The small screen is bigger than ever, so when we're looking forward to best new TV shows heading our way, it can be a little overwhelming. As movie franchises like the DCU and the Marvel Cinematic Universe continue to expand on streamers, we've also got returns from fan-favorite titles to look forward to, from second seasons of Fallout and One Piece to the final four episodes of Stranger Things season 5.
In short, there's plenty to keep an eye out for, and to help you keep track of it all, we've rounded up all the must-sees and unmissables below. Perfect, really, given that Christmas is right around the corner and we might actually get a day or two to slob out on the sofa, scoffing mince pies in our jammies. Oh! Just us? Okay, never mind...
So, ready to see what's coming up in the next few months? We've got your complete guide to all the best new TV shows in 2025 (and the first few months of 2026) on all the best streaming services out there, from Netflix to HBO Max and Apple TV.
Upcoming 2025 TV shows
Stranger Things season 5
Release date: December 25 (Part 2), December 31 (Part 3)
Available on: Netflix
Vol. 1 of Stranger Things season 5 is streaming now, and after binging the first few episodes (and witnessing that crazy Will reveal), we're desperate to see what the Duffer Brothers have in store for us with the final chapter's back half. Unfortunately, we still have a little while to wait yet, with Vol. 2 set to drop on Christmas Day in the US.
"We knew we were going to divide it into two, so it really is in two halves. Volume One really exists as its own mega-movie. It has its own climax," Ross Duffer previously told SFX magazine. "Episode four was the most challenging episode we've ever made, and that includes the finale – though on an emotional level, the finale was the hardest. I don't know how many days I found myself crying, and I'm not someone who cries very often outside of watching Pixar movies."
Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2
Release date: December 10, 2025
Available on: Disney Plus
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, one of Disney Plus' biggest original shows ever, finally returns for season 2 this December. Based on the series of YA books by Rick Riordan, the show follows the adventures of Percy, a tweenage demigod and the son of Poseidon, and his best friends Annabeth and Grover. After season 1's mishaps, Percy and pals return to Camp Half Blood one year later only to find more trouble waiting for them: they're under threat from Kronos, and Percy must venture into the Sea of Monsters to find the Golden Fleece to save them.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft season 2
Release date: December 11, 2025
Available on: Netflix
Netflix's animated series is returning right before the Christmas season! Following the events of the season 1 cliffhanger, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft season 2 will see the legendary adventurer Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) discover a trail of stolen African Orisha masks, which will force her to join forces with her best friend Sam (voiced by Karen Fukuhara). Per the official logline, "Lara's thrilling new adventure takes her around the globe as she delves deeper into the hidden secrets of Orisha history, dodging the machinations of a dangerous and enigmatic billionaire who wants the masks for herself, while discovering these relics contain dark secrets and a power that defies logic. Power that may, in fact, be divine."
Fallout season 2
Release date: December 17, 2025
Available on: Prime Video
Viva Las New Vegas! Fallout is heading towards the bright lights of the wasteland's former gambling paradise as the Ghoul and Lucy's hunt for answers after that Vault-Tec rug-pull goes on.
As glimpsed by the Fallout season 2 trailer, we're once again diving into the Ghoul's glitzy past as actor Cooper Howard, while there are also deathclaws in the post-apocalyptic present. On top of that, fans of New Vegas will be keen to see what part the shadowy Mr. House has to play in proceedings. Better still, it's releasing weekly - so there's plenty of discussion to be had well into 2026.
Upcoming 2026 TV shows
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Release date: January 15, 2026
Available on: Paramount Plus
Star Trek is not slowing down, with a new show releasing at the start of 2026. Is there a better way to start the new year? We don't think so. Releasing on Paramount Plus, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is set in the 32nd Century, around the events of the Burn that proved to be such a focal point of Star Trek Discovery, and takes viewers to the heart of the Federation. In the Academy, the "best and brightest" cadets are being trained for the first time in 120 years to help rebuild the galaxy. Holly Hunter leads the cast alongside Discovery alumni Tig Notaro and Robert Picardo.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Release date: January 18, 2026
Available on: HBO Max
Get ready to return to Westeros with new Game of Thrones spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Based on George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas and set around 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the show stars Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall and Dexter Sol Ansell as his young squire Egg. Per the official synopsis, the show is "set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends."
Wonder Man
Release date: January 27, 2026
Available on: Disney Plus
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars in this new Marvel show as Wonder Man, which was first announced back in 2022. The show follows Simon Williams, a superpowered actor and stuntman, who finds himself up for the role of a lifetime: the lead in a superhero TV show. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton and Hawkeye's Andrew Guest are on board as showrunners, and Ben Kingsley returns as Trevor Slattery.
Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Release date: March 4, 2026
Available on: Disney Plus
Daredevil: Born Again is coming back to Disney Plus exactly one year after its debut in 2025, and things are about to get even bloodier than before. Charlie Cox is returning as Matt Murdock alongside Vincent D'Onofrio as Mayor Wilson Fisk and the surprising (and celebrated) addition of Krysten Ritter reprising her role as Jessica Jones for the first time since 2019. The new season has a lot to wrestle with after the Daredevil: Born Again season 1 finale, including violent civil unrest on the streets of Hell's Kitchen and Kingpin declaring martial law in New York.
One Piece season 2
Release date: March 10, 2026
Available on: Netflix
The live-action take on Monkey D Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates is coming back to our small screens in March 2026! As a personal fan of the hit anime (seriously, I've watched all 1,000-plus episodes of One Piece in order), this is a personal highlight on our list. Luffy is still on a mission to become king of the Pirates, and One Piece season 2 will be introducing us to some key members of his crew going forward (Chopper and Nico Robin). Expect more wacky fights, some comedy antics, and plenty of strange and wonder characters, folks.
Lanterns
Release date: Late summer/early fall 2026
Available on: HBO Max
The next small-screen installment in James Gunn's DCU Chapter One is Lanterns. The new series will follow veteran member of intergalactic peacekeeping organization the Green Lantern Corps Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as he trains up new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) while they investigate a murder in Nebraska. Gunn has previously compared the show to True Detective and The Leftovers showrunner Damon Lindelof is on board as co-creator, so we're expecting big things.
The show was initially rumored to premiere in the first few months of 2026, but HBO surprised fans by officially announcing the later release window back in November. With Supergirl geared up to hero-land in cinemas on June 26, comic book lovers have now been left wondering whether it'll arrive before or after we catch up with Superman's wild cousin Kara Zor-El.
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.
