NBC Preseason 2025-26 Renew/Cancel: Gauging The Hunting Party, Brilliant Minds, St. Denis Medical, SVU and the Chicagos’ Renewal Odds Before They Return

With NBC finally announcing its full fall schedule and the last of its pickups for next season, it's time for my annual pre-season renew/cancel, taking a look ahead at their 2025-26 season before a single episode has aired, and giving my best guess for how safe all of their shows are heading into the new season.

Wednesday TV Ratings 5/21/25: MasterChef Off to Sluggish Start as Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service Builds on It, Survivor Slips for Finale, Chicago Med Ends On an Uptick [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: Fox's MasterChef (0.17) had a sluggish return, but Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service (0.19) was able to grow from there for its series premiere. On CBS, Survivor (0.73, -0.10) lost a tenth for its finale. NBC's Chicago Med (0.37, +0.05) was up for its finale, while Chicago Fire (0.40, -0.01) inched down. Chicago PD (0.35, 0.00) was frozen at last week's rating at ten. ABC's Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (0.26, 0.00) tied yesterday's rating, but Jeopardy! Masters (0.21, -0.03) declined. On the CW, Sullivan's Crossing (0.03, -0.01) fell behind its week-ago premiere, but Sherlock & Daughter (0.03, 0.00) was steady. Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat. (F) = finale. 

Wednesday TV Ratings 5/14/25: Sullivan’s Crossing Premieres Down, Survivor Climbs to Season High, Chicago Fire Jumps as Chicago Med Slides [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: In its CW return, Sullivan's Crossing (0.04) fell behind its December 2024 finale (0.06) and didn't seem to help Sherlock & Daughter (0.03, -0.02). CBS's Survivor (0.83, +0.21) soared, while The Amazing Race (0.29, -0.03) declined. On ABC, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (0.26, +0.02) was up slightly, while Jeopardy! Masters (0.19, 0.00) tied its week-ago performance. NBC's Chicago Med (0.32, -0.07) dropped, but Chicago Fire (0.41, +0.08) and Chicago PD (0.35, +0.01) climbed higher. Fox had no luck with America's Most Wanted: John Walsh's Dirty Dozen (0.11) and a TMZ Investigates special about Justin Bieber (0.10). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.

Wednesday TV Ratings 5/7/25: The Masked Singer Rises for Finale, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! Masters Collapse, Survivor Also Drops [+ Analysis]

Ratings Analysis: ABC game shows Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (0.24, -0.09) and Jeopardy! Masters (0.19, -0.09) were down dramatically from last week's premieres, with both losing to Fox's Masked Singer season finale (0.35, +0.06). Survivor (0.62, -0.05) also slipped on CBS, but The Amazing Race (0.32, 0.00) matched last week's rating. Chicago Med (0.39, +0.04) and Chicago PD (0.34, +0.05) were up on NBC, but Chicago Fire (0.33, -0.01) dipped. Wild Cards (0.06, +0.03) and Sherlock & Daughter (0.05, +0.02) climbed higher on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale. 

Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD Renewed by NBC

NBC has finally announced renewals for three of their strongest dramas, as the Chicago trio of Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD have now received long-awaited renewals. All three are top five series  on NBC in the key 18-49 demo, with Med rating #2 (behind only The Voice), Fire #3, and PD tying SVU and The Americas for #4. While these renewals were expected, they do come with significant cost-cutting measures. The trio will have slightly shorter episode orders next season. Cast members will all miss two to four episodes per season, up from one or two during their current seasons, and cast members have been asked to change their residency to Illinois -where the shows film - or risk missing further episodes. All three series come from Dick Wolf, whose other high-profile dramas for the network, Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU, are yet to be renewed. These are all correct predictions for The TV Ratings Guide.