Kathy Bates is tied to Matlock in CBS Fall 2026 TV schedule planning, and that series is staying in midseason while the network locks in October premieres for its fall rollout. CBS set dates on Monday across drama, comedy and unscripted programming, giving viewers a clear map of when the new season actually starts.
The biggest marker is NCIS: New York, which will debut on Tuesday, October 6, between the new seasons of NCIS and NCIS: Origins. That placement puts the series inside a tightly managed run of franchise-heavy nights rather than as a stand-alone launch.
September 13 through October 9
60 Minutes opens the rollout with Season 59 on Sunday, September 13, then Survivor follows with Season 51 on Wednesday, September 23. The Amazing Race arrives next with Season 39 on Wednesday, September 30, before Marshals Season 2 and Tracker Season 4 both land on Sunday, October 4.
Monday, October 5 becomes the busiest night in the schedule: FBI Season 9, CIA Season 2, Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Season 2, NCIS Season 24 and NCIS: Origins Season 3 all premiere that evening. CBS is using that cluster to hold a familiar audience block together before NCIS: New York shifts the momentum one night later.
Cupertino and Eternally Yours
Thursday, October 8 brings the biggest launch window for new titles, with Cupertino and Eternally Yours both arriving that night alongside Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Season 3 and Elsbeth Season 4. Friday, October 9 then hands the baton to Sheriff Country Season 2, Fire Country Season 5 and Boston Blue Season 2, spreading the schedule across the week instead of concentrating everything on one front-loaded evening.
Ghosts is the wrinkle in the plan. CBS is putting Matlock, Ghosts and Einstein in midseason, yet Ghosts will still run a two-episode Halloween special on October 29 and a two-episode holiday special on December 10. That split tells viewers not to expect a normal fall premiere for the series even though CBS still intends to use it inside the holiday calendar.
Paramount+ and midseason
All listed programs will stream live and on demand on Paramount+, which turns the schedule into a distribution plan as much as a broadcast one. For viewers, the practical takeaway is simple: the fall arrives in stages, with some series debuting in September and October, some held for midseason, and Ghosts used around the holidays instead of as a standard fall launch.
Why CBS chose those exact October dates for NCIS: New York, Cupertino and Eternally Yours is not explained. But the order makes the strategy plain: protect the returning franchises early, then let the new series step into cleaner Thursday and Tuesday slots once the season is already moving.
