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Total Film
Total Film
Entertainment
Emma-Jane Betts

The best new TV shows to watch in 2026

Paul Bettany as Vision in VisionQuest.

Despite being over halfway through 2026, the list of new TV shows is still looking very exciting. From a major new MCU show to a horror remake from Mike Flanagan, there is a whole lot to look forward to.

This isn't even mentioning the return of several major franchises to the small screen, including new seasons of The Rings of Power and new entries like Blade Runner 2099. To help make sure you don't miss a moment, we've broken down all of the major new releases that you need on your radar below.

Once you've perused our list below too, make sure you check out our guide to the best streaming services too.

Upcoming 2026 TV shows

Neagley

(Image credit: Prime Video)

Release date: September 16, 2026
Available on: Prime Video

As Reacher season 4 comes to a close, its hugely anticipated spin-off Neagley is set to begin on Prime Video. The series will arrive in its entirety as it tells a new story for Reacher stand-out Maria Sten's Frances Neagley. She'll be trying to solve a new mystery after an old friend dies in a suspicious accident, and we're expecting just as much action and intrigue as the original show. Of course, there will be an Alan Ritchson cameo as well to look out for when the series begins.

Stranger Things Tales from '85 season 2

(Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: September 17, 2026
Available on: Netflix

It feels like just yesterday that we got to enjoy the first season of Stranger Things Tales from '85, but it's already back for a new story. Featuring 10 new episodes, the series catches up with the Hawkins Investigators Club as they face a new ghostly terror. The whole gang will be back for the new adventure, which looks just as charming as the first season. Mark it in your diaries.

Brothers

(Image credit: Apple TV)

Release date: September 23, 2026
Available on: Apple TV

This new comedy series stems from a pretty wild true story that Hollywood actors Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson could be half brothers. The pair play fictionalised versions of themselves in this Apple TV show which imagines what would happen if they ended up living together at McConaughey's Texas ranch after Harrelson's daughter's wedding goes wrong. The first trailer makes this look like a lot of fun, it's definitely on our watchlist.

Carrie

(Image credit: Prime Video)

Release date: October 7, 2026
Available on: Prime Video

Preeminent Stephen King adapter Mike Flanagan is behind this serialized re-do of classic high-school horror, Carrie. Flanagan has form with King, having previously brought Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game and The Life of Chuck to screens, so expect the unexpected with his take on Carrie. Early buzz certainly suggests it's worth getting excited about, with first reactions labelling the show's opening two episodes "powerful" and star Summer H. Howell "heartbreakingly great."

Avatar: Seven Havens

(Image credit: Paramount )

Release date: October 9, 2026
Available on: Paramount Plus

Avatar: Seven Havens is set after The Legend of Korra amid a post-apocalyptic world. One young Earthbender learns she's the new Avatar, though, according to the official synopsis, "in this dangerous era, that title marks her as humanity's destroyer, not its savior. Hunted by both human and spirit enemies, she and her long-lost twin must uncover their mysterious origins and save the Seven Havens before civilization's last strongholds collapse."

VisionQuest

(Image credit: Disney Plus)

Release date: October 14, 2026
Available on: Disney Plus

It's been a long time coming, considering that VisionQuest was announced to be in development all the way back in 2022, but we finally know that the upcoming Marvel show will be with us in October 2026. Created by Terry Matalas, the upcoming series is set after the events of WandaVision when White Vision has been loaded up with all of Vision's memories. As the first trailer revealed, he tries to understand who is really is by speaking with a series of AIs and his creator Ultron in his mind palace. All the while he's being hunted by a bounty hunter.

Crystal Lake

(Image credit: Peacock)

Release date: October 15, 2026
Available on: Peacock

If you're looking for some scares this fall, Peacock is releasing a new prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise. Crystal Lake stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees in the creepy eight-part series. At this point she's a grieving single mother dealing with the unusual circumstances around the death of her sickly son, Jason Voorhees, at Camp Crystal Lake.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2

(Image credit: Netflix)

Release date: October 20, 2026
Available on: Netflix

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is arriving in October and there's already a spectacular first trailer ahead of the return trip to Night City. Featuring a whole new crew of Edgerunners, it's a 10-episode standalone story that asks the question: "when the world is blinded by spectacle, what extremes do you have to go to make your story matter?" Showrunner Bartosz has already warned fans to be "prepared for sadness," and we're still not over David...

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3

(Image credit: Prime Video)

Release date: November 11, 2026
Available on: Prime Video

The Rings of Power season 3 will soon be hitting our screens and as a long-time Lord of the Rings fan, I'm pretty excited to see more Tolkien-related work coming our way. This time around, the show will be picking up after a time jump as Sauron sets to work creating the One Ring. And as that darkness continues to rise, Galadriel will reunite with her long-lost husband, there is a Balrog that still needs dealing with, and Numenór is in upheaval. Exciting times ahead.

Blade Runner 2099

(Image credit: Prime Video)

Release date: November 25, 2026
Available on: Prime Video

Return to the world of Blade Runner in the sci-fi series' first TV show, Blade Runner 2099. The show is set 50 years after Blade Runner 2049 (which you might have guessed from the title) and it picks up in a world run by replicants.

"2019 was dark and rainy. 2049 was snowy and cold," showrunner Silka Luisa said at an SDCC panel attended by GamesRadar+. "Our show is a rebirth. It's the rebirth of a city, it's a rebirth of all of our characters, and so to me that felt like it should be hot and sticky and chaotic, and that's where we got the idea for the 'sunshine noir,' and so you're you're seeing Blade Runner, Ridley's Blade Runner, but through the lens of hard sunlight and deep shadow where you still have neons, and hopefully that feels like it's both familiar but completely different." Sounds awesome.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

(Image credit: HBO Max)

Release date: December 25, 2026
Available on: HBO Max

The Harry Potter TV series will be here on Christmas Day, and it's already looking to be a pretty big deal. Season 2 has already been given the green light, so we assume that HBO has a lot of faith in this upcoming debut of the "Boy Who Lived". The upcoming season will show Harry's first experience in the Wizarding World and Hogwarts, oh and of course, we will be meeting the big bad Voldemort as well. We are keen to see how this show stacks up against the best Harry Potter movies for sure.

For more on new releases, check out our lists of the most exciting movie release dates to look out for and upcoming DC movies and shows.

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