4 Broadcast Networks Expand 2026-27 Scripted Slates as ABC Renews 100% of Series

7 articles · Updated · Deadline · May 15

All four major U.S. broadcast networks unveiled 2026-27 lineups with more scripted series than this season, reversing a yearslong pullback tied to weak linear ratings, the pandemic and the 2023 strikes.
CBS, NBC and Fox each posted a net gain of about 1.5 primetime scripted hours, while ABC added The Rookie: North without canceling any scripted show and said every scripted series was renewed.
That expansion is being financed partly through shorter episode orders: CBS is trimming Fire Country to 13 from 20 episodes, NCIS: Origins to 10 from 18 and NCIS: Sydney to 10 from 20, with ABC also weighing cuts.
Executives tied the shift to recalibration after recent reductions, Fox's multiyear rebuild after Disney bought key Fox assets in 2019, and the value of owning more episodes for streaming and international sales.
Even with leaner orders, the broader scripted footprint should create more jobs for writers, actors and crews while strengthening libraries that parent companies can monetize beyond broadcast.

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Are networks truly fighting streaming fatigue, or just using broadcast TV to build libraries for their own streaming apps?