As we inch closer to May, we start to look at which shows will be coming back in the new season. There are still a lot of ABC shows on the bubble. This is a network that hasn’t made many big decisions, but we’re hopeful about a few shows.
You’ll want to know what’s definitely coming back. It’s easy to overlook a few, and I find myself guilty of that when it comes to comedies. This is only looking at the scripted shows, as unscripted is a different beast all together.
All the ABC shows coming back in 2025–2026
Early on, we learned that Abbott Elementary was coming back for another season. This is despite the season seeing a 20% drop and a 10% drop in the demo and total audience figures respectively. It continues to hold a steady audience this season, and that’s what counts.
As well as that, we’ll get to see another season of High Potential. The freshman dramedy became an immediate hit with the fans, and it ticked up in the ratings when it moved to the earlier timeslot of 9 p.m. ET/PT when it returned off its winter break. We’re fully expecting this series to remain in the fall, unless ABC decides that holding it for the midseason for similar reasons to holding Will Trent and The Rookie this year is best.
Then on Thursday, April 3, ABC gave us some excellent news. Almost all remaining shows were renewed. Yes, 911, The Rookie, Grey's Anatomy, Will Trent, and Shifting Gears have now officially been renewed.
Some of the renewals weren't that surprising. 911 and Will Trent continue to perform well in the linear ratings. In fact, Will Trent is up from the previous season, which is rare in any sort of TV. The Rookie was one I was swaying to being renewed, and Grey's Anatomy I expected to stick around as a legacy series, but it could be getting close to ending if the linear ratings continue to trend downward.
The show that I was worried about was Shifting Gears. While it did perform well at first, its linear ratings dropped considerably throughout the first season. However, ABC is happy with that performance, and since the network is losing The Conners after this season, it makes sense to keep Shifting Gears to pair with Abbott Elementary.
Now the only show left on the bubble is Doctor Odyssey. We'll learn closer to May about that one.
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