6 Upcoming Network TV Shows, Ranked by Hype

Published Sep 19, 2026, 9:39 AM EDT Jennie Richardson is a TV Features and Lists Writer for Collider, and a graduate student pursuing an MFA in Fiction Writing. In other words, she really loves stories. After a summer off, the start of the next network TV season is officially around the corner. Starting this week and going into next month, all of the hit network shows that took the last month will be getting ready to return. For the Fall lineup, procedurals, reality competition shows, and sitcoms alike will be starting their latest seasons, or premiering for the first time. Other hit shows won't be returning yet, but they will be airing their new seasons as part of the Spring lineup for their respective networks. It's always tough to say goodbye to a beloved network TV show for the summer, especially for fans of intense procedural dramas that left off on game-changing cliffhangers. This new season of network TV will introduce new characters, pick back up with ongoing storylines, and shake things up with new storylines. These are 6 upcoming network TV shows, new and returning, that we are looking forward to – ranked by our hype. 6 '9-1-1: Nashville' Season 2 Premiere Date: October 15 Image via ABC 9-1-1's second spin-off, 9-1-1 Nashville, premiered with its first season on ABC last fall. The series follows the firefighters and paramedics of Station 113 in Nashville, as well as the complex dynamic that Captain Don Hart (Chris O'Donnell) has with his family and his ex, Dixie Bennings (LeAnn Rimes). Don has been married to his wife, Blythe (Jessica Capshaw), for a very long time, and they have a son named Ryan (Michael Provost) who also works at the firehouse. The series kicks off when Don meets Blue (Hunter McVey), his son with Dixie, for the first time. Season 1 of 9-1-1: Nashville focused on extending the universe of 9-1-1 once again, this time to include Nashville and to introduce these new characters. The core group working at the 113 is made up of Don, Ryan, Blue, and firefighters Roxie Alba (Juani Feliz) and Taylor Thompson (Hailey Kilgore). Blythe's sister-in-law, Cammie Raleigh (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), works as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. While each episode follows the weekly procedural model of the first responders taking calls and helping people, 9-1-1: Nashville also leans heavily on its family drama elements, particularly through the rivalry between Blythe and Dixie. Last season ended on an intense cliffhanger, and it will be exciting to see how the events of the Season 1 finale affect the coming season. 5 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 23 Premiere Date: October 15 Image via ABC After over two decades, Grey's Anatomy will once again be returning this fall for its twenty-third season. The end of Season 22 saw the exit of Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), who decided to move to Paris as a family with their children after Teddy received a dream job offer. The other doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, meanwhile, were forced to reevaluate their priorities at the end of last season in the wake of a major bridge collapse. Most notably, 11 seasons after Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) death, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) has decided that she is ready to remarry. The season ended with Meredith proposing to her longtime partner, Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman), who immediately accepted. After the events of last season, the rest of the doctors are sure to be in for some messy personal drama in Season 23, but it will be exciting to see Meredith take this next step in her relationship for the first time since Derek. 4 'St. Denis Medical' Season 3 Premiere Date: November 2 Image via NBC NBC's hilarious medical sitcom, St. Denis Medical, will be returning later this fall for its third season. The series follows the doctors, nurses, and other staff of the Emergency Department of St. Denis Medical Center in Oregon. While the series came in with a strong start when it premiered two years ago, Season 2 elevated St. Denis Medical to one of the best sitcoms of recent years. Last season was laugh-out-loud funny and deeply emotional, and it evolved the main character dynamics in compelling and surprising ways. The Season 2 finale of St. Denis Medical saw everyone rallying around Dr. Ron Leonard (David Alan Grier) to support him through his heart surgery. As of the end of the season, Ron made it out of the surgery alright, but not without making a surprising confession while high on pain medication. Meanwhile, after two seasons of buildup, Serena (Kahyun Kim) and Matt (Mekki Leeper) are now officially a couple. As St. Denis Medical gets ready to return, we look forward to seeing how the show ups its hilarity from last season, as well as how the character dynamics continue to change in the coming season. 3 'Line of Fire' Season 1 Premiere Date: September 21 Image via NBC NBC's newest procedural drama, Line of Fire, premieres on the network this month. It follows the Hollingsworth family, all of whom work as law enforcement agents. At the helm of it all are Secret Service Agent Mike Hollingsworth (Peter Krause) and US Marshal Jane Hollingsworth (Hope Davis), a married couple with three adult children: Secret Service Agent Micah Hollingsworth (Tommy O'Brien), FBI Agent Claire Hollingsworth (Kat Cunning), and new Department of Justice analyst Russ Hollingsworth (Taylor Bloom). The Hollingsworths often cross paths on the job. The series kicks off when they learn about a recent murder, and they receive insider information that one of them was actually the intended target. As it turns out, someone is killing government agents, and none of the Hollingsworths are safe. All they can do is just continue doing their jobs while staying vigilant, all while not truly knowing who they can and cannot trust. 2 'Abbott Elementary' Season 6 Premiere Date: October 7 Image via Disney/Gilles Mingasson Abbott Elementary will officially be back next month for its sixth season, and we absolutely cannot wait for its return. Last season was absolutely hilarious, with iconic storylines like the one that saw the faculty, staff, and students of Abbott have to temporarily relocate to an abandoned mall due to damage to the school building. The season also saw the heartbreaking yet understandable breakup between Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), but thankfully, they were able to work through it and get back together. Season 6 of Abbott Elementary is in for a major shakeup after last season ended with the district announcing the upcoming shutdown of 20 schools. Abbott will be staying open, but they will have to take in a number of new students. Because of this change, Ava (Janelle James) has promoted Gregory to her Assistant Principal. Gregory now finally has a version of his dream job, and he's thinking about proposing to Janine soon. The other teachers, however, will definitely struggle to adjust to having more students in their classes next season, and Abbott Elementary will no doubt utilize this change in funny and clever ways. 1 '9-1-1' Season 10 Premiere Date: October 15 With characters that we love dearly and the promise of an explosive multiple-episode opening emergency to kick off each new season, there is no upcoming season of network TV that we are more excited about than 9-1-1 Season 10. It's already been announced that 9-1-1's tenth season will open with a volcano eruption, and that Eddie (Ryan Guzman) and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) will finally get to share their first scene together this season. Last season of 9-1-1 saw Chimney (Kenneth Choi) step up as Captain of the 118 in the wake of Bobby's (Peter Krause) death. The 118 also welcomed Harry Grant (Elijah M. Cooper) to the firehouse after he realized that that was his dream. May Grant (Corinne Massiah) decided to become a nurse, which will give 9-1-1 the opportunity to spend more time at the hospital this coming season. Athena Grant (Angela Bassett), meanwhile, left her position as a sergeant to become a detective. In addition to all of these professional changes for so many main characters, Buck (Oliver Stark) made a major personal change by deciding to foster Theo (Lincoln and Theodore Sykes), his biological son and the son of his deceased friend. 9-1-1 Release Date January 3, 2018 Network ABC, FOX