Matthew Perry's 'Odd Couple,' Gilligan's 'Battle Creek' Pushed to Mid-Season

The lack of available slots in CBS’ fall schedule means that it was tough for new series to make it onto the network. The schedule is an unwelcoming place for shows without “NCIS” in their titles, and even two high-profile series only managed to achieve mid-season-replacement status.

It’s not much of a surprise that “Battle Creek,” a new detective drama from “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan, will hit the network in the middle of the season. The series, which will star Josh Duhamel, has an order for 13 episodes, and it makes sense that CBS would keep it clear of the disruptions of football season in the fall.

A new version of “The Odd Couple” starring “Friends” alum Matthew Perry also made the network’s cut, but not for the fall. Perry will play the role of slobby Oscar Madison, and Thomas Lennon will play his roommate, the fastidious Felix Unger. This week it was announced that two cast members—Sarah Baker and Georgia King—had left the show, hinting at possible production problems that may be slowing the series down.

The only new comedy on CBS’ fall schedule is “The McCarthys,” a sitcom about a sports-crazed Boston family and their gay son. New dramas include “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Scorpion,” “Stalker” and “Madame Secretary.” Other mid-season replacements include the returning “Undercover Boss,” “The Mentalist” and “Mike & Molly.”