Welcome to the inaugural edition of CBS Renew/Cancel for the 2026-27 TV season. As the season begins, we take a look at some key questions to ask headed into the season. Let us know what you think below and stay tuned for full predictions!
Is this the final season for shows which had their episode orders reduced?
CBS didn't cancel much in 2025-26, which they are making up for in two ways. One of these is by benching Thursday veterans Ghosts and Matlock in favor of new series Eternally Yours and Cupertino. The other is giving shorter episode orders to several returning series. Matlock and Fire County will have 13 episodes each this season, while NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney will share a time slot with 10-episode orders.
While an episode count has not been confirmed for Elsbeth, it too is likely to have a reduced order given it only has six episodes scheduled to air before the turn of the calendar. It's also unknown if sophomore dramas CIA and Boston Blue will have a full season order. The same goes for Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, which could be an underdog victim for a shorter season given a benched Ghosts has a full 22 episode order.
Meanwhile, new fall series NCIS: New York, Cupertino, and Eternally Yours all have 20 or more episode orders right out of the gate. If these shows do halfway decently, we could be looking at an out with the old, in with the new year reminiscent of the 2024-25 TV season.
What's next for the Country franchise?
After the steep collapse of Fire Country last season, CBS is still going full steam ahead on a third Country show. They're developing it as a Sheriff Country spinoff, despite previously indicating that Fire Country would be the flagship series of the franchise. Given Fire Country's reduced episode count this season, it's quite unlikely CBS intends to expand Friday nights to a three-hour Country block. If ordered, that could cause this series to either share a time slot with or replace Fire Country on the schedule.
Is FBI here to stay after all?
The writing seemed to be on the wall for an aging FBI one year into its three-season renewal, when both its spinoffs got canceled and its time slot was downgraded to Mondays at 9 pm. It slides up an hour to 8 pm this fall, where the linear ratings will likely look robust. The question is if it keeps that time slot all season, and if those ratings even matter. After all, The Neighborhood held strong linear ratings throughout its run, and FBI spinoffs Most Wanted and International were canceled with ratings higher than many shows that got renewed. It's too soon to conflate this time slot upgrade with FBI's long-term prospects on CBS's schedule, as the move was likely made just as much so the fresher CIA could escape the 10 pm time slot.
Does CBS have any other spinoffs hatched up their sleeves?
CBS surprised everyone by plopping NCIS: New York on their fall schedule, seemingly an attempt to find an NCIS: Los Angeles or even an NCIS: Hawai'i-type player on the all-NCIS night they are determined to schedule. Even with this newly on the schedule and a third Country show in development, there's still plenty of opportunity for CBS to give viewers additional spinoffs in the near future. The question is if they pull the trigger.
The most obvious opportunity comes in the FBI/CIA universe. While FBI is aging, CIA could lend itself to a spinoff should its ratings look healthy enough this season. They may also look at spinning off the relatively expensive Ghosts as it heads into the second of its two-season renewal. The promotion of Ben Feldman's Kyle to series regular could be an early glimpse at this.
While Tracker and Marshals should be prime candidates based on ratings alone, Tracker is owned by Disney and Marshals part of an exiting Taylor Sheridan's universe. That makes the feasibility for a spinoff more complicated for both series.
Will the Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Affect Renewals and Series Orders?
The Skydance umbrella will get much larger on Tuesday, October 6 after the finalization of the Warner Bros. Discover merger, putting Paramount and WBD under the same parent company. Currently, the Skydance-owned CBS (from the Paramount side) only airs one WBD-owned series in Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. It's possible, and very likely, that number will increase substantially in future seasons. A Warner Bros. Discovery-produced series will now be considered much less risky to pick up, making CBS more comfortable canceling a low-rated CBS Studios series in exchange. Elsbeth is a prime example of a show that could fall victim to this should it falter on Paramount+.
It remains to be seen, though, how soon CBS will slot a new Warner Bros. Discovery series on their schedule. All five of their pilots (four dramas and one comedy) hail from CBS Studios, but CBS follows an unorthodox development strategy that, for all we know, could get a Bugs Bunny legal drama on the schedule by midseason.
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