Go back just five years and there were 56 pilots picked for the U.S. TV season, all hoping to become U.S. hits locally, before turning into hits globally, which many of them did. A few years before that, 80 or so pilots would not have been an unusual number of debuts.
Today, however, the U.S. TV sector finds itself with a much different scenario. Between them, the major networks aren’t even capable of a mere handful, let alone double-digit pilot numbers, as they’re caught between an audience loss to streamers and the domino effect causing advertising downturn, leading to an inevitable remit to reduce budgets.
Writers, in particular, and everyone else working behind the scenes, are desperately seeking jobs — any jobs in any industry — as TV work has dried up. Even shows that have an on-screen life have reduced writers rooms (though none contain the traditional one or two writers per series seen in the U.K., where episode orders are smaller than in the U.S.).
The reduction in new orders can be understandable on one level, while on another level investing in new projects could lead to a higher return on the content they greenlight — but it’s still a gamble. Network executives are boringly and overly playing it safe, wanting to keep their jobs and going for themes, titles, and characters associated with an all-too familiar past. Sure, COVID and Hollywood strikes got in the way, but so too has what seems like a “worry about the job” attitude from decision-making executives. The “If we go for that it might fail and we might lose our job” mentality seems to have truly hit big-time, as the networks they represent stay with existing titles and refuse to branch out into something new.
Many new shows recently hitting the U.S. network airwaves are Americanized versions of global franchise hits (The Traitor and talent/ dance/Masked Singer-type formats immediately come to mind).
While production of network shows has been cast aside, production of streaming content is providing some work — Adolescence, Severance, The White Lotus, Invincible, Reacher, Zero Day, Paradise, and 1923 are among a growing list of series with overseas interest and sales.
However, networks stand to lose even more of their audience to streamers, or lose previous overseas buyers of their limited new content offerings.
Confided an English-language content buyer: “For several years now we have not been that interested in [U.S.] network shows, with the odd exception. The best shows for us, which we have picked up in recent years, have been made for the likes of Hulu, Peacock, Paramount + (even for U.K. and Australian broadcasters). The days of tracking the new crime procedural shows, which run to 22 episodes, and the bidding wars, which went with them are long gone. As I say, there is the odd exception and we picked up St. Denis Medical, as did the BBC and it is a great little show.”
(By Mike Reynolds)
U.S. Broadcast Networks 2025-2026 Season (confirmed as of April 30)
ABC
911: Nashville (drama pick-up)
Writer/Executive Producer: Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, Rashad Raisani
Executive Producers: Angela Bassett, Brad Falchuk
Production Company: 20th Television, Ryan Murphy Productions
Cast: Chris O’ Donnell, Jessica Capshaw
Premise: Follows the police, firefighters and medical personnel who respond to major emergencies that rock their city.
Abbott Elementary – renewal
Grey’s Anatomy – renewal
High Potential – renewal
The Rookie – renewal
Shifting Gears – renewal
Will Trent – renewal
CBS
Boston Blue (drama pick-up)
Writer/Showrunner/Executive Producer: Brandon Sonnier, Brandon Margolis
Executive Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer, Donnie Wahlberg, KristieAnne Reid
Production Company: Jerry Bruckheimer TV, CBS Studios
Cast: Donny Wahlberg
Premise: Danny Reagan relocates to Boston to take a job as a detective with Boston PD. His partner is detective Lena Peters, the daughter of a prominent law enforcement family in Boston.
Distribution: Paramount Global Content Distribution
CIA (working title) (drama pick-up)
Executive producer: Dick Wolf, David Hudgins (showrunner), Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, Peter Jankowski
Production Company: Universal Television, Wolf Entertainment, CBS Studios
Cast: Tom Ellis
Premise: FBI spin-off. A fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station.
Distribution: Paramount Global Content Distribution
DMV (comedy pick-up)
Executive Producer/Writer: Dana Klein
Executive Producer: Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling, Robyn Meisinger
Production Company: CBS Studios
Premise: Based on award winning author Katherine Heiny’s short story, a single camera workplace comedy set at the place everyone dreads going most: the DMV.
Distribution: Paramount Global Content Distribution
Sheriff Country (drama pick-up)
Creators: Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Max Thieriot
Showrunner/Executive Producer: Brandon Sonnier, Brandon Margolis
Executive Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer, KristieAnn Reid, Max Thieriot, Rony Phelan, Joan Rater
Production Company: CBS Studios, Jerry Bruckheimer TV
Cast: Max Thieriot, Morena Baccarin, W Earl Brown
Premise: Mickey Fox investigates criminal activity and patrols the streets of small-town Edgewater while contending with her ex-con father and a mysterious incident involving her wayward daughter.
Distribution: Paramount Global Content Distribution
Elsbeth – renewal
FBI – renewal
Fire Country – renewal
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage – renewal
Ghosts – renewal
Matlock – renewal
NCIS – renewal
NCIS: International – renewal
NCIS: Sydney – renewal
The Neighborhood – renewal
Tracker – renewal
Watson – renewal
FOX
American Dad! – renewal
Bob’s Burgers – renewal
Doc – renewal
Family Guy- renewal
Krapopolis – renewal
Murder in A Small Town –renewal
The Simpsons – renewal
Universal Basic Guy – renewal
The CW
Sullivan’s Crossing – renewal
NBC
Happy’s Place – renewal
St. Denis Medical – renewal
Renewals Still To Be Confirmed
Doctor Odyssey (ABC)
The Equalizer (CBS)
Accused (FOX)
Alert: MPU (FOX)
Animal Control (FOX)
The Cleaning Lady (FOX)
Going Dutch (FOX)
The Great North (FOX)
Grimsburg (FOX)
Rescue: Hi-Surf (FOX)
Brilliant Minds (NBC)
Chicago Fire (NBC)
Chicago Med (NBC)
Chicago P.D. (NBC)
Grosse Point Garden Society (NBC)
The Irrational (NBC)
Law & Order (NBC)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Lopez vs Lopez (NBC)
Night Court (NBC)
Suits LA (NBC)
All-American (The CW)
Wild Card (The CW)
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