CBS gives ‘Bull,’ ‘MacGyver,’ ‘Kevin Can Wait’ full seasons

While recent ratings had us expecting CBS giving a few of their rookie shows full seasons, we can now say that it’s official. On Monday, the network opted to hand down additional episodes to dramas “Bull” and “MacGyver” to go along with their comedy “Kevin Can Wait.”

These pickups are officially of the “back nine” variety, meaning that all of them will for now have runs of 22 episodes. It’s possible that this could be extended or altered somewhat down the line.

In a statement, CBS entertainment president Glenn Geller had the following to say:

“We’re thrilled viewers have embraced these three shows creatively … Each one has made an immediate and positive impact on our schedule, while significantly contributing to growing their respective nights.”

From the moment it was first announced, “Bull” felt like a slam-dunk for at least a full season. The show marks the primetime return of one Michael Weatherly following his days at “NCIS,” and already has a solid fan base and pretty consistent ratings as well. We do think it has some challenges in turns of having relatively similar stories every week, but it can figure that out through a full season. “Kevin Can Wait” felt like a similar safe bet, largely because Kevin James is the sort of performer who tends to attract a big audience even when nobody is talking about what he’s doing.

“MacGyver” is probably the biggest surprise of the three, just because early buzz coming out of upfronts wasn’t the best and the show went through a lot of changes over the summer. To us, it has become a little funnier and more interesting since the pilot, but it still needs to find more for its supporting cast to do.

Have any reactions to these orders? Be sure to share them below. (Photo: CBS.)