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Some of the scariest things about the 2026 TV schedule so far? All the recent cancellations, amirite? When it comes to shows that actually strike fear in viewers, however, there's thankfully a lot to celebrate and look forward to, from the long-awaited new season of The Terror to the future of IT: Welcome to Derry to Walking Dead and Last of Us' post-apocalypses. Not to mention a couple of solid options that are currently airing.
Let's start there before expanding the scope to incorporate all the big horror shows set to debut elsewhere in 2026 and beyond.
Currently Airing Horror TV Shows
From (Sundays on MGM+)
- The Cast: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, David Alpay, Elisabeth Saunders, Scott McCord, Ricky He, Eion Bailey, Julia Doyle
- The Creator: John Griffin (Crater)
- Why Horror Fans Should Be Watching: If you haven’t yet watched the creature-filled chaos that came before the currently airing fourth season, remedy that immediately. It’s best to know as little as you can before meeting the Stevens and Matthews families (among others), but do know that the series was already ordered for its fifth and final season ahead of Season 4’s debut, so it’s building up to quite the explosive ending.
Widow's Bay (Wednesdays on Apple TV)
- The Cast: Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Kevin Carroll, Stephen Root, Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Neil Casey, Toby Huss
- The Creator: Katie Dippold (MadTV, Parks and Recreation, The Heat, Ghostbusters)
- Why Horror Fans Should Be Watching: Apple Originals rarely go wrong, especially when it comes to genre material. Critics are loving this one, praising the blend of small-town comedy with a genuinely spooky atmosphere and unpredictable moments for Matthew Rhys as the optimistic mayor of a struggling resort town who’s trying to make it a tourist destination despite long-held superstitions suggesting the area is cursed. Plus, anything with Stephen Root is a winner.
Horror TV Shows Coming Soon In 2026
The Terror: Devil In Silver (Shudder, AMC, AMC+)
- The Cast: Dan Stevens, Judith Light, CCH Pounder, Chinaza Uch, Aasif Mandvi, Hampton Fluker, John Benjamin Hickey, Stephen Root
- The Creator: Victor LaValle (author of Devil in Silver, The Changeling), who serves as co-showrunner with Christopher Cantwell (Halt and Catch Fire)
- What’s The Terror: Devil In Silver About? The third season of AMC’s acclaimed horror anthology, Devil In Silver adapts the novel of the same name, with a story centered within a struggling mental health facility whose most notorious patient is believed by some to be the epitome of evil. Pepper (Dan Stevens) is unfairly committed to the facility after a violent incident, and his goal for justice quickly become a fight to survive within the hospital’s walls.
- Why We’re Most Excited: The first two seasons of The Terror established a high pedigree of storytelling, and LaValle adapting his own acclaimed novel serves as quite the intriguing way to bring the horror franchise into the modern day. Having a cast of ringers certainly helps, and yes, this is the second cast that boasts Stephen Root.
The Boroughs (Netflix)
- Release Date: May 21, 2026
- The Cast: Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare, Clarke Peters, Bill Pullman
- The Creators: Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim)
- What’s The Boroughs About? A retirement community that looks downright ideal from the outside, but proves to be something entirely more dangerous and monstrous for the aging inhabitants.
- Why We’re Most Excited: Technically more in the sci-fi realm than straight horror, The Boroughs is one of the projects ushered into Netflix by Matt and Ross Duffer, with Stranger Things’ teens traded out for a more mature set of protagonists. And you can’t tell me those six actors would ever join together for a project that legitimately sucks.
Interview With The Vampire Season 3 - The Vampire Lestat (AMC, AMC+)
- Release Date: June 7, 2026
- The Cast: Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Sheila Atim, Jennifer Ehle, Damien Atkins
- The Creator: Rolin Jones (Based on the novels by Anne Rice)
- What’s The Vampire Lestat About? The third season of AMC’s “Vampire Chronicles” adaptations will cover the second book, also titled The Vampire Lestat, which shifts the perspective more to Lestat, flashing back to his earliest days as a bloodsucker, and digging heavily into his era as a 1980s rock star.
- Why We’re Most Excited: The TV show could finally give Anne Rice fans a counterpoint to 2002’s heavily panned Queen of the Damned, which seems absolutely imminent given the quality of the first two seasons. As well, I’m optimistic for Lestat’s band, which boasts music supervisor Ryan Katten, better known to indie rock fans as Man Man’s frontman(man) Honus Honus.
The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 (AMC, AMC+)
- Release Date: TBA Summer 2026
- The Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan,Lisa Emery, Logan Kim, Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, Keir Gilchrist, Aimee Garcia, Jimmi Simpson, Raúl Castillo
- The Creators: Eli Jorné, with Walking Dead vet Seth Hoffman taking over as showrunner for Season 3
- What’s TWD: Dead City Season 3 About? Exact details are unclear at the moment, as Dead City hasn’t yet unveiled a Season 3 trailer. That said, it will no doubt follow the events of Season 2’s finale, which saw Herschel further aligning himself with The Dama against Maggie’s wishes, as Negan and Perlie agreed to put differences aside to work together to keep a semblance of civilization intact.
- Why We’re Most Excited: Maggie spent so many years picturing Negan as the biggest monster on the planet, and now that she’s finally learned to let go of that overwhelming hate, she’s lost her hold on her son, which should bring about a different kind of beast-mode for Lauren Cohan’s character. As well, seeing It’s Always Sunny vet Jimmi Simpson in the post-apocalypse can’t be a bad thing.
American Horror Story Season 13 (FX)
- Release Date: TBA 2026
- The Cast: Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Billie Lourd, Gaborey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman, Ariana Grande, John Waters, Joey Pollari
- The Creators: Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
- What’s AHS Season 13 About? Though official details are fairly few and far between, tthe horror anthology is indeed heading back down to New Orleans to reconnect with Season 3’s Coven of witches.
- Why We’re Most Excited: Coven is easily one of American Horror Story’s strongest and most beloved seasons, and it makes the most sense for a returning storyline. (Considering the infamous Murder House was already sequelized for the Stories spinoff.) Plus, I’m fascinated with finding out any and all changes in these characters’ lives due to Antichrist Michael being killed via magical time-jaunting shenanigans, which retconned the titular apocalypse. Also, seeing John Waters in the world of AHS should be as magical as the aforementioned time-jaunting. Even more so if Lily Rabe’s Misty Day also returns.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 4 (AMC, AMC+)
- Release Date: TBA 2026
- The Cast: Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Romain Levi, Eduardo Noriega, Óscar Jaenada, Alexandra Masangkay, Hugo Arbués, Candela Saitta
- The Creator: David Zabel, who returns as showrunner for Season 4
- What’s TWD: Daryl Dixon Season 4 About? AMC has yet to reveal much information at all about Season 4 of the Norman Reedus-led spinoff, but it’ll likely pick up some time after Daryl and Carol’s latest attempt to sail home was derailed by their boat getting destroyed. We do know the season will stick around in Spain, as that’s where the bulk of the episodes were filmed during the August-November 2025 production.
- Why We’re Most Excited: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will close out its across-the-ocean adventures with Season 4 so these episodes will presumably end in a way that brings them back to the States, hopefully to reunite with other long-unseen characters from Alexandria and other settlements. Assuming Carol and Daryl actually survive it all, that is.
Yellowjackets Season 4 (Paramount+, Showtime)
- Release Date: TBA Late 2026
- The Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nelisse, Tawny Cypress, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Christina Ricci, Sammi Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, Courtney Eaton, Liv Hewson, Warren Kole, Kevin Alves, Sarah Desjardins, Nia Sondaya, Jenna Burgess, Molly Ringwald, June Squibb, Hilary Swank, Elijah Wood
- The Creators: Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, and Jonathan Lisco, who are all back as co-showrunners for the final season.
- What’s Yellowjackets Season 4 About? Given that this will be the final season, fans can expect to see exactly how the teen soccer team was rescued from the wilderness, what happened after Hilary Swank’s Melissa killed Van, how Shauna’s attempt to reclaim her Antler Queen power goes, and a heck of a lot more.
- Why We’re Most Excited: Namely, to get any and all of the answers that have been evading us for the past three seasons. Knowledge is key! (Though I guess eating hearts doesn’t hurt.)
Crystal Lake (Peacock)
- Release Date: TBA Late 2026
- The Cast: Linda Cardellini, William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins, Gwendolyn Sundstrom, Callum Vinson
- The Creators: Brad Caleb Kane (based on characters created by Victor Miller)
- What’s Crystal Lake About? At this point, the main thing that’s known about Crystal Lake is that it’s a prequelized story focusing on franchise matriarch Pamela Voorhees. Various versions of this project were in development prior to Kane taking over as showrunner, and it’s assumed that the latest iteration jettisoned all of the prior creative contributions out.
- Why We’re Most Excited: You had me at “Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees,” but the general idea of bringing an episodic approach to Friday the 13th’s central location is wildly ambitious and exciting.
Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 (Paramount+, Showtime)
- Release Date: TBA Fall 2026
- The Cast: Michael C. Hall, Uma Thurman, James Remar, Jack Alcott, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Kadia Saraf, Dominic Fumusa, Brian Cox, Dan Stevens, Bokeem Woodbine, Desmond Harrington, Nona Parker Johnson
- The Creators: Clyde Phillips
- What’s Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 About? With the titular serial killer-stopping vigilante having brought an end to the collective efforts of Peter Dinklage's Leon Prater, Dexter's crosshairs are now set on the elusive New York Ripper, as well as other unsolved cases.
- Why We’re Most Excited: Season 1 of the continuation series was arguably the closest the Dexter-verse has come to matching the fun and bonkers energy of those first seasons, with a murderer's row of guest stars. Color me blood-red with glee that Brian Cox and Dan Stevens are two of the newest entrants, even if they're both already doomed.
Carrie (Prime Video)
- Release Date: TBA Late 2026
- The Cast: Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Amber Midthunder, Joel Oulette, Matthew Lillard, Arthur Conti, Alison Thornton, Josie Totah, Kate Siegel, Katee Sackhoff, Heather Graham, Rahul Kohli
- The Creators: Mike Flanagan (based on Stephen King’s novel)
- What’s Carrie About? No stranger to bringing new visions to horror adaptations, even King’s works in particular, Mike Flanagan has kept details about his Carrie reimagining close to the vest, and no amount of telepathy has been able to pry anything loose.
- Why We’re Most Excited: I’m always just generally being pumped about new Stephen King adaptations, with new Mike Flanagan projects earning an equal level of obsessive enthusiasm, especially knowing that we’ll be seeing a lot of the filmmaker’s frequent collaborators. Plus, I’m eager to see the idea that convinced Flanagan to make this his next King project before The Dark Tower.
Everything Premiering Beyond 2026
The Last Of Us Season 3 (HBO)
- Release Date: TBA 2027
- The Cast: Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Young Mazino, Isabella Merced, Gabriel Luna, Spencer Lord, Tabi Gabrielle, Ariela Barer, Michelle Mao, Kyriana Kratter, Jason Ritter, Patrick Wilson
- The Creators: Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, with Druckmann exiting that creative role following Season 2, leaving Mazin as sole showrunner for Season 3
- What’s The Last Of Us Season 3 About? Taking inspiration from the video game series, Season 3 will jump back in the timeline to center on Dever’s Abby and her group, which will add a new world of context to her minimal-but-violent interactions with Ellie and Joel.
- Why We’re Most Excited: If Mazin can be anywhere near as successful as the game was with Abby’s character development, it could potentially win back some of the audience segments who were most vocally against Season 2’s deadliest turn. Even if not, though, I adore Kaitlyn Dever, and can’t wait to see her slaughter some clickers and emotionally bond with Patrick Wilson as Abby’s father.
Alien: Earth Season 2 (FX)
- Release Date: TBA (Filming set to start in late May 2026)
- The Cast: Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adarsh Gourav, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Jonathan Ajayi, Timothy Olyphant, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Dinklage
- The Creators: Noah Hawley
- What’s Alien: Earth Season 2 About? At this point, all we know is that the second season will follow up on Wendy's successful attempt to take control away from Boy Kavalier and his company. Given Noah Hawley's penchant for secrecy, this might be all we know until the first trailer comes out.
- Why We’re Most Excited: The first season was a smart and visceral mix of classic Alien thrills and action, with an added layer of Peter Pan mythology to aid in the overarching synthetics storyline. If Hawley is able to up the ante even slightly, it could be peak TV in whatever year it actually comes out.
Wednesday Season 3 (Netflix)
- Release Date: TBA 2027
- The Cast: Jenna Ortega, Hunter Doohan, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Billie Piper, Joanna Lumly, Thandiwe Newton, Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Georgie Farmer, Moosa, Mostafa, Isaac Ordonez, Evie Templeton, Eva Green, Fred Armisen
- The Creators: Alfred Gough and Miles Millar
- What’s Wednesday Season 3 About? With filming having started in February, not much has been revealed about the new season just yet, though it'll certainly follow up on Tyler joining a pack of secret Hydes, as well as bringing in a formal introduction to Ophelia Addams.
- Why We’re Most Excited: Personally, I'm all about seeing as much of Evie Templeton's Wednesday-obsessed Agnes as possible, but I guess it'll also be cool to see who ends up getting cast as Morticia's sister Ophelia, as well as seeing the motley crew hunting for Enid. (If this leads to that long-gestating Uncle Fester spinoff, all the better.)
Stay tuned for more udpates on upcoming horror TV shows. Or else! I mean, or else you'll miss out on exciting information.
