Traitors Goes Civilian, BB28 Erupts, and Sweet Magnolias Gets the Chop

The Traitors franchise made history on Sept. 17 when 22 everyday Americans — not celebrities — stormed Alan Cumming's Scottish Highlands castle for the first time in U.S. history. Host Alan Cumming picked only two initial Traitors (Joe, a funeral director from Long Island, and Tomica, a pilot from Boston) instead of the usual three, introducing a devilish new 'Accomplice' twist where the pair must audition two Faithfuls before selecting their third co-conspirator. The two-hour premiere pulled in strong numbers and already has fans obsessing over who's playing dumb.

Bravo has officially cut ties with Below Deck Mediterranean star Nathan Gallagher after he was convicted in absentia of three domestic violence offenses — including choking — against his former partner and co-star Gael Cameron in an Australian court. Gallagher failed to appear at Burwood Local Court in Sydney, and a judge issued an arrest warrant; Australian immigration confirmed he is believed to be overseas. A Bravo spokesperson confirmed to Rolling Stone that the network does 'not plan on working with Nathan in the future,' though his footage will remain in the current season, which was filmed before his December 2025 arrest.

Fresh off The Traitors: New Blood premiere, Peacock wasted no time announcing the celebrity cast for Season 5: Kristin Chenoweth, Dominic Monaghan, Bianca Del Rio, Taylor Hale, Q Burdette, Emira D'Spain, Cynthia Bailey, Bronwyn Newport, Gizelle Bryant, Love Island narrator Iain Stirling, and Canadian creator Boman Martinez-Reid are among those heading to the Scottish Highlands. The announcement dropped Friday, Sept. 18, and the internet is already spiraling over who the Traitors will be. Season 5 is set to debut on Peacock in 2027.

Netflix pulled the plug on fan-favorite small-town drama Sweet Magnolias on Friday, Sept. 18, confirming it will not return for a sixth season after 50 total episodes. The decision came at the last minute — cast options were allowed to expire Thursday night — with ratings having dipped 30% from Season 4 to Season 5's 2.8 million opening-week views. The silver lining? Showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson and star JoAnna Garcia Swisher are already attached to a new Netflix series called Ladies of the House, which received its series order the same night the Sweet Magnolias axe fell.

Riding the highest wave in reality TV history, Peacock has ordered three additional seasons of The Traitors (Seasons 6, 7, and 8), taking the Emmy-smashing franchise into 2030. The renewal announcement came on the heels of the show winning all seven Emmy nominations it received this year — a record for any competition series in a single year — including Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Host for Alan Cumming, both for the third consecutive time. Season 4 viewership was also up 72% over Season 3, with 8.1 billion minutes viewed since its Jan. 8 premiere.

Dancing with the Stars Season 35 kicked off its two-night premiere on ABC and Disney+ this week with a 24% audience boost, drawing 6.67 million viewers for Night 1 (the men's dances). The cast is stacked: Jenna Dewan, Julia Stiles, Maura Higgins (Traitors Season 4 runner-up!), Ciara Miller, Jackson Olson, Giada De Laurentiis, Tyler Cameron, and more. Sharna Burgess returned to the ballroom for the first time since Season 30, and Tatyana Ali reunited on-screen with host Alfonso Ribeiro — her Fresh Prince TV brother — earning a 12/30 from the judges. Someone was eliminated as early as Night 2.

The #MomTok girls are back, but barely: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 landed on Hulu on Sept. 10 with just five episodes instead of the usual ten, after production was halted in March 2026 amid ongoing court cases and domestic assault allegations between Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen. The shortened season also serves as Whitney Leavitt's farewell — she confirmed this is her last season as a full-time cast member after her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago. Despite the truncated run, the show has already been renewed for Seasons 6 and 7.

The wait is almost over: Survivor Season 49 kicks off with a two-hour premiere this Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 8/7c on CBS and Paramount+. The 18-person cast includes a Marvel Black Panther producer (Nate Moore) and two mystery players who are confirmed to return for the landmark Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans — identities still under wraps. Fans are already theorizing who the returning two are based on edit clues. After the premiere, the show shifts to its 90-minute weekly format every Wednesday.