ABC unveiled its fall 2026 premiere schedule Monday, becoming the fourth of the major broadcast networks to reveal its lineup after NBC, Fox and CBS. The season kicks off Monday, September 14, with “Monday Night Football,” a Denver Broncos-Kansas City Chiefs matchup that opens ABC and ESPN’s largest NFL package to date, featuring 29 combined regular-season and postseason games ahead of Super Bowl LXI on Valentine’s Day.
“Dancing With the Stars” returns for its 35th season with a two-night premiere event September 15 and 16, following a Season 34 that drew roughly half a billion fan votes and earned the competition series its first Emmy nomination for outstanding reality competition program in a decade. The drama “R.J. Decker” moves into the Tuesday 10 p.m. slot after the “DWTS” premiere, taking over the position previously held by “High Potential,” which shifts to midseason.
“Scrubs” launches its second revival season September 30 with a two-episode premiere, paired with a special two-episode return of “Shark Tank.” The regular Wednesday lineup begins the following week, October 7, with “Abbott Elementary” opening its sixth season at 8:30 p.m., sandwiched between new episodes of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Shark Tank.” Thursday nights get their biggest night of the fall on October 15, when the “9-1-1” franchise reunites: the flagship series opens its 10th season at 8 p.m., followed by “9-1-1: Nashville” at 9 p.m. and “Grey’s Anatomy,” entering its 23rd season, closing the night at 10 p.m.
ABC is holding several established titles for midseason, including “The Bachelor,” “Bachelor in Paradise,” “Will Trent,” “Shifting Gears” and “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” which had originally been slated for a Wednesday fall slot but was pushed to 2027.
Also delayed until midseason are two new series: “The Rookie: North” and an untitled “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff set in Texas, both without confirmed premiere dates. The rollout follows a strong 2025-2026 season for the network, which delivered 10 of the top 20 programs among adults 18-49 among broadcast networks and led all broadcasters in Emmy nominations for a second consecutive year.
