Rob Lowe joins Code Black Season 2

Former Parks and Rec star takes his talents to Angels Memorial.

It was announced on Tuesday from TVLine, that Rob Lowe will be joining the CBS retooling of Code Black as the medical drama's new co-lead.

Lowe, who's been fresh off his one and done run on Fox's The Grinder, will be playing Colonel Ethan Willis, a doctor in the U.S. Military's prestigious Combat Casualty Care research program who has been pulled out of a combat hospital in Afghanistan and embedded at Angles Memorial to teach what the military has learned about combat medicine.

His aggressive, role-breaking style is greeted enthusiastically by Dr. Leanne Rorish (Played by Marcia Gay Harden), but not by all the other doctors and nurses.

This isn't Lowe's first medical drama as he made his MD round on CBS back in 2004 as the star of a short lived series Dr. Vegas.

Lowe's casting is part of a big Season 2 overhaul on Code Black. Already the series as added Heroes alum Noah-Gray-Cabey, Flesh and Bone star Emily Tyra and One Life to Live alum Nafessa Williams in recurring roles. Lowe and others are intended to help fill the void that was left by the departing of series regulars Bonnie Somerville (Christa) and Raza Jaffrey (NEal).

You can look forward to seeing Lowe's Dr. Willis to make his Angels debut in season 2 of Code Place when it peremieres on Wednesday, Sept. 28th at 10/9c on CBS.

CBS Fall 2016-2017 Schedule

On Wednesday, CBS presented it Upfront for the 2016-2017 season with the advertisers.

The big news out of this would be that there will be eight comedies on the network as they are restrting their signature Monday comedy block, with the return of Kevin James' new series "Kevin Can Wait." This will be James' return to the network on Mondays at 8 pm slot where King of Queens spent most of it's 9 year run. James will be joining with Matt LeBlanc and his new sitcom "Man with a Plan."

After CBS scaled back on their Monday comedy block to one hour two years ago and getting way with it all of last season, the network is re-expanding it in a major way with the return of the two-hour block.

Like this isn't new, CBS is using it's strongest shows to launch new shows. The network's #1 drama, NCIS, will be used as the launching pad for Bull, who's stars by the departed NCIS co-star Michael Weatherly. So I guess he's departure didn't really need to be that big since he's coming right back. TO make room for Bull (no pun intended) NCIS: New Orleans will be moving to 10 pm.

With CBS top comedy The Big Bang Theory will help launch fellow ensemble multi-camera comedy The Great Indoors, starring Joel McHale.

Here's the CBS Fall 2016-2017 schedule:

Monday

8pm The Big Bnag Theory
8:30pm Kevin Can Wait

8pm Kevin Can Wait (NEW)
8:30pm Man With a Plan (NEW)
9pm 2 Broke Girls
9:30pm The Odd Couple
10pm Scorpion

Tuesday
8pm NCIS
9pm Bull (NEW)
10pm NCIS: New Orleans

Wednesday
8pm Survivor
9pm Criminal Minds
10pm Code Black

Thursday
8pm NFL Thursday Night Football (Premieres Sept. 15)
5pm PT

8pm The Big Bang Theory (Oct. 27th)
8:30pm The Great Indoors (Starting Oct. 27th) (NEW)
9pm Mom (starting Oct. 27th)
9:30pm Life in Pieces (Starting Oct. 27th)
10pm Pure Genius (Starting Oct. 27th) (NEW)

Friday
8pm MacGyver (NEW)
9pm Hawaii Five-O
10pm Blue Bloods

Saturday
8pm Crimetime Saturday
9pm Crimetime Staturday
10pm 48 Hours

Sunday
7pm 60 Minutes
8pm NCIS: Los Angeles
9pm Madam Secretary
10pm Elementary

CBS Renews Code Black, Beyond Borders and Odd Couple.

As the Upfronts are underway, CBS has winnow i's bubble show list for those that get renewal and cancelled.

CBS has announced that Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders are renewed for a second season and also renewed The Odd Couple for a third season.

Code Black and Beyond Borders have performed not just in the ratings but creatively and performance as well.

Expect to see some changes come season two for Code Black with new characters and such.

The Odd Couple have performed both Thursday and Monday nights  well and found it's stride.

I'm guessing CBS will be milking the Friends mini-reunion when Matt LeBlanc's new series premieres.

As for popping the bubble, CBS announced that Rush Hour will not get a second season. Rebooting a film to television isn't going well but that won't stop networks trying from FOX's Lethal Weapon.

Beyond The Events Around Us: Weekend Catch Up Part 13

iZombie "Even Cowgirls Get the Black and Blue

When a murder of a country singer is found strangled, takes on as a country singer and a very good one at that.

Not only does Liv get that country singer in her but she also wrote a song based on her relationship with Major, who I thought they were going to break their relationship off again. They asked the boyfriend and even the creepy bar owner who was hitting on her but in the end, it turned out that the victim was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Turned out to be a robber, who just pulled a robbery at a store and dropped the gun at the same neighborhood.

Not only does Liv rediscovers love, but Clive experiences it to with an FBI agent looking into missing high profile cases. Also I can't put more stress on it that I've very much happy to see Peyton and Liv back together as friends. And just thought Liv and Major were done for, they came back to each others arms, or should I say that Major came back to her arms.

I enjoyed this episode so much that some of the phrases that Liv keeps say stuck in my head, mostly the "well, butter my button and call it a biscuit

Overall, I give this episode a 7.5/10

You can catch iZombie Tuesday nights at 9/8c on The CW.

Arrow "Beyond Redemption"  

When a task force is killing and stealing drug money, its up to the Green Arrow and the team to stop them and get some help from Lance. Also Oliver makes it official on running for Star City mayor.

For an episode to tell this kind of story, it feels more like a fell in than anything. Yeah the criminals were cops trying to make more at what they are making. I can understand that. I feel like the only thing that got done in this episode was that Oliver and the team got new digs, Laurel shows Quentin that Sara is alive.

But probably the only thing that got the episode any taste was the head butting of Oliver and Quentin, not only asking for his recommendation for Mayor but talking about Quentin's relationship with Dahrk. I will say that this was Paul Blackthorne's best performance so far. He had a lot on his plate more than any other character in this episode.

Overall, I give this episode a 7/10.

You can catch Arrow Wednesday nights at 8/7c on The CW.

Code Black: "Doctor With Borders" 

When a epidemic of respiratory illness comes to the hospital, Neal and the team race against time to treat and figure out what this illness is. Also a patient comes in with barbwire in his leg.

This episode showed it's best for Raza Jaffery as Dr. Hudson. On top of the epidemic, finding out that his mother is suffering too. He deals with not only professional but also personal when his dad butts in as well. I was very astonished from Jaffery's performance.  

It soon turned out that it's not a deadly virus but a chlorine based where it burns through the throat, creating air from getting out.

Also watching Angus and Mario butted heads again was once again okay. These two are a bit of a bossom buddies rivalry. I have to hand it to Angus that he stepped up and never backed down from what he thinks and believes.

Overall, I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch Code Black Sunday nights at 10/9c on CBS.

Heroes Reborn: "June 13th Part 1" 

In this part one of the two part episode, there were questions that were answered in this stunning episode.

Noah and Hiro tracks back to the event of June 13th 2014 at the Submit. Mohinder receives a message from Angela about Erica's plan. Noah and Hiro try to find Claire until Noah relives some of the events that happen before the event.

Angela gets to Hiro and Noah and informs him that Claire had called her that she's in the hospital. Noah goes with Angela while Hiro stops Harris along with Mohinder. They couldn't stop the bombs from going off.

Meanwhile, Noah finds out that Claire has died not from the blast, but from childbirth. And here's another shocker for ya, they're twins, a boy and a girl. Noah finally understand why he couldn't remember the event that took place, because he was hiding the whereabouts of Claire's kids.

Both of the kids were gone to separate ways, Nathan went to a nurse and Malina went to someone else. Nathan is who we know as Tommy.

So the point of this season I'm guessing is Save the Cheerleader's children, save the world.

This was hands down the best episode so far. There were a lot of questions answered and even though there are still more, it was literally the best hour of television, along side with The Blacklist.

Overall, I give this episode a 10/10.

You can catch Heroes Reborn Thursday nights at 8/7c on NBC.

The Player "The Norseman" 

This show is more entertaining than any other new drama show. After watching this episode, I can't believe that a lot of viewers aren't watching it.

When a bet is on to take down a killer, Alex not only takes him down but does it twice. The killer is more of witchcraft kinda of guy that needs to kill for the spirit. But after Alex take him down once, the killer gets revenge and takes his niece to do the final task.

Alex is furious and goes after the guy. After a few bumps and cuts, he comes and beats the crap out of him. But doesn't kill him or take him into custody. Alex stop him from killing after midnight and won the bet. That leaves The Dealer to come and clean up.

Oh my god, Wesley Snipes is amazing. I can never tell if he's good or bad but that fight scene was superb the best fight scene in a while.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch The Player Thursday night's at 10/9c on NBC.

Can't Save Them All: Code Black "Pre-Existing Conditions"

You can't save them all. But when you do, you do your best to your instinct.

This week's episode deals with just some of that. When a prisoner comes in, does he deserve to be treated and saved? That's what Lorenson thinks about when she treats a patient. After telling her that he enjoys killing and such, he gets into her head. Until Hudson tells her that he's her patient and that the best way to handle fear is to be afraid of being brave.

I felt like Angus had a lot more in this episode than the rest of the characters. He deals with a patient when he's hear stop beating but when Mario tells him that it's the patient's heart, Angus thinks its something else. The patient of course is alive, but it was what Angus thought it was. He doesn't speak up and gets placed on treating patients in the waiting area.

He meets one patient that kind have has the hots for him, but she's a stripper but he doesn't see that she's into him. One patient, an elderly man, comes in complaining about a bunch of stuff but when he couldn't breathe and someone given him a protein bar, it turned out to be an allergy from the bar.

Soon he tries to tube the patient to give him an airway. Nervous but he finds the airway while he hums a tune and soon everyone was humming as well.

Rorish deals with Mario, who thinks that he's thinks too high of himself. The other is when a two car crash victims, both are brothers, come in. One of them lives and the other didn't and it doesn't make their mother all the well and wished that the one that lived would have died instead of the other.

But it was when Rorish talked to the mother and how she could understand what she's gone through. She tells her that she lost her husband and two children in a car accident from a drunk driver. I know that it's something that Rorish doesn't want to talk about but it does show that she can open up to give others a but of understanding and hope.

This episode was pretty good. There was a lot of character development from Rorish and Angus. There was a lot of interesting patients coming through those doors.

Overall, I give this episode a 7/10.

You can catch Code Black Wednesday nights at 10/9c on CBS.

One Shot, Trust Your Instincts: Code Black "We Plug Holes"

When it comes to emergency medicine, your instincts need to be sharper than anything. This week's episode shows that with each of the characters in a situation.

Let's start with Christa, who seems to think that her and Leanne are one in the same. Expect that one likes to open up with her feelings and the other no so much. A case of a woman who's last ovary has turned over and needs medical surgery when in hours if she wants to have children. Christa does everything she can to get this person up to surgery, convincing not only Hudson but Leanne as well.  Soon, Hudson comes up with a way to perform surgery and help save the patient's ovary.

Meanwhile, Savetti gets a case of an athlete trying to leave the ER because he thinks that there's nothing wrong with him. Savetti builds a an anger towards the patient, who he thinks had a seizure. Even with the athlete's manager who wants the diagnosis erase, showed signs of a seizure.

And of course when two residents differ on a man's diagnosis when he comes in with back pain. Melanie thinks it's just a pulled muscle but Angus thinks it more of his heart, which he was right and Leanne gets not only him but everyone about it that there's no time to think, but got to be quick and trust your instinct when it comes to making a call.

I enjoyed this episode. I think that Marcia is unbelievable in this series. The story telling is so good and I couldn't get enough of some of the medical stories like the elderly lady who ate up over $3 in change and the residents have to wait for the money to pass.

I'm guessing that every episode there's going to be a code black situation but I wonder what it would look like if there wasn't a code black and how they would handle a situation of not getting slammed so much.

Overall, I give this episode a 7.5/10.

You can catch Code Black Wednesday nights at 10/9c on CBS.

Code Black "Pilot" Series Premiere

Code Black is one of the most interesting new series of the season. It's a medical drama that sets itself pretty close to ER.

The series takes place in an LA hospital that sees more patients yearly than any other in the country and goes code black 300 times out of the year. Marcia Gay Harden plays the hard-headed, strong-witted Dr. Leanne Rorish, the ER residency director. Rorish might be a tough-as-nails doctor, but she has a heart, cares for each patient that comes through their door and tells the truth to everyone without throwing in the white lies to give anyone hope.

The cast is unbelievably good. Raza Jaffrey is Dr. Neal Hudson, the doctor who has issues with the way Rorish treats patients and medical residents as well. They might have some beef with one another, but they always respect each other, and maybe if this series could go far enough, perhaps these two could be an item.

Out of the rest of the cast, Luis Guzman is one of the best-supporting characters as nurse Jesse Salander, who manages the residents and is known as their mamma. In the pilot, the first scene comes of him introducing himself and the hospital to the new residents. It felt like Dr. Benton giving Dr. Carter the lay of the land in the pilot episode of ER.

The medical cases are suitable. I don't think the medical stories will be a massive issue in my book. I couldn't get enough of some of the stories from the older man who suffered a stroke and the teenager who fell and broke his arm, which turned out he suffered from a head injury. Bonnie Somerville's character, Christa Lorenson, saves a pregnant patient from Carbon Monoxide.

It's been a long time since ER and House that I've watched a medical drama. I don't consider Grey's to be a medical drama but more of a prime-time version of General Hospital. And I do not doubt that Code Black is a tremendous series with good writing and outstanding characters. Harden is outstanding.

Overall, I give the pilot an 8.5/10.  

You can catch Code Black on Tuesday nights at 10/9c on CBS.

Code Black: New Fall Series

Coming this fall on CBS, a new medical drama, "Code Black."

Inspired by the award-winning documentary, this medical drama is set in one of the busiest and most notorious ER in the nation. It's where the extraordinary staff confronts a challenge system in order to protect their ideals and the patients who needs them the most.

The cast for the series stars with Marcia Gay Harden ("The Newsroom"), Luis Guzman ("Boogie Nights"), Raza Jaffrey ("Smash"), Benjamin Hollingsworth ("Backstrom"), Bonnie Somerville ("Cashmere Mafia"), Melanie Kannokada ("Parenthood"), William Alan Young ( "District 9") and Harry M. Ford (Louder Than Bombs").

Developed by writer and executive producer Michael Seitzman ("Intelligence"). Along side Seitzman are director David Semel ("Person of Interest"), Ryan McGarry, Linda Goldstein-Knowlton ("Code Black" documentary) and Marti Noxon ("Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce") as executive producers.  

The series premieres on Wednesdays at 10/9c in the fall.
Here's a First Look of the series.