NBC made it official Wednesday. The all-civilian edition of The Traitors is coming to primetime — and it’s landing in one of the most coveted slots on the broadcast calendar. At the network’s upfront presentation on May 13, 2026, NBC — the second broadcast network to unveil its fall schedule, following CBS — confirmed the new civilian version of the Peacock hit will air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, leading directly into Law & Order: SVU at 9 p.m. and Law & Order at 10 p.m.
Alan Cumming is back. The Emmy-winning host returns as host and executive producer — pulling double duty, presiding over the Peacock celebrity edition while simultaneously welcoming an entirely new crop of everyday Americans to his infamous Scottish Highlands castle for the NBC version. The prize this time: $250,000.
What Makes This Season Different
Season 1 of the U.S. Traitors technically included a handful of civilians alongside its celebrity cast. This NBC edition, though, marks the first time the American version will feature exclusively non-celebrity contestants. No Real Housewives. No ex-Bachelors. No Olympic athletes with verified Instagram accounts. Just strangers who applied, got cast, and apparently have the strategic instincts to survive Cumming’s interrogation breakfasts.
Casting applications closed on March 10, 2026. As of the upfront announcement, NBC has not officially revealed who made the cut — expect a cast reveal in the weeks ahead as the network builds buzz heading into fall.
What NBC Is Saying
Jeff Bader, NBC’s President of Program Planning Strategy, didn’t mince words about why the network wanted this show and why Thursday specifically was the target.
“Traitors on Peacock is a bona fide hit, so we are super excited that we can have a civilian Traitors to launch a night on NBC, and Thursday is perfect for it.”
He added that “We’re super excited to have it on NBC, and we really wanted it in an 8 o’clock time period,” noting that finding an 8 p.m. opening was a priority even with the limited real estate Thursday’s schedule presented.
Sharon Vuong, EVP of Unscripted Programming, made the case for what the civilian format brings that the celebrity version can’t:
“We’re excited to bring along The Traitors’ highly addictive fan base as we discover the next generation of legendary gamers and schemers. With our resident host and gameplay master of ceremonies, Alan Cumming, on board to introduce complete strangers to new epic missions and twisted gameplay, this new version for NBC offers a unique opportunity for the cast and audience to meet each other for the first time and we know it will be incredible to watch.”
The Bigger Picture — Franchise, Scheduling, and What Comes Next
The Peacock celebrity edition isn’t going anywhere. Season 4 premiered January 8, 2026 — featuring a wild mix of Real Housewives, former Olympians, and yes, Donna Kelce — and the streamer has already renewed through Season 5. The two versions are intended to run as separate productions, with the broadcast edition giving the franchise a massive new audience reach beyond Peacock subscribers.
For longtime Thursday night NBC viewers, the one notable shift is Law & Order sliding back to 10 p.m. to make room for The Traitors at 8. Once the civilian season wraps, David Boreanaz’s Rockford Files reboot is set to take over that 8 p.m. Thursday slot when it premieres in January 2027.
There’s broader context worth knowing here. NBC is on track to top CBS in total viewers when the 2025–2026 season ends — which would mark CBS’s first second-place finish since 2007–2008. The network isn’t making dramatic schedule changes across the board; landing The Traitors on Thursday is the biggest swing they’re taking, and based on the Peacock numbers, it looks like a deliberate one.
No exact premiere date has been set beyond “fall 2026,” and the civilian cast remains officially under wraps. Watch NBC’s social channels — and Alan Cumming’s — for the first look at who’s walking through that castle door.
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