The most anticipated TV shows of 2026
Dragons, superheroes, prestige dramas and more
If 2025 was about cautious optimism, 2026 looks like television going fully back on the attack. Big swings, long-awaited returns and prestige projects that have been quietly cooking for years are finally ready to land, or at least threaten to.
From dragons and dysfunctional chefs to superheroes with emotional baggage and comedies powered entirely by social discomfort, 2026 is shaping up to be the kind of year that fills group chats, reignites weekly appointment viewing and makes the phrase “just one more episode” excitingly flirty.
Some of these shows already have firm release dates locked in. Others are still floating somewhere on the horizon, teasing us with vague promises and production updates. All of them, though, feel essential.
Here’s everything you should have on your radar in order of release, where we know it, and then the ones still keeping us waiting.
Industry
- Season 4
- HBO / BBC
- 11th of January
Industry has quietly become one of the sharpest dramas on television, turning the soul-crushing machinery of finance into compulsive viewing. Season four arrives with Pierpoint’s world more volatile than ever, and its characters even less equipped to deal with the consequences of their own ambition.
Expect power plays, moral compromises and dialogue so cutting it could short the market. It’s smart, ruthless TV, and it’s back right at the start of the year.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Season premiere
- HBO
- 18th of January
This Game of Thrones spin-off dials down the dragons and dials up the heart. Based on George R. R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offers a more intimate, character-led Westeros story, following a hedge knight and his unlikely squire. It’s lighter in tone, but still steeped in politics, class tension and looming tragedy. Think adventure with soul, and a welcome tonal shift for the franchise.
Wonder Man
- Season premiere
- Disney+
- 27th of January
Marvel’s Wonder Man feels like a deliberate tonal swerve, a superhero series more interested in celebrity, identity and performance than city-levelling destruction. With Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the lead, expectations are high for something slick, self-aware and slightly offbeat.
Whether it becomes a sleeper hit or another MCU experiment remains to be seen, but it’s one of Marvel’s more intriguing small-screen bets in years.
Shrinking
- Season 3
- Apple TV
- 28th of January
Few shows balance emotional honesty and laugh-out-loud comedy quite like Shrinking. Season three sees its cast of deeply flawed therapists continuing to muddle through grief, healing and questionable professional boundaries. Jason Segel remains the show’s beating heart, while Harrison Ford continues to steal scenes with gruff warmth. It’s comforting without being smug, sincere without being saccharine, and exactly the kind of January TV we need.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
- Season 2
- Apple TV
- 27 February
Season one proved there’s still plenty of life left in the MonsterVerse. Monarch season two promises to expand the mythology, deepen the human drama and, crucially, deliver even bigger kaiju moments. Balancing blockbuster spectacle with character-driven storytelling isn’t easy, but this series has already shown it can do both. If you like your prestige TV with a side of colossal destruction, this remains essential viewing.
Daredevil: Born Again
- Season 2
- Disney+
- 4th of March
Charlie Cox’s Daredevil has survived cancellation, resurrection and full MCU integration, and season two of Born Again looks set to reward that loyalty. Grittier than most Marvel output and unafraid of moral complexity, the show thrives on street-level stakes and psychological tension.
With Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin back in full force, expect bruising confrontations, ethical dilemmas and some of the MCU’s most grounded storytelling.
The Boys
- Season 5 (Final season)
- Amazon Prime
- 8th of April
The end is nigh. The Boys barrels toward its final season with the world of Vought more unhinged than ever, and its satire feeling alarmingly close to reality.
The challenge now is landing the chaos without losing the emotional core that’s carried the show this far. Expect blood, bile and at least one moment that makes you pause the TV and mutter, “They didn’t.”
Euphoria
- Season 3
- HBO
- April
After years of delays and speculation, Euphoria finally returns. Season three carries enormous pressure: to evolve its characters beyond shock value, to justify the wait, and to reflect a cast that’s grown up in real time.
Sam Levinson’s divisive style remains intact, but there’s hope this next chapter leans harder into emotional consequence and maturity. Either way, everyone will be watching.
House of the Dragon
- Season 3
- HBO
The Dance of the Dragons is no longer theoretical. After a measured, politically dense second season, House of the Dragon looks ready to unleash full-scale civil war. Alliances are fragile, dragons are weaponised, and restraint is likely off the table. Season three feels like the moment this prequel fully earns its place alongside Game of Thrones, not through shock alone, but through devastating inevitability.
The Bear
- Season 5
- Disney+
By now, The Bear is less about cooking and more about survival, emotional, professional and personal. Season five must confront what happens after success, when the adrenaline fades, and the damage remains. Expect more claustrophobic intensity, raw performances and moments of quiet humanity that hit harder than any kitchen meltdown. Few shows capture burnout quite this vividly, and fewer still do it this well.
Shōgun
- Season 2
- Disney+
Season one of Shōgun arrived fully formed: brutal, beautiful and unflinchingly precise. Season two now faces the challenge of expansion without dilution. With power structures shifting and loyalties tested, the series has the chance to deepen its exploration of honour, colonialism and survival. If it maintains its restraint and scale, Shōgun could cement itself as one of the defining dramas of the decade... or prove season 2 is a mistake.
Ted Lasso
- Season 4
- Apple TV
Bringing Ted Lasso back is a bold move, one that risks undoing a near-perfect ending. But if season four finds a genuine new angle rather than retreading old ground, it could feel like a thoughtful evolution rather than a cash-in. Optimism remains its calling card, but the real question is whether the show still has something meaningful to say. Believe cautiously.
From
- Season 4
- MGM
One of TV’s most quietly terrifying shows continues to trap its characters and viewers in a nightmare that refuses easy answers. Season four promises deeper mythology, though From has earned its reputation for giving clarity only in exchange for fresh horror. Bleak, unsettling and emotionally punishing, it remains essential viewing for fans of slow-burn dread.
Beef
- Season 2
- Netflix
Shifting to a new story and cast, Beef season two has the unenviable task of following one of Netflix’s most acclaimed originals. The goal isn’t repetition, but resonance, capturing that same raw exploration of anger, obsession and emotional fracture. If it succeeds, Beef could become a rare anthology that actually improves with reinvention.
Invincible
- Season 4
- Amazon Prime
Invincible continues to do what most superhero stories won’t: deal with consequences. Season four pushes Mark Grayson further into moral ambiguity, with action sequences that are as emotionally devastating as they are visually spectacular. It’s an animated TV that hits harder than most live-action blockbusters, and it shows no signs of pulling its punches.
Blade Runner 2099
- Season premiere
- Amazon Prime
Expanding the Blade Runner universe is a daunting task, but Blade Runner 2099 has ambition on its side. Set decades after 2049, the series promises a moody, philosophical dive into identity, memory and artificial life. If it prioritises atmosphere and ideas over spectacle, this could be prestige sci-fi at its finest, slow, haunting and deeply human.
Untitled Larry David Project
- Season premiere
- HBO
Larry David returning without Curb Your Enthusiasm’s framework is both exciting and alarming. Details are scarce, but expectations are sky-high for another brutally honest exploration of social discomfort. Whatever shape it takes, it’s almost guaranteed to offend someone, and feel uncomfortably accurate to everyone else.
Half Man
- Season Premiere
- BBC / HBO
HBO’s Half Man is one of 2026’s biggest unknowns, which only adds to the intrigue. Early whispers suggest a character-driven drama examining masculinity, power and identity with the network’s trademark confidence in slow storytelling. If it lands, this could be a prestige sleeper hit, the kind of show that builds quietly before dominating the conversation.
Lord of the Flies
- Season Premiere
- BBC
The BBC’s latest take on Lord of the Flies arrives with high stakes and higher scrutiny. Modern audiences will demand more than a faithful retelling, and the series’ success hinges on whether it can bring a new perspective to a well-worn text. Handle it with psychological depth and restraint, and it could be chillingly relevant. Miss the mark, and comparisons will be unforgiving.
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