Television schedules are shifting this fall as broadcast, cable, and streaming outlets roll out dozens of new and returning series for the autumn 2026 season. From major franchise spin-offs to splashy literary adaptations, networks are packing their slates with high-profile talent and familiar characters.
Franchise Heavyweights and Network Staples Return to Broadcast
Broadcast networks are leaning heavily into established titles as the fall 2026 season gets underway. ABC’s flagship procedural 9-1-1 kicks off its milestone 10th season with a massive disaster storyline involving the 118 responding to a sinkhole and a volcano on ABC. Showrunner Tim Minear noted the eerie timing of the plot, pointing out that the fictional event was mapped out before an actual sinkhole opened on Sunset Boulevard over the summer.
Meanwhile, the spin-off 9-1-1: Nashville returns to ABC for Season 2, picking up three weeks after a violent brawl between Blythe and Dixie. Showrunner Rashad Raisani confirmed that while neither character died, both will face serious consequences.
Other network staples are also staking out their autumn returns. Abbott Elementary launches its sixth season on ABC on October 7, welcoming a wave of new students after the local school district shuttered several facilities. Fox brings back its medical double feature of Best Medicine and Doc on September 22, while CBS slots Marshals and Tracker for October 4.
High-Profile Literary Adaptations and True-Crime Dramas on Streaming and Cable
Streaming platforms and cable networks are rolling out ambitious literary adaptations and biographical thrillers featuring major movie stars.
On the biographical front, MGM+ debuts American Hostage on September 20. The 1970s-set thriller stars Jon Hamm as Indianapolis radio reporter Fred Heckman, who is thrust into a crisis when hostage-taker Tony Kiritsis, played by Giovanni Ribisi, demands to be interviewed on his program. Meanwhile, MGM+ and BBC One adapt Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities with Kit Harington starring as Sydney Carton alongside François Civil and Mirren Mack.
Literary classics continue to draw top-tier talent to the small screen. Florence Pugh leads a new Netflix miniseries adaptation of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, set around the end of World War I and created by Zoe Kazan. Prime Video counters with horror master Mike Flanagan’s television adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, starring Summer H. Howell as the telekinetic teen and Matthew Lillard as the principal.
Comedies, Reality spinoffs, and Unscripted Chaos
Comedies and unscripted series are injecting plenty of friction into the autumn landscape. Over on Netflix, the adult animated series Dang! comes from comedy veterans Andrew Law, Matt Murray, and Mike Schur, following three chaotic siblings voiced by Poppy Liu, Law, and Stephanie Hsu.
Reality television and docudramas are also driving significant chatter. Netflix launches Earle Meets World on September 4, bringing social media star Alix Earle and her family to the platform. The series explores Earle’s post-Dancing With the Stars life, her split from NFL player Braxton Berrios, and her family’s blended dynamics.
With major streaming platforms, traditional broadcast networks, and premium cable outlets all locking in their release calendars through November and December, viewers face an unusually dense slate of programming. As the premiere dates roll out across September and October, audience retention across overlapping franchise nights remains the primary metric to watch.
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