ABC’s High Potential Replacement Spoils Season 2 Surprise In New Set Video
High Potential's fall 2026 replacement is setting up a major surprise for its season 2 return.
ABC's fall 2026 lineup is composed of established shows, after the Disney-owned network renewed its whole slate for the new cycle. Despite this, the broadcaster had to make some changes to its portfolio, including delaying High Potential season 3 to 2027. While this might seem like a demotion, considering CBS's similar decisions to some of its own shows, ABC has long had this tradition, saving hit shows like The Rookie season 9 and Will Trent season 5 to midseason.
Naturally, ABC had to fill High Potential's vacated timeslot with a new show. Since the Kaitlin Olson-led series premiered, it has always had a fall debut. The upcoming cycle, however, will see RJ Decker season 2 take over the Tuesday block. Scott Speedman's private investigator series was among the last renewals for ABC after it premiered during the 2025-2026 TV cycle. Now, it's one of the network shows that is poised to return the earliest for the new season.
In light of that, a new video from the set of RJ Decker season 2 courtesy of lauderdale_life on Instagram confirms that Speedman's show will feature a musical episode. Based on the audio of the video, the montage will feature Backstreet Boys' 1997 hit, Everybody (Backstreet's Back). How Decker gets involved in this elaborate scene is yet to be revealed. Watch the clip below:
While a musical-centered show on network TV has been a rarity despite the success of Ryan Murphy's Glee, several procedurals have staged their own takes on the storytelling trick. Will Trent had a trippy one after the titular character taking some mushrooms, resulting in some of the most fun and creative sequences in its history yet. CBS's Elsbeth also released a musical-themed episode, even saving it for a finale. Now, it's RJ Decker's time to join the trend.
Despite just being in its second season, it's great to see RJ Decker being inventive with the way it approaches its story. Network TV is populated with all kinds of procedurals — from long-running ones, such as NCIS and Law & Order: SVU to modern classics, including The Rookie and Chicago PD. Newer ones have to carve their own path and make sure that they stand out from the crowd if they want to have any chance at running for a while.
As a late midseason reveal, RJ Decker did fairly well for ABC to renew it for another season, especially considering how crowded their scripted lineup is. While plot specifics are still scant at the moment, it's great to see it taking big swings that will hopefully help it fully solidify itself. Luckily, RJ Decker season 2 is only a few weeks away from releasing, which means fans won't have to wait that long to find out what the musical is about and see if it's a worthy High Potential timeslot successor.