ABC Delays Will Trent, The Rookie and High Potential to Midseason January 2027
ABC announced at its Disney Upfront event that Will Trent will not appear on the fall 2026 schedule and will instead return in midseason, most likely in January 2027. The network cited proven success with uninterrupted runs during prior midseason launches. Seasons 1-4 of Will Trent are currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
nypost.comABC announced at the Disney Upfront event that Will Trent will not appear on its fall 2026 schedule. The drama is scheduled to return in midseason, most likely debuting in January 2027. The Rookie, High Potential, and Will Trent will all return in the midseason of 2027.
Ari Goldman, ABC’s SVP of Content Strategy and Scheduling, said the decision builds on recent programming successes. “What we’ve seen the last several years, and we’ve really proven this out with Will Trent and The Rookie back in midseason of 24 and 25, is we want to give viewers a chance to watch these shows with as little interruption as possible across the season,” Goldman said.
He cited momentum from New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the College Football Playoff, the Grammys, the Oscars, and the Super Bowl at the start of 2027.
The Season 4 finale of Will Trent premiered on Tuesday, May 5, on ABC. ABC has renewed Will Trent for a fifth season.
The Rookie and the upcoming spinoff The Rookie: North will most likely air together on Mondays in the 2027 midseason. On the night of May 12, 2026, ABC aired Celebrity Jeopardy! m.
ET. m. m. ET.
No official release dates have been announced beyond the expected January 2027 window. Seasons 1-4 of Will Trent are streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
4 events- 2026-05-12
Celebrity Jeopardy! All Stars, The Mystery of Richard Simmons special, and High Potential rerun air on ABC
1 sourcenypost.com - 2026-05-05
Season 4 finale of Will Trent premieres on ABC
1 sourcenypost.com - 2026-05-12
ABC announces at Disney Upfront that Will Trent, The Rookie, and High Potential will skip fall 2026 and return midseason 2027
1 sourcenypost.com - 2027-01
Expected midseason debut for renewed Will Trent Season 5, High Potential, The Rookie, and The Rookie: North
1 sourcenypost.com
Potential Impact
- 01
The Rookie and its spinoff The Rookie: North will share Monday nights while High Potential and Will Trent share Tuesdays
- 02
ABC preserves viewer engagement by minimizing mid-season breaks for its top scripted series
- 03
Midseason launch in January 2027 capitalizes on major events including the Super Bowl and awards shows for maximum audience
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