CBS Renews ‘Life In Pieces’ For a Second Season

Joel Keller May 11, 2016, 4:34 pm

Comments

Life In Pieces — Neil Jacobs/CBS

"Interrupts Date Breast Movin" -- Behind the scenes photo from family scene at John and Joan's house of Life in Pieces for the CBS Television Network. Pictured L-R, Zoe Lister Jones as Jen, Colin Hanks as Greg, James Brolin as John, Giselle Eisenberg as Sophia, Betsy Brandt as Heather, Dan Bakkedahl as Tim, Niall Cunningham as Tyler, Holly Barrett as Samantha, Thomas Sadoski as Matt and Diane Wiest as Joan, shown. Photo: Neil Jacobs/CBS ©2015 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

As we get closer to next week’s broadcast network upfronts, renewal news has started trickling out. Today is a good day for fans of CBS’ Thursday comedy Life In Pieces; the Eye net announced that the show will get a second season.

The show hadn’t been part of CBS’ big 11-show renewal announcement in March, but there seemed to be little doubt that the show would get a second year, given it’s decent post-Big Bang Theory audience that averaged about 9 million viewers.

If you haven’t seen Life In Pieces, here’s a good summary: Great cast (James Brolin, Dianne Wiest, Zoe Lister-Jones, Thomas Sadoski, Colin Hanks, Betsy Brandt, etc.), funny writing… limiting concept. The show’s creators took pains during its first season to fit four stories about the Short family (get it?) into each episode, giving plots that could have played out over a full episodes a paltry six or eight minutes.

Despite the pickup, Pieces doesn’t seem like a show that has staying power away from BBT—at least not yet. Ditching the “One Big Family. Four Short Stories” concept will go a long way in helping the show stand on its own.

Life in Pieces, Thursdays, 8:30/7:30c, CBS.