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CBS has cut the episode count for several TV shows ahead of the fall 2026 season.
The network confirmed that Ghosts, Matlock and NCIS: Sydney received a shakeup by having their premieres moved to 2027 for midseason. They will join the new show Einstein, which is finally premiering in 2027 as well.
Matlock’s timeslot will be given to Elsbeth to allow Cupertino to premiere on the same night. NCIS: Sydney, meanwhile, is moving to midseason as NCIS: Origins — which received a shorter episode order — takes over to pair off with NCIS: New York.
In addition to NCIS: Origins, other shows such as Fire Country will see a significantly receded amount of episodes.
CBS also found success with new additions such as Yellowstone spinoff Marshals, which was picked up for season 2 after its premiere was watched by 20.6 million viewers within seven days. It marked the most-watched network original series premiere without a football lead-in since 2017.
“Marshals delivered a breakout performance, capturing a massive audience across platforms and quickly establishing itself as one of TV’s most powerful new series,” CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach said in a statement. “The overwhelming viewer response speaks to the strength of the Yellowstone world, the bold, character-driven storytelling from the creative team and the dynamic cast performances led by Luke Grimes.”
According to a press release, CBS had several wins with Marshals and Justin Hartley‘s Tracker. Both shows came out as the top two most‑watched during their premiere week. The debut of Luke Grimes‘ spinoff, meanwhile, ranked as CBS’ most-streamed episode ever on Paramount+.
Boston Blue and Sheriff Country also scored quick season 2 pickups, with Sheriff Country averaging 7.6 million viewers and Blue Bloods bringing in 8 million viewers and winning “every Friday night in total viewers.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of which shows are getting their episode counts cut — and by how much:
‘Fire Country’
The first responder series will air 13 episodes in season 5, which is down from its usual 20.
‘NCIS: Origins’
The prequel will air 10 episodes are after 20 in prior seasons.
‘NCIS: Sydney’
NCIS’ other spinoff, meanwhile, will roll out 10 episodes instead of 18.
‘Matlock’
The legal drama will air 13 episodes in season 3 after airing 16 this season.
