landmark shows influenced public discourse on issues raised by episodes in series linked to writers such as Rod Serling and Linwood Boomer, and performances by actors including Cloris Leachman, Ed Asner, and Mary Tyler Moore shaped industry standards. CBS's news programs contributed to coverage of events like the Watergate scandal, the Iran hostage crisis, and elections with anchors who became public figures. Cultural impact extends to syndication-driven nostalgia, academic study at departments like USC School of Cinematic Arts and Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and preservation efforts with archives at institutions such as the Library of Congress.
CBS has engaged in co-productions and format adaptations with international partners including BBC, ITV Studios, Endemol Shine Group, Fremantle, and Keshet International. Adaptations and licensed formats led to local versions in markets like United Kingdom, Australia, India, and Brazil involving broadcasters such as Channel 4, Network Ten, Star India, and Rede Globo. Co-productions joined creative teams across cities like Los Angeles, New York City, London, and Toronto to share talent, financing, and distribution, sometimes involving public broadcasters like CBC and pan-European sales via companies attending markets such as MIPTV.