CBS sets premiere dates for ‘Under the Dome’ and ‘Extant’

During its TCA Winter Press Tour day on Wednesday, CBS announced the premiere dates of its two major summer event series, “Extant” and the returning “Under the Dome.”

Both series boast Steven Spielberg among their executive producers and have a science-fiction bent, but their stories are very different.

“Extant” stars Halle Berry as an astronaut trying to reacquaint herself with her family after spending a year in space. But her time in space has resulted in something very mysterious that the network promises will “change the course of human history.”

The project was written by new writer Mickey Fisher as a spec script and became a hot commodity when it went on the market last August, according to Deadline.

WINTER TV PREVIEW: Full coverage of the season’s shows

The series got a 13-episode order and will premiere July 2.

The second season of “Under the Dome,” a series about a small Maine town trapped under a mysterious force field will debut June 30. And as an added bonus to fans, the season premiere will be written by Stephen King.

“Under the Dome” is based on King’s novel, but some fans have taken exception to the many changes show runner Brian K. Vaughn has made to the story to adapt it to TV. King himself, who is also an executive producer, has assured people that the changes are all fine with him. Maybe by writing an episode himself, he’ll serve to further calm the waters.

“Under the Dome” was a major hit for CBS last summer, ranking as the top-rated program of last summer.

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