ABC Shuffles Winter TV Lineup
The Rookie moves to Wednesdays, The Bachelor returns in March, and American Idol starts its 25th season.
By Lucas Navarro ·
Viewers of ABC dramas and reality series will see schedule changes starting in January. The Rookie leaves its Tuesday slot for Wednesdays, and The Bachelor franchise returns to the air after a long absence.
The Rookie and its new spinoff, The Rookie: North, will form a two-hour block on Wednesday nights beginning Jan. 6. The veteran series will air at 9 p.m., while the spinoff will follow at 10 p.m. This move shifts The Rookie from its previous Tuesday 10 p.m. position. Season three of Shifting Gears will also premiere on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m., with Abbott Elementary returning the following week.
Tuesday nights will feature Will Trent at 8 p.m. and High Potential at 9 p.m., both returning on Jan. 5. A new unscripted series called Surviving a Scandal will occupy the 10 p.m. hour. High Potential will also receive a post-Super Bowl showcase on Feb. 14.
The Bachelor franchise is scheduled to return on March 21. The show has been off ABC since the November 2025 finale of The Golden Bachelor’s second season. Last season’s Bachelorette series, starring Taylor Frankie Paul, was scrapped. The Bachelor last aired in March 2025.
American Idol will begin its 25th season on Feb. 8. It will be the show’s 10th season on ABC. A retrospective special about the program is set for Feb. 1. Shark Tank will move to Mondays at 10 p.m. on Feb. 8.
ABC has pushed the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff, ordered in the spring, to the 2027-28 season. The network has not yet cast the show. The midseason schedule also includes the Grammy Awards on Feb. 7 and the Oscars on March 14.
