The past year has been a great one for television, particularly broadcast television. Between new shows connection with audiences and established fan-favorites hitting their stride, it's been an incredible time to be a TV fan. Thankfully, a new year full of new content is on the way, and ABC already promises to have plenty of shows that will make 2026 special right from the start.
Obviously, we can always count on the likes of dramas Grey's Anatomy and 9-1-1 to keep us entertained and on the edge of our seats and comedies Abbott Elementary and Shifting Gears to lift our spirits with side-splitting laughs. But there are a handful of ABC shows finally returning with new seasons, coming back from a long hiatus, or tapping into our nostalgia to kick off 2026.
Wondering which ABC shows have to be at the top of your watch list once the ball drops? Here are the five must-watch shows making their premieres or returns in 2026 and ensuring that our new year begins on a high note. From Scrubs to Will Trent, these are the exciting titles!
High Potential
Even though High Potential isn't a new show or making its season premiere at the top of 2026, its return for the remaining episodes of season 2 are guaranteed to make our start to the new year amazing. The breakout hit police procedural kept its stride going with an even better followup season and continued its place as one of the most-watched and well-loved broadcast series.
While some shows buckle under the pressure of the sophomore slump, High Potential avoided it at all costs by sticking to its winning formula of mystery, heart, and unbeatable humor and folding new elements to built on its success. When season 2 resumes on ABC at a new time on Jan. 6 at 9/8c, Morgan and the team continue their hunt for an art thief. It's simply an unstoppable delight!
Scrubs
As well all know, when it comes to television, what's old can be new again. The reboot and revival era has significantly slowed down compared to years past, when it seemed like any and every show from 15-30 years in the past was somehow making a comeback. But ABC's getting back into the nostalgia game after The Conners' conclusion with the highly anticipated return of Scrubs.
The new era of Scrubs, which is essentially the medical comedy's 10th season overall, reunites most of our favorite Sacred Heart doctors as they come back together to help shape a new crop of doctors. There's no doubt all of the same character quirks and plentiful shenanigans will be back on display for the show's homecoming on Feb. 25 at 8/7c on ABC to make 2026 hilarious.
The Rookie
The 9-1-1 universe has been holding down the fort on ABC on the procedural drama front, but some of the network's best, fan-favorite titles are set to return in the new year. Prepare your watch lists and clear your Tuesday nights! The Rookie season 8 premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 10/9c, and it's sure to be one of the best seasons yet to kick off a new era for the franchise... Yes, franchise.
Even though The Rookie received the short-lived spinoff The Rookie: Feds, the one-and-done series seemed to put an end to the networks' attempts to turn the series into a franchise. Well, not so fast! This fall, a new series titled The Rookie: North and starring Jay Ellis received a pilot order. We're still awaiting word on its fate, but fingers crossed the spinoff helps make 2026 great, too!
Will Trent
Along with The Rookie season 8 premiere, ABC also welcomes back another beloved crime procedural with Will Trent season 4 returning on the same night. The new year brings an epic three-hour Tuesday night block on ABC that boasts some of the best shows on the small screen. If that doesn't make 2026 great, then what will?
Even though Will Trent always premieres at midseason, it feels like it's been an especially long wait for season 4, and that's probably because the season 3 finale delivered the show's wildest twists that fans can't wait to see explored in the new season. Once again, make sure you're all caught up with the previous episodes on Hulu before season 4 arrives on Jan. 6!
RJ Decker
The rest of the shows on this list are all shows returning with new seasons (sure, Scrubs is technically a "new" show) or continuing current seasons, but there's one brand-new ABC show that we can't wait to finally see on our screens sometime in 2026. After appearing in Grey's Anatomy, Scott Speedman will be the star of RJ Decker, his own show on the alphabet network.
ABC officially ordered RJ Decker in September 2025 and confirmed that it would premiere midseason in 2026. Based on the book Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen, Speedman stars as the titular private detective in South Florida. The network hasn't revealed when the series premieres, but we can likely expect a spring debut after High Potential season 2 ends.