So Help Me Todd - What We Know So Far

Fall is always a great time for television and entertainment. Typically, networks release new television seasons around this time to coincide with the growing colder weather and diminishing sunlight — one must have something to do when it gets dark at 5 p.m., no? Not only do networks start new seasons of already popular shows, but there is also a glut of new and untested series. These can range from unscripted reality, drama, comedy, and action-based shows. 

According to TV Guide, the network CBS will be starting several new series in autumn. These include the fire fighting adjacent "Fire Country," the police drama "East New York," the unscripted "The Real Love Boat," and of course "So Help Me Todd." "So Help Me Todd" is a brand new show that aims to combine both drama and comedy and should help to round out the new CBS series, considering the other new entries from CBS are drama-focused or a reality television show. So what do we know about the upcoming "So Help Me Todd?" 

As reported by IMDb, the cast of "So Help Me Todd" is rather diverse, with recognizable actors. Starring Skylar Astin, Marcia Gay Harden, Thomas Cadrot, Madeline Wise, Tristen J. Winger, and Mark Moses among many others, "So Help Me Todd" is definitely sporting a robust ensemble cast. Astin is probably best known for his role in the "Pitch Perfect" movies, where he plays the role of Jesse. Astin will be playing the titular character of Todd, an unconventional private detective.

Acting as a counterbalance to Todd's free-wheeling lifestyle, Harden will be playing Todd's mother, Margaret Wright. Margaret is a high-powered lawyer who only wants her son to get his life back on track. Harden is known for her previous appearances in "Mystic River," "Into the Wild," and "The Mist." In between mother and son is Madeline Wise, who is playing Todd's sister / Margaret's daughter, Allison, and she definitely has her act together when compared to the likes of Todd. Wise is probably best known for her role as Deidre in "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Considering the cast, the actors have definitely come from different genres, and it will be interesting to see how all of them mesh together as a coherent whole.

The plot of "So Help Me Todd" blends family, drama, and comedy, which makes the show somewhat hard to define in terms of genre. Is it a procedural that follows Todd as he utilizes his investigative skills? Is it a show based on lawyers and legal aspects? Is it a drama that focuses on family? It seems like "So Help Me Todd" might be all of these all at once.

The official CBS website notes that the show's plot will focus on Todd, who is somewhat of a black sheep in his family. His mother, Margaret, is an incredibly successful lawyer, and she decides that she wants to help her errant son by offering him a job at her law firm as an investigator. Of course, since Todd lives a carefree life, most of the show will be propelled forward by the fault lines between his own life philosophy and that of his mother. Even when the cameras aren't rolling for "So Help Me Todd," it seems as if the main actors of the show enjoy each other's presence and have a rapport, as highlighted by an Instagram post from Astin, which celebrated the wrap of the pilot episode.

As mentioned earlier, "So Help Me Todd" is part of CBS's new lineup of original shows for the upcoming 2022 television season. So when might people expect a chance to check out this offering from CBS? According to TV Insider, "So Help Me Todd" has a definitive release date of September 29, 2022, at 9 p.m. EST. At this moment in time, the amount of episodes contained in Season 1 of "So Help Me Todd" is an unknown, but we do know that the show has an hour-long time slot. This means there will be plenty of time to develop characters and establish plot lines.

For those who no longer have access to standard cable television, many will inevitably wonder if "So Help Me Todd" will be available on streaming in any shape or form. Fortunately, it would appear the show will make its way to Paramount+, which should be a godsend (or Todd-send, if you will) for anyone who cut the cord.

Luckily for those interested in the upcoming "So Help Me Todd," there is a trailer over on YouTube. The trailer quickly establishes the plot of the show while also proudly displaying the tone viewers might come to expect from "So Help Me Todd." The trailer starts by showing off the titular character as he snaps pictures of a woman in a store. Unfortunately for the woman, he is taking pictures of her as he investigates her claim of disability. As he informs her of her transgressions of faking an injury, her kids ask if they can get a box of cereal. At that moment, Todd deletes the photos and tells the woman to get back to work. This scene shows that Todd is capable of bending the rules and has his own sense of morality.

The trailer then introduces Todd's mother, Margaret, who calls him on the phone to explain how hard she had to work to keep their family going after Todd's father died. From there, the awkwardness and free spirit of Todd are the focus of the trailer, as he tries to live up to the high standards his mother has placed on him and her drive for him to make something of his life. Considering the trailer, "So Help Me Todd" will be a multi-faceted comedy-drama driven by very different personalities.