ABC has confirmed its 2027 midseason premiere dates.
At the start of this year, ABC made the relatively rare announcement that it was renewing all of its scripted lineup, declining to deliver any cancellations. The decision led to shifts in the episode count for some series and delayed others, with High Potential season 3 and Shifting Gears season 3 leaving the fall schedule. And with R.J. Deccker season 3 unconfirmed, season 2 returned with a notably shorter run of just seven episodes.
The fall programs will soon begin to go on their respective winter hiatuses. But thanks to the fact that ABC has announced its midseason schedule, viewers can now know exactly when to expect the return of their favorites, including 9-1-1 and Abbott Elementary, as well as new seasons of The Rookie, Will Trent, and the network’s biggest hit, High Potential.
The main takeaways from the new scheduling announcement are that Will Trent season 5 arrives on January 5 at 8 PM ET, followed by High Potential season 3 at 9 PM ET. Shifting Gears season 3 offers a two-episode premiere, which will feature a reunion between 2 Broke Girls co-stars Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, on January 6 at 8 PM ET.
The Rookie season 9 follows on at 9 PM ET, followed by the debut of the franchise’s second spinoff, The Rookie: North, at 10 PM ET. ABC is also debuting the two-part docuseries Surviving a Scandal, which examines infamous figures from the past few decades like Milli Vanilli, Octomom, and Joey Buttafuoco.
|
2027 ABC Midseason Schedule |
Date |
Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
|
Will Trent season 5 |
Tuesday, January 5 |
8 PM |
|
High Potential season 3 |
Tuesday, January 5 |
9 PM |
|
Surviving a Scandal season 1 |
Tuesday, January 5 |
10 PM |
|
Shifting Gears season 3 premiere |
Wednesday, January 6 |
8 PM |
|
Shifting Gears season 3, episode 2 |
Wednesday, January 6 |
8:30 PM |
|
The Rookie season 9 |
Wednesday, January 6 |
9 PM |
|
The Rookie North season 1 |
Wednesday, January 6 |
10 PM |
|
9-1-1 season 10 |
Thursday, January 7 |
8 PM |
|
9-1-1: Nashville season 2 |
Thursday, January 7 |
9 PM |
|
Grey’s Anatomy season 23 |
Thursday, January 7 |
10 PM |
|
Abbott Elementary season 6 |
Wednesday, January 13 |
8:31 PM |
|
Celebrity Jeopardy! season 5 |
Friday, January 29 |
8 PM |
|
American Idol at 25 special |
Monday, February 1 |
8 PM |
|
69th Annual Grammy Awards |
Sunday, February 7 |
7 PM |
|
American Idol season 25 |
Monday, February 8 |
8 PM |
|
Shark Tank season 18 |
Monday, February 8 |
10 PM |
|
Super Bowl LXI |
Sunday, February 14 |
6:30 PM |
|
High Potential season 3 |
Sunday, February 14 |
10:15 PM |
|
99th Academy Awards |
Sunday, March 14 |
7 PM |
|
America’s Funniest Home Videos season 37 |
Sunday, March 21 |
7 PM |
|
The Bachelor season 30 |
Sunday, March 21 |
8:01 PM |
|
What Would You Do? season 18 |
Sunday, March 21 |
10:01 PM |
9-1-1 season 10 will return from its midseason break on January 7 at 8 PM ET, followed by 9-1-1: Nashville season 2 at 9 PM ET and Grey’s Anatomy season 23 closing out the night at 10 PM ET. Abbott Elementary, the network’s lone sitcom other than Shifting Gears, will be back on January 13 at 8:31 PM ET. The table above features the entire lineup, including awards ceremonies and a special post-Super Bowl airing for High Potential.
Considering that the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff has been pushed to later in 2027, ABC has only one new title premiering in January. That is The Rookie: North. It centers on Alex Holland (portrayed by Jay Ellis, known for HBO’s Insecure). Although he’d hoped to avoid experiencing a midlife crisis, Holland’s life is shaken by a violent home invasion.
With franchise creator Alexi Hawley at the helm, Holland has to face a history of broken commitments when he enters the Pierce County Police Department as a rookie. He must demonstrate to a skeptical training officer, his fellow rookies, and even himself that he’s capable of handling the job. Chris Sullivan, Karen Fukuhara, Froy Gutierrez, Janet Montgomery, Mya Lowe, and Malik Watson also star, and the first episode also features Rookie cameos from Nathan Fillion, Melissa O’Neil, and Eric Winter.
ABC has been developing originals throughout 2026, including a potential Tracker rival from Justin Hartley, so it remains to be seen if all of its scripted slate gets renewed again. For now, at least, fans won’t have to wait too long for the established schedule to resume.

