ABC has mapped out a midseason schedule built around returning dramas, major live-event nights and a pair of notable new series. The first week of January carries much of the scripted rollout: Will Trent begins its fifth season on Tuesday, Jan. 5, followed by High Potential season three and the new documentary series Surviving a Scandal. One night later, the network opens the third season of Shifting Gears, brings back The Rookie for season nine, and introduces its Jay Ellis-led spinoff, The Rookie: North.

Further into the lineup, viewers have dates for the return of Celebrity Jeopardy!, an American Idol anniversary special and the singing competition’s 25th season. ABC will also use its post–Super Bowl LXI slot for a special High Potential episode. The schedule rounds out with The Bachelor season 30 on March 21, paired with the season 18 premiere of What Would You Do?.

The result is a calendar that uses a familiar broadcast-network strategy: start the year with established shows, position first-run series behind them, and give an already successful drama an unusually prominent event-night showcase. For audiences, the useful part is simple—several big returns arrive in a compact window, but a few of the highest-profile premieres are spaced across January, February and March.

Tuesday’s lineup puts High Potential at the center

Tuesday, Jan. 5 begins at 8 p.m. with the season five premiere of Will Trent. High Potential follows at 9 p.m. with its season three premiere, and Surviving a Scandal debuts at 10 p.m.

That placement matters because High Potential was the highest-rated drama among adults 18–49 during the 2025–2026 season. The 18–49 demographic is a commonly emphasized television audience measurement, referring to viewers between those ages. It does not mean every other audience is irrelevant; rather, it is one benchmark frequently used to assess a show’s reach and advertising appeal. ABC is placing a completely new program directly after a drama that has performed especially well in that measure.

Surviving a Scandal is produced by Glass Entertainment for ABC News Studios. Its stated focus is the lasting impact on people whose lives became tabloid fixtures, whether the attention came from their own actions or their proximity to wrongdoing. The series description identifies Milli Vanilli, Octomom and Joey Buttafuoco as examples of figures connected to the subject matter.

Jon Hirsch and Nancy Glass are executive producers for Glass Entertainment. David Sloan and Muriel Pearson are also executive producers for ABC News Studios. The premise is framed around what happens after intense public attention changes someone’s life, rather than merely revisiting the initial headline.

The Jan. 5 scheduling also gives viewers a clear three-hour choice: a returning crime drama at 8, another returning drama at 9, then a new series examining notoriety and scrutiny at 10. It is a deliberate tonal progression from scripted procedural storytelling into a nonfiction format centered on real public scandals.

A Super Bowl lead-out for High Potential

High Potential has another major date on its season-three calendar. ABC will air a special episode immediately after Super Bowl LXI on Sunday, Feb. 14. The game begins at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, and the drama is scheduled for 10:15 p.m.

A post-game slot is inherently variable because the game and surrounding broadcast determine the precise handoff, which is why the listed start is later than the usual prime-time hour. Still, the stated 10:15 p.m. placement identifies the network’s planned destination for viewers who remain after the event. It also gives High Potential a second scheduling distinction beyond its regular Tuesday slot.

The date is set for Valentine’s Day, as previously announced. Fans looking to follow the season should therefore separate its normal Tuesday run from this Sunday special: the season opens Jan. 5 at 9 p.m., while the special sits after the Super Bowl on Feb. 14.

The Rookie returns as The Rookie: North arrives

Wednesday, Jan. 6 is another consequential night for ABC’s scripted lineup. Shifting Gears begins season three at 8 p.m. with a two-episode premiere. That means the show gets an expanded opening rather than a standard single episode.

At 9 p.m., The Rookie returns for its ninth season. ABC describes it as the network’s longest-running current series. At 10 p.m., The Rookie: North makes its series debut. The new show is led by Jay Ellis.

A spinoff is a series connected to an existing show, typically by concept, setting, characters or a shared storytelling world. The supplied schedule confirms the relationship and Ellis’ lead role, but it does not specify the new show’s exact story setup, cast beyond Ellis, or how directly it will intersect with the parent program. Those are details viewers should avoid assuming from the name alone.

The back-to-back scheduling is practical for anyone keeping up with the franchise: The Rookie airs first, then The Rookie: North follows immediately. It is also one of the clearest examples in this schedule of ABC pairing a familiar returning program with a new title that shares its brand.

Thursday and Wednesday returns fill out the scripted week

ABC’s Thursday lineup resumes on Jan. 7 with three midseason returns:

  • 9-1-1, season 10, at 8 p.m.
  • 9-1-1: Nashville, season two, at 9 p.m.
  • Grey’s Anatomy, season 23, at 10 p.m.

These are labeled midseason returns, meaning their seasons had already begun in the fall and are continuing after a break rather than launching from episode one of a new season. The distinction is worth noting when setting reminders: a season premiere usually marks a new cycle, while a midseason return resumes an ongoing one.

Abbott Elementary follows on Wednesday, Jan. 13, with its season six midseason return at 8:31 p.m. The unusual minute-specific slot is part of the announced schedule, so viewers should note that it is not listed for a conventional 8 or 8:30 start.

Game shows, Idol and a new Shark Tank time period

On Friday, Jan. 29, Celebrity Jeopardy! returns at 8 p.m. for season five. In February, ABC puts two dates around American Idol on the calendar: an anniversary special, currently titled American Idol at 25, airs Monday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m.; season 25 then premieres Monday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.

That Feb. 8 night also moves Shark Tank into a new 10 p.m. time period. The schedule identifies the new hour but does not provide further programming details, so the key takeaway is the time change rather than a new-season claim.

ABC’s major awards broadcasts are also part of the overall midseason calendar. The Grammy Awards are scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, while The Oscars are scheduled for Sunday, March 14, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. These live-event nights are not ordinary episodic programming, but they are important anchors in the network’s spring schedule.

The Bachelor returns March 21

The Bachelor season 30 premieres Sunday, March 21 at 8:01 p.m., following America’s Funniest Home Videos at 7 p.m. What Would You Do? season 18 airs at 10:01 p.m. afterward.

The premiere marks the first entry in the broader dating franchise since Bachelor in Paradise in summer 2025. Its return comes after Taylor Frankie Paul’s planned season of The Bachelorette fell apart amid allegations of domestic violence involving Paul and her former boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. Those allegations are distinct from a finding of fact in this scheduling update; what is confirmed here is that the planned season did not proceed and that The Bachelor is now dated for March 21.

The one-minute-after-the-hour start times for both The Bachelor and What Would You Do? are likewise the announced placements. Broadcast schedules can use a minute offset to accommodate the preceding program, so viewers who rely on recordings may want to account for the listed 8:01 p.m. and 10:01 p.m. starts.

ABC midseason schedule at a glance

Tuesday, Jan. 5

  • 8 p.m.: Will Trent — season five premiere
  • 9 p.m.: High Potential — season three premiere
  • 10 p.m.: Surviving a Scandal — series premiere

Wednesday, Jan. 6

  • 8 p.m.: Shifting Gears — two-episode season three premiere
  • 9 p.m.: The Rookie — season nine premiere
  • 10 p.m.: The Rookie: North — series premiere

Thursday, Jan. 7 and Wednesday, Jan. 13

  • Jan. 7, 8 p.m.: 9-1-1 — season 10 midseason return
  • Jan. 7, 9 p.m.: 9-1-1: Nashville — season two midseason return
  • Jan. 7, 10 p.m.: Grey’s Anatomy — season 23 midseason return
  • Jan. 13, 8:31 p.m.: Abbott Elementary — season six midseason return

Late January through March

  • Jan. 29, 8 p.m.: Celebrity Jeopardy! — season five premiere
  • Feb. 1, 8 p.m.: American Idol at 25 — working title
  • Feb. 7, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: The Grammy Awards
  • Feb. 8, 8 p.m.: American Idol — season 25 premiere
  • Feb. 8, 10 p.m.: Shark Tank — new time period
  • Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT: Super Bowl LXI
  • Feb. 14, 10:15 p.m.: High Potential special episode
  • March 14, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: The Oscars
  • March 21, 7 p.m.: America’s Funniest Home Videos
  • March 21, 8:01 p.m.: The Bachelor — season 30 premiere
  • March 21, 10:01 p.m.: What Would You Do? — season 18 premiere

For the broader Disney corporate context around the network, see Disney’s communications leadership transition. For television viewers, however, the immediate focus is the schedule itself: Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 are the key scripted-launch dates, Feb. 14 provides the high-profile High Potential special, and March 21 brings The Bachelor back to the lineup.