Chuck Lorre’s United States of Al to Follow Young Sheldon on Thursdays — Where Does That Leave B Positive?
The arrival of a new Chuck Lorre comedy will force the sitcom giant’s other freshman series to forfeit its cushy time slot.
Beginning April 1, United States of Al, which was originally supposed to debut at 9:30/8:30c, will now follow Young Sheldon, airing Thursdays at 8:30 pm. As a result, B Positive will shift to 9:30 pm for the remainder of Season 1.
A source tells TVLine that the move is being made to give Al the best possible lead in, and does not reflect B Positive‘s Season 2 renewal odds. (Update: The Unicorn‘s Season 2 finale airs Thursday, March 18, at 9 pm.)
All told, here’s how CBS‘ revised sitcom lineup shakes out, as of April 1:
8 pm Young Sheldon
8:30 pm United States of Al (new series)
9 pm Mom
9:30 pm B Positive (new time slot)
Hailing from Big Bang Theory vets David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari, United States of Al focuses on the friendship between Riley (Enlisted‘s Parker Young), “a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio,” and Awalmir aka “Al” (Rules of Engagement‘s Adhir Kalyan), “the interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America,” according to the official logline.
In addition to Young and Kalyan, the cast includes Elizabeth Alderfer (Disjointed) as Lizzie, Riley’s sister; Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) as Art, Riley’s father; Kelli Goss (The Ranch) as Vanessa, Riley’s ex-wife; and Farrah Mackenzie (Utopia) as Hazel, Riley and Vanessa’s daughter. (You can watch a trailer here.)
B Positive, meanwhile, centers on Drew Dunbar (Silicon Valley‘s Thomas Middleditch), a therapist and newly divorced dad who is faced with needing a kidney donor. He soon reconnects with Gina Dabrowski (Masters of Sex‘s Annaleigh Ashford), a rough-around-the-edges woman from his past who volunteers her own. The sitcom recently received a back-five order, extending its freshman run to 18 episodes. Kether Donohue, Sara Rue, Izzy G. and Terrence Terrell co-star.
Are you pulling for B Positive? Looking forward to United States of Al? Hit the comments with your reactions to CBS’ Thursday-night moves.
B-Positive is nothing great, but not a total waste of half an hour.
If the reading the early reviews on B Positive, I decided to check it out. I didn’t just watch one episode, I watched until last week. Finally, I’d had enough. The show is just not funny! Middleditch is depressing and Ashford is just plain annoying. I, for one, will be shocked if it gets renewed.
It took a bit of time, but B Positive has come together. The two stars are likable, and Linda Lavin is always a pleasure to watch.
This new show looks really unfunny from the clips being shown. You have to wonder if Lorre’s golden touch has become tarnished.
When promos started for B Positive, I thought it looked so dumb and would have no legs. But I tried it out and stuck with it. Glad I did. Fun cast and makes me laugh. So I hope it gets renewed. With Mom ending — that would be the right call for CBS.
My wife, being a transplant recipient and I watch this and laugh at the things that are accurate and point out the things that are poetically licensed. Overall, we enjoy the show.
My wife rcvd a kidney as well. I like how it centers around real life.
I soooo agree with you felt the same way. Really love this show now.
I love b positive something to just relax and watch while rooting for him
Love Love Love B Positive!!! It pertains to real life …not about sex, what sex or race you are. The show has a great story.
Exactly. Life is not unicorns and cupcakes and rainbows.
I love B-Positive, I hope they renew it. it’s one of those few comedy’s like BobHeartsAbisola that have me laugh out loud, and leave me with a smile, and not many comedy’s can do that anymore. please bring it back CBS.
I agree. My husband and I both enjoy and laugh out loud at these shows.
B Positive has improved over the weeks. I’m enjoying the focus on the dialysis group. I thought the last two episodes were the best of the season. Hope it sticks around.
I’m envisioning a Chuck Lorre night next season on CBS Thursdays. Young Sheldon – United States of Al – a relocated Bob Hearts Abishola – B Positive. I say this as someone who only watches Mom and The Unicorn for CBS sitcoms, but with the former ending and the latter struggling in the ratings, I feel this is CBS’ best move. They can launch a new comedy on Mondays after The Neighborhood, possibly even one that reunites old co-stars… for example, maybe the series with Hannah Simone, which would give her the timeslot after former New Girl beau Max Greenfield (though of course, it depends on how all the pilots turn out). I do feel like this will be given a chance to grow as it comes from Chuck Lorre, and would have to bomb badly in ratings to not be given more time…. though I hope they avoid too much of the cultural difference stuff, as it doesn’t seem like they can adeptly handle it in a way that isn’t stereotype-based cringe (happy to be proven wrong).
Totally cheering for B Positive. Renal Failure is something that doesn’t really get spoken about and I truly enjoyed getting to know every character and all of their quirks, good and bad. The positive spin on such a sad situation brings a smile to my face every time I see an episode. I really hope it stays on!
Great show and plot line is positive with no pun intended and poignant.
I love B Positive and look forward to the new series but will greatly miss Mom next season. I can think of many story lines for them.
To be fair though, Mom HAS suffered since the departure of Anna Farris. I hope Christy and the kids come back for the series finalé.
I actually prefer Mom without Anna Faris.
Me too. I don’t miss Anna Faris one bit. I was happy when they got rid of her kids and ex husband too. Kristen Johnson is hysterical.
B positive is one of the better sitcoms on TV. Hope it weathers the time change. I’ll keep watching.
This is great news to me!!! I love Adhir Kalyan from his first show “Aliens in America”.
I am not a fan B Positive. Neither of the two leads work for me. It is like Dharma and Greg Lite.
I loved that show too! I wish it would have been given more of a chance to work. So underrated and I hope this works out for him. The army buddy also has had shows like Enlisted not given enough of a chance, and perhaps this will finally be a great break for them both.
I agree on both fronts. “Aliens in America “ had real possibilities.
And what is the future of B Positive? After he gets the transplant do all the dialysis people move in with him for no reason? None of it makes any sense. B Positive has now become read my emails time.
He and the donor have to get together. He already likes her – it’s starting…
No
The two need to stay friends.
Such better story line with friends supporting friends.
Love the changes in the characters and those static like a couple of the minor dialysis patients is fun. Like it focuses on serious topics and much -needed focus on transplants and cancer treatments.
Gina has to get together with the transplant guy – he already likes her and she doesn’t realize the same for her.
Why would all the dialysis patients have to move in with him for the show to continue? What part of it doesn’t make sense to you? The storyline is pretty easy to follow.
It’s a great show!
I agree that B Positive has improved. But what does this mean for The Unicorn? I know it has a short season, but I wonder, particularly if Al takes off, about its chances for a third season. I am surprised by how much that show has endeared itself to me.
I would guess Unicorn is in trouble. Writers seemingly devoted their time to the ‘support group’ for Goggins’s character . The black couple are tolerable, the white couple not so much. In fact the more screen time they get the more annoying they become. I think Goggins looks very uncomfortable playing in a sitcom anyway. Let him go back to playing the psychos he does so well at.
I think Goggins has done a wonderful job as Wade in The Unicorn. It is different from his usual characters and I love it. I believe this is the show that truly shows his range as an actor. I would now love to see him in more comedies.
B Positive is absolutely stupid and should B gone already!
Have you watched it recently? I will admit the first couple episodes I wasn’t so sure it would be a keeper show but once they started focusing on the dialysis group and Linda Lavin the show found the right chemistry. I do hope it gets renewed. The episode where they all talked about how they ended up in dialysis was a really good moment. My rule for watching 3 – 4 episodes of a new show before abandoning it worked well again for me.
I’ve watched every episode, but I disagree that it’s getting better. It’s becoming more and more contrived. Drew has a party and the only people that come are the dialysis people? The fact that he sees the exact same people at dialysis every time was enough of a stretch. If they make Drew & Sam or Eli & Gina start dating then the show will have officially jumped the shark.
Enjoying it. Good ensemble mix. Spotlighting the subject of organ donation and renal disease is meaningful.
I love the new line-up! I wish “Mom” was staying on the air.
love b positive. Anna leigh great
Yes!! Huge fan of Annaleigh. The show is witty and has more heart that it lets on… and the theme song is incredible1
I’m gonna follow whatever time slot B-Positive goes to. (Not crazy about the gore in the shows opening each week, though…)
I’ll give U.S. of Al a try,too.
Bob ❤️ Abishola is my favorite.
Unicorn was good till he found “the one.” Now seems like his friends are intrusive
Really like B Positive, the weird chemistry between Drew and Gina, and think it deserves to keep a slot. I agree Bob❤️Abishola is an awesome show but I think the Unicorn is perhaps going a different direction because in the last episode it sounded like He was saying good bye to “the one”. I’m a big fan of most all of the CBS comedies and look forward to the U. S. Of Al.
Me too.
Love B Positive show, cast and script!
So what happens to the Unicorn when B Positive takes its spot? Have only shown concern for B+ ….Will the Unicorn be wrapped for the season by then?
Yes, its season ends March 25.
B positive has been really good, especially the last few weeks. Hope it gets a second season!
Okay when is the Unicorn going to be on TV what channel what time please stop messing with the times in the shows y’all took out man with the plan y’all getting rid of all kinds of good shows
The Unicorn’s season will conclude March 25. Sad to say that will probably be curtains for the whole series. But I like B Positive and will give Al a shot.
B positive hits home with me..i had a live donor who selflessly gave me his kidney…after I put a plea on Facebook…perfect match down to the antibodies😁..we are family now💚.i love how this show will help others on diaylsis with the need of organ donors…
I really like B+ so far you are depicting a very clear picture of the way a transplant life can be I lived it with my husband he had two transplants your last episode brought tears to my eyes when she was arguing for him to go to dialysis my husband would fight to go to sometimes. I am enjoying some of the comedy that goes with it which wasn’t always there at times. I hope you will continue for another season you need to explore some ideas with people that have gone through this. We could really open up your eyes to what you are trying to write about. We had to wait for a donor twice
B Positive has built on its great casting ideas and is one of CBS’ best right now. Thomas Middleditch does some hilarious physical maneuvers with his spindly body that often have me howling (on an exercise bike, doing TikTok, during his drunken spree in the street). And there is poignancy, too, with people in desperate positions trying to make the best of their dire situations. And Linda Lavin is a boon to any show she’s on.
Just don’t get rid of “Mom”. It’s the best of Thursday night.. All week actually!
I believe they have already announced that this is the final season of Mom.
IMHO – Mom sucks w/o Anna Farris and I despise Unicorn. They can cancel them both. Just don’t put B-Positive @ 8:30 (CST) since that’s the same time the last season of Last Man Standing.
They should either cancel Mom immediately or bring back Anna Farris. And just cancel Unicorn since it sucked from the beginning.