ABC Upfront/General News and Discussion: 2025-26

[TJ]

ABC ANNOUNCES FALL 2025 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
NETWORK RANKS AS NO. 1 MULTIPLATFORM NETWORK THIS SEASON
WITH THE TOP 5 PROGRAMS IN ADULTS 18-49 ACROSS PLATFORMS

TUESDAY’S STAR POWER RETURNS WITH
‘DANCING WITH THE STARS’ AND ‘HIGH POTENTIAL’

COMEDIES ‘SHIFTING GEARS’ AND ‘ABBOTT ELEMENTARY’ KICK OFF
WEDNESDAYS, FOLLOWED BY THE RETURN OF
‘THE GOLDEN BACHELOR’ AND ‘SHARK TANK’ IN ITS NEW TIMESLOT

FAN-FAVORITE DRAMAS ‘9-1-1’ AND ‘GREY’S ANATOMY’
ARE JOINED BY THRILLING NEW SPINOFF, ‘9-1-1: NASHVILLE,’ ON THURSDAYS

RYAN SEACREST MAKES HIS HOSTING DEBUT ON ‘CELEBRITY WHEEL OF FORTUNE’
FRIDAY NIGHTS BEFORE ABC NEWS’ ‘20/20’

ABC announced its fall 2025 primetime schedule today following a highly successful season as the No. 1 multiplatform network. In the first full broadcast season where Nielsen reported on competitive multiplatform ratings, the network outperformed its competition dominating cross-platform rankings and earning all top 5 programs in the 2024/2025 broadcast season across Adults 18-49: “High Potential” (No. 1), “Abbott Elementary” (No. 2), “The Rookie” (No. 3), “9-1-1” (No. 4) and “Shifting Gears” (No. 5). The network also boasts nine of the top 20 programs in the demo across platforms adding “Will Trent” (No. 10), “Grey’s Anatomy” (No. 11), “Dancing with the Stars” (No. 14) and “The Bachelor” (No. 17).*

“ABC dominated this season in multiplatform ratings, which are the most relevant metrics that reflect how audiences are consuming television today,” said Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group. “We are meeting viewers where they are, and this achievement really highlights our strategic approach and commitment to creative excellence. Looking ahead, we’re all about maintaining stability, delivering quality, and driving innovation, with new shows and returning favorites from some of the industry’s top creators and biggest stars.”

ABC will air ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” on most Monday nights. A detailed schedule will be announced later this week.

After a record-breaking season where it ranked as the No. 1 entertainment series in Adults 18-49 in Live+Same Day ratings for the first time in its history, “Dancing with the Stars” returns to the ballroom on Tuesdays followed by the sophomore season of the No. 1 broadcast series of 2025, “High Potential.” The drama was ABC’s most-watched new series in seven years and was the most-streamed broadcast series of the season, more than doubling its nearest competition in both the key 18-49 demo and Total Viewers.

The No. 1 comedy of the season, Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning “Abbott Elementary,” will return Wednesdays, joined by season two of the No. 1 new comedy this season, “Shifting Gears.” After its inaugural run in 2023, which was ABC’s highest-rated unscripted series in five years, an all-new season of “The Golden Bachelor” follows, starring Mel Owens, a former NFL veteran-turned-lawyer. Season 17 of “Shark Tank” will round out the evening lineup on its new night and time with exciting guest Sharks featured throughout the season.

“9-1-1: Nashville,” the highly anticipated spinoff series from Ryan Murphy starring Chris O’Donnell, debuts Thursdays following the return of hit drama series “9-1-1.” The longest-running primetime medical drama in television history, “Grey’s Anatomy,” completes the evening.

Ryan Seacrest will make his “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” debut Friday nights, hosting the all-new season alongside the legendary Vanna White. Friday’s most-watched newsmagazine, ABC News’ “20/20,” will follow.

“America’s Funniest Home Videos” will lead Sunday nights joined by popular films under “The Wonderful World of Disney” umbrella, including the broadcast premieres of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Elemental,” “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3” and “Wakanda Forever.”

New seasons of previously announced returning series “American Idol,” “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” “The Rookie” and “Will Trent” will debut in 2026. Fall premiere dates will be announced at a later date, as well as additional midseason announcements and renewals.

All episodes will be available to stream next day on Hulu.

ABC 2025 FALL PRIMETIME SCHEDULE (all times listed are Eastern/Pacific).

DAY TIME SERIES

MONDAY
8:00 p.m. ESPN’s “Monday Night Football”

TUESDAY
8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
10:00 p.m. “High Potential”

WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m. “Shifting Gears”
8:30 p.m. “Abbott Elementary”
9:00 p.m. “The Golden Bachelor”
10:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”

THURSDAY
8:00 p.m, “9-1-1”
9:00 p.m. “9-1-1: Nashville”
10:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”

FRIDAY
8:00 p.m. “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune”
9:00 p.m. “20/20” (two hours)

SATURDAY
7:30 p.m. College Football

SUNDAY
7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “The Wonderful World of Disney”

9-1-1: NASHVILLE
The newest entry into the franchise, “911: Nashville,” is a high-octane procedural about heroic first responders, as well as their family saga of power and glamour set in one of America’s most diverse and dynamic cities. The all-new series stars Chris O’Donnell as Captain Don Sharpe, Jessica Capshaw, LeAnn Rimes and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. “9-1-1: Nashville” is produced by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television. Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear and Rashad Raisani will serve as executive producers and writers, with Chris O’Donnell, Brad Buecker, Brad Falchuk and Angela Bassett also executive producing.

Follow “9-1-1: Nashville” (#911Nashville) on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and TikTok.

*Nielsen L7 STD (9/23/24-4/20/25), Includes pre-premieres, SCR data based on the first 7 days of viewing based on the original linear air date. Excludes, sports, specials, repeats and news programs. Historical comparisons based on Nielsen L7 + Internal metrics. National Live+Same Day Program Ratings for 11/26/24, or as dated. Season to date (9/23/24 – 11/26/24).

Blog story: https://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2025/...-schedule.html

2025–26 United States network television schedule - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E...ision_schedule

[icecream]

I hope season 3 of Only Murders in the Building airs on Thursdays again in January. Advertise it as Meryl Streep is now on ABC. Sundays used to be the home of great dramas like Once Upon a Time and Resurrection, sad to see ABC give up on that night for several years now. Wednesdays starting the first week of January (to take advantage of Survivor being off) they should start building back the comedy department to a 2 hour block. Have Shifting Gears/new sitcom/Abbott Elementary/new sitcom. I won't be watching 9-1-1: Nashville after how Tim Minear destroyed the parent show with Bobby's death.

[icecream]

Good news for High Potential fans: season 2 will have an increased order, up to 18 episodes from the 13 it had in season 1.

[Marcus2026]

ABC just released their fall dates for the 2025-26 TV season, with some September dates like the return of Monday Night Football on the 8th, the 34th season of DWTS and the 2nd season of High Potential on the 16th, the 2-hour S2 premiere of The Golden Bachelor and the 17th season of Shark Tank on the 24th, S6 of Celebrity Wheel with Ryan Seacrest and a new season of 20/20 on the 26th, and a new season of AFV and The Wonderful World of Disney on the 28th, while S2 of Shifting Gears, S5 of Abbott Elementary, The Golden Bachelor at its regular time, S9 of 9-1-1, the premiere of 9-1-1: Nashville and S22 of Grey's Anatomy will debut on October 1st and 16th, respectively: https://deadline.com/2025/07/abc-fal...25-1236461033/

[icecream]

ABC is moving up the premieres of their Thursday shows a week to October 9, so they will have a one week start on the CBS Thursday lineup which returns October 16.

[icecream]

I had decided to give 9-1-1: Nashville a shot after all. That didn't last long, I turned it off 10 minutes in. If the premiere is that explicit, funny they weren't advertising the strong rating.. Nashville lasted shorter with me than 9-1-1: Lone Star, which I watched all of the pilot and dropped during episode 2.

[icecream]

Strange scheduling: the night a Shark Tank panelist guest stars on Shifting Gears, Shark Tank is preempted.

[icecream]

I was going to watch the 2 hour season finale of The Sunshine Murders live this coming Thursday. But now I might have to catch the 11PM-1AM encore and see the 9-1-1 trilogy's conclusion live. Glad they made the original premiere date a week earlier, I won't see anything live on the 30th.

[icecream]

I wish It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was no longer a current show so Kaitlin Olson could make a lot more episodes of High Potential. The fall finale is already next week, it won't even be November yet!

[icecream]

ABC midseason schedule includes High Potential moving an hour earlier to 9:00 like last year between Will Trent and The Rookie, which will pit two shows I really like against each other as NCIS: Origins is there now. American Idol will no longer air on Sundays, Monday will be its only night now. Getting near the end of its ABC run? Disappointed season 3 of Only Murders, the first with Meryl Streep, won't air on Thursdays in January like it did last year. A shame they put that much profanity in an otherwise great show to start with, someone said even more will need edited out this time. With nothing Wednesdays at 9:00, Only Murders can triple up on that night later and move Shark Tank to Sundays or Mondays, whichever one RJ Decker doesn't air on. Fridays at 8:00 Celebrity Jeopardy!, still watchable with a good host, will replace Celebrity Wheel of Fortune that has now been ruined by Ryan. And the Scrubs revival will replace Shifting Gears when its season ends.

https://www.tvline.com/2010029/abc-m...remiere-dates/

[icecream]

It is too bad High Potential won't lead off the night instead and have good for nothing Will Trent move later.

[TMC]

ABC sets holiday schedule, including Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas and Dancing with the Holidays

The network’s holiday slate includes Costner sharing the journey of the birth of Jesus, a holiday edition of Dancing with the Stars, the animated Christmas special Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol, The Great Christmas Light Fight and Christmas episodes of Abbott Elementary and Shifting Gears.

[icecream]

Wow! A major broadcast network airing a special about the birth of Jesus Christ is a very pleasant surprise. from the Variety article

TUESDAY, DEC. 9

8:00-10:00 p.m. — “Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas”

Kevin Costner hosts the special exploring the extraordinary journey of Mary and Joseph as they navigate the hardships, trials and triumphs surrounding Jesus Christ’s birth, offering an inspiring way to experience the true meaning of Christmas.

[James28]

How displeased are you that Shifting Gears can't get a full-season order of 20-plus episodes this season?

After producing 10 episodes as a midseason entry in 2024-25, Shifting Gears is only working 13 episodes in its current second season (which may wrap on February 4 if ABC doesn't want to waste any of its originals against the Milan/Cortina Winter Olympics). That is not going to help in a show's road to a good-sized syndication package. It's clear that this episode-order restriction is fuelled by the 9-episode revival season of Scrubs and the sheer abundance of non-scripted programming on ABC's primetime schedule in 2025-26.

[icecream]

I never cared much for the original Scrubs. Revival will probably be even worse, ads for it are very obnoxious.