The countdown is officially on for the 2025–26 fall TV season, and we have a long summer still ahead of us. June has only just begun, which means we’ve got at least two more months before shows begin to return for their new seasons in late September. Well, at least for the shows that will actually be coming back in the fall.
While most of the returning hits on ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC will be coming back in September and October, there are several amazing shows that won’t come back until 2026. These include a mix of scripted hits and reality TV favorites, whose returns will come during midseason, which means fans will likely be waiting until at least January for new episodes to finally arrive.
So what shows won’t be coming back until 2026?
ABC has 4 hit shows on hold for midseason
ABC has a total of four hit shows being held for its midseason lineup, with American Idol, Celebrity Jeopardy, The Rookie, and Will Trent all set to return in 2026. Unlike in past years, there really weren’t any surprises with ABC’s midseason slate, just the disappointment that we’ll have to wait until 2026 for new seasons of Will Trent and The Rookie.
The good news is that while we’ll have to wait until 2026 for the new seasons to arrive, when The Rookie and Will Trent return in early 2026, fans won’t have to worry about many breaks in the season. Part of the reason ABC has elected to save the shows for midseason is that it allows them to air the seasons without much interruption in the schedule. This approach worked incredibly well for both shows in the 2024-25 season, and ABC has decided that if it’s not broken, why try to fix it by changing things up?
3 CBS shows won’t be back until 2026
CBS has opted not to hold back too many shows, with the only series being held for midseason being Hollywood Squares, The Price is Right at Night, and Watson. It’s not surprising that Hollywood Squares and The Price is Right at Night are both being held for midseason, given they are series CBS can easily slot in.
Watson is perhaps the most surprising show to be held for midseason. While the show kicked off as part of the 2024-25 midseason slate, we thought the show might land a place on CBS’s fall lineup. Instead, CBS chose to hold the show for midseason, which means we’re likely looking at a late January premiere date for the show.
Fox has a whopping 11 shows not coming back until 2026
Among the networks with the most shows on hold for 2026 is Fox, which has 11 total shows being saved for the midseason lineup.
The biggest show being held for midseason is The Masked Singer, which is skipping its fall cycle for the first time in the show’s run. It’s among six reality series on hold for midseason, as Beat Shazam, Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Extracted, Kitchen Nightmares, and Next Level Chef will also be coming back in 2026.
Fox has also decided to hold animated comedies, American Dad!, Family Guy, and Grimsburg for midseason, as well as live-action comedies Animal Control and Going Dutch.
10 new shows will premiere as part of the 2026 midseason slate
In addition to all of the returning shows coming back at midseason, there are also a handful of new shows that will be making their debuts in early 2026.
CBS will be debuting the new cooking competition America’s Culinary Cup, the new Harlan Coben series Final Twist, as well as the first Yellowstone spinoff coming to broadcast, Y: Marshals. Meanwhile, NBC will have the new comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins and the event series Surviving Earth.
Finally, we have Fox, which will debut five new shows at midseason. Coming in 2026 are new dramas Best Medicine and Memory of a Killer; the new iteration of Fear Factor, Fear Factor: The Next Chapter; new baking show Next Level Baker; and new biblical event series The Faithful.