ABC Sets Fall Premiere Dates for ‘Shark Tank,’ ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘DWTS’ and More
ABC has announced its fall television premiere schedule for the 2026 season. The lineup features the return of several staples, including Shark Tank, Abbott Elementary, and Dancing With the Stars.
Dancing With the Stars kicks off the season on September 15 with a two-episode premiere. The cast includes celebrities such as Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, and Jackson Olson. America’s Funniest Home Videos begins its run on September 27. Shark Tank returns on October 30, with a panel that includes Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Daniel Lubetzky, Kevin O’Leary, Kendra Scott, and Rashaun Williams. The season also features guest sharks such as MrBeast, Mindy Kaling, J.J. Watt, and Steven Bartlett.
In October, Abbott Elementary returns to the airwaves on October 7. The network also confirmed the return of several drama series, with 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville, and Grey’s Anatomy scheduled for October 15.
ABC has built these dates around a foundation of sports programming, starting with college football on August 29 and Monday Night Football on September 14. This schedule signals the start of the full broadcast slate as the network positions its returning hits and newer properties for the autumn months.