Fall 2026’s 9 Most Exciting Sitcoms

Published Sep 12, 2026, 1:18 PM EDT Arielle Port started as a TV producer, developing content for Netflix (Firefly Lane, Brazen) and Hallmark (The Santa Stakeout, A Christmas Treasure) before transitioning into entertainment journalism. Her love of story went from interest to lifelong passion while at The University of Pennsylvania, where she fell in with a student-run web series, Classless TV, and it was a gateway drug. Arielle Port has been a Writer for Screen Rant since August 2024. She lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend and more importantly, her cat, Boseman. TV comedy is in a weird transitional period. Streaming has made it harder for comedies to find an audience and survive long enough to hit their stride, especially with shortened seasons where every episode feels like it needs to move an overarching plot forward. Studios are increasingly trying to balance two very different worlds. The network sitcom world that values familiar faces over splashy premises, as Tim Allen’s critically pilloried but widely popular Shifting Gears proves. Streamers often prioritize critically acclaimed dramedies, like Shrinking. While it’s hardly the sitcom boom of the 2000s, there are plenty of true sitcoms to be excited about that are premiering or returning over the next few months as we head into the fall. There is a mix of established shows coming back for their fifth season or more, like ABC’s perennial favorite Abbott Elementary. There are also a few freshman sitcoms, including one from CBS and the showrunners of Ghosts, with a lot of potential to be the next big hit. Scrubs is also returning for season 11 just months after season 10, back in rotation like it never was taken off the schedule. Traditional multi-cam sitcoms might be fewer and farther between, but it’s all the more amazing when one truly lands. The fall 2026 TV schedule proves there is still plenty of room for shows that understand what makes comedy work, whether that means returning to familiar characters or simply giving a great ensemble enough time to find its rhythm. Universal Basic Guys (Fox) Returns For Season 3 On September 27 Image vai Everett Collection Animation has a few legacy sitcoms that have dominated the genre for decades, from The Simpsons to South Park, making it difficult for newer shows to break through. That is especially true as audiences spread across more platforms and programming niches than ever before. Universal Basic Guys stands out as an original animated sitcom from brothers Adam and Craig Malamut, following two brothers who suddenly have too much free time after their factory jobs are replaced by AI. That premise feels particularly timely, as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workplace and fuel anxiety about job security. Fans of Family Guy and King of the Hill will find a familiar comedic rhythm in Universal Basic Guys. The show combines Fox's crude, male-skewing animated humor with the blue collar absurdity of two ordinary guys getting themselves into increasingly ridiculous situations like all the best animated sitcoms. Eternally Yours (CBS) Series Premiere October 8 Image via CBS Fans of Ghosts will have to wait until 2027 for season 6, with only two two-part Halloween and Christmas specials arriving until then. Fortunately, Ghosts creators Joe Port and Joe Wiseman have another supernatural sitcom coming to CBS this fall. Eternally Yours is an idea that practically sells itself: A 500-year-old vampire couple has grown sick of each other, but they still have to navigate their daughter, their marriage, and the increasingly strange modern world. The concept is especially intriguing because Port and Wiseman originally wrote the pilot more than a decade ago, long before Ghosts became a hit. CBS eventually revisited the project following the success of Ghosts, giving the pair a chance to bring their long-gestating vampire comedy to life. The charming trailer suggests Eternally Yours could deliver the same sharp supernatural humor that made Ghosts such a fantastical success. Newlyweds (NBC) Series Premiere October 23 Téa Leoni and Tim Daly’s chemistry as a married couple on Madam Secretary eventually became a real-life romance, and apparently, the pair enjoyed working together enough to do it all over again. The pair reunite for Newlyweds, an upcoming NBC sitcom about a later-in-life couple adjusting to married life. The series looks to be a throwback to the classic sitcom format, making it notable as the only new multi-cam sitcom on the 2026 fall TV schedule. That alone makes Newlyweds stand out in a television landscape increasingly dominated by single-camera comedies. While NBC has yet to release a trailer, the series has some impressive talent behind it. Jamie Lee Curtis is attached as a producer and will also appear onscreen as Daly’s character’s ex-wife. With Leoni and Daly’s established chemistry, Newlyweds could be one of fall’s most traditional, but potentially most charming, sitcoms to fall in love with. Animal Control (Fox) Returns For Season 5 On September 27 Image via FOX Animal Control is a quietly reliable workplace sitcom that has made it all the way to season 5. Starring Joel McHale as a glory-seeking member of a Seattle animal control office, the series gets plenty of comedy from the fact that its employees can be just as wild and unpredictable as the animals they’re called to collect. Each episode is titled after a different critter, and the series balances its workplace antics with a slow-burn romance, office rivalries, and an endless assortment of adorable animals. The show is a breezy, consistently funny workplace comedy that can deliver a complete story in 22 tight minutes. Its irreverent workplace humor fits perfectly alongside Fox’s broader comedy lineup. The network is doubling down on that fit by moving the show with just the right amount of bark and bite to Sunday nights after its flagship comedy The Simpsons. Abbott Elementary (ABC) Returns For Season 6 On October 7 Abbott Elementary is one of television’s warmest and most beloved sitcoms, and the ABC flagship comedy is returning for season 6. After season 5 felt like it was occasionally meandering, creator and star Quinta Brunson has said the new season is intended to have more direction, which could give the show’s latest chapter a stronger sense of momentum. Janine and Gregory shockingly broke up in the Abbott Elementary season 5 finale, though it seems unlikely to last permanently. It's unnecessary; the show doesn’t need major plot twists or flashy guest stars to remain one of the best sitcoms on television. Abbott Elementary's mockumentary format, lovable ensemble, and mix of workplace comedy with genuine heart have made it a critical and audience favorite. If season 6 can recapture its early momentum, Abbott should be an A+. Dig (Peacock) Series Premiere On November 23 Dig is Peacock’s adaptation of Kate Myers’ 2023 novel Excavations, with Parks & Recreation collaborators Michael Schur and Amy Poehler reuniting for the first time since that beloved sitcom ended. The story follows four archaeologists working at an excavation site in Greece who uncover a secret that puts them at the center of an international conspiracy. There’s no trailer yet, so it’s difficult to know exactly how Dig will balance its comedy with its action and mystery elements. Still, Schur has already proven he can play with genre, from the masterpiece fantasy of The Good Place to the mystery-driven comedy of A Man on the Inside. Add Hugh Laurie and Geraldine Viswanathan to the mix, alongside Poehler, and Dig is an especially exciting prospect. Peacock has quietly become one of the strongest homes for original comedy, and Dig could be its next buried treasure. The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins (NBC) Returns For Season 2 On November 2 The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins has more star power and potential than most new comedies, even if its first season wasn’t a runaway success. Still, many sitcoms need time to evolve into their best versions. The NBC comedy pairs Tracy Morgan as Reggie Dinkins, a disgraced former professional football player, with Daniel Radcliffe as an esteemed documentarian who is also in need of a rebrand. Behind the scenes, the series is co-run by a former 30 Rock co-showrunner, bringing that show’s irreverent sensibility and love of cutaway gags into a mockumentary format. Season 1 showed plenty of promise, but never quite delivered a full proof of concept. Nevertheless, there is enough humor and heart to hope that season 2 will provide a comeback. Scrubs (ABC) Returns For Season 11 On September 30 The Scrubs revival could have been DOA, but instead, it turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. The series had a surprisingly natural point to restart, with J.D. now serving as Chief of Medicine rather than the wide-eyed intern viewers first met. The original Scrubs DNA is still firmly intact (and the much-hated season 9 can remain a fever dream), but the revival also introduces a new crop of medical and surgical interns, giving the series a fresh perspective without abandoning what made it work. J.D. and Turk remain one of television’s greatest comedic duos. That balance between familiar characters and new blood makes the revival feel like an easy continuation. After more than a decade away, Scrubs has somehow found a way to make returning to Sacred Heart feel natural. The fact that season 2 is premiering just five months after the first season finished airing is an encouraging sign. St. Denis Medical (NBC) Returns For Season 3 On November 2 Image via Everett Collections St. Denis Medical is a brilliant medical mockumentary that deserves to be much bigger than it is. The cast of St. Denis may not be household names, but they’re the kind of actors viewers have probably been seeing in their favorite shows for years, and the ensemble has become one of the series’ biggest strengths. Set in an understaffed Oregon hospital, the comedy manages to balance the absurdity of workplace sitcoms with the genuine pathos required when the workplace happens to be somewhere that people’s lives are on the line. That tonal balance is difficult to pull off, but St. Denis Medical makes it look effortless. The series has been critically acclaimed since its premiere, yet it still feels like a show more people should be watching. If laughter is the best medicine, St. Denis should be on every sitcom fan’s radar.