CBS has adjusted its primetime schedule to broadcast coverage of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, resulting in the postponement of new episodes of several scripted series, including the crime drama Boston Blue. The network will air tournament games on March 19, March 20, March 26, and March 27, displacing regularly scheduled programming.
Boston Blue, which resumed airing new episodes on February 27 after a mid-season hiatus, will not air a new episode tonight. The network’s decision to prioritize March Madness coverage impacts not only Boston Blue but also the series Elsbeth and Sheriff Country. Elsbeth aired its last episode before the break on March 12 and will return with a new episode on April 2. Sheriff Country and Boston Blue each aired one additional episode on March 13 before the schedule change.
The shift in programming is a recurring event for CBS, which holds the broadcast rights for the NCAA tournament. Each year, the network modifies its primetime lineup during March Madness to accommodate tournament games. CBS Sports and TNT Sports jointly produce coverage of the tournament, with games televised on CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV, and streamed on Paramount+ and HBO Max.
Both Sheriff Country and Boston Blue are scheduled to return with new episodes on April 3. The upcoming episode of Boston Blue, titled “Beautiful Broken Things,” will feature a drive-by shooting at a church and reveal details about Reverend Peters’ past. CBS has renewed Elsbeth, Sheriff Country, and Boston Blue for the 2026–27 television season, with new episodes expected to continue through April before reaching their season finales later in the spring.
The men’s first round of NCAA Basketball, often referred to as March Madness, began today, March 21, with a game between Santa Clara and Kentucky on CBS at 12:15 pm ET. Additional games are scheduled throughout the day, including Tennessee State versus Iowa State and St. John’s versus Northern Iowa.
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