The Great Broadcast Purge: Your 2026 Guide to Every Major Network Finale

Put down the remote and grab a drink, preferably something strong. It’s that time of year again when the broadcast networks decide we’ve had enough of our favorite fictional friends and prepare to pull the plug for the summer. Whether your favorite procedural is ending on a cliffhanger or a beloved comedy is finally being put out of its misery, the next few weeks are going to be a bloodbath of "To Be Continued" screens and tearful goodbyes.

Welcome to the 2026 Finale Season. While the streamers are busy dropping entire seasons on a random Tuesday morning, the Big Five (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and The CW) still insist on the ancient tradition of May Sweeps. It’s a month-long sprint of high-stakes drama, overstuffed wedding episodes, and the inevitable realization that you’ve spent way too many hours watching people in lab coats explain DNA results.

Here at The TV Cave, we’ve done the heavy lifting so you don’t have to. We’ve combed through the schedules to bring you the definitive "Save the Date" guide for the 60+ finales hitting your screen this spring.

The Heavy Hitters and the "About Time" Finales

The 2025-2026 season has been a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve seen freshman hits like Matlock prove that Kathy Bates is essentially a cheat code for ratings, while veterans like Grey’s Anatomy continue to defy the laws of biology and logic by entering their 22nd year.

The real talk of the town, however, is the departures. CBS is saying goodbye to The Neighborhood and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in May. While the former has been a steady (if predictable) comfort watch, Colbert’s exit marks the end of an era for late-night enthusiasts who actually enjoy their political satire with a side of actual wit.

Over at ABC, the schedule is packed tighter than a commuter train. The Rookie and Will Trent are taking early May slots, ensuring that your Tuesday nights remain strictly dedicated to attractive people solving crimes in record time.

The "Don’t Move from the Couch" Chart

If you’re looking to plan your social life or lack thereof around these dates, here is the essential breakdown of when the lights go out on your favorite shows.

FOX

Date & Time	Show Title	Notes
Wed, Mar 25 at 9 p.m.	Fear Factor: House of Fear
Wed, Apr 1 at 8 p.m.	The Masked Singer
Sun, Apr 5 at 8 p.m.	The Faithful
Mon, Apr 6 at 8 p.m.	Extracted
Mon, Apr 6 at 9 p.m.	Memory of a Killer
Tue, Apr 7 at 8 p.m.	Best Medicine
Sun, Apr 12 at 8:30 p.m.	Universal Basic Guys
Tue, Apr 14 at 9 p.m.	Doc
Sun, Apr 19 at 8:30 p.m.	Krapopolis
Thu, Apr 23 at 9 p.m.	Animal Control
Thu, Apr 23 at 9:30 p.m.	Going Dutch
Sun, May 17 at 8 p.m.	Family Guy
Sun, May 17 at 8:30 p.m.	Bob's Burgers
Thu, May 21 at 8 p.m.	Next Level Chef

NBC

Date & Time	Show Title	Notes
Mon, Apr 6 at 8 p.m.	St. Denis Medical
Mon, Apr 13 at 8 p.m.	The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins	Two episodes, special time
Tue, Apr 14 at 9 p.m.	The Voice	Two hours
Fri, Apr 24 at 8 p.m.	Happy's Place	Two episodes
Thu, May 7 at 10 p.m.	The Hunting Party
Wed, May 13 at 8 p.m.	Chicago Med
Wed, May 13 at 9 p.m.	Chicago Fire
Wed, May 13 at 10 p.m.	Chicago P.D.
Thu, May 14 at 8 p.m.	Law & Order
Thu, May 14 at 9 p.m.	Law & Order: SVU

ABC

Date & Time	Show Title	Notes
Tue, Apr 7 at 9 p.m.	High Potential
Wed, Apr 15 at 8 p.m.	Scrubs
Wed, Apr 22 at 8 p.m.	Abbott Elementary	Two episodes, special time
Wed, Apr 22 at 9 p.m.	The Greatest Average American
Wed, Apr 22 at 10 p.m.	Shark Tank
Tue, Apr 28 at 9 p.m.	R.J. Decker
Mon, May 4 at 10 p.m.	The Rookie
Tue, May 5 at 8 p.m.	Will Trent
Thu, May 7 at 8 p.m.	9-1-1
Thu, May 7 at 9 p.m.	9-1-1: Nashville
Thu, May 7 at 10 p.m.	Grey's Anatomy
Mon, May 11 at 8 p.m.	American Idol
Fri, May 15 at 8 p.m.	Celebrity Jeopardy!

CBS

Date & Time	Show Title	Notes
Thu, Apr 23 at 9 p.m.	Matlock	Two episodes
Sun, May 3 at 10 p.m.	Watson	Series finale
Tue, May 5 at 9 p.m.	NCIS: Origins
Mon, May 11 at 8 p.m.	The Neighborhood	Series finale
Mon, May 11 at 8:30 p.m.	DMV	Series finale
Tue, May 12 at 8 p.m.	NCIS
Tue, May 12 at 9 p.m.	NCIS: Sydney	Two episodes, special time
Wed, May 13 at 9:30 p.m.	America's Culinary Cup
Sat, May 16 at 10 p.m.	48 Hours
Sun, May 17 at 7 p.m.	60 Minutes
Mon, May 18 at 8 p.m.	FBI	Special time
Mon, May 18 at 9 p.m.	CIA	Special time
Wed, May 20 at 8 p.m.	Survivor	Three hours
Thu, May 21 at 8 p.m.	Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage	Two episodes
Thu, May 21 at 9 p.m.	Ghosts	Two episodes, special time
Thu, May 21 at 10 p.m.	Elsbeth
Thu, May 21 at 11:35 p.m.	The Late Show With Stephen Colbert	Series finale
Fri, May 22 at 8 p.m.	Sheriff Country
Fri, May 22 at 9 p.m.	Fire Country
Fri, May 22 at 10 p.m.	Boston Blue
Sun, May 24 at 8 p.m.	Marshals
Sun, May 24 at 9 p.m.	Tracker
Wed, May 27 at 8 p.m.	Hollywood Squares	Special time

The CW

Date & Time	Show Title	Notes
Mon, Apr 13 at 8 p.m.	Wild Cards

Why This Finale Season Feels Different

Broadcast TV is in a weird spot. Between the looming threat of more budget cuts and the fact that everyone's aunt is now obsessed with a random show on a niche streaming app, the networks are leaning hard into what works: franchises.

NBC is sticking to the "One Chicago" and "Law & Order" blocks like glue. It’s effective, sure, but it also means our Wednesday and Thursday nights are essentially a revolving door of sirens and courtroom monologues. ABC is playing it slightly more adventurous with the pacing of High Potential and 9-1-1, but let’s be real, we’re all just waiting to see if The Rookie finally gives us the payoff we’ve been yelling at the screen for all season.

The CW, once the home of teen angst and vampires, has completed its transformation into a sports and procedural hybrid. It’s less "glossy drama" and more "low-budget mystery," but hey, at least they’re still turning the lights on.

Final Thoughts Before the Fade to Black

As we approach the end of the 2026 broadcast cycle, the question isn’t just who survives the season finale cliffhanger, but which shows survive the summer hiatus without being quietly "farmed out" to a streaming service.

Whether you’re tuning in for the 3-hour marathon of Survivor or watching Stephen Colbert take his final bow, the next few weeks represent the last gasp of traditional TV before the summer reruns take over. Bookmark this guide, set your DVRs, and try not to get too attached, most of these characters will be back in September, provided the writers don't decide to drop a meteor on the set for ratings.

Think your favorite show deserves another season, or are you ready to see it cancelled? Head over to our comments at The TV Cave to vent your frustrations and check out our full reviews of this year's biggest finales.