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Among the more notable things about ABC‘s schedule for the start of the 2026-27 season is something that’s not there — the network’s most popular scripted series, High Potential.
ABC will instead open the show’s third season in early 2027 as part of a first quarter packed with big events. The network will be home to the College Football Playoff championship game (simulcasting with ESPN), the Super Bowl, the relocated Grammy Awards and the Oscars in the first three months of next year.
“This is about the most formidable block of live events that’s ever been assembled on broadcast television,” Ari Goldman, senior vp content strategy and scheduling at ABC, told The Hollywood Reporter; he also noted the big audience for New Year’s Rockin’ Eve at the end of the year. “We’ll have so much circulation. We have the opportunity to message and to re-market [ABC shows] to these viewers. Some of these will also present great lead-in opportunities. We know that the sports audience is vast and is not necessarily the most likely to convert to entertainment. But at the same time, what better way to cut through in the culture and make sure that we’re part of the conversation than with these live events.”
Moving High Potential to later in the season will also allow the show to have a largely uninterrupted run into next spring, Goldman noted.
“We’ve had to take a number of breaks the first couple seasons with High Potential,” he said. In season one, it had more to do with a short first season order. Season two, it had the Dancing With the Stars lead-in [in the fall], and then get into holiday programming and it just gets a little bit choppy after that. So we’re thrilled to be able to bring it back with much more attention.” Goldman said there may be some short interruptions to the show’s run next season, but “We’re doing our best to make this a consistent viewing experience.”
Two series that premiered this spring, R.J. Decker and Scrubs, will move into fall spots for the 2026-27 season. R.J. Decker, which had a solid first season in the ratings, will follow Dancing With the Stars on Tuesday nights, getting what will likely be the biggest lead-in available on ABC. Scrubs will again lead off Wednesdays after pairing well with Abbott Elementary in March and April. Celebrity Jeopardy! will also get a fall spot on Wednesdays, and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune will air on Fridays. The Thursday lineup of 911, 911: Nashville and Grey’s Anatomy is unchanged.
Along with High Potential, The Rookie, Will Trent and comedy Shifting Gears, starring Tim Allen, will also debut at midseason. So will ABC’s lone new series pickup, The Rookie: North, a spinoff of The Rookie that stars Jay Ellis. New seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise are also set for 2027 premieres.
ABC’s schedule for the fall is below (CBS, Fox and NBC have also released their lineups).
