U.S. networks struggle to fill fall TV slots after coronavirus shutdowns

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Reality shows, re-runs and revivals make up most of the television menu this fall as America’s top four broadcasters grapple to fill holes in their schedules caused by coronavirus production shutdowns. Most scripted dramas, including popular shows like “This Is Us” and “9-1-1,” will not be available until November or later, while the “Star Trek: Discovery” series that has been behind a paywall for three years will get a run on free-to-view CBS , the networks announced this week.

Elsewhere, it will mostly be a diet of old and new game shows, including “Ellen’s Game of Games,” repeats of “Celebrity Family Feud,” and another revival of 1960s show “Supermarket Sweep.” “This is hardly a traditional fall season but we are prepared with a strong slate of original content while our regular scripted series begin production,” Kelly Kahl, president of entertainment at CBS, said in a statement announcing the line-up.