ABC Midseason 2027: “The Bachelor” Moves to Sundays

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents ABC Midseason 2027: “The Bachelor” Moves to Sundays.

On Friday, 6. November 2026, ABC released an initial schedule for the 2027 winter season. The most important new date for reality TV fans: “The Bachelor” returns on Sunday, 21 March. The show now has a fixed slot at 8 p.m., followed directly by “What Would You Do?” at 10 p.m.

For your TV calendar, however, this is not yet the complete winter schedule. ABC’s announcement includes dates for dramas, comedies and reality formats. Some shows premiere in January, while others do not begin until February or March. At the same time, days of the week and air times have been set for most formats.

“The Bachelor” Returns on 21 March

Sunday, 21 March, is the clearest date in the entire announcement. “The Bachelor” will air at 8 p.m. This marks the franchise’s return to ABC: After the second season of “The Golden Bachelor” ended in November 2025, the format family was no longer on the schedule. According to the report, the most recent regular broadcast of “The Bachelor” took place in March 2025.

According to the report, the path back was not easy. There was unrest behind the scenes, and the “Bachelorette” season planned for the spring featuring Taylor Frankie Paul was canceled. For that reason, 21 March should primarily be viewed as a return date. The announcement does not specify which season or which specific contestant will appear in the new installment.

The Direct Handoff

“What Would You Do?” follows “The Bachelor” on the same evening at 10 p.m. This is a clear programming lineup: Anyone following the reality TV evening will still have the channel turned on at 10 p.m. after “The Bachelor.” The report does not provide a detailed episode order or classify the return as a special.

January Kicks Off With “Will Trent” and “High Potential”

Two dramas return on Tuesday, 5 January. “Will Trent” starts at 8 p.m., followed by “High Potential” at 9 p.m. “High Potential” also has a post-Super Bowl special scheduled for 14 February. The series therefore has two prominent dates during the winter season.

Tuesday Thus Maintains Its Usual Rhythm

Unlike “The Bachelor,” the announcement does not name a new day of the week for “Will Trent” and “High Potential.” They remain on Tuesday but now have a specific premiere date and fixed air times. This makes the two series among the first tangible additions for the new season.

At 10 p.m. on 5 January, the new unscripted format “Surviving a Scandal,” produced by ABC News Studios, follows. The term is deliberately used broadly here: The report describes the show as a non-scripted format with this title but provides no additional details about its content or cast in the current announcement.

“The Rookie” Gets a Wednesday Night With “The Rookie: North”

“The Rookie” will not remain on its previous Tuesday evening. ABC has scheduled the series and its spin-off, “The Rookie: North,” as a two-hour block on Wednesday, 6 January: “The Rookie” starts at 9 p.m., followed by “The Rookie: North” at 10 p.m. In previous seasons, “The Rookie” aired on Tuesdays; according to the report, the move is not merely temporary.

The Fixed Wednesday Order

At 8 p.m., “Shifting Gears,” starring Tim Allen and Kat Dennings, begins. The comedy launches with two episodes on 6 January. “Abbott Elementary” returns the following week, although the announcement does not specify an exact premiere date. With the lineup of “Shifting Gears,” “The Rookie” and “The Rookie: North,” the first Wednesday in January is nevertheless clearly mapped out.

The move for “The Rookie” is therefore more than a simple time adjustment. The series is getting a new day of the week, an earlier air time and a direct segue into its spin-off. Anyone who had previously planned around Tuesday evenings will now need to keep an eye out for Wednesday nights.

“American Idol” Starts on 8 February, While “Shark Tank” Moves

“American Idol” begins its 25th season on Monday, 8 February at 8 p.m. It is the show’s tenth season on ABC. A special retrospective episode, tentatively titled “American Idol at 25,” is scheduled for Monday, 1 February at 8 p.m.

“Shark Tank” follows “American Idol” on 8 February at 10 p.m. The sources identify Monday as “Shark Tank’s” new evening slot. This sets another firm broadcast date for the winter season.

The Calendar Runs From January Through March

“Celebrity Jeopardy!” is scheduled for Friday, 29 January at 8 p.m. ABC also lists the Grammy Awards on Sunday, 7 February and the Oscars on Sunday, 14 March. Before that comes the Super Bowl LXI on Sunday, 14 February at 6:30 p.m. ET; according to ABC’s schedule, all times are in ET/PT unless otherwise noted.

The winter schedule can therefore be divided into three stages: 5 and 6 January bring the drama premieres and the new Wednesday block, February is the month for “American Idol,” “Shark Tank,” the Grammy Awards and the Super Bowl special, and 21 March marks the return of “The Bachelor.” The schedule change therefore goes beyond “The Bachelor”: “The Rookie” is moving as well, while “Will Trent” and “High Potential” remain on Tuesdays.