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Most Anticipated New TV Shows Coming In 2026

Most Anticipated New TV Shows Coming In 2026

2025 gave a solid slate of new hit shows, including Pluribus, Dexter: Resurrection, Daredevil: Born Again, The Pitt and Alien: Earth, and tied off some of the most beloved series of the streaming era, including Netflix’s beloved Stranger Things. Lucky for TV fans, 2026 is already looking like another strong year for bingeable TV all year long.

Here’s a look at the most-hyped new releases and the most anticipated new seasons set to premiere in 2026.

Don’t forget: You can watch top shows all year long on DIRECTV. Sign up today!

Most Anticipated New Shows Coming in 2026

Here are the top new shows coming out in 2026.

‘His & Hers’ (Netflix, Jan. 8 2026)

Tessa Thompson (Creed, Thor: Ragnarok) and Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, The Punisher), His & Hers follows two estranged spouses, Anna (Thompson), a former news anchor, and Jack (Bernthal), a detective, who become entangled in the same murder investigation when Anna returns to her Georgia hometown. The series leverages misdirection, shifting perspectives and themes of mistrust to keep audiences guessing as to who is telling the truth as the investigation progresses.

‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ (Paramount+, Jan. 15, 2026)

Set in the 32nd century after a major event called “The Burn” leaves the Federation in ruins, this new Star Trek series follows a new class of Starfleet cadets as they juggle rigorous training, complex friendships, romance and hidden threats onboard the USS Athena and at the Academy. Equal parts Harry Potter, Top Gun and Starship Troopers, this new entry in one of the most storied sci-fi franchises of all time offers a youthful lens on life in the Federation.

‘Ponies’ (Peacock, Jan. 15, 2026)

A Cold War-era spy thriller starring Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus), Ponies (which stands for “persons of no interest”) riffs on the buddy-spy genre as it follows two American embassy secretaries in Budapest who are recruited by the CIA after their husbands’ mysterious deaths and thrust into an unfamiliar world of espionage and deep political conspiracy.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ (HBO/Max, Jan. 18, 2026)

This Game of Thrones prequel is based on George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. The show follows Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall and Aegon “Egg” Targaryen about 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Bucking the Thrones penchant for heavy political intrigue, the show blends adventure, humor and character-driven storytelling as these unlikely companions navigate Westeros and the Targaryen dynasty at its peak. With six episodes in Season 1 and a renewal already confirmed, we’re looking forward to heading back to Westeros in this high-anticipated spinoff.

‘The Beauty’ (FX/Hulu, Jan. 21, 2026)

From Ryan Murphy and Matthew Hodgson, this experimental sci-fi drama explores the consequences of a revolutionary cosmetic drug that promises to perfect human beauty — but with deeply unsettling and deadly side effects. The series follows two FBI agents investigating deaths tied to the product.

One of the biggest draws to this series is its A-list cast: Ashton Kutcher, Isabella Rossellini, Meghan Trainor and Vincent D’Onofrio will all play roles, along many other well-known stars.

‘Steal’ (Amazon Prime Video, Jan. 21, 2026)

Amazon Prime Video’s Steal is a British crime thriller series starring another Game of Thrones alum, Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) as Zara Dunne, a trade processor at a London pension management firm whose ordinary day quickly turns into a nightmare when a masked group storms her office and forces staff to execute a series of unauthorized trades that siphon off £4 billion into unknown accounts. Zara and her team must work to figure out who the group is working with and what their motives are from the inside, all while being targeted as prime suspects by the law enforcement officers responding to the heist.

‘Wonder Man’ (Disney+, Jan. 27, 2026)

Disney+ is back with another Marvel Cinematic Universe show. Wonder Man stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen) as Simon Williams, a struggling actor determined to land a role in a remake of the fictional Wonder Man superhero movie only to discover he has actual superpowers. His new reality forces him to balance his own celebrity ambitions with the real-life opportunity to become a true hero in front of him. Ben Kingsley will also reprise his MCU role as Trevor Slattery/The Mandarin from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Iron Man 3.

‘Marshals’ (CBS/Paramount+, March 1, 2026)

Taylor Sheridan‘s Marshals is a Yellowstone spin-off that follows Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) after he leaves the Dutton ranch behind to join an elite U.S. Marshals unit in Montana, where his background as a Navy SEAL and cowboy merge as his team confronts regional violence, personal loss and the psychological toll of frontier justice. More of a police procedural than Yellowstones drama focus, Marshals will still retain the same vibe that fans have come to know and love from the original series.

‘Scarpetta’ (Amazon Prime Video, March 11, 2026)

Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis star in this upcoming crime thriller from Amazon Prime Video. Based on Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling novels, the show follows a brilliant forensic pathologist, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, as she uses cutting-edge forensic science and psychological insight to solve complex murders.

‘The Madison’ (Paramount+, March 14, 2026)

As if one Yellowstone spin-off this year wasn’t enough, The Madison premieres just two weeks after Marshals. This drama will follow a new family, the Clyburns, as they relocate from New York City to Montana after a tragedy alters their lives.

‘Lanterns’ (HBO/Max, Summer 2026)

Lanterns is the latest small-screen entry in the DC Universe. The legendary Green Lantern, Hal Jordan teams up with new recruit John Stewart to investigate a murder mystery in rural America. In keeping with typical Green Lantern lore, their delving leads them to uncover a deeper cosmic threat. The past few DCU entries, including The Penguin and John Cena’s Peacemaker, were well-received, so hopes are high for this one, too.


Most Anticipated Shows Returning in 2026

Those are some of the new shows we’re looking forward to most in 2026, but there are plenty of fan favorites returning with new seasons, too. Here’s a look at the most anticipated returning shows in 2026.

‘The Traitors’ — Season 4 (Peacock, Jan. 8, 2026)

Season 4 of The Traitors brings contestants to a castle in Scotland, where players must once again uncover the secret “traitors” covertly work against the “faithful.” Get ready for more intense psychological gameplay and strategic drama as alliances shift and betrayals begin to pile up in this real-life version of Among Us.

‘Bridgerton’ — Season 4 (Netflix, Jan. 29/Feb. 26, 2026)

Season 4 of Netflix’s hit period romantic drama, Bridgerton, will be released in two parts on January 29 and February 26. This season focuses on Benedict, the second oldest of the Bridgerton boys, and his Cinderella-style romance with Sophie Baek after a masquerade ball encounter. The Cinderella vibe is expected to carry through much of the season, though it’s expected to take on a slightly darker tone than previous entries.

‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ — Season 4 (Netflix, Feb. 5, 2026)

The Lincoln Lawyer’s fourth season finds defense attorney Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) facing his most personal legal battle yet: He becomes the accused in a complex murder trial, flipping the series’ usual courtroom dynamics and forcing Haller to use all his legal know-how, moral judgment and strategic thinking to defend himself while unraveling the deeper conspiracy behind the charges.

‘The Night Agent’ — Season 3 (Netflix, Feb. 19, 2026)

The Night Agent is back for Season 3. FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) hunts a rogue Treasury agent after he steals sensitive intelligence. Sutherland is forced to navigate a dangerous web of dark money, assassins and political secrets that stretches from Istanbul, Turkey to Mexico City and beyond.

‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans’ (CBS/Paramount+, Feb. 25, 2026)

It’s hard to believe that Survivor, one of the O.G. reality competition shows that helped the genre become a fixture on American television networks, is celebrating its 50th season. The show will return to the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji with 24 returning contestants and one really big twist: Advantages, challenges and other iconic elements of the competition were designed by fan vote this time around. This new format honors the franchise’s roots while introducing a fun, unpredictable environment for the contestants to navigate while vying for the coveted title and prize.

‘Paradise’ — Season 2 (Hulu, Feb. 23, 2026)

Paradise returns on February 23, 2026, with Season 2 building on its first season’s post-apocalyptic political thriller narrative: Secret Service agent Xavier Collins continues his quest for truth in the underground bunker community and the surface world after a presidential assassination, confronting conspiracy, distrust and shifting power structures as shocking revelations about loyalty and survival emerge in a richly imagined dystopian landscape.

‘The Boys’ — Season 5 (Amazon Prime Video, April 8, 2026)

Amazon’s dark satire of the superhero genre, The Boys, is back for its final season. Billy Butcher and his ragtag team of vigilantes continue to battle Homelander and his army of corrupt Supes backed by the powerful corporation Vought International. Homelander’s unchecked power and absolute, iron-fisted rule are setting the stage for the series’ epic final showdown.

‘Euphoria’ — Season 3 (HBO/Max, April 12, 2026)

After a multi-year narrative jump, Euphoria returns with its third season, continuing the emotional, visually stunning teen drama as Rue (Zendaya), Jules (Hunter Schafer), Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Nate (Jacob Elordi), Maddy (Alexa Demie), Lexi (Maude Apatow) and others enter the messy world of post-high school young adulthood, where they’ll have to face the consequences of their past choices and navigate making the right ones for their futures.

‘Ted Lasso’ — Season 4 (Apple TV+, Summer 2026)

Ted Lasso’s fourth season follows the eponymous head soccer coach Ted (Jason Sudeikis) as he transitions to managing a women’s second-division team while balancing family life and mentorship. This season will bring back familiar faces like Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt alongside new cast members as the series seeks to reclaim the heartfelt humor and emotional depth that made it a cultural phenomenon.

‘House of the Dragon’ — Season 3 (HBO/Max, Summer 2026)

Season 3 of HBO’s first Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, escalates the Targaryen civil war. The season is expected to focus on massive, high-production battles, political maneuvering and deepening character arcs as the competing factions within the family vie for power in Westeros in the lead up to the series finale in Season 4.

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