Will Trent renewal outlook as ABC’s early picks leave Season 5 waiting

Will Trent is still waiting to hear whether it will return for a fifth season, even as ABC has issued unusually early renewals for several series and kept other parts of its schedule moving. With the show’s fourth season back in January and currently midseason, the unanswered question is no longer whether there is interest—it’s what factors are slowing the final decision.

What happens when ABC renews some shows early but leaves Will Trent undecided?

ABC has already granted early renewals for the 2026–27 season to four of its most popular series: “High Potential, ” “Abbott Elementary, ” and both “9-1-1” shows. At the same time, the network has additional programs described as holding their own, including “Dancing With the Stars, ” “American Idol, ” “Shifting Gears, ” and “The Rookie, ” while early returns on the “Scrubs” reboot have been described as promising.

Against that backdrop, Will Trent has not yet been renewed, and that contrast is driving the current wave of uncertainty. The situation is complicated by timing: last year, Will Trent was not renewed until April, and ABC did not solidify its next season lineup until May. In other words, as of this moment, a delay is not unprecedented for the series, and the network still has time to assess performance data before making a commitment.

Still, the absence of a renewal at the same time that “High Potential” (which airs with Will Trent on Tuesday) and the “9-1-1” shows have already been picked up has prompted sharper scrutiny of where Will Trent sits inside ABC’s internal priorities.

What if the key issue is performance strength—but in different measurement systems?

One major argument in favor of a renewal is that Will Trent is described as a strong linear ratings performer. It has also been characterized as a priority for the network from a scheduling standpoint, with ABC “sticking with the show as their 8 PM anchor, ” a choice that signals commitment even while a renewal decision remains pending.

At the same time, the debate has shifted toward how the show performs across measurement types. In multiplatform viewing, Will Trent has been described as weaker than “The Rookie” and “High Potential, ” and about on par with “RJ Decker, ” which itself has been framed as not yet a lock. In one set of comparisons, its 0. 32 average has been described as placing it in the bottom half of ABC’s ten current scripted shows, at #6 among them, even while its linear ratings remain a point of strength.

There is also a separate, more favorable data point: in total viewers, Will Trent has been described as “pretty highly-rated, ” ahead of both “9-1-1” shows, ABC’s comedies, and “Grey’s Anatomy. ” That contrast highlights why renewal decisions can take longer than audiences expect—ABC may be weighing different definitions of success that do not always align neatly.

What if scheduling flexibility—rather than popularity—is the real test for Will Trent?

A second line of analysis focuses on whether Will Trent is best understood as a show that thrives in an ideal slot. The 8 PM hour is described as a strong time period, and there is a suggestion that ABC could want to open that slot up to “their next promising drama. ” The implication is not that Will Trent has no audience, but that the network might be asking a more specific question: would Will Trent hold its performance if moved?

One comparison point raised is the show’s history in a later hour. Some of the series’ lowest ratings are noted as occurring when it aired at 10 PM in its first season—an observation used to argue that Will Trent may be more sensitive to scheduling conditions than some peers. That has fed a “timeslot hit” framing: a series that performs well in favorable scheduling scenarios but may not travel as well if shifted later, particularly if it depends meaningfully on its lead-in.

Even with that concern on the table, the present scheduling decision remains a tangible signal. ABC continuing to treat Will Trent as the 8 PM anchor suggests the network has not moved into a posture of abandoning the franchise—while still leaving room for internal debate about what the next season should look like and where it would sit on the grid.

What if ABC’s timeline is the story—and the decision simply hasn’t arrived yet?

Part of what makes the current moment feel tense is that other renewals have arrived early. Yet timing alone does not settle the question. The show is midseason in an 18-episode run, and the assessment of its renewal prospects has been described as “largely positive” for a return in 2027. ABC’s executives have been described as still having time to evaluate the data, consistent with the prior-year pattern of April renewal decisions and May lineup finalization.

There is also a strategic reality hovering over all of these decisions: the viewership base for Will Trent is described as skewing “a little older” than some other ABC series such as “High Potential” and “Abbott Elementary. ” That profile might have mattered more in earlier eras, but the current view presented is that executives “need every viewer they can get in 2026” and may be more inclined to stick with what is working.

Put together, the emerging picture is less about a single fatal weakness and more about a portfolio decision: how ABC balances early renewals, developing properties, scheduling needs, and the different ways a show can be valuable—linear strength, total viewers, and multiplatform performance—without all of those indicators pointing in the same direction at once.