Scripted

CBS has ordered two dramas and a comedy for its 2020/21 slate, including the sequel of thriller movie The Silence of the Lambs and a remake of 1980s crime series The Equalizer.

The 1991 movie starring Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling will be produced by MGM Television and CBS Television with Secret Hideout (Heather Kadin exec producing and Aaron Baiers co-exec producing).

Rebecca Breeds, of Pretty Little Liars, will play FBI Agent Clarice Starling in “Clarice” as she returns to the field in 1993, six months after the events of “The Silence of the Lambs.” Chris Noth and Lorraine Toussaint also star.

Meanwhile, The Equalizer is a reimagining of CBS’s 1980s crime series of the same name.

Queen Latifah plays the protagonist, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her skills to help those with nowhere else to turn.

Andrew Marlowe, Terri Miller, Dana Owens (Queen Latifah), John Davis, John Fox, Debra Martin Chase, Richard Lindheim (co-creator of the original Equalizer TV series), Shakim Compere and Liz Friedlander are exec producers for NBCUniversal-owned Universal Television, which is producing in association with CBS Television Studios.

The new commissions follow last week’s news that CBS was renewing 23 of its existing series for the 2020/21 broadcast season.

From last year’s new crop, drama All Rise, comedy Bob (Hearts) Abishola, Evil, FBI: Most Wanted and drama The Unicorn are all returning.

Bull, Blue Bloods, MacGyver, Magnum PI, SWAT, Seal Team and the LA and New Orleans versions of NCIS are among the longer running dramas coming back.

Evil, Mom, Survivor, The Amazing Race and Young Sheldon had all had their renewals confirmed earlier.

Pauley Perrette’s new sitcom Broke, however, is not returning. That was cancelled along with police drama Tommy, Patricia Heaton vehicle Carol’s Second Act and Matt LeBlanc family sitcom Man With A Plan.