{"id":638936,"date":"2026-05-12T17:27:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T17:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/638936\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T17:27:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T17:27:12","slug":"no-bachelor-show-high-potential-midseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/638936\/","title":{"rendered":"No ‘Bachelor’ Show, ‘High Potential’ Midseason"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tKeeping with the stability theme in the other broadcast schedules released so far, ABC<\/a> too went for minimum changes, keeping multiple nights intact. But the one major move the network has made is pretty bold \u2014 it has left its No. 1 series, High Potential<\/a>, off the fall schedule, keeping the hit crime drama starring Kaitlin Olson on the bench for midseason.<\/p>\n

\n\tAlso like the other major broadcast networks, ABC is growing its scripted slate for 2026-27. What\u2019s more, \u201cWe not only are growing our scripted slate but for the first time in, literally, the history of ABC, have renewed every one of our scripted series<\/a>, and they\u2019re renewed because they\u2019re all performing well,\u201d said Ari Goldman, SVP, Content Strategy and Scheduling.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd for the first time since before the pandemic, there will be no Bachelor-branded series on ABC\u2019s fall schedule amid the turmoil surrounding the most recent installment of The Bachelorette.<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: 2026-27 New Broadcast Series Photos: \u2018Rockford Files\u2019, \u2018Baywatch\u2019, \u2018Rookie: North\u2019, \u2018Cupertino\u2019 & More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tHere is ABC\u2019s fall 2026 schedule, followed by analysis and a description of the network\u2019s sole new series for next season, The Rookie<\/a>: North, which, as expected, will debut in midseason<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\n\tABC\u2019S 2026 FALL PRIMETIME SCHEDULE (all times listed are Eastern\/Pacific).<\/p>\n

\n\tMONDAY
8 PM \u2013 ESPN\u2019s Monday Night Football<\/p>\n

\n\tTUESDAY
8 PM \u2013 Dancing with the Stars
10 PM \u2013 R.J. Decker<\/p>\n

\n\tWEDNESDAY
8 PM \u2013 Scrubs
8:30 PM \u2013 Abbott Elementary
9 PM \u2013 Celebrity Jeopardy!
10 PM \u2013 Shark Tank<\/p>\n

\n\tTHURSDAY
8 PM \u2013 9-1-1
9 PM \u2013 9-1-1: Nashville
10 PM \u2013 Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/p>\n

\n\tFRIDAY
8 PM \u2013 Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
9 PM \u2013 20\/20 (two hours)<\/p>\n

\n\tSATURDAY
7:30 PM \u2013 College Football<\/p>\n

\n\tSUNDAY
7 PM \u2013 America\u2019s Funniest Home Videos
8 PM \u2013 The Wonderful World of Disney<\/p>\n

\n\tFor the first time since 2019-20, ABC will not have a Bachelor franchise series on the fall schedule after airing installments of The Bachelorette, Golden Bachelor and Golden Bachelorette to kick off the season for the past six years.<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: 2026 TV Cancellations Photo Gallery: Series Ending This Year & Beyond<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe\u2019ve had to take a look at just managing the franchise properly. These shows have enormous fan bases, and we were so thrilled the year that we were able to launch Golden Bachelor and have it stand out in that fall season the way that it did,\u201d Goldman said of the fall 2023 breakout. \u201cBut I think that the usual cadence that we like to find ourselves in is really the flagship series in midseason and then having some summer edition, which we have already locked in on Bachelor of Paradise for next season. So this is more of a return to a steady state on the franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAs Goldman alluded, ABC has The Bachelor<\/a> on tap for midseason and Bachelor in Paradise for summer 2027. As for the unaired season of The Bachelorette starring Taylor Frankie Paul, \u201cthere are no plans that I\u2019m currently ready to share\u201d about putting it on the air, Goldman said.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn its second year, High Potential is ABC\u2019s top series in total viewers adults 18-49. It is also the No.1 broadcast entertainment series of the season in 18-49 (Live+7) and No.3 in total multiplatform viewers (through 35 days). So why is ABC starting the season without its top entertainment performer? <\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: 2026 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Streaming & Cable<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen the last several years, and we\u2019ve really proven this out with Will Trent<\/a> and The Rookie back in midseason of 24 and 25, is we want to give viewers a chance to watch these shows with as little interruption as possible across the season,\u201d Goldman said. \u201cSo I think when we get to the midseason plans, and you think about the opportunities that we have on the ABC schedule, going from New Year\u2019s Rockin\u2019 Eve to the College Football Playoff, the Grammys, the Oscars and obviously the Super Bowl. I think we have such amazing momentum at the start of 27 to bring the show back in a big way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tGoldman pointed to the success Will Trent and The Rookie have had as midseason replacements in the last couple of seasons (The Rookie just logged its most streamed premiere with the Season 8 opener) and to the fact that High Potential posted the biggest Season 1 to Season 2 increase for a network drama since Glee back in 2010. \u201cSo, clearly, the show is resilient,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn January 2025, Will Trent, High Potential and The Rookie launched a new Tuesday lineup of light, character-based crime procedurals, for which \u201cwe\u2019ve kind of lovingly coined the phrase Tuesday Cluesday,\u201d Goldman said. <\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: NBC Fall 2026 Schedule Targets \u201cCore Broadcast Audience,\u201d Keeps Anchors In Place As \u2018The Traitors\u2019 & 2 New Scripted Series Join, \u2018Law & Order\u2019 Shifts<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tThe trio reunited this past January before The Rookie was sent to Mondays to make room for a new Tuesday Cluesday lineup member at 10 PM, new series R.J. Decker.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Scott<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tScott Speedman in \u2018R.J. Decker\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tABC<\/p>\n

\n\tABC is not revealing its midseason scheduling plans but High Potential and Will Trent appear likely to return to Tuesday. R.J. Decker is staying in its current Tuesday 10 PM slot into the fall where it will air behind Dancing With the Stars. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI think what we now have an opportunity to do with the biggest lead-in by a mile on television, in Dancing with the Stars, is really infuse a lot of energy into this show and get a jump on the season and bring it back as quickly as we can,\u201d Goldman said. <\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: \u2018R.J. Decker\u2019 & \u2018The Rookie: North\u2019: Behind ABC\u2019s Decision To Pick Up Both, Expanding Scripted Slate For Second Year And Its Impact On Order Sizes<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tLike most midseason entries, R.J. Decker is believed to have been renewed with a partial order. In success, it could be expanded, I hear, so the series starring Scott Speedman could presumably reunite with Will Trent and High Potential on Tuesday in January.<\/p>\n

\n\tMeanwhile, The Rookie is likely to be paired with The Rookie: North<\/a>, which also premieres in midseason, with the mothership, starring Nathan Fillion, serving as a lead-in for the spinoff, headlined by Jay Ellis. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe haven\u2019t announced our midseason plans, but I think it\u2019s pretty safe to say that there are benefits to pairing shows from these universes together; we\u2019ve seen the strength, said Goldman, who spent years at NBC watching the Dick Wolf franchise stacks in action. \u201cIt is simply a rule of audience flow that shows and their spinoffs will have higher compatibility than other pairings. I think back to when I started here at ABC the year that we launched Rookie: Feds, and really the benefit of bringing those shows together in midseason was very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: \u2018The Rookie: North\u2019 Picked Up To Series By ABC; Spinoff Eyes Midseason Run Alongside Mothership, Setting Up Crossovers<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tThe Rookie and spinoff The Rookie: Feds aired at 8 PM and 9 PM on Tuesday in midseason 2023, followed by Will Trent. <\/p>\n

\n\tIn addition to R.J. Decker, ABC also is bringing its other midseason 2026 breakout new series, the Scrubs reboot, back in the fall to avoid a large gap. The medical comedy is staying paired with Abbott Elementary the way they were in the spring, with Abbott\u2018s fall 2025 companion, Shifting Gears<\/a>, back on the midseason bench for its third season. (The Tim Allen sitcom started in midseason before moving to fall in Season 2.)<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe love the momentum on Scrubs, it was the No.1 new comedy on a multiplatform basis, it was the No.1 comedy in 18-49 on linear this season, so we want to really keep that show present and top of mind as we head into the fall,\u201d Goldman said. \u201cAt the same time, Shifting Gears has been a really stellar and consistent performer for us across its two seasons. In fact, it ended Season 2 stronger than where it ended Season 1, which is not always the case in this challenging environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: Fox Fall 2026 Schedule: \u2018Animal Control\u2019 Joins Sunday Animated Block; \u2018Baywatch\u2019, \u2018Bob\u2019s Burgers\u2019, \u2018Murder\u2019 & \u2018Memory Of A Killer\u2019 Held For Midseason<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tWith Scrubs given a 10-episode Season 2 order, Shifting Gears is expected to succeed it alongside Abbott Elementary in midseason where its return \u201cwill be very prominently featured alongside\u201d the high-profile sports and entertainment specials at the start of the year to promote it. <\/p>\n

\n\tThursday, Sunday and Monday are staying status quo with 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville and Grey\u2019s Anatomy on Thursday, simulcast of ESPN\u2019s Monday Night Football on most Monday nights and The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday, kicking off with the world television premiere of\u00a0Inside Out 2.<\/p>\n

\n\tNEW DRAMA SERIES<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t Jay Ellis in \u2018The Rookie: North\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDisney\/Darko Sikman<\/p>\n

\n\tTHE ROOKIE: NORTH<\/p>\n

\n\tExpanding the universe, The Rookie: North introduces Alex Holland who believed his midlife wasn\u2019t worthy of a crisis. But after a violent home invasion ignites a dormant purpose, Alex battles a lifetime of failed commitments by joining the Pierce County Police Department as a rookie. Policing from the urban coast to the rural forest where backup isn\u2019t just five minutes away, Alex must prove to his skeptical training officer, his fellow rookies and himself, that he\u2019s finally found something worthy of the fight. The all-new series stars Jay Ellis, Janet Montgomery, Karen Fukuhara, Chris Sullivan, Froy Gutierrez, Mya Lowe and Malik Watson.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Rookie: North is a spinoff of The Rookie, the long running hit series that was created by Alexi Hawley and recently renewed for a ninth season at ABC. Both series are produced by Lionsgate Television in partnership with 20th Television. Alexi Hawley will serve as executive producer and writer, with Nathan Fillion, Mark Gordon, Bill Norcross and Michelle Chapman also executive producing. Ellis is a producer.<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: Emmy Winners For Best Drama Since 1960: A Photo Gallery<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: Emmy Winners For Best Comedy Since 1952<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: Here Are The Actors Who Have Won The Most Emmys: Photo Gallery<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Keeping with the stability theme in the other broadcast schedules released so far, ABC too went for minimum…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":638937,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[1855,88,275900,5920,64241,29227,211598,196748,92,35622,190687],"class_list":["post-638936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-abc","tag-entertainment","tag-fall-schedules","tag-high-potential","tag-shifting-gears","tag-the-bachelor","tag-the-rookie","tag-the-rookie-north","tag-tv","tag-upfronts","tag-will-trent"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=638936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/638937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=638936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=638936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=638936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}