ABC has announced its fall 2026 premiere dates.
ABC’s fall rollout begins in mid-September with Monday Night Football on September 14, followed by Dancing With the Stars Season 35 on September 15, coming off a strong ratings resurgence last fall. Private eye drama R.J. Decker also returns the same night at 10 p.m.
Scrubs Season 2 and Shark Tank Season 18 both get two-episode debuts on September 30. Abbott Elementary Season 6 joins the Wednesday night lineup on October 7 at 8:30 p.m., giving Quinta Brunson’s beloved sitcom its fall return. Then on October 15, ABC’s Thursday night powerhouse block arrives with 9-1-1 Season 10 at 8 p.m., 9-1-1: Nashville Season 2 at 9 p.m. and Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 at 10 p.m., one of the strongest programming nights on broadcast television.
Also fans of some of the network’s biggest shows should know upfront that several favorites are being held for midseason, meaning they will not return until early 2027. High Potential, The Rookie, The Rookie: North, The Bachelor, Shifting Gears, Will Trent and the untitled Grey’s Anatomy Texas spinoff are all being saved for later in the season. Midseason is a common broadcast strategy where networks hold certain series back to fill scheduling gaps created when fall shows go on hiatus, giving those titles a stronger launch window with less competition.
The network is also making one notable change to its announced fall slate: Celebrity Jeopardy! Season 5, which had been set for fall, is being pushed to a 2027 premiere, with a continuation of the current season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, taking its Wednesday night slot beginning October 7.
Here is the full ABC fall premiere schedule:
Saturday, August 29
- 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT: College Football — Alabama A&M vs. Howard
Monday, September 14
- 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT: Monday Night Football — Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
Tuesday, September 15
- 8 p.m.: Dancing With the Stars (Season 35 premiere)
- 10 p.m.: R.J. Decker (Season 2 premiere)
Wednesday, September 16
- 8 p.m.: Dancing With the Stars (special night)
Friday, September 25
- 9 p.m.: 20/20 (Season 49 premiere)
Sunday, September 27
- 7 p.m.: America’s Funniest Home Videos (Season 37 premiere)
- 9 p.m.: The Wonderful World of Disney
Wednesday, September 30
- 8 p.m.: Scrubs (Season 2 premiere)
- 9 p.m.: Shark Tank (Season 18 premiere)
Friday, October 2
- 8 p.m.: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (Season 7 premiere)
Wednesday, October 7
- 8:30 p.m.: Abbott Elementary (Season 6 premiere)
- 9 p.m.: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
- 10 p.m.: Shark Tank (regular time slot)
Thursday, October 15
- 8 p.m.: 9-1-1 (Season 10 premiere)
- 9 p.m.: 9-1-1: Nashville (Season 2 premiere)
- 10 p.m.: Grey’s Anatomy (Season 23 premiere)