The best new TV shows to watch in 2026
From The Rings of Power season 3 to Blade Runner 2099, we've picked out the top new TV shows to add to your 2026 watchlist
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
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
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.
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Brothers
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
After reviewing films throughout University and being a cosy game expert for years, I realised that entertainment journalism was my true calling in 2019. Since then, I've started multiple new farms on Stardew Valley and have written for several publications such as The Upcoming, PCGamesN, and Wargamer. I was the resident Guides Editor and horror lover for The Digital Fix before joining the GamesRadar+ team in 2024. As the Managing Editor for Evergreens, I'll be making sure that all the best lists you read on GamesRadar+ are the most helpful and fun pages on the internet!
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