True Crime TV Next Week (Sept. 21-27, 2026): Dateline and 20/20 Both Return Friday
Short version — the week of Sept. 21–27 is the one the fall has been building toward. Nothing airs Monday through Thursday, then Dateline and 20/20 both open new seasons at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 25. 48 Hours stays off until October. The running grid lives on our True Crime TV This Week page, which we update all week; this page is the look ahead.
| Night (ET) | Dateline NBC | 20/20 | 48 Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., Sept. 21 | — | — | — |
| Tue., Sept. 22 | — | — | — |
| Wed., Sept. 23 | — | — | — |
| Thu., Sept. 24 | — | — | — |
| Fri., Sept. 25 | Season 35 premiere, 9–11 p.m. (NBC) | Season 49 premiere, 9 p.m. (ABC) | — |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | — | — | Not on — CBS has college football |
| Sun., Sept. 27 | — | — | — |
Key takeaways
- One night carries the whole week. Friday is the first night since July 17 with a new hour from both Friday newsmagazines — and this time they share the same 9 p.m. start, rather than 9 and 10.
- NBC's own fall grid gives Dateline the full 9–11 p.m. block, so plan for two hours rather than one.
- 48 Hours is the odd one out. By Saturday, Sept. 26 it will have gone 126 days without a new episode, and the wait runs to Oct. 10.
What is on Monday through Thursday?
None of the three. All are Friday or Saturday shows, and no network has put a midweek newsmagazine special on the board for this week.
The week's true-crime news happens in courtrooms instead. Monday at 10 a.m. the Indiana Court of Appeals hears oral argument in Richard Allen's Delphi appeal. A week Friday, San Diego County sentences Larry Millete, and a Massachusetts judge holds the status hearing that decides whether Lindsay Clancy is retried — both on Sept. 29.
Is Dateline new on Friday, Sept. 25?
Yes. NBC has set the Dateline NBC season 35 premiere for Friday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET, and the network's fall schedule lists the show across 9–11 p.m. — a two-hour opener.
Lester Holt anchors, with Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison, Dennis Murphy and Blayne Alexander reporting. Holt has said the season leans harder on the two-hour format, which the premiere slot already reflects.
NBC has not named the premiere case. No title, correspondent or trailer had been posted as of Saturday morning, which is later than usual — last week's hour had a trailer up eight days ahead. We will put the case on the Is Dateline new tonight? page as soon as NBC lists it.
Is 20/20 on Friday, Sept. 25?
Yes, and it is the season 49 premiere. ABC's fall announcement puts 20/20 at 9 p.m., anchored by David Muir and Deborah Roberts.
That ends a 70-day gap: ABC's last new Friday case hour was "Where Are You Jacob?" on July 17. The Lindsay Clancy special on Sept. 4 was a late addition outside the regular run, and we broke it down in our recap of that hour.
ABC has not published a premiere case either. Celebrity Wheel of Fortune takes the 8 p.m. half of Friday nights starting Oct. 2, so 20/20 opens the season with the full hour to itself.
Why is 48 Hours off again on Saturday?
College football. CBS has a doubleheader on Sept. 26, and the late game runs through the 10 p.m. hour, the same pattern that took Sept. 12 and Sept. 19.
CBS is holding season 39 until the football schedule loosens. The premiere is Saturday, Oct. 10 at 10 p.m. ET — 140 days after the last new hour, "Kouri Richins: Behind the Facade," aired May 23. The Richins case has moved since: a Utah judge ordered $1.37 million in restitution, and the fraud trial is still to come.
What time is each premiere in my time zone?
| Time zone | Dateline (NBC) | 20/20 (ABC) |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | 9–11 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
| Central | 8–10 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Mountain | 8–10 p.m.* | 8 p.m.* |
| Pacific | 9–11 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
*Mountain affiliates vary; check your local station. Both shows stream the next day — Dateline on Peacock, 20/20 on Hulu. The viewing guide covers antenna, live TV and back catalogs.
👉 If the two premieres clash, record one: neither network has announced a repeat airing that week.
What if you missed last Friday?
Dateline aired "The Man Who Loved Christmas" on Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. ET, Blayne Alexander reporting on an Indiana poisoning. It is on Peacock now, and our Harold Allen case file has the sentence, the burglary that reopened the investigation and where Ashley Jones is being held.
Last week's look ahead is still up as well, in the Sept. 14–20 breakdown.
FAQ
Is Dateline new next week? Yes — Friday, Sept. 25, 9–11 p.m. ET on NBC, the season 35 premiere. Nothing airs Monday through Thursday.
Is 20/20 back? Friday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, season 49, with David Muir and Deborah Roberts.
When is 48 Hours new again? Saturday, Oct. 10 at 10 p.m. ET. Sept. 26 is football.
What cases are on the premieres? Neither network had announced one as of Sept. 19. We add them to the show pages as soon as they are listed: Dateline, 20/20 and 48 Hours. Court dates we are tracking sit in Case Updates.
Sources
- NBC — fall 2026 premiere dates and the Friday 9–11 p.m. Dateline block
- NBC Insider — Dateline season 35: premiere date, correspondents and the two-hour plan
- ABC press release — fall 2026 premiere dates, 20/20 on Sept. 25 at 9 p.m.
- TV Insider — ABC's fall 2026 schedule, Friday nights
- CBS News — 48 Hours episode schedule and the Oct. 10 season 39 premiere
Listings data via TVmaze.