How We Roll Release Date, Cast, And Trailer - What We Know So Far

When it comes to TV shows, and especially sitcoms, midseason replacements are often overlooked. This is unfortunate, because some of the greatest sitcoms of all time started off as replacements. Everything from "Happy Days" to "Laverne & Shirley" to the American version of "The Office" all replaced other shows and went on to become classics.

The next show hoping to continue that tradition is "How We Roll," an upcoming CBS sitcom about a man who gets laid off and pursues his passion of becoming a professional bowler. It's based on the life of Tom Smallwood, who attempted to pursue a career as a professional bowler as a young man, then gave up and got a job at a metal shop, and finally returned to professional bowling later in life, where he found success.

With "How We Roll" set to premiere soon, here's everything we know about CBS' upcoming midseason replacement.

As reported by Deadline, "How We Roll" premieres on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at 9:30 pm EST. It will also stream both live and on-demand on Paramount+. It will be taking over the timeslot that recently has been occupied by "B Positive," the Thomas Middleditch and Annaleigh Ashford-starring kidney donor comedy created by Chuck Lorre. "B Positive" will have completed its series order on March 10, but CBS hasn't yet decided to renew the show for a third season yet (via TVLine).

When it airs, "How We Roll" will include 11 total episodes in its first season. Originally, the show received a 13-episode order back in March 2021. This number was reduced to 11 total episodes back in December 2021. According to Deadline, this decision was made for scheduling and not creative reasons. This was also when CBS changed the name from "Smallwood" to "How We Roll."

"How We Roll" is headlined by comedian Pete Holmes, who will be playing the title roll of Tom Smallwood. Previously, Holmes was most well-known for starring in the semi-autobiographical HBO series "Crashing." He also hosted the TBS talk show "The Pete Holmes Show."

Otherwise, Smallwood's wife Jen will be played by Katie Lowes ("Ralph Breaks the Internet," "Zootopia"). Smallwood's bowling mentor Archie will be played by Chi McBride. ("Hawaii Five-0," "I, Robot").

Julie White (the "Transformers" franchise, "NCIS: Hawai'i") will be playing the role of Smallwood's mother Helen, whom Deadline describes as someone "frozen in time" since her husband died 30 years ago. Mason Wells will be playing the role of Tom's son, Sam. IMDb also lists Tahj Mowry and Judy Cain as being cast in major roles.

Mark Gross, David Hollander and Brian D'Arcy James are all executive producers for CBS Studios, and Gross wrote episodes as well. Phill Lewis and Mark Cendrowski are currently credited as directors on Season 1.

The "How We Roll" trailer gives us a good idea of what the show is going to be about, and you can check it out on YouTube. It kicks off with the Archie character dispensing some coaching advice, which also doubles as the show's theme. "Here's the thing about bowling," Chi McBride says as Archie. "No matter what you do with the first ball, you get two chances to make it right."

Then, the trailer takes us through Tom's attempt to get a second chance in life. After Tom gets laid off from his automotive assembly line job after ten years of employment, he gravitates toward his local bowling alley, the Curly Fry, where Archie insists that he has real bowling talent. Tom faces a lot of doubts about his abilities, but he can't deny that bowling drives him. In the end, when his wife Jen gives him his own customized bowling ball, he has the confidence he needs. The teaser ends with Tom about to compete in a bowling tournament, stopping just short of his first roll and leaving us in suspense.

There's also an ongoing subplot about Tom's relationship with his son, who loves tap dancing class but gets teased for it. Tom tells Sam to do what he loves, because we only get one life. If nothing else, "How We Roll" definitely has a message.