Scott Caan plays Nick Schaeffer and LL COOL J returns to the “NCIS”-verse as Sam Hanna in “NCIS: New York.”
(Courtesy Emily Aragones/CBS)
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers viewing tips for the fall TV season.
At first glance, the fall 2026 broadcast schedule looks typical with its mix of new and returning series.
But look a little deeper, and you’ll notice there are no new scripted titles debuting this fall on ABC or Fox. That would have been unthinkable a decade ago, but it continues a trend we’ve been seeing for a few years.
Welcome to the new normal, where media companies seek to curb costs for their declining linear assets by reducing the number of scripted TV shows on broadcast channels, so money saved can be funneled into creating series for their streaming services.
Here’s what to expect (new series in bold):
7 p.m.: “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (ABC, Sept. 27).
“Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (The CW, Sept. 27).
“Football Night in America” (NBC, Sept. 13).
7:30 p.m.: “60 Minutes” (CBS, Sept. 13).
8 p.m.: “The Wonderful World of Disney” (ABC, Sept. 27).
“The CW Sunday Night Movie” (The CW, Sept. 27).
“The Simpsons” (Fox, Sept. 27).
“NBC Sunday Night Football” (NBC, Sept. 13).
8:30 p.m.: “Marshals” (CBS, Oct. 4).
“Animal Control” (Fox, Sept. 27).
9 p.m.: “Universal Basic Guys” (Fox, Sept. 27).
9:30 p.m.: “Tracker” (CBS, Oct. 4).
“Grimsburg” (Fox, Sept. 27).
8 p.m.: “Monday Night Football” (NBC, Sept. 14).
“FBI” (CBS, Oct. 5).
“Private Eyes West Coast” (The CW, Oct. 5): The 2016-21 Canadian comedic drama “Private Eyes” gets a sequel series that finds now-married private detectives Matt Shade (Jason Priestley, “Beverly Hills, 90210”) and Angie Everett (Cindy Sampson) juggling parenting a newborn with investigating criminal cases, this time in Victoria, British Columbia. Pedestrian plots and writing mar an otherwise serviceable procedural with likable leads.
“Celebrity Name that Tune” (Fox, Sept. 21).
“The Voice” (NBC, Sept. 21).
(NBC’s “St. Denis Medical” and “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” move into the 8 p.m. time period on Nov. 2).
9 p.m.: “CIA” (CBS, Oct. 5).
“Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent” (The CW, Oct. 5).
“Celebrity Weakest Link” (Fox, Sept. 21).
10 p.m.: “Harlan Coben’s Final Twist” (CBS, Oct. 5).
“Line of Fire” (NBC, Sept. 21): Imagine “Blue Bloods” but set in Washington, D.C., focused on a family of federal law enforcement officers (FBI, DOJ, U.S. Marshals, etc.), and with more bickering. The siblings complain to one another about their parents, U.S. Marshal mom (Hope Davis) and soon-to-retire Secret Service agent dad (Peter Krause), who are separated. A family dinner goes sideways as do the criminal investigations the family members work together on. Arguing ensues in both settings. By the end of the pilot episode, the whole family is part of a larger case. The arguments are over-the-top and the characters speak bad dialogue — not the things real people would say.
8 p.m.: “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, Sept. 15).
“NCIS” (CBS, Oct. 6).
“WWE NXT” (The CW, ongoing).
“Best Medicine” (Fox, Sept. 22).
“The Voice” (NBC, Oct. 6).
(NBA games take over NBC’s Tuesday primetime on Oct. 27).
9 p.m.:“NCIS: New York” (CBS, Oct. 6): Special Agent Sam Hanna (LL Cool J, “NCIS: Los Angeles”) returns to his hometown to investigate a friend’s death and gets pulled back into the orbit of NCIS, this time its New York office. Scott Caan (“Hawaii Five-O”) and Jennifer Beals (“Flashdance”) also star. Not available for review.
“Doc” (Fox, Sept. 22).
10 p.m.: “R.J. Decker” (ABC, Sept. 15).
“NCIS: Origins” (CBS, Oct. 6).
8 p.m.: “Scrubs” (ABC, Oct. 7).
“Survivor” (CBS, Sept. 30).
“Police 24/7” (The CW, ongoing).
“The Floor” (Fox, Sept. 23).
“Chicago Med” (NBC, Oct. 7).
8:30 p.m.: “Abbott Elementary” (ABC, Oct. 7).
9 p.m.: “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (ABC, Oct. 7).
“The Great American Road Rally: Celebrity Edition” (The CW, Sept. 16): Ian Ziering (“Sharknado”) hosts this competition series timed to the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Celebrity competitors have not been named and the show was not made available for review.
“99 to Beat” (Fox, Sept. 23).
“Chicago Fire” (NBC, Oct. 7).
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9:30 p.m.: “The Amazing Race” (CBS, Sept. 30).
10 p.m.: “Shark Tank” (ABC, Oct. 7).
“Chicago P.D.” (NBC, Oct. 7).
8 p.m.: “9-1-1” (ABC, Oct. 15).
“Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” (CBS, Oct. 8).
“Hell’s Kitchen” (Fox, Sept. 24).
“The Traitors: New Blood” (NBC, Oct. 1): Ligonier native Wyatt Gillespie competes in the first civilian edition of this murder-mystery competition hosted by Alan Cumming.
8:30 p.m.: “Eternally Yours” (CBS, Oct. 8): “Ghosts” writers Joe Wiseman and Altoona native Joe Port move their focus to other supernatural entities in this family comedy about a vampire couple (Ed Weeks, Allegra Edwards) and their oddball coven. Cute premise with promise, but the first episode isn’t as instantly charming as the “Ghosts” pilot was.
9 p.m.: “9-1-1: Nashville” (ABC, Oct. 15):
“Elsbeth” (CBS, Oct. 8).
“Scrabble” (The CW, Oct. 1).
“Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” (Fox, Sept. 24).
“Law & Order: SVU” (NBC, Oct. 8).
10 p.m.: “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC, Sept. 15).
“Cupertino” (CBS, Oct. 8): Michelle and Robert King, the married writers/producers behind “The Good Fight” and “Evil,” return from streaming with a new broadcast legal drama that has all the hallmarks of their streaming shows, minus the profanity. Although wildly inaccurate when it comes to legal proceedings, per the Legal Eagle of my household, the legal drama works well as a veteran lawyer (Mike Colter, “Evil”) pairs with a recent law school grad (Carnegie Mellon University grad Rachel Keller, “Legion”) to take on the tech elite. Funny, clever and with just enough commentary on Silicon Valley silliness, “Cupertino” bears watching.
“Law & Order” (NBC, Oct. 8).
8 p.m.: “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (ABC, Oct. 2).
“Sheriff Country” (CBS, Oct. 9).
“Fox College Football Friday” (Fox, ongoing).
“Happy’s Place” (NBC, Oct. 23).
8:30 p.m.: “Newlyweds” (NBC, Oct. 23): Jamie Lee Curtis co-created (and guest stars in) this comedy about a free-spirited woman (Téa Leoni, “The Naked Truth”) and her courtship with a buttoned-up professor (Tim Daly, “Wings”). Not available for review.
9 p.m.: “20/20” (ABC, Sept. 25).
“Fire Country” (CBS, Oct. 9).
“Dateline NBC” (NBC, Sept. 25).
10 p.m.: “Boston Blue” (CBS, Oct. 9).
Sports, especially college football, air on ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC through November.
NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” returns for its 52nd season at 11:30 p.m. Sept. 26 with host Jalen Brunson and musical guest Katseye. Dakota Johnson hosts Oct. 3 with Turnstile. Shane Gillis hosts Oct. 10 with Rosalia. Inde Navarrette hosts Oct. 31 with Gracie Abrams.
Shows that will return at some point in the 2026-27 TV season include ABC’s “The Bachelor,” “Bachelor in Paradise,” “High Potential,” “Shifting Gears,” “The Rookie” and “Will Trent;” CBS’s “Ghosts” (Halloween special airs 9 p.m. Oct. 29; Christmas special airs 9 p.m. Dec. 10), “Matlock” and “NCIS: Sydney;” Fox’s “Crime Scene Kitchen,” “Don’t Forget The Lyrics,” “Extracted,” “Fear Factor: House of Fear,” “Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service,” “LEGO Masters,” “The Masked Singer,” “Next Level Baker,” “Next Level Chef,” “Memory of a Killer,” “Murder in a Small Town,” “American Dad!,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Family Guy” and “Krapopolis;” and NBC’s “Destination X.”
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