Why CBS Bosses Are Doubling Down on Scripted Shows as Other Networks Scale Back | Exclusive

CBS kicked off a flashy fall premiere week Sunday, using the wide viewership brought by a football doubleheader to launch a week’s worth of new and returning shows with a bang.

It was a night of two female-led mysteries, as Sunday marked the return of the Emmy-nominated, Kathy Bates-fronted “Matlock” and “The Good Wife” spinoff series “Elsbeth,” about a kooky lawyer who partners with the NYPD to solve murder investigations.

Both shows carry the signature “CBS show” feeling of a trusty procedural that takes creative swings, and are not coincidentally among the network’s most-watched offerings among broadcasters and overall.

They’re also programming pillars for CBS, which…