These days, traditional TV is playing it safe – really safe. If one CSI show works, why not add another one? Or two? Networks are learning hard into stories that they know will land by repeating what has worked in the past. This fall, five new spinoff series (or shows that are somehow related) are debuting this fall. Meanwhile, riskier shows continue to end up on streamers like Hulu, Netflix and Peacock.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Spinoffs promise that you’ll see more of what you like. But that doesn’t mean that the new shows won’t offer some surprises – If they’re smart, they will.

Honestly, I’m more interested in some of the spinoffs than I am of the originals. I’m intrigued with the casting choices for 9-1-1: Nashville and I’m more interested in the setting for Sheriff Country than its predecessor, Fire Country, even if I’m not a fan of either title.

So, let’s hope for the best. Below, you’ll find what’s coming this season and when they begin.

ABC

9-1-1: Nashville

Debuts October 9, 2025

After six seasons on FOX, 9-1-1 was moved to ABC which apparently was a good move since the show is churning out a 9th season this fall. If you’re familiar with the series, you know that it is famous for its over-the-top scenarios. Maybe not as bad as Sharknado territory, but still, the stories are pretty spectacular. Strangely though, the show has a lot of heart and 9-1-1: Nashville follows the same formula.

Although an ensemble show, the series’ biggest star is Chris O’Donnell who plays Captain Don Hart. Hart is a former rodeo rider who now leads the firehouse with Ryan Hart (Michael Provost), his son. The family unit is complete with Jessica Capshaw playing wife and mother as Blythe Hart.

The firehouse also features Roxie Alba (Juani Feliz), a former trauma surgeon, Taylor Thompson (Hailey Kilgore), who is also a singer and moody Blue Bennings (Hunter McVey). LeAnn Rimes plays Dixie Bennings, his mother.

Former Father of the Bride star, Kimberly Williams-Paisley plays a 911 dispatcher.

ABC’s Season Debuts of Returning Shows:

Sept. 8: Monday Night Football
Sept. 16: Dancing with the Stars; High Potential
Sept. 24: The Golden Bachelor; Shark Tank
Sept. 26: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune; 20/20
Sept. 28: America’s Funniest Home Videos; The Wonderful World of Disney
Oct. 1: Shifting Gears; Abbott Elementary
Oct. 9: 9-1-1; 9-1-1: Nashville; Grey’s Anatomy

FOX

Celebrity Weakest Link

Debuts September 15, 2025

When it comes to The Weakest Link, nobody plays the host better than the original, Anne Robinson. However, Jane Lynch is a strong second. She too has a knack for sarcasm. But unlike Robinson, Lynch has a twinkle in her eye. She can’t be mean all the time.

After playing the series’ host on NBC since 2020, The Weakest Link is moving to FOX and with another twist – this time, only celebrities will be told, “You are the weakest link. Goodbye.”

Now, finding eight different celebrities to compete each week must be a daunting task, so don’t expect all of them to be big names. For instance, the first episode features cast members from Glee, but Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele won’t be there.

Like most celebrity editions of game shows, the players will be donating their winnings to their favorite charity.

99 to Beat

Debuts September 24, 2025

Hosted by Ken Jeong (like he needed one more FOX show to appear on) and sportscaster Erin Andrews, 99 to Beat begins with 100 contestants but only one will be walking away as the winner. According to FOX, these players will go head-to-head “in a range of visually distinctive and hilarious games in an arced competition game show like we’ve never seen before.”

Although the press release doesn’t state it, this show must be set up similar to The Floor which also begins with 100 players, and a winner is crowned many weeks later. The lucky one will walk away with $100,000.

FOX’s Season Debuts of Returning Shows:

Sept. 15: Name That Tune
Sept. 23: Murder in a Small Town; Doc
Sept. 24: The Floor
Sept. 25: Hell’s Kitchen; Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test
Sept. 28: The Simpsons; Universal Basic Guys; Krapopolis, Bob’s Burgers

NBC

Bozoma Saint John and Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

On Brand with Jimmy Fallon

Debuts September 30, 2025

NBC’s favorite late-night host heads up the competition series, On Brand with Jimmy Fallon. In each episode, 10 contestants will be coming up with new campaigns for old products. And as with all good competition shows, the last promoter standing wins. Commercials for the new show are totally giving off some Apprentice vibes.

For this new show, Fallon is joined by Bozoma Saint John, a former C-suite executive at Uber and Pepsi. Together, they run the “On Brand Agency” challenging their “employees” to think outside of the proverbial box. They are looking for marketing ideas fit for the modern age.

In each episode, the On Brand Agency creatives will be working for some big profile companies pitching their big ideas and visions. Only the best ideas will continue through a proof-of-concept stage where the players will see their campaigns brought to life. I can only hope that their first assignment is to come up with a new campaign for the Charmin bears.

This show is unique because new episodes will air twice a week – Tuesdays after The Voice and Fridays at 8 p.m. All episodes will be available the next day on Peacock.

Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander and Tracy Morgan. *(NBC)*

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins

Debuts TBD

Here’s an interesting idea…create a comedy series that stars former SNL comedian Tracy Morgan and former Hogwarts wizard, Daniel Radcliffe. NBC is playing coy with this one only stating that The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is about a former (and disgraced) football player (Morgan) on a mission to rehabilitate his image with the help of Arthur Tobin (Radcliffe). That’s it. They haven’t even committed to a premier date.

So, sometime in the future – maybe in the fall – we’ll get to see this series that also stars Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way and Jalyn Hall. But the fact that Tina Fey is serving as a producer on the show, this could be great.

Domhnall Gleeson plays the new editor-in-chief at the Toledo Truth-Teller wanting to revive the newspaper at a small Midwestern town in The Paper. While it is a whole new comedy, it does have ties with The Office. In fact, one character (Oscar Martinez played by Oscar Nunez) from the Dunder Mifflin office in Scranton, PA now works at the paper as an accountant. Not only that, but the same documentary crew who recorded all of the goings on at Dunder Mifflin are now on the scene to make a documentary about the newspaper.

NBC’s Season Debuts of Returning Shows:

Sept. 4: Football Night in America (Thursday)
Sept. 7: Football Night in America (Sunday); NBC Sunday Night Football
Sept. 22: The Voice; Brilliant Minds
Sept. 23: The Voice
Sept. 25: Law & Order; Law & Order: SVU; Law & Order: Organized Crime
Sept. 26: Dateline NBC
Oct. 1: Chicago Med; Chicago Fire; Chicago P.D.
Oct. 4: Saturday Night Live
Oct. 21: NBA Pre-Game Show; NBA on NBC
Nov. 3: St. Denis Medical
Nov. 7: Happy’s Place

CBS

The cast of DMV — Molly Kearney, Gigi Zumbado, Tony Cavalero, Alex Tarrant and Tim Meadows *(CBS)*

DMV

Debuts October 13, 2025

This fall, CBS is debuting DMV, a new comedy series that has a different look and feel than their usual comedies. Creating a workplace comedy around the East Hollywood Department of Motor Vehicles could be great or a terrible idea, but the ads look promising.

The show begins with the employees at the DMV learning that their branch is in danger of a government shutdown from their new boss, Barbara (Molly Kearney). If this minimum wage earnings want to keep their jobs, they are really going to work hard. Unfortunately, their clientele will be making this task a difficult one.

The employees at the DMV include driving Colette (Harriet Dyer) who has a crush on a co-worker, Gregg (Tim Meadows) a former English teacher, Vic (Tony Cavalero) a former bouncer, Noa (Alex Tarrant) who would rather be surfing and Ceci (Gigi Zumbado), a blunt photographer.

Sheriff Country

Debuts October 17, 2025

In this spinoff of Fire Country, Morena Baccarin plays Mickey Fox, a stepsister to chief Sharon Leone and half-sister to firefighter Bode Leone from the other series. She’s the sheriff in the small town of Edgewater, California. According to CBS, she “must balance the demands of law enforcement with the complexities of motherhood, community politics and a past that won’t stay buried.” Intriguing.

The first episode is a continuation of a backdoor pilot story from Fire Country last season which may be a mistake since new viewers will be unfamiliar with the original show. In addition to her regular duties, Mickey has her hands full with her ex-con father and Skye, her newly sober daughter.

Sheriff Country also stars Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs), Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Matt Lauria, W. Earl Brown and Michele Weaver.

Sonequa Martin-Green and Donnie Wahlberg *(CBS)*

Boston Blue

Debuts October 17, 2025

Boston Blue stars Donnie Wahlberg who reprises his role of NYPD detective Danny Reagan from the TV series Blue Bloods. For the new show, he’s moved to Boston to work with their Police Department. While there, he hopes to reconnect with his son Sean (Mika Amonsen) who has started his own career there.

Danny is paired with detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green) who just so happens to be the daughter of a prominent law enforcement family. This family consists of Mae Silver (Gloria Reuben) a district attorney, Sarah Silver (Maggie Lawson) a police superintendent and Jonah Silver (Marcus Scribner) a rookie cop.

Boston Blue also stars Ernie Hudson as the Baptist pastor Reverend Edwin Peters.

The Road

Debuts October 19, 2025

Here’s an interesting twist to the common singing competition TV show. The Road stars Keith Urban (who once starred on American Idol), Blake Shelton (who once starred on The Voice) and the “Redneck Woman” Gretchen Wilson (who hasn’t starred on a show but competed on The Mask). A dozen hopeful singers will join them from city to city to perform in front of live audiences. The first stop is Tannehill’s Music Hall in Fort Worth, Texas.

After some encouraging words from Wilson, Urban and Shelton will watch the audience as the audience watches the singers. After their performances, the audience will cast their votes, and one singer will be kicked off the bus and repeat the process in another town.

The 10-week series promises to give viewers a glimpse of what life’s like touring across the country.