CBS Sitcom Recasts Key Character

One fan-favorite CBS sitcom is about to undergo a major cast shakeup as it heads into its second season. When B Positive returns for Season 2 on the network on Thursday, Oct. 14, the role of Adriana, Drew Dunbar’s girlfriend, will be recast, with original actress Rosa Salazar departing the series after just a single season as a recurring character.

The cast shakeup was first confirmed by TVLine in early October as CBS released the first images from the upcoming Oct. 21 episode, which you can view by clicking here. While the images confirmed Adriana’s return following her trip to Switzerland, she appeared a little different, with CBS Diversity Showcase alumnus Michelle Ortiz taking over the role from Salazar. Ortiz will make her first appearance as a guest star on B Positive during the Thursday, Oct. 21 episode, titled, “Vermont, Switzerland and Connecticut.” In the episode, per the network’s official synopsis, “Gina and Eli’s relationship is tested by Gina’s new wealth. Also, Drew gets a surprise visit from his long-distance girlfriend, Adriana.”

Prior to joining B Positive, Ortiz appeared in several other series, including the mini TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Double Agent and the shows MADtv, Mr. Mom, Tacoma FD, and When Nature Calls, among others. Salazar, meanwhile, appeared in titles such as American Horror Story, Parenthood, and Big Mouth before appearing as Adriana. She has since appeared in several other titles, including Netflix’s Brand New Cherry Flavor, with her most recent credits, The Chariot and Wedding Season, in post-production. At this time, neither CBS nor Salazar have commented on her exit from B Positive, and it remains unclear why Adriana was recast.

The recasting comes amid a creative revamp the show has undergone as it heads into Season 2. Executive produced by Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory, Two-and-a-Half Men), B Positive premiered on CBS in November 2020 and followed Thomas Middleditch as a therapist named Drew, a newly divorced dad who discovers that he needs a new kidney. At the same time, he meets Gina, a rough-around-the-edges woman from his past who volunteers to let him have one of her kidneys. After the kidney transplant, Season 2 will shift focus to Gina, “who has made it her mission to improve the lives of the elderly residents at Valley Hills Assisted Living, where Drew’s former dialysis nurse Gideon (Darryl Stephens) is now employed as head of nursing.”

In addition to Ortiz and Middleditch, Season 2 will also star Annaleigh Ashford as well as Linda Lavin and Anthony Higgins, who were promoted to series regulars. Newcomers to the cast include Hector Elizondo, Jane Seymour, Ben Vereen, Priscilla Lopez, Jim Beaver, and Anna Maria Horsford. B Positive Season 2 premieres on Thursday, Oct. 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS.