CBS announced Thursday that they will be saluting TV legend Dick Van Dyke with a special marking the occasion of his 98th birthday. The Mary Poppins star will be celebrated Thursday, Dec. 21, on “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic” (CBS; Paramount+).
The two-hour special will take viewers back to the set of The Dick Van Dyke Show and will also feature special guests and musical tributes. Songs from some of Van Dyke’s other career triumphs, including the Broadway hit “Bye Bye Birdie,” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” will also be showcased.
“I started with CBS under contract in 1955 with the CBS morning show, then The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder,” Van Dyke is quoted saying on the CBS release. “I’ve been with the CBS family for almost 70 years, and I couldn’t be prouder. I’m incredibly honored that CBS will be throwing a 98th birthday special for me. Can’t wait to be part of the show!”
CBS also announced this week that the new season of Young Sheldon, which returns Feb. 15, will be the seventh and final season. The series finale will air May 16. This is what happens when your main child star (Iain Armitage) starts growing a beard and driving to the lot. By the time Leave it to Beaver ended (also after seven seasons), Jerry Mathers looked ready for the draft.
Speaking of seventh seasons, CBS also announced that this will be the final one for S.W.A.T. starring Shemar Moore. The seventh season begins Friday, Feb. 16.
With the actors strike over, the Eye network also announced 2024 premiere dates for all of its returning hits as well as a few new scripted shows about to join the schedule. As previously predicted at brioux.tv, new episodes of many returning scripted shows will fill schedules by early February.
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Things kick off on Sunday, Feb. 11 in the coveted post-Super Bowl slot with the premiere of Tracker, starring and executive produced by Justin Hartley.
Mondays will heat up again Feb. 12 with the returns of sitcoms The Neighborhood and Bob ♥ Abishola. That is followed by the No. 1 broadcast series in the U.S., NCIS, and NCIS: Hawai’i.
On Tuesdays, the three Dick Wolf-executive produced FBI dramas descend back onto the schedule, starting Feb. 13.
You’ll have to wait until Feb. 28 to see the 46th edition of Survivor. It will have two two-hour returns (the second on March 6) before settling back into its current 90-minute format. The Amazing Race returns Wednesday, March 13, with 90-minute episodes.
The new drama Elsbeth premieres Thursday, Feb. 29. Spun off from The Good Wife, the series stars Carrie Preston as an unconventional attorney; Wendel Pierce co-stars.
Along with S.W.A.T., Friday, Feb. 16 marks the return of Fire Country and Blue Bloods.
A couple of new shows CBS had previously announced for 2023-24 have now been shifted to the 2024-25 season: the legal drama Matlock starring Kathy Bates and Poppa’s House starring father and son Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.
In Canada, the return of these CBS staples will be good news for Global (home in Canada of NCIS, Survivor, The Neighborhood and the FBI franchise) and CTV (Young Sheldon, Bob ♥ Abishola, The Amazing Race, Blue Bloods).
