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ABC Sets Rookie, Idol and Super Bowl Premiere Dates

The network's midseason schedule lays out return and premiere dates for its 2026-27 programming, from January through February.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Television

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ABC has set January and February premiere dates for its midseason lineup, including Shifting Gears on Jan. 6 and Abbott Elementary on Jan. 13. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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ABC has announced its midseason schedule, with return and premiere dates for 2026-27 programming. The Rookie Season 9 and its spinoff The Rookie: North premiere Jan. 6, 2027.

Why it matters

The schedule sets when viewers can expect returning dramas, new sitcoms and live events on the network across the winter and early spring. The lineup also places major live programming, including the Grammy Awards and Super Bowl LXI, on ABC.

The schedule runs from Jan. 5, 2027 through Feb. 14, 2027, with The Bachelor set for March 21. The schedule does not address whether any dates may shift.

The players

ABC

ABC is a major American broadcast television network owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Jay Ellis

Jay Ellis is an actor who leads the spinoff series The Rookie: North.

Tim Allen

Tim Allen is an actor and comedian who stars in the multicam sitcom Shifting Gears.

The details

Shifting Gears, a multicam sitcom starring Tim Allen and Kat Dennings, premieres Jan. 6 with two episodes. The 9-1-1 franchise and Grey's Anatomy return with winter premieres on Jan. 7, and Abbott Elementary follows on Jan. 13.

Timeline

  1. Jan. 5, 2027: Will Trent Season 5, High Potential Season 3 and Surviving a Scandal premiere.

  2. Jan. 6, 2027: Shifting Gears, The Rookie Season 9 and The Rookie: North premiere.

  3. Jan. 7, 2027: 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville and Grey's Anatomy return.

  4. Feb. 1, 2027: American Idol's 25th anniversary celebration airs.

  5. Feb. 14, 2027: Super Bowl LXI airs on ABC with a Jay-Z halftime show.

Franchise Expansion

ABC's midseason lineup keeps its existing franchises on the air while a Grey's Anatomy spinoff set in Texas is slated for the 2027-28 broadcast season. The network's approach extends its established Grey's franchise into a new setting rather than launching an unrelated series.

Viewers can watch the Rookie, Grey's and 9-1-1 franchises on ABC beginning in early January 2027. Live events, including the Grammy Awards on Feb. 7 and Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, will air on the network.

The takeaway

Viewers planning their winter and spring television viewing can use the published dates to plan around premieres and live events. The schedule places several returning franchises and new series within the same January window.

What happens next

The Grey's Anatomy spinoff set in Texas is slated to debut during the 2027-28 broadcast season, and Super Bowl LXI airs on ABC on Feb. 14, 2027.

Further reading

Explore more on Television for context on the network's midseason lineup.

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