What are the most anticipated TV shows of 2026?

By The Editorial Team, 

Nathan Merchadier, 

and Ambra Flora.

Published on 25 November 2025. Updated on 25 June 2026.

What are the most anticipated TV series of 2026? The year is shaping up to be an exceptional one for fans of streaming TV shows. Among the return of major hits, ambitious new seasons, and high-profile projects led by acclaimed directors and actors, Netflix, HBO, Disney+ and Apple TV+ will all be competing to capture the audience’s attention.

From spectacular science fiction to intimate dramas, adaptations of bestselling novels and shows inspired by video games, there will be something for everyone. Casts, plots, release dates and trailers… Here is everything you need to know about the must-watch series set to make headlines in 2026.

Season 5 of The Bear starring Jeremy Allen White

It is undoubtedly one of the most eagerly awaited series of 2026. The fifth and final season of the award-winning series The Bear will premiere on Disney+ on June 26th, 2026. Audiences will reunite with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) in the aftermath of his decision to leave the restaurant business behind and hand it over to Sydney (Ayo Edebiri). Her ultimate goal? To earn the coveted Michelin star. A mission that is far from guaranteed for the team, as they continue to face mounting financial and emotional pressures. We can’t wait to see the return of our favourite characters, including Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Sugar (Abby Elliott), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) and Marcus (Lionel Boyce).

Season 5 of The Bear (2022–2026) by Christopher Storer, will air on Disney+ on June 26th, 2026.

Elle starring Lexi Minetree among the most anticipated series of 2026

Before heading to Harvard, Elle Woods — originally portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde (2001) — was already living a colourful life. This prequel series stars Lexi Minetree (The Double Life of My Amish Wife) and takes us back into the glamorous, bubblegum-pink and whimsical world of the Legally Blonde heroine, while introducing us to the events that shaped the woman she would eventually become.

Elle by Laura Kittrell, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on July 1st, 2026.

Lucky starring Anya Taylor-Joy

Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) is making her long-awaited comeback to television in Apple TV+’s anticipated new series Lucky. The actress stars as a former criminal forced to confront the ghosts of her past that she thought she had left behind. Drew Starkey (Outer Banks, Queer) also joins the cast of this suspenseful thriller blending mystery, long-buried secrets and redemption.

Lucky by Jonathan Tropper, will premiere on Apple TV+ on July 15th, 2026.

Outer Banks starring Madelyn Cline

After four seasons of treasure hunts, rivalries and relentless plot twists, Outer Banks is preparing to bow out with a highly-anticipated fifth and final season. The Pogues return for one last adventure as the fallout from previous events continues to test the group like never before. The show promises a moving, action-packed closure for John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant).

Season 5 of Outer Banks by Shannon Burke, Jonas Pate and Josh Pate, will premiere on Netflix on August 20th, 2026.

The Shards starring Kaia Gerber

Ryan Murphy’s latest project, The Shards, adapted from Bret Easton Ellis’s novel of the same name, transports us back to 1980s Los Angeles. The series follows a group of privileged teenagers whose seemingly perfect lives begin to unravel. Blending a psychological thriller with a depiction of a falling wealthy youth, the show offers a dark, impeccably stylish atmosphere. Homer Gere, Richard Gere’s son, and Kaia Gerber (Bottoms, Overcompensating) lead the cast.

The Shards by Ryan Murphy will premiere on Disney+ on August 6th, 2026.

The Red and the Black starring Camille Razat

Adapted from Stendhal’s famous novel, The Red and the Black takes place on the eve of sweeping political and social upheaval in 1828 in France. Camille Razat (Emily in Paris) portrays one of the protagonists, while Victor Belmondo stars as Julien Sorel, an ambitious young man determined to overcome the barriers of class at any cost. We can’t wait to discover what promises to be a sweeping and emotionally charged period drama.

The Red and the Black by Gaël Morel will come out in 2026.

Pride and Prejudice starring Emma Corrin

Netflix is preparing a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice (1813). All signs point to a mini-series that will delight both period drama lovers and romance fans. In the role Elizabeth Bennet, viewers will find actress Emma Corrin, already known for several standout roles in historical productions…

And that’s not all. Olivia Colman will also be part of the cast, reuniting with Emma Corrin after their performances in The Crown… With such a strong cast and the recent success of other period dramas (Bridgerton, The Crown), this new series is shaping up to be one of the platform’s most anticipated projects.

Pride and Prejudice (2026) by Dolly Alderton, coming out on Netflix next Fall.

The Savant starring Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain goes undercover in extremist rings… Created by playwright Melissa James Gibson (Anatomy of a Scandal, 2022), the series The Savant is inspired by the true story of a mother and digital watchdog determined to expose hate. In this fictionalized version, she becomes a secret agent known as “the Savant,” who infiltrates white supremacist online networks in order to dismantle their most violent factions and leaders from within.

Originally scheduled for September 2025 on Apple TV+, the show was delayed and is now set to premiere sometime in 2026. Online theories are thriving… Some think that the assassination of Republican activist and MAGA supporter Charlie Kirk in September 2025 may have prompted the schedule change…

The Savant, created by Melissa James Gibson, available on Apple TV+ in 2026.

Blade Runner 2099 with Hunter Schafer

Starring Hunter Schafer and Michelle Yeoh, this sequel to the iconic Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) directed by Denis Villeneuve is taking place in Los Angeles in the year 2099. Hunter Schafer plays Cora, a fugitive navigating a world ravaged by inequality and mass surveillance. Michelle Yeoh portrays Olwen, an aging replicant at the end of her life. In the ten episodes overseen by Ridley Scott, who directed the original Blade Runner, and Silka Luisa, the series promises to explore the notions of identity, humanity and technological control.

Blade Runner 2099 by Silka Luisa, coming out on Amazon Prime Video in 2026.

Season 4 of the period show The Gilded Age

The historical epic The Gilded Age, created by Downton Abbey’s director Julian Fellowes, continues its lavish exploration of 1880s New York with a fourth season. The first episode aired in 2022 and this new season is set for release on HBO Max in 2026. Amid old money and rising powers in the industry, the show keeps portraying power struggles, social ambition and the upheavals of a dazzling golden age. Louisa Jacobson, Carrie Coon and Denée Benton will reprise their roles in this ongoing portrait of an ever-evolving high society.

The Gilded Age, season 4, created by Julian Fellowes, will come out on HBO Max in 2026.

East of Eden starring Florence Pugh

John Steinbeck’s legendary novel East of Eden (1952), which earned him the Nobel Prize, will be adapted as a Netflix miniseries in 2026. It will be written and directed by Zoe Kazan, granddaughter of Elia Kazan, who directed the cult 1955 film adaptation starring James Dean. Set once again in California’s Salinas Valley, this family saga will revisit the timeless themes of good, evil and inheritance through the story of the Trask family.

East of Eden by Zoe Kazan, coming out on Netflix in 2026.

The Boroughs, a series produced by the producers of Stranger Things

After a decade following the adventures of the endearing group of young nerds living in the mysterious town of Hawkins, the hit series Stranger Things came to an end on January 1st, 2026, with the release of the final episode of the fifth season. To console their fans, the Duffer brothers have a major surprise in store — a new series entitled The Boroughs.

Although they are not involved in its creation or writing, they have chosen to support the project as executive producers. Directed by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), this eight-episode series draws on the same trope dear to the Duffer brothers — a group of outsiders navigating a science-fiction universe. This time, however, it is not a group of teenagers, but of retirees facing an extraterrestrial threat.

Set in rural New Mexico, the series brings together a stellar cast. Alfred Molina, the iconic Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 (2004), Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise), Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage), Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story), Clarke Peters (The Wire) and Bill Pullman (Independence Day) will star in the upcoming show.

The Boroughs (2026) by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthew, coming out on Netflix in 2026.