CBS has made a dramatic change to its upcoming programming lineup, moving premiere dates around for fall shows.
Survivor, set to air Season 47, will air earlier than anticipated, while fans of other shows will have to wait.
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CBS has decided to delay its premiere week, typically scheduled for the third week of September, to mid-October, according to Variety.
The network has opted to leave Survivor untouched, airing the Season 47 premiere as planned on September 18 at 8pm ET.
CBS will also air sneak previews of Matlock, starring Kathy Bates, on September 22, and new competition series, The Summit, on September 29.
Matlock will be promoted during football games and the season premiere of 60 Minutes.
The Summit, meanwhile, will be teased during an NFL doubleheader.
Manu Bennett hosts the show, moving to a Wednesday TV slot on October 16.
The rest of the network’s shows slated to return this fall have been put off until October 14.
Premiere week at CBS will kick off with the Season 22 premiere of NCIS followed by a two-hour NCIS: Origins series premiere at 9pm.
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The Season Two premiere of Tracker will be promoted heavily during another NFL doubleheader on October 27.
Beloved CBS shows, including FBI and Blue Bloods, will return on October 15 and October 18 respectively.
According to the outlet, CBS is hopeful that pushing premiere week will help give an extra month of promotion during NFL football games to bolster viewership.
BIG PLANS
While Survivor is only in its 47th season, host Jeff Probst has been teasing big plans for its 50th season.
In June, as Season 46 came to an end, the longtime host, 62, and CBS Entertainment president teased some exciting things to come.
CBS Fall Premiere Dates
CBS has announced its fall premiere lineup. The network has decided to push most of its premieres back to mid-October, while one highly-anticipated show is still slated to air in September.
Here’s a look at all the shows premiering on CBS this fall:
Wednesday, September 18:
Saturday, September 21:
Sunday, September 22:
- 60 Minutes – 7pm ET
- Matlock (Sneak Peek) 9pm ET
Sunday, September 29:
- Continuation of NFL on CBS – 7pm ET
- 60 Minutes – 7:30pm ET
- The Summit (Sneak peek) – 9pm ET
- Big Brother – 10:30pm ET
Sunday, October 6:
- Continuation of NFL on CBS – 7pm ET
- American Music Awards – 8pm ET
- Big Brother – 10pm ET
Wednesday, October 9:
- Survivor – 8pm ET
- The Summit – 9:30pm ET
Thursday, October 10:
- Big Brother – 8pm ET
- Matlock – 9pm ET
- Elsbeth – 10pm ET
Sunday, October 13:
- 60 Minutes – 7pm ET
- Big Brother – 8:30pm ET
Monday, October 14:
- NCIS – 8pm ET
- NCIS: Origins – 9pm ET
Tuesday, October 15:
- FBI – 8pm ET
- FBI: International – 9pm ET
- FBI: Most Wanted – 10pm ET
- Wednesday, October 16:
- Survivor – 8pm ET
- The Summit – 9:30pm ET
Thursday, October 17:
- George & Mandy’s First Marriage – 8pm ET
- Ghosts – 8:30pm ET
- Matlock – 9pm ET
- Elsbeth – 10pm ET
Firday, October 18:
- SWAT – 8pm ET
- Fire Country – 9pm ET
- Blue Bloods – 10pm ET
Monday, October 21:
- The Neighborhood – 8pm ET
- Poppa’s House – 8:30pm ET
- NCIS – 9pm ET
- NCIS: Origins – 10pm ET
Sunday, October 27:
- Continuation of NFL on CBS – 7pm ET
- 60 Minutes – 7:30pm ET
- Tracker – 8:30pm ET
- The Equalizer – 9:30pm ET
“We’re already talking about Season 50 for Survivor,” CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenback told Deadline.
“We just wrapped up Season 47 in Fiji. I was texting with Jeff last night and he said there’s some pretty epic blindsides coming up.
“I think this show can go on for a really long time.”
She promised that CBS had big plans for Season 50 and intends to go all out.
“We will absolutely be celebrating and I would consider it kind of a year-long celebration. We do that really well on CBS,” she said.
“We will have a lot of plans in the works… It’d be the first time in the new era that will have returning players.”
“That’s really exciting,” Amy added.
Survivor previously brought back returning players in Season Eight and Season 40.
Jeff also gave fans a preview of what to expect in Season 50, airing in spring 2026.
The news comes after Survivor viewers called for his firing.
In May, fans noted several problems, slamming Season 46 as “unwatchable.”
Brian Moylan, a TV writer, was among the most vocal critics of the last season of Survivor, calling it an “absolute mess” in a Vulture article.
He slammed the competition series’ “new era” as the reason for the decline in quality, adding that it is an experiment that has “overstayed its welcome.”
The journalist suggested that in addition to moving away from the style of gameplay seen on Season 46, it’s time for Jeff to step down as host.
He wrote in his article that as of 2010, Jeff’s duties have gone beyond hosting, noting that he serves as executive producer and showrunner.
The writer added that while he “isn’t designing every challenge or reading resumes to hire cameramen,” he is the one green-lighting all the new twists, casting, and changes to the show’s format.
The article was posted on X, formerly Twitter, where Survivor fans weighed in.
“Russel Hantz was the worst thing that happened to Survivor, because it made Jeff Probst fall in love with strategy by numbers (vote-counting) and force (idols, advantages), rather than strategy by social skills (the kind Parv, Cirie, Hatch did),” one fan critiqued.
“He’s ALWAYS valued what I call more ‘masculine’ game play – winning challenges, finding idols – and it drives me insane,” Brian responded.
“Great article, I mostly agree. One thing I can’t really figure out with the new era – women & BIPOC players are finally winning, so the mechanics are doing something to unlock potential. Is this from decisions Probst is making? Cause if so he may need at least some credit?” a second person tweeted.
“I think the reason more [people of color] are winning is CBS mandated 50% of all casts be POC. That’s a network decision, not Probst,” Brian replied.
A third commenter weighed in, adding, “a correct take.”
STILL SURVIVING
Jeff doesn’t appear to be going anywhere fast, though.
He’s been teasing plans for Season 50 for months, which suggests that he plans to be with the show at least until then.
In April, Jeff shared some news about the milestone season.
He posted an Instagram video of himself during the Survivor For Your Consideration Event at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.
“Ok. 10 seconds ago, we just decided, thanks to all the fans at the FYC event here in Hollywood, that Survivor 50 will be returning players,” he teased.
Jeff then turned the camera to the crowd as he said, “And you all are part of it.”
Variety was at the event and shared more about what was said.
“Survivor 50 is coming down the corner. The truth is, we really do focus on 47 and 48, that’s what we’re heading out to shoot next,” Jeff revealed, according to the outlet.
“Then we have to shoot 49. But we know 50 is coming, so I am curious, is there a feeling? Should 50 be another season with new players and don’t make it a big deal?”
The audience shouted back, “No.”
“In the spirit of, sometimes letting the game be in the hands of the fans, I feel like – and there are a couple of people from CBS right now going, ‘Oh my God, what is happening?’,” Jeff shared.
“I feel like we should just commit and make this the moment where we decided that Survivor 50 will be returning players.”
Jeff then turned to Matt Van Wagenen, executive producer, for assurance that his decision was OK.
Matt nodded affirmatively.
“I don’t know what is going to happen after this, but I’m pretty sure we’re committed,” Jeff said, making it official on Instagram after the event.
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