‘NCIS’ Alum Pauley Perrette’s New Series ‘Broke’ Ordered by CBS

Pauley Perrette will be returning to CBS, just not as a member of the network’s slate of dramas. This time around, the former NCIS star will headline alongside Jane the Virgin‘s Jaime Camil in Broke. It is one of four new comedies picked up by the network amid its wave of renewals and pickups on Thursday.

Broke follows the story of an “outrageously wealthy trust fund baby who is cut off by his father” according to TV Line, forcing him and his wife to move in with his estranged sister in Reseda. Perrette plays Jackie, a “tough, sharp-witted, loving but struggling single mom” according to Deadline, forced to take in her brother Miguel, played by Camil, and his wife.

As Deadline notes, the series marks Perrette’s return to television following her 15 seasons as Abby Sciuto on NCIS. She left the series in back in 2018 as one of its most popular characters and cast members on the long-running series. She had made her focus clear after leaving the drama, aiming for a sitcom follow-up.

The comedy will be joined by two more returns to the network. Everybody Loves Raymond star Patricia Heaton will follow up the end of The Middle over at ABC with Carol’s Second Act. It will be Heaton’s second act at the network and follows Carol Chambers as moves on after raising her kids and retiring as a teacher to follow her dream of becoming a doctor. Heaton will be joined by Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan in the series.

Bob Hearts Abishola will also see Billy Gardell return to CBS in the latest from executive producer Chuck Lorre. Lorre was also behind Gardell’s previous series, Mike & Molly, and will bring this new series to the network as his follow-up to The Big Bang Theory after it closes its final season. Gardell has been a staple at the network for a while, with Bob Hearts Abishola marking his third sitcom at CBS after Mike & Molly and Yes, Dear.

The series will follow a middle-aged “sock businessman” in Detroit who suffers a heart attack, ends up falling for his Nigerian-immigrant cardiac nurse, played by Folake Olowofoyeku, with the show following his attempts to earn her affection.

Joining the returning stars is Walton Goggins in The Unicorn. The Justified star will once again get to show his comedy skills following his time on HBO’s Vice Principals here, playing a widower who gets help from his two daughters and close friends in order to return to the dating pool. Rob Corddry and Michaela Watkins help round out the cast and should create an interesting series for a star who is typically known for dramatic roles.

The four comedies will be joining four dramas and a slew of returning series in the fall lineup. This includes the FBI spin-off, FBI: Most Wanted, the series Evil from the creators of The Good Fight, and All Rise.