exclusive: CBS’s fall 2026 schedule remains status quo as of Friday. As the network’s entertainment president Amy Reisenbach said in the schedule reveal earlier this month, “The CBS Friday night entertainment lineup has been No. 1 for an incredible 16 consecutive seasons, so we’re sticking to what works, sheriff country at 8 o’clock, fire country at 9 o’clock, and boston blue At 10 o’clock.”
However, unlike the 2025–26 season, which included three playoff procedures for this period, fire country Will be leaving the lineup at the start of next season, Deadline has learned. According to sources, the firefighter drama, which has been in production on full seasons since the beginning (except for the strike-affected 2023-24 season), has received a 20-episode, 13-episode Season 5 order, down from this season.
It is not alone. When CBS Unveils Surprise New York Spinoff Starring LL Cool J Joining Tuesday NCIS lineup, it was flanked by the mothership on the fall 2026 schedule NCIS and prequel Produce, with already updated NCIS: Sydney left out.
As Deadline revealed, NCIS: Origins Season 3 is getting less orders and will be moved to the 10 pm time slot NCIS: Sydney In mid-season. According to sources, Original And sydney Each will produce 10 episodes next season, down from 18 and 20 respectively this season.
matlockWhich will return mid-season for its third season, producing 13 episodes for 2026-27, as I hear.
Representatives for CBS declined to comment.
The reduction in the number of episodes makes sense given the size of CBS’s scripted roster for next season. While most broadcast networks are keeping the volume of scripted series consistent year-to-year amid ongoing broadcast business challenges in the streaming era, CBS is headed for a big increase in 2026-27.
With most of its current slate performing well, the network isn’t just bringing back one drama, Watson, and two comedy series, neighborhood And DMV. At the same time, CBS is adding three new drama series, Cupertino, Einstein And NCIS: New Yorkand a comedy series, forever Yours. cupertino And NCIS: New York, Those on the fall schedule will produce a full season load of 20 episodes each; Einstein, Which will debut in midseason, has a 13-episode order.
NCIS: Origins And NCIS: Sydney It will now share the Tuesday 10 pm slot with its total of 20 episodes, which would be on par with the full-season order size for CBS drama procedurals.
fire countryThe episode trim is somewhat surprising as it has been a signature series for CBS since its successful first season, in which it ranked as the most-watched new broadcast series. It has also produced a franchise for the network.
In four seasons, fire country Remains a solid performer. This season, it helped launch two new branches on Friday, sheriff country And boston blue, Which both of them fired from the cannon and it overpowered the experienced anchor. The reduced order comes as fire country is undergoing a change behind the scenes, with Eric Guggenheim replacing Tia Napolitano who was showrunner for the first four seasons.
Although they all easily exceeded renewal ratings thresholds at CBS, Fire Country, NCIS: Origins And NCIS: SydneyMulti-platform viewership has been more modest than other dramas that have received full-season orders for the next season.
It is not yet clear what will succeed fire country On Fridays in mid-season. CBS has both matlock And Einstein and three available slots on the deck, every Friday, Monday, where Harlan Coben’s Last Twist Autumn and open at 10pm on Sundays, with the opening an hour after the end of the football season each year. One of them could potentially go to an unreleased series.
Whereas NCIS: New York Appeared unexpectedly for the fall, with no information about any existing plans revealed recently fire country/sheriff country The offshoot, which is in very early development, has to be disseminated and becomes successful. fire country on Friday after the season.
For Matlock, which, like fire country, It was the most watched new broadcast series in its first season, largely due to the shorter order, 13 versus 19 in Season 1 and 16 in Season 2. The show, which was on the fall schedule for the past two seasons, is being held to midseason as it moves toward a creative revamp after completing the major Wellbrexa storyline that dominated the first two seasons. Creator Jennie Snyder Urman is now taking some time to set up a new arc for the show in Season 3.
While midseason entries typically receive fewer orders given the limited time period they have to run, CBS is actually keeping Evil spirit Despite the supernatural comedy not being on the fall 2026 schedule, the entire season spans 22 episodes for its upcoming sixth season. The network is doing this through a special commission Evil spirit Halloween and Christmas specials as part of a 22-episode order. (Evil spirit Showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman will deliver a total of 42 episodes to CBS next season Evil spirit And his new vampire comedy, forever Yours, which will air 20 episodes starting in the autumn.)
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