NBC fall lineup: Krause drama, Leoni-Daly comedy, Civilian Traitors, Rockford Files midseason

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NBC has released its fall 2026 broadcast lineup, unveiling new dramas, reality expansions and several schedule shifts that will reshape weeknight viewing. The rollout — coming shortly after CBS published its plans — signals where the network is placing big bets and which series will wait until midseason.

Key changes and premiere dates

NBC will open its fall with the 78th Emmy Awards on Monday, September 14, and plans a live, three-hour special on December 10 to mark its centennial. Beyond those events, the network’s roster mixes fresh scripted projects with established franchises and adds more reality programming to prime-time slots.

The most notable moves affect Monday and Thursday nights: a new Peter Krause drama is paired with a long-running singing competition, while a civilian version of a Peacock reality hit is inserting itself ahead of a veteran procedural. Those adjustments force some veteran shows to shift later in the evening.

Show	Type	Scheduled slot	Notes
Line of Fire	Drama (new)	Mon, after The Voice	Stars Peter Krause; debuts in the post-competition hour
The Voice	Reality — Singing competition	Mon, prime-time	30th season; coaches include Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson and Riley Green
The Traitors (civilian edition)	Reality (new format)	Thu, 8 p.m.	Lead-in to Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: SVU	Procedural	Thu, 10 p.m.	Moved to 10 p.m. to accommodate The Traitors
Newlyweds	Multi-camera comedy (new)	Fri, after Happy’s Place	Stars Tea Leoni and Tim Daly; Jamie Lee Curtis recurring
Rockford Files	Drama (reboot)	Thu, 8 p.m. (Jan, midseason)	Midseason launch in January
Sunset P.I.	Comedy (new)	Mon, 8:30 p.m. (Feb, midseason)	Stars Jake Johnson; arrives in February

Midseason and unscripted slate

Beyond the fall premieres, NBC has slated several titles for the new year that will expand the schedule once the initial season rush eases.

Rockford Files reboot is set to launch in January at 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

Sunset P.I., a comedy led by Jake Johnson, will debut in February in the Monday 8:30 p.m. slot.

Unscripted additions include a Savannah Guthrie-hosted version of Wordle (from Jimmy Fallon’s team) and Season 2 of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s travel-style series Destination X.

What this means for long-running franchises

Several veteran series are being nudged around to accommodate new entries. Moving a cornerstone like SVU to 10 p.m. reshapes the Thursday night flow and reflects NBC’s effort to pair high-profile unscripted programming with established dramas.

NBC also confirmed that its Dick Wolf dramas — including the Chicago franchise and the Law & Order family — will continue to produce larger episode orders next season, sustaining their central role in the lineup.

Unresolved spots and streaming questions

Not every decision is finalized. The future of the spring thriller The Hunting Party, which aired at 10 p.m. on Thursdays earlier this year, is still under review. Network executives say they are evaluating all options, including potential moves to Peacock, as they balance a limited number of broadcast time slots with streaming strategies.

That uncertainty underscores a broader trend: broadcast schedules are increasingly coordinated with streaming plans, and networks are weighing where each property can best find an audience.

NBC’s announcements set a clear direction for the coming broadcast year while leaving room to adapt when midseason renewals and performance data arrive. For viewers, the biggest takeaway is where to find new shows and which veterans will appear in different time slots as the season unfolds.