Welcome to the second 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. 9-1-1: Nashville [Pre-Season: #3]9-1-1: Nashville is the highest-rated new scripted series of fall 2025 in the Adults 18-49 demo. It is averaging a 0.25 demo rating in Live + Same Day viewing, and a 1.82 in 35-day multi-platform viewing. This is a 76% hold from 9-1-1's Live + Same Day demo rating, and an 86% hold from its multi-platform demo rating. 9-1-1: Nashville's lackluster linear retention appears more a result of 9-1-1's built-in advantage airing at 8 pm than anything else, as overall this new spinoff looks more impressive than any other scripted show that has premiered so far this season. While it was previously ranked behind midseason entries Y: Marshals and Scrubs, CBS's underwhelming fall season and 9-1-1: Nashville's strong performance has solidified its place at the top spot in the midseason rankings.
2. Sheriff Country [Pre-Season: #4]
Sheriff Country is the second-highest-rated new scripted series of fall 2025 in the Adults 18-49 demo in Live + Same Day viewing with a 0.24 demo, just a hundredth below 9-1-1: Nashville. It's also notably doing better than Fire Country in demo (both linear and multi-platform) and total viewership. Given Fire Country's steep decline this season, CBS certainly lucked out with Sheriff Country managing to out-rate it thus far.
3. Scrubs [Pre-Season: #2]
Scrubs is still anticipated to premiere well, which will help boost its abbreviated first season's ratings. However, the hype for this upcoming revival is concerning low. It's questionable if Scrubs should be forcing Shifting Gears off the schedule early, which itself is having a solid sophomore season. Regardless, Scrubs should end up as one of the more successful new scripted shows of the 2025-26 season so long as the curiosity factor helps the early episodes.
4. Boston Blue [Pre-Season: #7]
Based on Boston Blue's fall performance, the Blue Bloods' spinoff is on pace to extend the lifespan of Blue Bloods IP not just on CBS, but around the world. It may not be the highest-rated show in the A18-49 demo in same-day viewing, but it's still proven itself to be extremely valuable with high multi-platform viewership. It has been sold to over 100 countries, something few new shows ever say.
5. Y: Marshals [Pre-Season: #1]
Being part of the Yellowstone universe, Y: Marshals still has potential to be the biggest new scripted show of the season. It will have to do it on its own accord though, as CBS has altered plans to air the series after Tracker and instead penciled it into the 8 pm time slot on Sundays. While 8 pm is a more desirable time slot on other nights of the week, Tracker is arguably a more valuable lead-in than 60 Minutes, even if it hasn't been utilized to its full potential lately. More importantly, ratings across the board are down on CBS, and Y: Marshals will have to buck the trend in order to perform in line with expectations one may have had for it going into the season.
6. RJ Decker [Pre-Season: N/A]
ABC made a late series order for the new drama RJ Decker, which is still unscheduled but expected for the 2025-26 TV season. With ABC's scripted offerings largely doing well in multi-platform viewing thanks to Disney+/Hulu, RJ Decker has a built-in advantage over many other midseason shows. It almost certainly won't get the same kind of initial tune-in as Scrubs could, but the potential is there nonetheless so long as it premieres sooner rather than later.
7. DMV [Pre-Season: #6]
DMV is struggling on CBS, something the network themselves acknowledged when they temporarily moved the new workplace comedy to 8 pm. However, it was one of only a handful of shows on CBS to cross 10 million viewers for its premiere in 35-day viewing. It also is among the highest-rated CBS shows in the A18-49 demo for its first two episodes, averaging a 1.71 demo. Those are undeniably successful numbers reminiscent of a comedy here to stay should they hold.
8. The Faithful [Pre-Season: #5]
The Faithful on the higher end of these rankings due to its scheduling, being a faith-based miniseries airing over Easter and Passover. Since it may still perform poorly, I'm not ranking it above shows that have showed signs of success. However, since this could conceivably become a surprise hit, it ranks above everything else that's currently unproven.
9. CIA [Pre-Season: #8]
Despite several behind-the-scenes issues, CIA is on track to premiere in late February 2026 on Mondays behind FBI. With FBI shedding a sizable amount of its same-day audience in its move to Mondays, CIA will likely have trouble finding a linear audience in the time slot. It could still could gain traction on Paramount+, which is why it still has the upper hand over the new FOX, NBC, and CW shows.
10. Best Medicine [Pre-Season: #9]
Best Medicine has a solid chance of rating respectably well for FOX's standards in same-day viewing, given the 8 pm time slot and being paired up with another medical drama in Doc. A massive breakout would be unexpected, though.
11. Stumble [Pre-Season: #12]
Stumble is a flop in same-day viewing, as was expected of it. However, it seemingly does fairly well on Peacock, and NBC just pulled reruns of The Paper on Mondays in favor of reruns of Stumble. NBC clearly isn't just leaving Stumble to die on Fridays, although it's still far from one of the more promising new shows.
12. Memory of a Killer [Pre-Season: #11]
Memory of a Killer will get a valuable launchpad from FOX, airing its series premiere behind the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 25. If it can capitalize on this, Memory of a Killer could skyrocket up this list. If not, Memory of a Killer will more likely fall victim to its regular time slot (Mondays at 9 behind Extracted) and struggle in the ratings.
13. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins [Pre-Season: #13]
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins will officially air on NBC during the 2025-26 TV season, slated to premiere in early March behind St. Denis Medical. If the latter holds up from its strong fall performance, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins has potential to do solidly enough. However, it's a niche show airing late in the season. Barring an unexpectedly strong streaming performance, it has a lower ceiling than most other shows on this list.
14. The Paper [Pre-Season: #10]
The Paper's broadcast run didn't perform terribly in the fall, but it wasn't enough for NBC to continue airing the remainder of the first season as originally intended. Even though Peacock has already renewed The Paper for a second season, NBC has pulled the first season from their schedule. It's likely the second window didn't lead to as much viewership on Peacock as they had hoped or expected, with Stumble now getting prioritized instead.
15. Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent [Pre-Season: #14]
Airing on The CW, Law & Order: Toronto: Criminal Intent is the lowest-rated new scripted series on broadcast and will almost certainly continue to be so even when all midseason shows premiere. It's doing okay enough for The CW's extraordinarily low standards, but it was is not actively being sought out by Law & Order franchise fans.