Welcome to the first edition of New Show Power Rankings for the 2025-26 TV season. This column ranks the new broadcast scripted programs currently intended to air in the 2025-26 TV season by anticipated strength, linear ratings, and multi-platform ratings. A show's anticipated renewal or cancelation odds is disregarded for the purpose of this column. Let us know what you think in the comments!
1. Y: Marshals
When Y: Marshals premieres in early 2026, it will be the first Yellowstone property to air first-run episodes on CBS. Yellowstone has already spawned two successful spinoffs on Paramount+, with several more in development between the streaming service and Paramount Network. Y: Marshals will serve as Tracker's lead-out and will air in Yellowstone's old time slot. It has the biggest chance of being a bona fide hit of any show from the 2025-26 new class. However, it does have the potential to disappoint if the execution isn't how Paramount brass anticipated when they ordered it to series off concept alone.
This is quite likely the first time in history a network has ordered a revival of a series that did poorly for them before being canceled after two seasons. That's because Scrubs is mostly remembered for its seven-season run on NBC, and has remained relevancy through its broad availability on streaming services. The revival will likely premiere well enough to become one of the higher-rated new shows of the season, even if ultimately it turns into a case of a network not learning from its own history.
3. 9-1-1: Nashville
Speaking of a network not learning from its own history, ABC's first 9-1-1 spinoff will be set in Nashville. The spinoff will presumably exist to serve a similar role as Station 19, with storylines that tie into 9-1-1 as well as the potential for crossovers. That would likely be enough to make 9-1-1: Nashville among the higher-rated new shows. However, cultivating a strong fanbase may prove tougher as 9-1-1: Nashville's very existence feels rather inorganic.
4. Sheriff Country
It's been over two years since CBS announced their intention to make a franchise out of their hit firefighter drama Fire Country, 21 months since Sheriff Country was put into development, and 15 months since it received a straight-to-series order. Failure is practically not an option for CBS, who will likely rely on crossovers (whether character crossovers or full-scale) should Sheriff Country underperform. Airing at 8 pm will also help with the show's live viewing levels, though like with 9-1-1: Nashville, its very existence feels more like a network trying to capitalize off one of their hits than anything else.
5. The Faithful
FOX's upcoming drama The Faithful is a three-week faith-based miniseries to air over Easter and Passover. If the strong sampling of A.D.: The Bible Continues on Easter Sunday 2015 is any indication, The Faithful could put up a strong showing of its own. It's likely to get ample promotion across Fox Corporation's several platforms, and is in a solid position to rate higher than one might expect it to had it been a full-fledged series. While this could very well rate in typical FOX territory or below, it gets a solid bump up the list for being equally capable of becoming the surprise of the season.
6. DMV
DMV is one of only two scripted shows set to premiere this fall on broadcast that is not tied to an existing IP. CBS's new workplace comedy will air on a revamped Mondays in between The Neighborhood and FBI, and will be the first single-cam comedy to ever air after The Neighborhood. DMV should have an opportunity to do solidly in linear ratings given its Neighborhood lead-in, though it will have the challenge of airing against another workplace comedy in NBC/Peacock's The Paper. Its ability to perform in multi-platform viewership will be the true test for DMV.
7. Boston Blue
Unlike many of the shows below it, Boston Blue has the advantage of making its network's fall schedule. Like many shows above it, Boston Blue's existence feels more network-mandated than fan-requested. In fact, Boston Blue originally started as Jamaica Plain, a completely unrelated show in the very early stages of development before CBS stepped in and made it a spinoff of Blue Bloods. While Blue Bloods remained popular in multi-platform viewing through its final season, linear ratings had declined to the point where a spinoff would have to match its ratings to look solid. Ratings-wise, CBS would almost certainly be better off with more Blue Bloods than with Boston Blue.
8. CIA
Most of the new spinoffs for 2025-26 didn't exactly exist at the time of their series order, and CIA is certainly no exception. The originally-planned backdoor pilot of FBI was scrapped due to casting challenges, and ultimately ordered to series for a fall 2025 once lead Tom Ellis signed on. It would go on to be pushed to midseason, which as of this writing is where the plan stands. At its best execution, CIA could turn into the franchise that replaces FBI. However, the show's current trajectory indicates a mediocrely-rated midseason run at 10 pm is in store. That's if it even airs this season. Being a CBS show helps CIA go no lower than #8 of 15 on the preseason Power Rankings.
9. Best Medicine
Based on the long-running ITV drama Doc Martin, Best Medicine gets the best ranking of all full-season new FOX scripted shows. Its best chance for success will be paired up with Doc, which is a likely combination given there's an open time slot on Tuesdays once Murder In A Small Town wraps its second season. Still, having the best ranking for a full-season FOX show can only get a show so far.
10. The Paper
Even though The Paper already aired its entire first season on Peacock, I anticipate it holding fairly well from St. Denis Medical. Being a sequel to The Office that not many people watched when it first premiered, The Paper does have a potential untapped audience on NBC. Its biggest job is to keep St. Denis Medical viewers watching NBC, and not jumping ship to CBS's new workplace sitcom airing in the same time slot. I don't think The Paper will do particularly well, especially given it has already aired on Peacock, but there are still other new shows entering the season in worse shape.
11. Memory of a Killer
FOX is surely hoping Memory of a Killer will pick up in a better place than The Cleaning Lady, Alert, and Accused left off. However, of all their new series, Memory of a Killer is arguably the most likely to replicate those abysmal ratings. It’s not based on a hit series and likely to be paired up with one like Best Medicine, and it’s not a miniseries with a high range of outcomes possible like The Faithful. Memory of a Killer is the one most likely to be treated as an afterthought, and most likely to fail in the ratings.
12. Stumble
The headlines write themselves with this show, which will be stuck behind Happy’s Place on Fridays despite being a much better fit for Mondays. It's not for lack of schedule space, as NBC is opting instead to air a second-window of The Paper on Mondays. I'd be very surprised if Stumble doesn't stumble out of the gate.
13. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins has a bit more potential than fellow new NBC sitcom stumble, and perhaps even The Paper had it made the fall schedule. It lands this far down the list in the preseason Power Rankings because I'm not entirely convinced The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is a show that will air on NBC in the 2025-26 TV season. They could just as well double up on St. Denis Medical when The Paper finishes its broadcast run, or air reruns at 8:30 like they did on Fridays in the spring. Like the late Grosse Pointe Garden Society, this feels like a show that just a few years ago would have been a Peacock original.
14. Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent
I've long speculated that much like NCIS: Sydney, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent would make its way to the United States. What I did not expect is it to air on The CW against Chicago Med. That makes for four Law & Order series on the fall schedule between NBC and The CW, despite only two of them airing original episodes. Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent would make solid enough filler for NBC in the right time slot (i.e. it'd do better than The Hunting Party), but it's hard to see it cultivating its own fanbase on a network has low-viewed as The CW to the point where it competes with any new show on ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX.