• Queen Latifah is joining The Voice as a first-time coach for Season 30 on NBC.
• She’ll share the coaching panel with returning veterans Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine, plus fellow newcomer Riley Green.
• Latifah brings serious music credentials — Grammy winner, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, rapper, producer, and former record label president.
• Season 30 premieres this fall; a specific date has not yet been announced.
• The season will also feature special appearances from former coaches and mentors.

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Queen Latifah is heading to the red chair — and honestly, she might need a throne. NBC confirmed on May 12 that the Grammy-winning rapper, actress, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee will join The Voice as a coach for Season 30, marking her first time on the show in that role.

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She’ll be joined by two familiar faces — Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine, who have a combined 30 seasons between them on the show — and fellow first-timer Riley Green, the country artist who recently wrapped a multi-episode arc on the Yellowstone spin-off Marshals.

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It’s a coaching panel that has a little bit of everything: Clarkson’s pop powerhouse energy, Levine’s rock credibility, Green’s country roots, and now Latifah bringing a hip-hop and soul legacy that no coach in the show’s history has quite matched.

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More Than an Actress — Way More

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In recent years, most people know Latifah as the star of CBS’s action drama The Equalizer, or maybe from her Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-nominated turn in the 2002 movie musical Chicago. But her music résumé is the real headline here. She rose to prominence in the late 1980s as one of hip-hop’s first major female stars, releasing music that blended rap with sharp messages of empowerment and social commentary. Her 1993 single “U.N.I.T.Y.” became one of her signature anthems and earned her a Grammy in 1995. Songs like “Ladies First” helped define an era.

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She’s also a former record label president and producer — meaning she’s not just an artist who’s been in front of the mic, she’s someone who’s built careers from behind the scenes too. That’s exactly the kind of experience that could make her an exceptional mentor for the next wave of emerging singers.

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At 56, Latifah steps into this role with a perspective that spans hip-hop, jazz, soul, and film — a range that should serve her well when artists from wildly different genres roll into those blind auditions.

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What’s New in Season 30

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Season 29 — which just wrapped — featured Clarkson, Levine, and John Legend as the three-coach lineup. For Season 30, Legend is out and Latifah and Green are in, giving the show a fresh dynamic heading into what the network is billing as a milestone season. Deadline reports the season will also include special appearances from former coaches and mentors, so don’t be surprised if some familiar faces pop up throughout the run.

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New episodes of The Voice will air Mondays at 8/7c on NBC, leading into the new Peter Krause-led crime drama Line of Fire. A premiere date hasn’t been locked in yet, but fall is the target.

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Latifah has done the competition show circuit before — she’s previously appeared as a guest judge on America’s Got Talent — but this is a different level of commitment. Sixteen episodes, full coaching duties, the works.

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The show is produced by MGM Television, Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, and ITV America, and was created by John de Mol, who exec produces alongside Mark Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Amanda Zucker, Kyra Thompson, Adam H. Sher, and Barry Poznick.

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Queen Latifah in a swivel chair, going head-to-head with Kelly Clarkson for a country singer’s loyalty? Fall cannot come fast enough.

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“category”: “TV

The post Queen Latifah Joins The Voice as Coach for Season 30 appeared first on Cream.

• NBC’s fall 2026 schedule shifts Law & Order to 10pm Thursdays, replaced at 8pm by a civilian version of The Traitors
• New drama Line of Fire, starring Peter Krause and Hope Davis, lands the coveted post-Voice slot on Mondays
• The Rockford Files reboot with David Boreanaz is held for a January midseason premiere, not fall
• The Voice returns for its 30th season with Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and Riley Green among the coaches
• NBC’s 100th anniversary special airs December 10 live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles

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NBC has locked in its fall 2026 primetime lineup, and the network is making some genuinely bold moves. Four new series are joining the fold for the 2026-2027 season, Law & Order is getting bumped from its longtime perch, and a civilian version of the biggest reality show on Peacock is about to go broadcast. There’s a lot happening — here’s what you need to know.

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The Biggest Thursday Night Shake-Up in Years

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The headline change is on Thursdays. The Traitors — the Emmy Award-winning psychological competition series hosted by Alan Cumming — is coming to NBC with an all-new civilian version, taking over the 8/7c hour. This isn’t the celebrity Peacock edition. This is everyday Americans stepping into Cumming’s infamous Scottish Highlands castle, competing for up to $250,000 while Traitors secretly pick off the Faithful one by one. It’s a massive format, and putting it on broadcast feels like NBC swinging for the fences.

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That move, though, has consequences for Law & Order. The original series — which had a last-minute deal to secure its renewal after missing early pickup — has been shifted to 10/9c, capping off the Thursday night block after Law & Order: SVU holds its 9pm position. It’s a notable demotion for one of television’s most storied franchises, though fans can at least exhale knowing it survived.

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What didn’t survive — or at least hasn’t been confirmed either way — is The Hunting Party. The show previously held that 10pm Thursday slot, and it’s been left off the fall schedule entirely. NBC hasn’t renewed or canceled it, which means talks are still ongoing. The show has had modest live numbers but reportedly broken out on Netflix, which could give it a lifeline for a potential midseason slot.

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New Shows, New Faces, and the Post-Voice Prize

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The most coveted real estate in NBC’s schedule — the hour right after The Voice on Monday nights — goes to Line of Fire, a new family drama starring Peter Krause and Hope Davis. The show, from writer-executive producer Josh Safran and executive produced by Jenna Bush Hager, follows a family of law enforcement agents — spanning the FBI, U.S. Marshals, Secret Service, and Department of Justice — who get pulled into a deadly conspiracy that forces them to use their professional skills to protect each other. Krause, who recently wrapped his run on 9-1-1, brings a built-in fanbase that NBC is clearly counting on.

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Fridays get some new energy too. Newlyweds, a multi-camera comedy starring Téa Leoni and Tim Daly — and executive produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, who also appears in the cast — slots in at 8:30/7:30c alongside the returning Happy’s Place. The show’s logline is a charmer: a free-spirited woman and a buttoned-up professor who marry impulsively after a whirlwind courtship. Late-in-life love stories are having a moment, and NBC is leaning in.

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Two other new series are being held for midseason. Sunset P.I., a single-camera comedy starring Jake Johnson and Jane Levy from the executive producers of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, arrives in February. Its logline alone earns points: “Continues the proud tradition of Los Angeles private eyes that began with Philip Marlowe and will end with this show.”

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The Rockford Files Is Coming — Just Not Yet

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The most anticipated new series on NBC’s slate is The Rockford Files, a contemporary reboot starring David Boreanaz as James Rockford — a man newly paroled after doing time for a crime he didn’t commit who returns to his life as a private investigator in Los Angeles, where his search for legitimacy puts him in the crosshairs of both local police and organized crime. The cast also includes Michaela McManus, Felix Solis, and Jacki Weaver.

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Despite the hype, NBC is holding it for a January premiere. It’s not unusual for a network to protect a high-profile show by giving it a midseason launch with a cleaner runway — but it will test the patience of anyone who’s been waiting on Boreanaz’s next move since Bones.

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The Voice Hits 30, Mondays Get Restructured

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The Voice returns for its milestone 30th season with Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and country star Riley Green confirmed as coaches, with a fourth chair still to be announced. The show will air for two hours on Monday nights in September and October, before scaling back to one hour starting in November — at which point St. Denis Medical and the Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins (returning for its second season) reclaim the 8/7c slot.

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Tuesdays belong entirely to the NBA. Wednesdays remain untouched — Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. hold their block for another season, as reliable as ever.

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Big Events, a Game Show, and a Century to Celebrate

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NBC is also rolling out a new game show based on the New York Times word game Wordle, hosted by Savannah Guthrie and executive produced by Jimmy Fallon through his Electric Hot Dog production company. Produced in partnership with the Times, the show pits competitive players in squads against each other in a “supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun.” It’s slated for a 2027 premiere.

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On the special events side, NBC is marking its 100th anniversary on December 10 with a live, three-hour variety special from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, celebrating a century of must-see television. The 100th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs November 26 — coming off its biggest audience ever in 2025. The 78th Emmy Awards air September 14 from the Microsoft Theater. And the holiday season brings back The National Dog Show, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, and animated classics including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

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For Rockford Files fans specifically — mark your calendars for January. It’s coming. Just not as fast as anyone hoped.

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“category”: “TV

The post NBC Fall 2026 Schedule: Every Change You Need to Know appeared first on Cream.

• Savannah Guthrie will host a new Wordle game show on NBC, announced live on Today on May 11, 2026.
• Jimmy Fallon, an executive producer on the show, made the surprise reveal alongside Guthrie during the broadcast.
• Production was delayed after Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy, was reported missing in Arizona on February 1.
• The show will film in Manchester, England this summer — casting is now open via Today’s website.
• It has been over 100 days since Nancy Guthrie disappeared, with no suspect identified and a $100,000 FBI reward still active.

Savannah Guthrie has a new job — and she’s been sitting on the news for a very long time.

On Monday’s episode of Today, Guthrie and Jimmy Fallon officially announced that a Wordle game show is coming to NBC — with Guthrie, 54, at the helm. Fallon, who serves as executive producer, made the reveal during the 8 a.m. hour, kicking things off with characteristic enthusiasm.

“This is very exciting, I have a big announcement to make,” Fallon said. “We’ve been developing Wordle as a game show for the past two-and-a-half years with The New York Times, and it’s official — we are making Wordle Game Show with our host, Savannah Guthrie!”

Guthrie, a self-described Wordle devotee, lit up. “We’ve been holding this secret between us for a long time now,” she said, “and we’re going to make Wordle a game show.”

The show, based on the wildly popular New York Times online puzzle that launched in 2022, will challenge players to solve five-letter word puzzles in what’s being described as a “supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun.” According to the official synopsis, the format builds on the way the Wordle community already plays — “solving together, sharing wins, debating strategies and cheering one another on” — but now the most obsessed and competitive players will team up in squads and go head-to-head in a Wordle arena, competing for a cash prize.

Guthrie teased that it’s “super fast-paced and fun” and very much a family show. “I love a game and a show that you can watch with kids and you feel like they’re learning some things,” she said. Fallon backed that up: “Everyone can play, and it’s not like a trivia game where you have to know all these things and facts. It’s like, you’re just trying to guess a word.”

When Guthrie asked Fallon for hosting tips, he basically told her she didn’t need any. “We all thought, ‘Oh, you’re going to be great.’ And then you did it, and like 200 crew and cast, everyone was like, ‘We can’t do this show without Savannah Guthrie.'” Guthrie, ever self-deprecating, joked that she figured he picked her “because I have a skirt that looks like a Wordle.”

Carson Daly and Craig Melvin surprised her with Wordle merch baskets to mark the moment — a fun touch that made the morning feel, briefly, like a celebration.

The Thank-You That Said Everything

But beneath the excitement, there was something heavier — and Guthrie didn’t shy away from it.

She revealed that the show was supposed to shoot back in March, but everything stopped when her world fell apart. “We just found out in February that we got picked up and we were supposed to shoot in March,” she said. “And I just want to say a quick thank you to NBC and to Jimmy and his production company and The New York Times and the studio and Universal because when everything happened with me and my family, they just stopped everything and said, ‘We’ll wait for you.’ And Hollywood is a really tough business, and I didn’t expect that, and I just want to say thank you, it means so much to me.”

Fallon’s response was simple: “We can’t do it without you.”

Guthrie acknowledged the strange emotional territory she’s navigating. “It kind of feels strange to do everything right now,” she admitted on air, “but this is something that’s full of joy.”

She told The New York Times even more directly: “Everything is strange right now. It’s strange to get up and do the Today show every day, and it’s strange to say that I’m going to do a game show when your heart is broken. Nothing about that has changed, and it’s not easy, but I’m determined to put one foot in front of the other. And this is a joyous thing.”

She also shared a detail that hit differently given everything: she showed her mother the game show’s pilot in December 2025. Nancy and Savannah had bonded over Wordle.

100 Days, and Still No Answers

Savannah’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona home on February 1. She was last seen alive on January 31. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said early in the investigation that there were “concerning circumstances” found at Nancy’s home, and described her as mentally alert but not in good physical health. “I hope we find her safe and sound,” he told reporters, “but we can’t ignore what’s in front of us.”

As of Monday’s announcement, it has been over 100 days. No suspect has been identified, no motive established. Several ransom letters were allegedly received by TMZ and local news outlets during the investigation. The FBI released photos and video of an unidentified person outside Nancy’s home, and a $100,000 reward remains available for any information leading to her recovery or an arrest.

Savannah took two months away from Today before returning to the anchor desk on April 6. Before she came back, she sat down with Hoda Kotb in an emotional interview that left viewers gutted. “Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony,” she said. “And to think of what she went through. I wake up every night in the middle of the night. Every night. And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable.”

She also opened up about a guilt she can’t shake — the fear that her public profile made her mother a target. “It’s just too much to bear to think that I brought this to her bedside,” she told Kotb. “That it’s because of me. I have to say I’m so sorry, Mommy. I’m so sorry.”

On Mother’s Day, the day before Monday’s announcement, Savannah posted an emotional tribute to Nancy on Instagram — a collection of video clips, and words that were hard to read.

“Mother, daughter, sister, Nonie — we miss you with our every breath. We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you. We need help. Someone knows something that can make the difference. Call 1800CALLFBI. You can be anonymous, and the reward remains available. Please keep praying. Bring her home. 💛”

Her husband, Mike Feldman, 57, honored Savannah that same day on Instagram, posting a photo of her with their two kids — Vale, 11, and Charley, 9 — and writing: “To the strongest person I know. Surrounding you with love on Mother’s Day. ❤️💔❤️.”

The Wordle game show films this summer in Manchester, England. If you want to be in that arena, casting is open now. And if you know anything about Nancy Guthrie, the FBI tip line is 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The post Savannah Guthrie to Host Wordle Game Show on NBC appeared first on Cream.

• NBC has officially greenlit a primetime game show based on the New York Times’ Wordle puzzle
• Today anchor Savannah Guthrie will host, with Jimmy Fallon executive producing via his Electric Hot Dog banner
• The show pits teams of players against each other in a “Wordle arena” for a cash prize
• Filming begins later this year, with the show expected to premiere in 2027
• Casting is open now — applications close May 29 at wordle.castingcrane.com

Savannah Guthrie is taking her daily Wordle obsession to primetime. NBC has officially greenlit a game show based on the beloved New York Times word puzzle, with Guthrie set to host and Tonight Show star Jimmy Fallon on board as executive producer. The show is expected to premiere in 2027.

Fallon made the announcement in person on Monday’s broadcast of Today, stopping by the studio to share the news alongside Guthrie — who, by all accounts, was already one of the game’s most devoted fans long before any cameras were involved. She plays daily, shares her scores across multiple group texts (one, called “Wordle Nerdle,” includes co-host Carson Daly and his wife), and in March 2025, she solved a mega-sized Wordle on Times Square’s Mega-Zilla screen — a moment she called “every word nerd’s dream and possible nightmare.”

“I feel very honored to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show,” Fallon said in a statement. “Savannah has that rare combination of intelligence, charm and warmth that makes everyone feel instantly welcome. And she obviously knows how to host a show. I am SUPERPROUD and HAPPY and I think we developed a SOLID GAMER for PRIME-time.”

Yes, he typed it in Wordle colors. Of course he did.

How the Show Will Work

The TV version of Wordle will go bigger than your morning phone ritual. Per NBC, “the most-obsessed and competitive players will team up in squads and go head-to-head in the ‘Wordle’ arena, playing for an incredible cash prize” — though NBC hasn’t disclosed exactly how incredible that prize is just yet. The format challenges players to solve five-letter word puzzles in what the network calls “a supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun,” built around the community spirit that’s made Wordle a daily ritual for millions: solving together, debating strategies, and sharing that little grid of green and gold squares.

The series comes from Universal Television Alternative Studio in partnership with Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog company and The New York Times, which will serve as a production partner — a first for the paper on a primetime broadcast series. Wes Kauble will serve as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Fallon and Jim Juvonen for Electric Hot Dog, and Caitlin Roper and Jonathan Knight for the Times. The show will be filmed in Manchester, England, and is expected to replicate Wordle’s iconic typeface and color scheme.

“‘Wordle’ is one of the most successful and culturally resonant games of the past decade,” said Sharon Vuong, EVP of unscripted programming at NBC. “This series is a natural extension of NBC’s legacy in the game show space.”

For the Times, the deal marks a meaningful new chapter. The company acquired Wordle in 2022 for a low seven-figure sum after creator Josh Wardle — a Welsh software engineer who built the game in 2021 — sold it to the paper. Since then, it’s become one of the most-played games on the internet: 4.8 billion plays in 2023, 5.3 billion in 2024. “Several years ago, The New York Times began developing a ‘Wordle’ game show,” said Roper, the Times’ executive editorial director of film and TV. “Teaming up with Jimmy Fallon to develop the game for NBC was a perfect fit. Like Jimmy, Savannah is a passionate Wordle player — she even solved on TV in Times Square. No one gets what our contestants will go through like she does.”

It’s also worth knowing that this isn’t Fallon’s first game show rodeo at NBC. He already produces the Password reboot hosted by Keke Palmer, and hosts both That’s My Jam and On Brand in addition to The Tonight Show. The man has a type — and that type is games.

“Everything Is Strange Right Now”

The greenlight is genuinely joyful news, but it arrives in the middle of an extraordinarily difficult period for Guthrie. Her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was taken from her Tucson, Arizona home in the early morning hours of February 1st. No suspects have been identified, and there has been no proof of life since. Guthrie took an extended leave from Today before returning to her anchor seat on April 6th, and filming on Wordle was delayed in the wake of the disappearance.

In an interview, Guthrie revealed that Wordle had actually been a point of connection between her and her mother — and that in December, she had shown Nancy the show’s pilot.

“Everything is strange right now,” Guthrie said. “It’s strange to get up and do the ‘Today’ show every day, and it’s strange to say that I’m going to do a game show when your heart is broken.”

“Nothing about that has changed, and it’s not easy,” she added, “but I’m determined to put one foot in front of the other. And this is a joyous thing.”

Production is set to begin later this year. If you think you’ve got what it takes to compete in the Wordle arena, casting is open now through May 29 at 5 p.m. PT.

The post Savannah Guthrie to Host ‘Wordle’ Game Show on NBC appeared first on Cream.

• NBC has officially ordered a contemporary reboot of The Rockford Files starring David Boreanaz for the 2026-27 season.
• Boreanaz plays a newly paroled James Rockford navigating L.A. crime and corruption as a private investigator.
• Former SEAL Team co-star Michaela McManus joins the cast alongside Felix Solis and Jacki Weaver.
• The show was a frontrunner from the start of pilot season, boosted by Boreanaz’s performance blending swagger and dry wit.
• NBC passed on four other pilots including projects starring Emily Deschanel, Damon Wayans Jr., and Taylor Schilling.

Jim Rockford is officially back on the case. NBC has handed a series order to The Rockford Files, the contemporary reboot starring David Boreanaz, set to debut in the 2026-27 television season — and from everything that screened this pilot season, the network made the right call.

Boreanaz steps into the role made iconic by the late James Garner, playing a newly paroled James Rockford who returns to his life as a private investigator in Los Angeles. The official logline sets the tone perfectly: “Using his charm and wit to solve cases around Los Angeles, it doesn’t take long for his quest for legitimacy to land him squarely in the crosshairs of both local police and organized crime.” So yes — same Rockford energy, updated for now.

The show was considered a strong contender from the moment it was announced, and its position only solidified after the pilot screened for the network. According to sources, Boreanaz’s performance was singled out as a highlight — his ability to blend swagger and dry wit drew comparisons to what made the original series work in the first place. That’s no small thing when you’re carrying the legacy of a show that ran for six seasons and earned Garner an Emmy.

Who’s Joining Boreanaz on the Case

Boreanaz won’t be working alone. Michaela McManus — his former SEAL Team co-star — joins the cast, along with Felix Solis (The Rookie) and Jacki Weaver (Yellowstone). It’s a sharp ensemble, and the reunion between Boreanaz and McManus gives the show a built-in dynamic to work with from day one.

Behind the camera, writer Mike Daniels (Ponies) executive produces alongside Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman, with Chris Leanza as co-executive producer. Greg Mottola directed and executive produced the pilot.

The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group — keeping everything in the NBC family.

A Pilot Season With Real Stakes

This was NBC’s most ambitious pilot season since before the pandemic, with eight pilots in contention across five dramas and three comedies. The network committed to established TV stars anchoring every project, and by most accounts, it paid off — leading performances tested high across the board at every screening.

Of the eight, four made the cut. Alongside The Rockford Files, NBC also ordered the law enforcement drama Line of Fire (formerly titled Protection) starring Peter Krause and Hope Davis, the single-camera comedy Sunset P.I. with Jake Johnson as an L.A. private eye, and the multi-camera comedy Newlyweds, which stars real-life couple Téa Leoni and Tim Daly — with Jamie Lee Curtis recurring as a guest star, because why not.

The four that didn’t make it: drama Key Witness starring Emily Deschanel, What the Dead Know starring Taylor Schilling, Puzzled starring Damon Wayans Jr., and an untitled comedy featuring Katey Sagal and Jane Lynch. That’s a lot of recognizable names that won’t be on NBC next fall — though Deschanel’s project is reportedly being shopped to other networks, and there’s talk of retooling the Schilling drama around her character.

NBC chairman Pearlena Igbokwe framed the picks as exactly the kind of bold moves the network wanted to make. “Our creative teams, led by Lisa Katz at NBC and Erin Underhill at Universal Television, delivered an exceptional pilot slate, developing eight standout projects that reflect our ambition,” she said. “While we often hear the phrase embarrassment of riches, it truly applies in this case. This process allowed us to take big swings, and we landed on shows that we think can truly break through.”

The pilot season also had a real-world impact beyond the screen — all eight pilots filmed domestically, creating approximately 4,000 jobs across cast, crew, and production teams. Three shot on the Universal lot in Los Angeles, three in New York, and two in Atlanta.

For NBC, the new shows slot into a lineup that already includes Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. — meaning The Rockford Files and Line of Fire will have some very established neighbors to settle in next to.

As for Boreanaz — who spent 13 seasons on Bones and another seven on SEAL Team — this is his biggest network bet since hanging up the dog tags. If the pilot is any indication, Rockford fits him like a well-worn leather jacket.

The post David Boreanaz’s Rockford Files Reboot Gets NBC Series Order appeared first on Cream.

• NBC is renewing Law & Order for a 26th season, with an official announcement expected imminently.
• The renewal came down to the wire, with the show sitting on the bubble alongside Brilliant Minds and The Hunting Party.
• Season 26 will not be designated as the final season, keeping the door open for future renewals.
• The cast — Tony Goldwyn, Hugh Dancy, Maura Tierney, Reid Scott, and Odelya Halevi — is expected to return.
• NBC will unveil its full 2026-27 fall lineup to advertisers at its upfront presentation on Monday.

Law & Order is coming back. NBC is finalizing a Season 26 renewal for Dick Wolf’s flagship procedural, with an official pickup expected as soon as Friday — just days before the network presents its fall lineup to advertisers at its upfront event on Monday.

According to Deadline, which first reported the news, the renewal came uncomfortably close to the wire. The mothership series had unexpectedly landed on the bubble this season alongside sophomore dramas Brilliant Minds and The Hunting Party — a surprise given that the show had seemed to hit its creative stride, particularly in its current run, after a somewhat rocky relaunch following a 12-year absence from the air.

Law & Order was always considered the most likely of the three to survive. Brilliant Minds has already been canceled after two seasons. The Hunting Party is still in contention, buoyed in part by a Netflix run that boosted its streaming numbers on Peacock. But for the original Law & Order, there was another factor working in its favor that no network executive could easily ignore: history.

Why NBC Wasn’t Going to Cancel This One Quietly

The show was famously axed without warning in May 2010 — a shock cancellation that left no room for a proper goodbye. NBC eventually brought it back after a 12-year break, and the lesson from that saga seems to have stuck. As Deadline noted, it’s hard to imagine the network canceling an iconic series like Law & Order twice with no advance notice or sendoff. Fans who lived through the first cancellation have made clear they’d want a real conclusion if the show ever does end — and NBC appears to be listening.

For now, that ending isn’t coming. Sources tell Deadline that Season 26 will not be designated as a final season, which means the franchise’s future remains open-ended.

There may be some belt-tightening ahead. Budget cuts have become standard practice for long-running broadcast dramas with established casts, and details on any trims are still reportedly being worked out. That said, Law & Order has always run leaner than some of its Wolf Entertainment siblings — this season featured just five series regulars: Tony Goldwyn, Hugh Dancy, Maura Tierney, Reid Scott, and Odelya Halevi.

Where Law & Order Fits in NBC’s 2026-27 Lineup

Season 25 wraps on Thursday, May 14 on NBC, so the Season 26 news lands right at the finish line. When the new season arrives — likely sometime in September or early October, based on the show’s typical scheduling — it’ll join a returning NBC scripted slate that includes Chicago Fire Season 15, Chicago Med Season 12, Chicago P.D. Season 14, Law & Order: SVU Season 28, Happy’s Place Season 2, St. Denis Medical Season 3, and The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Season 2.

SVU had already locked in its renewal. Organized Crime, by contrast, was canceled. And with Brilliant Minds now gone too, the original Law & Order — the one that started it all — is heading into its 26th year.

The show is executive produced by Dick Wolf, Rick Eid, Pamela Wechsler, Alex Hall, and Peter Jankowski, and is produced by Universal Television in association with Wolf Entertainment. The full fall schedule details are expected when NBC makes its upfront presentation Monday — so the exact premiere date and time slot should come into focus very soon.

The post Law & Order Renewed for Season 26 at NBC appeared first on Cream.