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CBS Revives 'Sunday Night Movie' For May Sweeps

Tom Hanks best the Academy Award for best actor for "Forrest Gump" in 1995.
Courtesy CBS
Tom Hanks best the Academy Award for best actor for "Forrest Gump" in 1995.

If you don't have streaming services or cable – or don't mind lots of commercial interruptions – you'll be happy to hear that five beloved movie hits will air on the CBS Sunday Night Movieduring May ratings' sweeps.

With most TV productions shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CBS will air "five iconic ... feature films from the Paramount Pictures library" – Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Forrest Gump, Mission Impossible, Titanicand Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

CBS provided this collage of the five films airing Sunday nights in May.
Credit Courtesy CBS
CBS provided this collage of the five films airing Sunday nights in May.

ABC, NBC and CBS aired theatrical films – and a few made-for-TV movies – on Sunday nights for years. In 1986, all three started airing movies. Often during May, November and February "sweeps" the networks would launch their miniseries on Sunday nights.

ABC broke the pattern in 1998 with 20/20and The Practice.NBC dropped the movie in fall of 2001 for Law & Order: Criminal IntentandUC: Undercover.CBS finally pulled the plug on movies in 2006 to air Cold Caseand Without A Trace.

"It's a five-week programming event with epic films, iconic stars and brilliant stories that viewers love…and love to watch together,” said Noriko Kelley, CBS Entertainment executive vice president for Program Planning and Scheduling in the network announcement.

'Titanic,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, won 11 Academy Awards.
Credit Courtesy CBS
'Titanic,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, won 11 Academy Awards.

Here's the lineup:   

May 3, 8-11 p.m.:Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

May 10, 8-11 p.m.:Forrest Gump

May 17, 8-11 p.m.:Mission: Impossible

May 24, 7-11 p.m.:Titanic

May 31, 8-11 p.m.: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

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John Kiesewetter joined the WVXU news team as a TV/Media blogger on July 1 2015, after nearly 30 years covering local and national broadcasting for The Cincinnati Enquirer. He’ll be posting news about Greater Cincinnati TV, radio and movies; updating your favorite former local TV/radio personalities or stars who grew up here; and breaking news about national TV, radio and media trends. You’ll also learn about Cincinnati’s rich broadcasting history.