If you’ve spent any time lately scrolling through the guide or hitting "live" on Paramount+, you know the vibes have shifted at CBS. The network is essentially in a massive rebuilding phase, but they’re doing it with high-octane spinoffs and some surprisingly weird comedies. We’re deep into the 2025-2026 season now, and honestly, the list of cbs shows currently airing feels like a fever dream for anyone who grew up on Blue Bloods or the original NCIS.
The big news for 2026 is that the "Eye" network decided to hold back almost its entire scripted roster through January and most of February. Why? The Winter Olympics over on NBC. CBS basically said, "We aren't competing with the slopes," so they parked their heavy hitters until late February. It was a long winter of repeats, but the floodgates are finally opening.
The 2026 Return Schedule: Mark Your Calendar
The midseason return is kind of a gauntlet. If you’re looking for the current list of cbs shows and when they actually come back with fresh episodes, here is the breakdown for the "Big Return" week in February 2026:
- Monday, February 23: The night kicks off with the veteran The Neighborhood at 8:00 PM. Then comes the breakout workplace comedy DMV at 8:30 PM. The flagship FBI returns at 9:00 PM, followed by the series premiere of CIA at 10:00 PM.
- Tuesday, February 24: It’s an all-NCIS night. NCIS (Season 23) starts at 8:00 PM, followed by the prequel NCIS: Origins at 9:00 PM, and NCIS: Sydney at 10:00 PM.
- Wednesday, February 25: This is the massive one. Survivor 50 premieres with a three-hour special. It’s the "best of the best" season everyone has been screaming for.
- Thursday, February 26: The comedy block is back. Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (8:00 PM), Ghosts (8:30 PM), the Kathy Bates hit Matlock (9:00 PM), and Elsbeth (10:00 PM).
- Friday, February 27: The Fire Country universe takes over. Sheriff Country at 8:00 PM, followed by Fire Country itself at 9:00 PM, and the Donnie Wahlberg vehicle Boston Blue at 10:00 PM.
The Spinoff Strategy: Why Everything Feels Familiar
CBS isn't exactly reinventing the wheel; they’re just putting new tires on very successful old cars. Take Boston Blue. Everyone was devastated when Blue Bloods ended, but then Donnie Wahlberg just... kept being Danny Reagan. In this "extension" series, he’s a Boston PD partner with Sonequa Martin-Green’s character. It’s basically Blue Bloods with a different accent and slightly grittier streets.
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Then you’ve got Sheriff Country. Morena Baccarin is playing Mickey Fox, who is the stepsister of Sharon Leone from Fire Country. It’s a very clever way to keep the "Bruckheimer-core" audience happy on Friday nights. Honestly, Friday is now just the "First Responder Night," and it’s working. The ratings for the premiere week in late 2025 showed Boston Blue actually outperforming the final season of Blue Bloods in some demos.
The Yellowstone Connection
Maybe the most surprising addition to the list of cbs shows this year is Y: Marshals. Yes, CBS finally landed a Taylor Sheridan scripted property for the main network. Starring Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, it follows him after the events of the Yellowstone Ranch as he joins an elite U.S. Marshals unit in Montana. It premieres March 1, 2026. This is a huge play for the "Blue State/Red State" crossover audience that broadcast TV thrives on.
Comedy and Reality: The "DMV" and "Survivor 50"
Let’s talk about DMV. When I first heard they were making a sitcom about the Department of Motor Vehicles, I thought it sounded like a 1990s reject. But Tim Meadows and Harriet Dyer have turned it into something legitimately funny. It’s a single-camera show, which is rare for CBS, and it’s pulling about 6.6 million viewers. People clearly relate to the misery of waiting for a license renewal.
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On the unscripted side, Survivor 50 is the elephant in the room. Jeff Probst has been teasing this for years. It’s an all-returnee cast, and because it’s the 50th season, the budget is clearly higher. They’re doing 90-minute episodes as the standard now, which allows for way more camp life and strategy talk. If you’ve fallen off the Survivor wagon, this is the season to jump back on.
What Happened to the Old Favorites?
You might notice some names missing from the list of cbs shows this spring. The Equalizer didn't make the cut for this season, and Blue Bloods is officially gone (aside from the Boston Blue transition). CBS is leaning heavily into "franchise nights."
Tuesday is for NCIS.
Thursday is for the Big Bang Theory universe and Ghosts.
Friday is for the Fire Country world.
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It’s a very "Disney-fied" approach to TV—keep the brands together so the audience never has to change the channel.
Expert Insights on the 2026 Season
Television analyst Amy Reisenbach has been vocal about "stable schedules." The goal for 2026 wasn't to find the next Severance or Succession. It was to find shows that 8 million people would watch live. Matlock with Kathy Bates was a genius move in that regard. It’s a "comfort procedurals" resurgence. People want to see smart people solve crimes in 42 minutes, and CBS is the last place on Earth doing that consistently well.
Actionable Steps for CBS Fans in 2026
If you want to keep up with this massive list without getting overwhelmed, here is how to handle the 2026 TV cycle:
- Check the "Sneak Peeks": CBS loves to drop premiere episodes on Sundays after 60 Minutes or NFL games before they move to their regular time slots. If you missed the Matlock or Elsbeth sneak peeks in late 2025, they are all on Paramount+ now.
- The "90-Minute" Rule: Starting in March 2026, Survivor and The Amazing Race are sticking to the 90-minute format. Adjust your DVRs accordingly, or you’ll miss the last 30 minutes of every tribal council.
- Monitor "Y: Marshals": Since this is a Taylor Sheridan show, expect it to have a different "feel" than your standard CBS procedural. It’s a big test for the network to see if "Prestige Westerns" work in a 10:00 PM broadcast slot.
- Stream the Backstory: If you’re jumping into Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, you really should watch the final season of Young Sheldon first. The emotional stakes for Mandy's family make way more sense if you know where they came from.
The 2026 season proves that broadcast TV isn't dead; it’s just becoming a very specific kind of comfort food. Whether you're here for the 50th season of Survivor or Donnie Wahlberg's new badge, the current schedule is the most cohesive it has been in a decade.