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When High Potential returns for season 3, it will be without one of its original creative forces. The American adaptation of the French series, HPI, Kaitlin Olson’s top-rated series for the 2025-2026 TV cycle follows Morgan’s story as a consultant for the LAPD’s Major Crimes. Now with two seasons under its belt, High Potential has established itself as a big ratings magnet for the network, with millions of people tuning in weekly for new episodes. Considering how popular it is, making major changes come with risks, understandably.
Building on what the debut year established, High Potential season 2 dialed up the intensity of its storytelling. The weekly crimes were intertwined with the ongoing mystery about Roman’s disappearance, while also introducing fresh personal narratives for the cast. Karadec and Morgan both got their romances going, albeit separately. All of these were made more interesting with the arrival and eventual departure of Steve Howey’s Nick Wagner. That said, he isn’t the only one exiting the series, as High Potential is also losing an arguably bigger factor in the series.
High Potential Is Losing Its Original Showrunner In Season 3
The return of High Potential for season 3 will be without Todd Harthan — the show’s original showrunner. This means that he has been involved in the project since its inception, debut, and two-season run thus far until his departure. Harthan has an extensive portfolio in the industry, writing for shows like The Kill Point, Crash, and Psych. He created Rosewood and was the executive producer and showrunner for The Resident. Considering his history in TV, it’s safe to say that his experience played a big part in the successful launch of High Potential in 2024.
It’s important to note, however, that Harthan’s departure isn’t due to any kind of internal dispute, which is the case for other projects — especially those that are successful as High Potential. Back in February, it was announced that the Eragon TV adaptation is officially moving forward, with him and Todd Helbing as its co-showrunners. As work on the much-anticipated fantastical series ramps up, Harthan is prioritizing the high fantasy series over the already-established High Potential. No word yet on when the project will premiere on Disney+, but considering this development, it’s safe to say that they are already gearing up for pre-production and production in the next several months.
Why High Potential Season 3 Marks A New Chapter
Losing Harthan is obviously sad, but he’s exiting High Potential at the best time possible. After two seasons, the show has already established its identity and has also built a massive fan-base that will follow it. Now, he can move on to another high-profile project, albeit a different genre, and work his magic there. As for the ABC series, it is in good hands with Olson maintaining her executive producer post. Meanwhile, Nora Zuckerman and her sister Lilla Zuckerman are taking over showrunner duties from Harthan.
Aside from the changes in behind-the-scenes personnel, High Potential season 3’s schedule will also look very different. It won’t be part of ABC’s fall 2026 lineup, as the Disney-owned network moved it to the midseason, alongside other heavy-hitters, such as The Rookie season 9, Will Trent season 5, and Shifting Gears season 3. In terms of narrative, High Potential season 3 is expected to deliver some major developments on some of its longer arcs, including Roman’s disappearance mystery. With new showrunners at the helm, the project is open to fresh ideas, which is great in terms of keeping the series exciting.
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