Development
On February 2, 2016, it was announced that CBS had given the production a pilot order. The episode was written by Dr. Phil McGraw and by Paul Attanasio, who was expected to executive produce alongside Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Mark Goffman, Steven Spielberg, and Rodrigo Garcia. Production companies involved with the pilot include Amblin Television, Atelier Paul Attanasio, Stage 29 Productions and CBS Television Studios. On May 13, 2016, CBS officially ordered the pilot to series. A few days later, it was announced that the series, would premiere in the fall of 2016 and air on Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M. On November 4, 2016, CBS picked up the series for a full season of 22 episodes. [29] An additional episode was ordered in November. [30] On March 23, 2017, CBS renewed the series for a second season. which premiered on September 26, 2017. [31] [32] On April 18, 2018, CBS renewed the series for a third season which is set to premiere on September 24, 2018. [33] [34] On May 9, 2019, it was announced that CBS renewed the series for a fourth season. [35] On May 9, 2019, following the renewal, it was announced that executive producers Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, and Steven Spielberg, along with his production company Amblin Television, would be departing the series after the third season following the harassment controversy surrounding series star Michael Weatherly. [36] In May 2020, Bull was renewed for a fifth season, with the further announcement in October 2020 that the season would be trimmed to 16 episodes due to production schedules being shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. [37] On April 15, 2021, CBS renewed the series for a sixth season which premiered in October 2021. [3] [4] On January 18, 2022, it was reported that the sixth season will be the series' final season. [38]
Casting
Michael Weatherly, Geneva Carr, Freddy Rodriguez, Chris Jackson and Jaime Lee Kirchner were part of the pilot's main cast. Annabelle Attanasio, a main cast member for the first two seasons, did not return for Season 3 in order to direct an independent film. [20] MacKenzie Meehan was added to the Season 3 main cast, with her character filling a role very similar to the one previously played by Attanasio. [39]
Eliza Dushku appeared in the final three episodes of the first season in a recurring role that was intended to become a regular role in Season 2. However, following a complaint Dushku made about Weatherly making sexually suggestive comments, she was fired. In December 2018, The New York Times reported that CBS reached a confidential settlement with Dushku which would pay her $9.5 million, her anticipated salary over four seasons as a regular cast member. [40]
In May 2019, Amblin Television announced they will no longer produce the series, with Spielberg, Falvey, and Frank no longer serving as executive producers. [41]
After appearing as a recurring character in the first four seasons, Yara Martinez was upgraded to series regular for season 5. [42] On May 21, 2021, it was announced that Freddy Rodriguez would depart the series along with series producer and showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron. [43] Two of the show's writers, Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard, took over as co-showrunners for season 6. [44]
