CBS orders more 9JKL, Wisdom of the Crowd scripts

CBS isn’t ready to give 9JKL or Wisdom of the Crowd more season 1 episodes just yet, but they absolutely are thinking about it.

Today, the network confirmed that both of these freshmen series are getting an additional three episodes. Their first batch of episodes generated so-so ratings — it’s not enough for them to feel extremely confident in the future, but it’s enough to have them consider the idea of getting more installments on the air. These scripts may not turn into anything, but it is a nice contingency plan for the network to have.

For Wisdom of the Crowd the timing of the announcement is somewhat of a surprise — especially considering recent events. Last night, the network confirmed that they are looking into allegations about Jeremy Piven during his time on HBO’s Entourage. The actor denied any wrongdoing in a statement but the situation is ongoing. The timing is likely coincidental, as CBS likely opted to make this decision for the show prior to the allegations first picking up steam.

9JKL may be facing a tough road coming up. The first batch of episodes benefited heavily from having the ratings behemoth known as The Big Bang Theory on the air before it. Now, Jim Parsons and company are on Thursday nights and it’s left to fend for itself. While Kevin Can Wait is technically there as a lead-in, there really isn’t all that much of a ratings boost that it can offer. This was proven courtesy of Monday’s ratings, where the series bottomed out to a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic without The Big Bang Theory around. As much as CarterMatt may appreciate Mark Feuerstein thanks to the work that he did on Royal Pains, 9JKL never received much in the way of positive reviews.

The larger surprise there is that CBS didn’t just stick with Young Sheldon throughout the Monday run given that it could have benefited more from the lead-in; as it is, there is a reasonable chance that Young Sheldon loses at least a third of its premiere viewership when it returns Thursday just because viewers either don’t remember the first episode all that well or don’t know that it’s moved over to the new spot. There may also be some people who don’t love the format of the show, which moves from a laugh track to more of a single-camera format similar to Modern Family or The Goldbergs.

Do you think either one of these series should actually receive more episodes? Share in the comments section below!