ABC Sets January Return for Will Trent, High Potential and Abbott Elementary
ABC has set the premiere dates for its winter 2027 lineup, and the network's first big night of new episodes arrives on Tuesday, January 5.
The network's midseason schedule is the run of new episodes that starts partway through the TV year, after the autumn shows have settled in. According to Deadline, Will Trent returns for its fifth season at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time that night. High Potential follows with its third season at 9 p.m., and the new series Surviving a Scandal takes the 10 p.m. slot.
The rest of the week is spread out. Shifting Gears starts its third season on Wednesday, January 6, with two episodes. The Rookie, which held the Tuesday 10 p.m. slot in the 2026 midseason, moves to Wednesday, January 6 as well, with its ninth season and a spinoff, The Rookie: North. Abbott Elementary comes back for its sixth season on January 13.
Thursday brings a crowd of familiar faces. 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville and Grey's Anatomy all return with midseason premieres on January 7. Grey's has a spinoff of its own in the works, an untitled series that ABC says will debut during the 2027-28 TV season, which runs from autumn 2027 into the following spring.
Some dates are set further out. Celebrity Jeopardy! starts its fifth season on Friday, January 29. American Idol begins its silver-anniversary season, meaning its 25th, on Monday, February 8, and a special marking the show's 25 years airs one week earlier.
The Bachelor returns with its 30th season on Sunday, March 21, its first installment since early 2025. What Would You Do? also starts its 18th season that night, with America's Funniest Home Videos airing on either side of The Bachelor.
ABC is also carrying three of the year's biggest broadcasts. The network will air the 69th Grammy Awards on February 9, Super Bowl LXI on February 14, and the 99th Academy Awards on March 14.
For viewers, the practical question is where to find each show. Will Trent and High Potential keep their familiar pairing on Tuesday, but the Tuesday 10 p.m. slot now belongs to a new series, and The Rookie moves to Wednesday. Anyone planning a winter viewing week will want to note the January 5 and 6 changes first.
Only the 2027 dates are confirmed so far. Shows that are not on this list have no announced premiere date in this announcement.
