ABC’s Renewal Strategy for 2025-26 Season: A Closer Look
ABC has secured renewals for several of its scripted series for the upcoming 2025-26 season, though not all shows are guaranteed a return.
Confirmed Renewals
On Thursday, the network announced its latest lineup featuring renewals for popular titles including:
- Grey’s Anatomy – Continuing into its 22nd season, making it the longest-running scripted series in ABC’s history.
- 911 – Renewed for its ninth season after transitioning from Fox to ABC.
- The Rookie – Set for its eighth season on the network.
- Will Trent – Progressing to its fourth season.
- Shifting Gears – First-year comedy receiving renewal for its second season.
These shows join previously renewed entries including Abbott Elementary and High Potential, along with the new spinoff 911: Nashville, which received a straight-to-series order in February.
What’s Missing from the Renewal List?
A notable absence from the renewal announcements is Doctor Odyssey, the latest drama from Ryan Murphy Television featuring Joshua Jackson as a cruise-ship physician. Reports indicate ongoing discussions between ABC and the show’s creative team regarding its direction, suggesting that a decision for a second season remains pending.
ABC’s Current Scripted Lineup and Future Projections
Currently, ABC holds the distinction of having the smallest scripted series lineup among the major four broadcast networks, with only nine shows airing this season. The situation is expected to evolve as The Conners is scheduled to conclude within the next month. The network’s development efforts have also been modest lately, with a limited number of new projects underway, such as a possible spinoff of The Rookie. Notably, ABC and Hulu have combined their development teams under the guidance of Simran Sethi in recent months, which may influence future programming.
Though ABC’s unscripted content, including news and live sports delivered by ESPN, covers much of its primetime schedule, it is anticipated that the network may greenlight additional pilots in the spring for potential inclusion in the second half of the 2025-26 season. Last year, Shifting Gears followed a similar timeline, receiving a pilot order in March and a series pickup by July.
Show Production Insights
All the renewed titles, with the exception of The Rookie, are produced by ABC’s Disney affiliate, 20th Television, while The Rookie emerges as a collaborative effort between Lionsgate TV and 20th Television.
For up-to-date information on all network renewals and cancellations, check out THR’s network scorecard.