CBS set its fall 2026 premiere dates on Monday, giving viewers a clear rollout for new and returning drama, comedy and unscripted series from September through October. The network also left some of its most watched titles, including Kathy Bates' Matlock, for midseason.
The schedule is the kind of release people check because it turns a vague fall slate into a calendar. NBC and ABC can wait on their own plans; CBS has already fixed when Survivor, The Amazing Race, Tracker, FBI, NCIS and several new shows will start, and the dates stretch across Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday night.
The first marker arrives on Sunday, September 13, with the NFL ON CBS doubleheader and the Season 59 premiere of 60 MINUTES. CBS then spreads the rest of the season launch across the next month: Survivor Season 51 on September 23, The Amazing Race Season 39 on September 30, Marshals Season 2 and Tracker Season 4 on October 4, FBI Season 9, CIA Season 2 and Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Season 2 on October 5, and NCIS Season 24, NCIS: New York and NCIS: Origins Season 3 on October 6.
That order is not random. It moves from football and news into competition, then into the network's most durable drama nights, while also making room for two new series launches on Thursday, October 8: Eternally Yours and Cupertino. On that same night, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage returns for Season 3 and Elsbeth comes back for Season 4, followed by Sheriff Country Season 2, Fire Country Season 5 and Boston Blue Season 2 on Friday, October 9, and 48 Hours Season 39 on Saturday, October 10.
What CBS did not tuck into the fall run is almost as important as what it did. Matlock Season 3, Ghosts Season 6 and Einstein are being held for midseason, even though Ghosts will still get two-episode specials tied to Halloween on October 29 and the holiday season on December 10. For viewers, that means the network has mapped the front half of the season with precision, but it is still reserving some of its biggest titles for later in the year.
The next date that matters is the first one on the board, September 13, and the rest of the slate tells the story from there: CBS is staking out the fall in orderly weekly blocks, then keeping a few high-profile cards back for the winter.
