In a surprising and last-minute turn of events, CBS has opted to hold Jane Lynch’s “Angel From Hell” until midseason, Variety has learned. The new sitcom will now premiere in February.
The single-camera comedy will be replaced on the fall schedule by the long-running “2 Broke Girls,” which will bow with its fifth season during the 9:30 p.m. time slot on Nov. 12. The long-running laffer, which just went into syndication, was previously set for a midseason season five debut.
The schedule change comes after “Angel From Hell” had already been heavily marketed with launch-driven promo materials all around town.
The series was scheduled to premiere after the network’s coverage of “Thursday Night Football,” which wraps Oct. 29. By holding “Angel” until February, CBS will be able to promote the comedy during the network’s coverage of the Super Bowl on Feb. 7.
“Angel From Hell,” created by Tad Quill, centers around an unlikely friendship formed when a larger-than-life, nutty woman, Amy (Lynch), claims to be the guardian angel of another woman, Allison (Maggie Lawson), who can’t decide if Amy’s actually an angel or if she’s just plain crazy.
The rest of CBS’s largely comedy-dominated Thursday night lineup remains the same with “Big Bang Theory” moving into its regular 8 p.m. time slot, followed by “Life in Pieces” at 8:30, “Mom” at 9 and “Elementary’s” fourth season bowing at 10 on Nov. 5. However, on that date, a repeat of “Big Bang” will fill the 9:30 p.m. slot, just for one week before “2 Broke Girls” premieres.
CBS has struggled to launch a successful single-camera comedy series, and “Life in Pieces” remains on the schedule, despite losing more than half of its “The Big Bang Theory” lead-in. The Thursday four-comedy lineup will now consist of three multi-cams plus “Life in Pieces.”
Veteran “Mike & Molly” and sophomore “The Odd Couple” remain on the bench, and are candidates to be paired with “Angel From Hell.”
Rick Kissell contributed to this report.
While visiting Las Vegas in April we hit Television City. They invited us to do a sneak preview premiere and the show was Angel From Hell. There were a few changes that I would have made and we gave our opinions. I will just say I will be watching the show and cannot wait for February to come around.
Would be nice if the delay had been advertised. Was watching for it tonight. Love CBS lineup . Big fans of Mime and Molly
Two Broke Girls has to be one of the trashiest shows in the CBS stable. The only thing worse than it are the repetitive laugh tracks they have to use since no live audience could stand being exposed to it longest than 5 minutes.
I had been looking forward to seeing if Angel from Hell was less sexist, more comedic and kept away from the “pottymouth” dialogue. Sadly, CBS appears to want to dumb down the audience far more than normal for a weeknight show by renewing Two Badmouth Girls.
I have been looking forward to this show too! Stopped watching two broke girls a looong time ago! Jane Lynch is awesome in this and I think it will be hysterical! So very disappointed it was pushed out! About ready to stop watching TV altogether as most is boring or violent.
CBS you SUCK!!! I’ve been waiting for months to watch this show, and now you put it off? What brain dead @#&^% decided that?
Angel From Hell Will Not Be Seen Tonight So Instead we may Bring You A Double Dose Of Big Bang Theory On Television
And it will be great to see Maggie Lawson again. She’s been missed.
Jane Lynch is a very funny actress. Give the girl a chance. I’ve seen TBG, now that’s garbage. They backed the wrong show.
Wow, my Wife and I were looking forward to this comedy. We have never watched 2 Broke Girls and probably never will. CBS has been advertising this new show for months. What a waste of advertising money to just pull it now.
I worked on episode #3 and it was fairly funny. Didn’t get to work with Ms. Lynch, however.
I’m just shocked Life in Pieces is staying on the schedule and making it to the Thursday night switch. It’s garbage and should be pulled like ASAP.
It actually looks pretty funny. @cadavra Maybe you missed in the article where it says Jane Lynch’s character is named Amy. I have to assume since you carelessly misread the article that you have not had a chance to watch the preview of the pilot. For anyone’s consideration. You may personally didnt care for Jane in previous show castings or not care for her for some other reason, but i suggest just watching the video before judging. I laughed out loud. ;)
Jane Lynch is neither likable enough or talented enough to head a sitcom. She is one-trick-pony and her sole acting shtick is only suitable for supporting roles. This will surely be a fail, and was a poor network decision to greenlight.
I don’t think this show will make it even with superior writing, which I doubt it will have. Jane Lynch is not star material by any stretch, and I agree, not likable enough. Her bigoted, hateful remarks about Chik-Filet turned off a lot of people, and many thought it ironic that she lost half her money in a gay marriage fail shortly thereafter. I would not watch her in a starring role… she is merely a third at best, no where near a first.
ah man i was looking forward to this show, i’m not a fan of broke girls,
Hate to say it, because I really like Jane Lynch, but she may be most effective in supporting roles. i don’t know if she can really carry a lead. It’s the Jason Alexander paradigm. How many starring vehicles with him have tanked? Certain actors we like best in support of stars, not as a star themselves.
Apparently an editor got carried away, or is Miss Lynch’s co-star lacking a first name?
Delaying Jane Lynch’s show means it is obviously trash. No one delays a show they are excited about.
Maybe not “trash” – maybe just a work-in-progress needing more work. Have you ever created and shot a show? Doubt it.
Nope. It’s trash.