CBS Pushes New Matthew Gray Gubler Series ‘Einstein’ To 2026-27 Season
Matthew Gray Gubler fans will have to wait longer for Criminal Minds star’s return to CBS. His new comedic drama procedural Einstein, originally picked up to series last week for the 2025-26 season, is now being held for 2026-27.
The move is not entirely surprising. Under the network’s longterm development strategy, CBS last May picked up Fire Country spinoff Sheriff Country for the 2025-26 season. Given the network’s tight shelf space, it was considered likely that CBS again could pick up a new show now for 2026-27, providing it with a long production runway and launch promo campaign that can kickoff during March Madness 2026, something CBS has previously done with shows like Tracker and Sheriff Country.
Still, it is intriguing that the decision to hold Einstein, from CBS Studios, came a week after the show had been picked up for next season. It is unclear whether the move is just based on scheduling — CBS brass are now in the thick of putting together the network’s 2025-26 schedule, which will be unveiled May 7 — or whether there was a last-minute piece added for next season that has pushed Einstein off the board.
CBS is yet to make a renewal decision on drama Equalizer, which has been vying for a sixth — and likely final — season but that could be a limited, 13-episode run. The network also has Robert King and Michelle King’s Silicon Valley-set legal one-hour Cupertino on a slower development track, with a wild card in the mix — the potential Yellowstone spinoff starring Luke Grimes, which could be fast-tracked at any point.
There could be financial considerations for the decision too as cost-cutting has been hitting every area of the broadcast business, with CBS under additional pressure from the delay of its parent company’s acquisition by Skydance.
Also worth noting about the move is the fact that having produced a pilot, Einstein is a fully-formed series, which is now being delayed by a year. Meanwhile, the FBI offshoot, CIA, from Wolf Entertainment and Universal TV, is still on track for 2025-26 having not done even a planted spinoff episode, with creative still in flux and only Tom Ellis cast as the main co-lead.
Einstein, an adaptation of a German format by Monk creator Andy Breckman, was CBS’ only standalone drama pilot this season. It was a favorite internally and well received, hitting CBS’ sweet spot of procedural drama with humor and a popular CBS star as the lead.
In addition to Sheriff Country and CIA, on tap for 2025-26 are fellow new series Boston Blue, a Blue Bloods offshoot, and comedy DMV.
Here are details on Einstein:
EINSTEIN – Drama
EP/W: Andy Breckman
EP/D: Randy Zisk
NW/EP: Tariq Jalil; Rose Hughes, Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia and Laura Beetz (Seven One Studios International)
STUDIO: CBS Studios
The series is a drama with comedic undertones.
LOGLINE: Brilliant but directionless, the great grandson of Albert Einstein spends his days as a comfortably tenured professor until his bad boy antics land him in trouble with the law and he is pressed into service helping a local police detective solve her most puzzling cases.
Starring: Matthew Gray Gubler, Rosa Salazar
