CBS Fall 2026 premiere dates are now locked, and NCIS: New York will debut on Tuesday, October 6, between NCIS and NCIS: Origins. The schedule also puts Cupertino on Thursday, October 8, while the network spreads new and returning drama, comedy, and unscripted series across September and October.
The Monday announcement gives viewers the clearest map yet of when to expect the fall rollout, and it keeps the franchise-heavy Tuesdays centered on NCIS while opening October with fresh entries on multiple nights. Programs will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
September 13 to October 11
60 Minutes starts the season on Sunday, September 13, followed by Survivor Season 51 on Wednesday, September 23 and The Amazing Race Season 39 on Wednesday, September 30. Survivor then moves to its regular 8-9:30 PM time period that same night, a scheduling handoff that signals the network is using the early premieres to bridge into its fall grid without delaying the weekly run.
Marshals Season 2 and Tracker Season 4 both premiere on Sunday, October 4, then FBI Season 9, CIA Season 2, and Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Season 2 arrive on Monday, October 5. NCIS Season 24 and NCIS: Origins Season 3 follow on Tuesday, October 6, which places the new NCIS: New York directly between the established hour and the prequel.
October 8 and October 9
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Season 3, Eternally Yours, Elsbeth Season 4, and Cupertino all land on Thursday, October 8. That same stretch keeps CBS’s Thursday night visible in both returning and first-time slots, while Friday, October 9 brings Sheriff Country Season 2, Fire Country Season 5, and Boston Blue Season 2.
48 Hours Season 39 closes the first wave on Saturday, October 10. The network then shifts Marshals into its regular 8-9 PM time period on Sunday, October 11, while Tracker moves to 9-10 PM the same night, so the premiere week is not just a launch calendar but a reset of the weekly running order viewers will actually keep seeing.
Ghosts and midseason
Ghosts adds a wrinkle to the plan with two-episode specials set for October 29 and December 10, even though Matlock, Ghosts, and Einstein were said to bow in midseason. That split schedule suggests CBS is keeping at least one returning comedy active before the full midseason launch, rather than waiting for a single clean premiere block.
For Viewers of CBS, the practical read is simple: October 6 is the key franchise night, October 8 is the next cluster to watch, and the biggest unresolved piece is still the midseason launch order for Matlock, Ghosts, and Einstein. CBS has already shown how it wants the fall to move; the rest of the season now hinges on when those delayed titles join the grid.
