ABC, Fox, CBS, CW, NBC Adding 17 Shows Wednesday Night: The 3 to Watch

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Buy Me a Coffee!

CBS, ABC, Fox, CW and NBC tonight (January 28, 2026) are adding 17 shows to their lineups. Here are the three to watch, in my humble opinion:

Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV: Part Three (Final)
What Kind of Show: Documentary
Where to Watch: ABC
When to Watch: 9 p.m.
Younger viewers may be aghast to hear that three decades ago the daytime airwaves were dominated by sensationalistic shows on which average folks would divulge their most inner secrets and, occasionally, engage in fisticuffs and chair hurling. It was televised therapy meets pro wrestling. The hosts included Jerry Springer, Morton Downey, Maury Povich (pictured above), Sally Jessy Raphael, Phil Donahue, and Montel Williams, among others. They became big stars with huge audiences. Tonight, ABC looks back at this bizarre time in television and offers some explanations for what caused it in part three of a three-part series. (Part one aired January 14 and part two was January 21.) In part three, we learn how the shows not only pushed the envelope in the late 90s; they tore it in two with daily bloody brawls on programs such as The Jerry Springer Show and the Maury Povich Show. The excess led to a societal backlash as viewers finally started to turn their heads away.

Abbott Elementary (New episode)
What Kind of Show: Workplace comedy
Where to Watch: ABC
When to Watch: 8:30 p.m.
The mockumentary comedy featuring everyone’s favorite underfunded Philadelphia public school is back with a new episode (Season five, episode 12). Tonight, the staff finally escapes their temporary quarters in an abandoned shopping mall. However, when they return, it’s suddenly Picture Day, which means pupil preening and teacher traumas. If you’ve never seen Abbott Elementary, it’s very funny and it doesn’t matter if you pick up the show in season five; you’ll quickly catch up on the plot lines which are quite familiar to anyone who ever attended elementary school.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (New Episode)
What Kind of Show: Talk Show
Where to Watch: CBS
When to Watch: 11:35 p.m.
I don’t normally choose late night chat fests because they tend to be somewhat predictable. But tonight on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, expect some fireworks because the host will welcome Bad Bunny, the controversial pick for Super Bowl halftime musical performer. With recent events in Minnesota, BB will undoubtedly weigh in with a few incendiary remarks which will likely make a few headlines on Thursday morning. So see the news as it happens!

Shows Coming Tonight (January 28, 2026) to NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and The CW

ABC
Shifting Gears (New episode) – 8 p.m.
Abbott Elementary (New episode) – 8:30 p.m.
Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV (Part 3, New Episode) – 9 p.m.
Shark Tank (New Episode) – 10 p.m.
Jimmy Kimmel Live (Guests: Nate Bargatze) – 11:35 p.m. (New episode)

CBS
The Price Is Right at Night (New episode) – 8 p.m.
Hollywood Squares (New episode) – 9 p.m.
Harlan Coben’s Final Twist – 10 p.m.
Late Show With Stephen Colbert (Guests: Bad Bunny)

Fox
The Masked Singer (New episode) – 8 p.m.
Fear Factor: House of Fear (New episode) – 9 p.m.

NBC
Chicago Med (New episode) – 8 p.m.
Chicago Fire (New episode) – 9 p.m.
Chicago P.D. (New episode) – 10 p.m.
Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (Guests: Kendall Jenner, Rob Gronkowski) – 11:35 p.m. (New episode)

The CW
Police 24/7 (New episode) – 8 p.m.
Police 24/7 – 9 p.m.

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