.png){kind=logo}
3 days ago
14
By the time you read this, some of 2026’s biggest TV shows may already be on the air or on streaming. Star Trek launches a bold new show in January, while the Game of Thrones franchise expands into a previously unseen era in Westeros history, and the latest streaming series from the Marvel Cinematic Universe arrives. If that already seems like too much television to keep up with, well, too bad, because we’re just getting started.
The next 12 months will see the release of multiple shows across all three of those franchises, plus countless more, from series finales (get ready to say goodbye to The Boys) to highly-anticipated reboots. 2026 has plenty to offer for fans of sci-fi, horror, and all things genre.
We’ve rounded up our 30 most anticipated TV shows of the year. Check them out below, and if we missed anything you’re especially looking forward to in 2026, let us know in the comments.
1 Primal season 3
Image: Adult SwimPremiere date: Jan. 11
Platform: Adult Swim, HBO Max
Genndy Tartakovsky's visually stunning dialogue-free animated caveman epic returns for more brutal action. Only this time, the main character, Spear, is a zombie.
2 Starfleet Academy
Photo: John Medland/Paramount PlusPremiere date: Jan. 15
Platform: Paramount Plus
This follow-up to Star Trek: Discovery, set in the 32nd century, puts a YA spin on the Trek franchise by focusing on the first class of Starfleet cadets since the United Federation of Planets was shattered by a galaxy-wide warp-technology failure. The young stars are mentored by Discovery veteran Tig Notaro, Star Trek: Voyager star Robert Picardo, and Oscar-winner Holly Hunter, while Paul Giamatti sports a gaudy costume and chews scenery as a space pirate.
3 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Photos: Steffan Hill/HBOPremiere date: Jan. 18
Platform: HBO
This Game of Thrones prequel, adapting the first of George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, offers a grounded, small-scale take on Westeros, which might just reignite your love for the fantasy franchise. The show ditches continent-spanning conflict in favor of following a lowborn aspiring knight who seeks to make a name for himself at a tournament, but winds up in a lot of trouble. It’s funny and crude, with thrilling fight scenes and terrific character work.
4 The Beauty
Premiere date: Jan. 21
Platform: FX, Hulu
Ryan Murphy’s latest show is a sci-fi thriller about the pharmaceutical industry. The body-horror series, openly taking inspiration from Coralie Fargeat’s 2024 cult hit The Substance, revolves around a new beauty drug with disturbing side effects. Could this be the next American Horror Story?
5 Wonder Man
Image: MarvelPremiere date: Jan. 27
Platform: Disney Plus
Marvel’s latest TV show tackles the scariest thing in the MCU: superhero fatigue. This meta-comedy stars Aquaman and Watchmen star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a superhero who has to hide his powers to get a job in Hollywood in an in-universe new superhero movie also called Wonder Man.
6 Paradise season 2
Premiere date: Feb. 23
Platform: Hulu
Paradise was a sleeper hit in 2025 thanks to its clever post-apocalyptic premise. We won’t spoil any of the show’s many twists and turns here, but we recommend catching up before the hit series returns next month.
7 Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2
Image: ApplePremiere date: Feb. 27
Platform: Apple TV
The sci-fi series set in the MonsterVerse movie universe (and starring Kurt and Wyatt Russell as father and son) returns. This time, the focus appears to be on King Kong instead of Godzilla, so expect a trip to Hollow Earth.
8 Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Image: Marvel StudiosPremiere date: March 4
Platform: Disney Plus
Daredevil: Born Again is returning more focused than ever after season 1 of the MCU reboot went through multiple iterations before striking the right tone. (Specifically, the tone of the original Netflix show.) Season 2 is seemingly going all in on reviving the Netflix continuity by bringing back Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones.
9 Young Sherlock
Premiere date: March 4
Platform: Prime Video
After scoring at the box office with a pair of Sherlock Holmes movies, director Guy Ritchie is heading up a new show that takes place when the famous detective is 19 years old. Young Sherlock features a mostly unknown cast playing teenage versions of Sherlock and other iconic characters from his stories, like Mycroft and Moriarty.
10 One Piece season 2
Image: NetflixPremiere date: March 10
Platform: Netflix
The Netflix live-action version of One Piece is set to enter the Grand Line, introducing new fans to the likes of Laboon, before we arrive in Drum Island and meet the talking reindeer Tony Tony Chopper. All the while, the criminal syndicate Baroque Works will be drawing closer to our heroic Straw Hats.
English (US) ·