CBS is going for an uplifting tone in its fall promos in response to the pandemic

Deadline

“People want comfort food and a sense of safety,” CBS chief marketing officer Mike Benson tells Deadline. “The idea of football coming back, going back to school, the new fall shows coming — people really love that. So, that coming back is an important emotional message for us, but also knowing that people’s routines have changed. COVID has really disrupted viewing patterns.”“There’s a little bit of sell and excitement, but we also want to not be tone-deaf to what’s gone on, either.” He said CBS hopes the timing for B Positive, which premieres tonight, will be among the shows giving viewers much-needed laughs. “People want comfort food and a sense of safety,” he tells Deadline. “The idea of football coming back, going back to school, the new fall shows coming — people really love that. So, that coming back is an important emotional message for us, but also knowing that people’s routines have changed. COVID has really disrupted viewing patterns.” Because of that disruption, he added, the main mission is to “let them know that the content they love is coming back.”