Shrinking season 3: Release date and latest news

Bill Lawrence has a lot on his plate right now. Not only is the writer and producer executive producing a Scrubs reboot, but he is also behind the upcoming fourth season of Ted Lasso.

Before either of those, we've got the release of Shrinking, the Apple TV comedy-drama he created with Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel. He has long stated that this season will be about moving forward, and finally fans are about to find out exactly what that means.

On this topic, Lawrence recently told TVLine: "We always joke on the set that if this show hit the fourth season and Jimmy was still like, 'I've been thinking about [dating] and I'm still really sad about my wife,' people would be like, 'They gotta come up with something else.'

"I hope we've earned people kind of rooting for these [characters] to move forward in their lives, whether that means Jimmy embracing the idea of having a love in his life again or his daughter feeling confident about going off to college. We like to do these themes you can almost attach to every character.

"Sean, Luke Tennie's character... I don't think it'd be a victory if that guy lived in the pool house behind his therapist's house his whole life."

All of the main cast are returning, including Harrison Ford's Paul and Jessica Williams's Gaby, while there are also a couple of big names joining for the new season, in the form of Jeff Daniels and Michael J Fox.

But what else do we know about the new season thus far? Read on for everything you need to know about Shrinking season 3.

Will there be a Shrinking season 3?

There will! Just one day after the first two episodes of Shrinking season 2 arrived on Apple TV+, the show was officially renewed for a third season.

In many ways, the renewal is unsurprising, as ever since the start of the show co-creator Bill Lawrence has said that it was pitched with a three-season arc. However, the speed at which the renewal came through did show a real sign of confidence in the series from Apple.

In an interview with Variety in 2023, Lawrence said: "The second year is about forgiveness, and the third year is about moving forward."

Ahead of the renewal, speaking with TV Insider, Lawrence also revealed that he and the team were already writing the third season.

He said: "I think whenever anybody undergoes a true catastrophic stick in the spokes in their life, like the characters in the show did, what you’re really talking about the first two years is what it means to survive and then kind of bury the hatchet and mend fences.

"But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be able to move forward in your life and start over again. I think that’s what people will probably be watching the third year.

"And when you say moving forward, even off the top of my head, so it’s not a spoiler, I think people are aware that we’ve intentionally made a young woman who’s a senior in high school.

"We’ve potentially gotten some people in serious relationships. We’ve intentionally been looking at Harrison Ford’s character and how much longer can he do this with the condition he has.

"And so I think it’s going to be a rich third year too. I say that because we’re already writing it."

When will Shrinking season 3 be released?

Shrinking season 3 will be released on Wednesday 28th January, with the first episode being a one-hour premiere.

Standard-length episodes will then follow on weekly from that point, being released on Wednesdays.

The second season took a long time to come to screens, arriving almost two years after season 1. However, season 2 was notably delayed by the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. Season 3 has arrived just over a year after season 2, which debuted in October 2025.

Who will return to star in a Shrinking season 3?

We know that all of the central cast from Shrinking seasons 1 and 2 are expected to return, led by Jason Segel and Harrison Ford as Jimmy and Paul.

Beyond that, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley, Damon Wayans Jr and Brett Goldstein are all also expected to be back.

Meanwhile, it seems likely that Damon Wayans Jr will be back as Derrick #2, and that Brett Goldstein will make more appearances as Louis after his key role in season 2.

Lawrence previously told Deadline of the need for Goldstein to return, saying: "Yeah, I gotta leverage that dude. I think the ending was satisfying. I hope it was for people. But I think I’ve been public about saying the first year is about grief, the second year was about forgiveness and third year’s about moving forward.

"I don’t think you can do this show about moving forward without knowing how that guy’s life moves forward, at least for an episode or two. So now I just got to leverage Brett into doing what I want him to do. He’s a very busy man. It’s very frustrating."

He also told TVLine: "I find it annoying that I have to tell Brett how good he was and maybe ask him to do another episode or two. But I think we told a deep enough story that even if it’s not a huge part of the third season, people are going to want to know what moving forward means for that character, and that he’s gonna be OK.

"I think it would be fake to imply that at the end of the finale, that dude’s OK. So, yeah, I’m going to strong-arm Brett into showing his face, hopefully, at least a couple more times."

Another character returning for season 3 is Cobie Smulders's Sofi, who only appeared in one episode of season 2, but was shown to have a strong chemistry with Jimmy.

Additionally, there has been a number of new confirmed castings for season 3, with Jeff Daniels joining the show as Jimmy's father, alongside Sherry Cola, Isabella Gomez, Michael J Fox and Candice Bergen as currently undisclosed characters.

Segel told Variety of Daniels's role in the series: "Jimmy has a complicated relationship with his parents. I think you will find out this season why Jimmy projects so much onto Paul, why it is so important that Harrison Ford gives him validation.

"It’s not lost on me that [Jeff] is the last version of me — either Jeff Daniels or Judge Reinhold. We’re doing these scenes next to each other, and our mannerisms are kind of the same, and neither of us are doing a bit. We’re making the same choices, so it’s perfect casting."

Here are the cast members confirmed for Shrinking season 3:

• Jason Segel as Jimmy
• Harrison Ford as Paul
• Jessica Williams as Gaby
• Lukita Maxwell as Alice
• Luke Tennie as Sean
• Michael Urie as Brian
• Christa Miller as Liz
• Ted McGinley as Derek
• Damon Wayans Jr as Derrick #2
• Brett Goldstein as Louis
• Cobie Smulders as Sofi
• Jeff Daniels as Jimmy's father
• Sherry Cola as TBC
• Isabella Gomez as TBC
• Michael J Fox as TBC
• Candice Bergen as TBC

Is there a trailer for a Shrinking season 3?

There is! You can watch the full-length trailer for season 3 right here.

Shrinking season 3 will debut on Wednesday 28th January 2026. Seasons 1-2 are available to stream now on Apple TV+. You can sign up to Apple TV+ now.

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