Broadcast networks are still relatively early in the 2026 TV schedule, with CBS' biggest hits actually still on winter hiatus, but it's not too soon to start looking ahead to which shows will be cancelled and which will be renewed. CBS is currently the only network to go on a renewal spree, and there are rumblings of ABC renewals with budget cuts. As for NBC, the network has been ordering pilots headlined by pretty big names on the small screen. With only so many hours in primetime, I'm wondering: do these potential new shows mean the end of some that are currently airing?
NBC's New Pilot Orders
The first actor with a history of hits to his name who scored a new pilot order from NBC this month was SEAL Team's David Boreanaz, who is attached to star as the title character in a reboot of The Rockford Files. Emily Deschanel, who shared the screen with Boreanaz for twelve seasons of Bones, was then cast as the leading lady of a project that would take her back to the fictional FBI.
Peter Krause was next up, fresh off of being killed off ABC's 9-1-1 in a shocking twist last year. His new project is called Protection and involves law enforcement, deadly conspiracies, and a complicated family. The most recent project moving forward is called What the Dead Know and will star Orange is the New Black lead (and Emmy nominee) Taylor Schilling, according to Deadline.
This pilot hails from the Wolf Entertainment, which likely bodes well for its odds of moving forward. Five of NBC's current primetime shows come from Dick Wolf's production company. Taylor Schilling would play Ava, a death investigator who is much better with dead bodies than living people.
Ava would team up with the NYPD, which... makes sense for a Wolf Entertainment project, really. Three of the production company's other current shows are crime dramas set in New York City, with CIA about to join Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, and FBI as the fourth.
This equals out to four big projects with actors who have already led long-running shows, and Krause would actually be returning to NBC after six seasons of Parenthood. As dramas, we can safely assume that these would all need hour-long slots in primetime. Of course, it should be noted that all four have only been ordered to pilot at this point, so there's no guarantee that all (or any) of them will get the series order that will require a vacant slot in NBC's lineup.
The sky isn't falling just yet for any ongoing shows, but it's still worth looking at the current primetime slate and what might not last much longer if one of the new pilots is promising enough to be ordered to series.
NBC's Current Scripted Lineup
While the majority of NBC's primetime coverage over the past several weeks has been of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the scripted shows are on the way back soon. Take a look at the network's most recent scripted offerings:
- Brilliant Minds
- St. Denis Medical
- The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
- Chicago Fire
- Chicago P.D.
- Chicago Med
- Law & Order
- Law & Order: SVU
- The Hunting Party
- Happy's Place
- Stumble
If that seems like a short list of TV shows per week, remember that networks rarely air anything noteworthy on Saturdays. NBC has also gained the rights to air NBA games (per NBC Insider) to take up some hours of primetime, and The Voice is a reliable unscripted performer that occupies at least a couple hours per week. NBC is also a strong home for unscripted in the summer months, particularly with America's Got Talent.
Suffice it to say that there are a lot of variables when it comes to predicting the fates of shows, but I think there are some factors we can take into consideration already.
What Shows Could Be Cancelled?
Of the scripted shows listed above, I would predict that the three One Chicago shows and Law & Order: SVU are by far the safest, followed closely behind by Law & Order. The block made up of Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. has been known as One Chicago Wednesday for the past several years. Even if more budget and/or cast cuts are on the way, I don't see any of the three shows going anywhere.
As for SVU, that drama seems likely to continue for as long as Mariska Hargitay is willing to keep playing Olivia Benson. NBC didn't change the Law & Order/SVU pairing even after Law & Order: Organized Crime was cut from Thursdays, which I think bodes well for L&O as well.
On the less dramatic side of NBC, St. Denis Medical, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Happy's Place, and Stumble are all half-hour sitcoms, so just cancelling one of them wouldn't free up an hour for one of the new projects if ordered to series. That leaves Brilliant Minds and The Hunting Party as hour-long series potentially on the chopping block.
Brilliant Minds possibly being cancelled isn't exactly a scorching hot take from me, as Zachary Quinto's medical drama was pulled from NBC's schedule earlier this month. The Voice is taking over its slot on Tuesdays.
As for The Hunting Party, it was not exactly a hit with critics early on, and I'm afraid that NBC's move to premiere Season 2 in early January and then go on a month-long break after just four episodes will work against Season 2 gaining (or retaining) fans. Plus, perhaps there's appeal in the idea of launching a new Dick Wolf show for Thursday nights after Law & Order and SVU.
There are of course still factors to consider, like the possibility of new or returning scripted shows being moved to the summer TV season, and shows can always get reduced episode orders that don't hit the traditional 20+ for network television. Plus, switching Law & Order: Organized Crime from an NBC show to a Peacock original set the precedent that moving from broadcast to streaming is possible.
But with NBC getting the rights to NBA games back and shows like those in One Chicago that seem unlikely to get the axe, it may be time to start worrying about Brilliant Minds, The Hunting Party, and perhaps a couple of the sitcoms.
Fortunately, all of these NBC shows (with the exception of Brilliant Minds) will soon be back in primetime as the Winter Olympics wind down. You can also check them out streaming with a Peacock subscription. Tracy Morgan's The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins will get its time slot premiere on February 23, and One Chicago will start March with a massive three-show crossover event. Law & Order and SVU already crossed over for a two-parter once this season, and I hate to imagine NBC cutting any of its comedies at this point.
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