After nearly a decade on the air, All American is officially heading toward its final chapter—and fans are already preparing to say goodbye.

The hit CW drama, inspired by the life of former NFL player Spencer Paysinger, is wrapping up with its eighth and final season, bringing the long-running story of Spencer James and his inner circle to a close.

When Is the All American Series Finale Airing?

As announced on the official Instagram account, the series finale will air on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on The CW, marking the end of one of the network’s most successful recent dramas.

“Started with a dream, ends with a legacy. The series finale of #AllAmerican airs Monday, September 28 on The CW!” the network’s social media shared. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The final season, which premiered in July, consists of 13 episodes, giving the show time to tie up major storylines and deliver an emotional sendoff.

Since its debut in 2018, All American has built a loyal fan base thanks to its mix of sports drama, personal struggles and relationships. The show has followed Spencer’s journey from high school football standout to navigating life, love and ambition beyond the field—while also spotlighting the lives of those around him.

For many, the finale won’t just mark the end of a season—it will close the book on a story that has resonated for years.

When Will All American’s Final Season Debut on Netflix? 

NetflixLife revealed the final eight-episode season will hit Netflix 8 days after the series finale airs, arriving to stream in its entirety on Oct. 6, 2026.

It’s been a brutal week for fans of two TV shows across Netflix and Prime Video. 

Netflix cancelled Sweet Magnolias, ending the show’s five-season run, while Prime Video hit its newest action-drama Ride or Die with an abrupt and unexpected end. 

Sweet Magnolias series creator and showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson paid tribute to the show on Instagram, writing: “Living in Serenity for five seasons has been a privilege and a blessing. The people I’ve met and worked with — our incredible writers, cast, crew, executives, and producers — have touched my heart and changed my life. And our fans have been amazing in their passion for our characters. Thank you all. Though our journey has sadly come to an end, I hope Serenity will always have a place in your heart. Keep pouring it out!”

The series, a feel-good romantic drama set in a small Southern town called Serenity, based on the book series by Sherryl Woods, followed three best friends—Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliot) and Helen (Heather Headley), as they navigated romance, family dynamics, careers, personal goals and dreams, and more with grace. It was a comfy, small-town series that felt like home more and more with each passing season, which is what makes the cancellation sting so much. 

There’s not enough pouring it out to make it make sense, though; the dip in traffic each season is likely the reason behind Netflix’s decision, as viewership dropped 30% in the last season, per Deadline. It marked a much more severe drop-off than the one seen in Seasons 3 and 4, with only a 13% dip, as many fans complained there wasn’t enough advertising to make fans aware there even was a new season available in the first place. 

Meanwhile, Prime Video pulled the plug on the Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham thriller after just one season, shocking fans, especially as the series had plenty of potential.

Both shows, though quite different in nature and premise, featured strong female leads and underscored the power of friendship. 

Ride or Die’s lack of season 2 renewal was a big shock, particularly because it was so well received, as Deadline reports it immediately shot to No. 1 in the US and logged 927 views in just 2 days of its release.

Spencer, who played Debbie Claybourne, the best friend to Waddingham’s Judith Barton, who was a secret international assasin, took to Instagram, writing, in part, “Projects like this shouldn’t be the exception, they should be the rule! For all the women out there who felt seen, laughed out loud, lived out loud with Debbie and Judith, thank you. This was a fun one! Thank you Tessa Coates! Massive thank you to you, Jen Salke! You’ve always had exquisite taste!”

Parent Trap and Abbott Elementary actress Lisa Ann Walter commented what we’re all thinking, “They’re insane. Biggest hit prime has had in a minute,” while Ruby Rose added, “This is in the top 10 CRAZIEST cancellations of all time. This PROVES WE ARE NOT ON A REAL TIMELINE!”

And this, of course, follows the cancellation of Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly’s western rom-com Ransom Canyon after its second season, proving that absolutely nothing and no one is safe.

With so many shows across a plethora of streaming platforms—maybe we’ve just spread viewership too thin? I can’t be the only one who is fed up with paying $10+ for every single service, forced to pick and choose who I support and what I watch. But in the case of Ride or Die, even promising numbers didn’t sway the powers that be. With everything growing more expensive with each passing day in this economy, maybe this is a sign of the times? Will more shows that fans love and pour their heart and soul into suffer the same fate? Should we stop getting invested altogether?

So what that we haven’t even properly welcomed the fall season, and Christmas is 99 days away?

Hallmark is ready to kick off the holidays, revealing the highly anticipated 17th annual Countdown to Christmas schedule for 2026.

And it’s jam-packed with cozy and cuddly titles — 34 original premieres to be exact, which is 10 more than last year. What a holiday gift!

Yes, it includes Holiday Touchdown, bringing a touch of Hallmark magic to Chicago Bears fans, and a new season of Mistletoe Murders, arriving on Nov. 5, just in time to help us get our holiday sleuthing on. 

Emily and Sam work to prove the wreathmaker’s innocence. Emily tries to remain unattached in the present while reflecting on the mistakes of her past and the obligations of her future. Photo: Peter Mooney, Sarah Drew Credit: ©2026 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Peter Stranks

The programming kicks off in exactly a month, on Oct. 16, and runs through Dec 20! 

There will also be in-person experiences that bring the on-screen magic to a city near you as part of the three-city Jingle Stop Tour in Chicago, the location for Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story; Orlando, where Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True was filmed; and Asheville, NC, home of the famed Biltmore Estate and the set of A Grand Biltmore Christmas.

As for the new films, they star all of the familiar faces you’ve come to love at Hallmark, including  Lori Loughlin’s comeback, Nikki DeLoach, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Andrew Walker, Italia Ricci, Jessy Schram and, of course, Lacey Chabert!

Be there for every mistletoe moment—for grand romance and fairytale endings!  

Here’s the entire 2026 Hallmark Countdown to Christmas Schedule 

• Friday, October 16 — ‘Tis the Season for Setups (Amanda Schull, Victor Webster, Barbara Niven)
• Saturday, October 17 — Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story (Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods, Khary Payton)
• Sunday, October 18 — Mr. & Mrs. Christmas (Brendan Penny, Pascale Hutton)
• Friday, October 23 — Winter Wonderlanes (Ashley Newbrough, Franco Lo Presti)
• Saturday, October 24 — Forgotten Holiday (Janel Parrish, Daniel Lissing)
• Sunday, October 25 — What If Christmas (Lori Loughlin, Tom Cavanagh)
• Friday, October 30 — Who’s Coming for Christmas? (Rhiannon Fish, Jake Foy, Mila Morgan)
• Saturday, October 31 — Adopting St. Nick (Amy Groening, Michael Rady)
• Sunday, November 1 — A Danish Christmas (Emilie Ullerup, Corey Sevier)
• Thursday, November 5 — Mistletoe Murders Season 3 (Sarah Drew, Peter Mooney, Sierra Marilyn Riley)
• Friday, November 6 — Merry Memories (Lindura, Brendan Morgan)
• Saturday, November 7 — Holiday Unplugged (Nikki DeLoach, Juan Pablo Di Pace)
• Sunday, November 8 — A Season of Promises (Brooke D’Orsay, Ali Liebert, James Denton)
• Friday, November 13 — My Christmas Cowboy (Amy Acker, Luke Macfarlane, Sara Canning)
• Saturday, November 14 — The Nights Before Christmas (Tyler Hynes, Laci J Mailey)
• Sunday, November 15 — Mistletoe and Mimosas (Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristoffer Polaha, Jennifer Robertson)
• Friday, November 20 — Our Holiday Playbook (Taylor Cole, Charles Michael Davis)
• Saturday, November 21 — Christmas in Blue Dog Valley (Erin Cahill, Andrew Walker)
• Sunday, November 22 — Double Booked for the Holidays (Rachael Leigh Cook, Owain Yeoman, Stephen Hagan)
   
• Thursday, November 26 — Christmas Delivered (Autumn Reeser, Wes Brown, Linda Darlow)
• Friday, November 27, 6 p.m. — The Christmas Eve Feast (Daniella Monet, Kevin McGarry, executive produced by Giada De Laurentiis)
• Friday, November 27, 8 p.m. — Return to Santa (Paul Campbell, Rachel Boston)
• Saturday, November 28, 6 p.m. — The Most Wonderful Secret (Tammin Sursok, Peter Porte)
• Saturday, November 28, 8 p.m. — Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True (Lacey Chabert, Travis Van Winkle, Richard Kind, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Durfee, Asher Alexander, Taegen Burns)
• Sunday, November 29, 6 p.m. — Eight Nights for Love (Hunter King, Dan Jeannotte)
• Sunday, November 29, 8 p.m. — Miles to Christmas (Ashley Williams, Steve Lund, Alison Sweeney)
• Friday, December 4 — The Snowflake Effect (Heather Hemmens, Mark Ghanimé)
• Saturday, December 5 — A Grand Biltmore Christmas (Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowell, James Trevena, Jonathan Frakes, Rachel Boston, Wes Brown)
• Saturday, December 5, 10 p.m. — The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday, a special hosted by Jonathan Bennett and Melissa Peterman
• Sunday, December 6 — An Angel in My Stocking (Fiona Gubelmann, Marco Grazzini, Nancy Robertson)
• Friday, December 11 — Christmas in Canterbury (Jessy Schram, Will Kemp)
• Saturday, December 12 — Snow Globe Town (Kimberley Sustad, Scott Michael Foster)
• Sunday, December 13 — Noelle Nomads (Benjamin Ayres, Torrey DeVitto)
• Friday, December 18 — Hearts All Aglow (Mishael Morgan, B.J. Britt, Holly Robinson Peete)
• Saturday, December 19 — Barking All the Way (Ian Harding, Tori Anderson)
• Sunday, December 20 — Save the Date for Christmas (Jonathan Bennett, Italia Ricci)

What movie are you most excited for?