7 Procedurals Coming Back To TV In Fall 2026

One of the earliest procedurals to return to TV this fall is R.J. Decker (2026). The drama series was one of the last additions to ABC’s programming as it finalized its fall line-up. The network looks confident in R.J. Decker’s return because it’s getting a prized spot. The second season will premiere at 11/10c on Tuesday, September 15, following Dancing with the Stars (2005).

If that slot looks familiar, it’s because it usually belongs to High Potential (2024), which has been pushed to midseason. So, the network’s other crime procedural, starring Scott Speedman, will take its place. Without a doubt, the biggest question heading into R.J. Decker Season 2 is who killed Victor (David Zayas), a corrupt politician and Emilia “Emi” Ochoa’s (Jaina Lee Ortiz) father. Presumably, this loss will impact Emi, giving R.J. Decker a larger opportunity to explore her character. Not to mention, it will be interesting to see what’s next for R.J. and Emi.

DOC (2025) is the only procedural returning to FOX for its fall slate. It returns with its third season on Tuesday, September 22 at 9/8c. Best Medicine (2026), which is a drama and not a structured procedural show, will join DOC on the same night. One of my favorite things about this show is that it has 22-episode seasons. That’s just so rare—practically nonexistent—for TV shows now. DOC Season 3 will be the second time this show has had that episode order.

The third season will continue to see Dr. Amy Larsen (Molly Parker) recover her memories. She lost eight years of them after a car accident, which is the show’s inciting incident. It will also explore what Dr. Ben Grant (Blair Underwood) brings to Westside after arriving in the Season 2 finale. The trailer for DOC Season 3 suggests that Amy is concerned about mixing the professional with the personal. Meanwhile, Ben appears to have intentions to run the department. Needless to say, it looks like there is plenty of medical drama to fill 22 episodes this season.

It may seem silly to flag NCIS (2003) as one to watch, but this show has been on for so many years (23 to be exact) for a reason. There’s a consistency and familiarity there. Relatedly, it tracks that NCIS’s landmark 24th season will kick off CBS’s block of programming for the franchise. The mothership series returns at 8/7c on Tuesday, October 6. It will be followed by the debut of NCIS: New York (2026) and the return of NCIS: Origins (2024) for its third season.  

NCIS Season 24 welcomes back Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), which will surely pull in fans of the character and/or his relationship with Ziva (Cote de Pablo). Tony joins the returning characters: Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover), Jessica Knight (Katrina Law), and Alden Parker (Gary Cole). Before NCIS moves on to its next case of the week, it needs to reveal what happened after that Season 23 cliffhanger. Did Nick and Mateo (Patrick Keleher) survive?

Another longstanding procedural franchise will return this fall: One Chicago on NBC. I may fall in and out of this shared universe, but I try my best to keep up with (or at least keep tabs on) Chicago Fire (2012). I find that show to be such a character-forward firefighting procedural that it rarely feels too formulaic. Even when so many of my favorites have left the show, I’m always eager to see what’s next for Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney). 

Considering the latter ended Chicago Fire Season 14 trapped in a burning building with other key characters, I’m feeling rather impatient about the show’s return. The 15th season is set to premiere on Wednesday, October 7, at 9/8c. It airs between Chicago Med Season 11 (2015) and Chicago P.D. Season 14 (2014), which also returns for NBC’s One Chicago block. So, if you need something to watch on Wednesday nights, NBC has three hours locked in for you.

Is it really a fall TV schedule if there isn’t a new season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)? I’m convinced that this show can never end—simply because I can’t imagine TV without it after all these years. There aren’t many details about the season, but it has a premiere date. The show returns for its feat of a 28th season at 9/8c on Thursday, October 8, on NBC. It will be followed by Law & Order (1990) Season 26, which was a rather late renewal for the network. 

While the season will star Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, it is still unclear if she will reunite with Detective  Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). After all, the cancellation of Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021) leaves that longstanding dynamic up in the air. I’m invested, and I haven’t even been watching this show for as long as it has been on the air. Alternatively, Olivia and Sgt. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola (Ice-T) don’t retire in Law & Order: SVU Season 27. So at least fans can look forward to seeing them work together in the show’s highly anticipated Season 28.

After its early renewal during its debut season, Sheriff Country (2025) returns with its sophomore season at 8/7c on Friday, October 9, on CBS. It leads into the fifth season of Fire Country (2022), from which Sheriff Country spun off. Beyond sharing the same fictional small town, the shows are connected—or related—by Sheriff Mickey Fox (Morena Baccarin) being Fire Country’s Sharon Leone’s (Diane Farr) stepsister. 

Heading into the second season, the theme of family remains at the forefront of Sheriff Country. After all, Mickey learns that her mother, Maria Bernal Fox (Rachel Ticotin), didn’t die in jail. In reality, she’s the Deputy Director of the DEA, Eva Santos. So, there’s a lot to unpack there—beyond Sheriff Country’s regular police procedural structure.

9-1-1 (2018) has so many places, literally and figuratively, it can go when it returns for its 10th season. The first-responder procedural drama went to space in Season 9, so really nothing is off the table here. The show returns at 8/7c on Thursday, October 15, on ABC. It will be followed by the second season of its spinoff series, 9-1-1: Nashville (2025). The network’s procedural block will close out with Grey’s Anatomy (2005) Season 23 at 10/9c. 

Really, the 9-1-1 Season 9 finale sets up many of the characters for new professional and personal adventures. For example, Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) is a detective now, and Buck (Oliver Stark) steps up to foster Theo (Lincoln and Theodore Sykes). So, there may not be any details or teasers for the season yet, but there is plenty of anticipation about what’s next for the 118. I’m curious to see what the opening emergency will be—if there is one—for Season 10.