The Year Ahead in TV

Cheryl Eddy is a senior writer for io9; she covers horror, books, TV, movies, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird culture, sometimes all at once. Email tips to [email protected].

The Top Story:

Major franchises return to the small screen in 2026, but a lot of them will be wearing new faces. Star Trek goes back to school with Starfleet Academy; Game of Thrones gets a scaled-down side quest of sorts in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

We’ll also get new shows from DC (Lanterns), Marvel (Wonder Man), and even Sony (Spider-Noir). Blade Runner 2099 returns us to a familiar dystopia—as does The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. And a hit returns with a rock n’ roll makeover: Interview With the Vampire season three, now called The Vampire Lestat.

What We’re Waiting For

Eagerly anticipated returns include second seasons of Paradise, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and the live-action One Piece. Season three of House of the Dragon arrives not long after A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to keep that Westeros fever going. A notable finale arrives with season five of The Boys, which will no doubt scorch the earth with delight as it bids farewell to its satirical superhero world.

But we’re also excited for fresh titles to arrive, including a trio of horror shows based on movies: dark comedy The ‘Burbs, the Friday the 13th prequel Crystal Lake, and serial Stephen King adapter Mike Flanagan’s latest, Carrie.

Another adaptation we’re hoping arrives this year, though there’s been no release date confirmation: Apple TV’s take on William Gibson’s groundbreaking cyberpunk tale Neuromancer.

Unconventional Wisdom

Netflix still holds firm to its binge-release model, but it’s increasingly been dividing up episodes within a season across release dates, as it did with last year’s Wednesday season two and Stranger Things season five. That’s one way to keep the conversation going about your series—something that’s serving Prime Video’s Fallout quite well, which shifted from a binge to a weekly drop for its current second season.

The biggest example of that in reverse is probably Hulu’s decision to drop all of Futurama’s 10th season at once—a first for the show and possibly a reason we didn’t see many folks talking about what was actually an excellent set of episodes.

We’re not saying we’re anti-binge. But the value of an old-school weekly release is something we have a new appreciation for. It gives you the chance to let major plot points sink in over the course of several days—and if you can protect yourself from spoilers, the binge option is always there: wait until the season’s over, then gobble up the whole thing at once.

Who to Follow

@GameOfThrones on X—This is the source for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon updates this year. And if any other George R.R. Martin adaptations happen to get ordered to series, you can bet this account will have an inspired GIF to report the news.

@Bradcalebkane on Instagram—The showrunner of Crystal Lake and the co-showrunner of It: Welcome to Derry (where’s that season two announcement, HBO?) often posts behind-the-scenes photos and updates.

James Gunn on X and Instagram—As if you weren’t already following this guy? The head of DC not only drops news about its movie slate, but he’s also a prolific source for the studio’s TV shows too.

@AppleTV on X—Plenty of news, but also memes galore. We’re going to miss all the Carol content when the Pluribus hype shifts for whatever comes next.

Companies to Watch

A24: Though its movie arm remains king, this company’s producing realm continues to expand, with Crystal Lake coming to Peacock this year. We’re curious to see what A24, so known for taking risks on genre projects, will bring to the small screen in the months ahead.

Netflix: That Warner Bros. deal isn’t officially official yet, but does anyone really doubt the power of Tudum? In 2026, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this massive Hollywood move and seeing how it affects not just film production but film release windows too. Also, what Warner Bros. back catalog gold might soon turn up in Netflix’s library?

A Longshot Bet

Apple TV has brought us so much sci-fi joy in shows like Severance, Foundation, For All Mankind, and Pluribus—but it hasn’t ventured too deeply into horror. The intriguing-looking Widow’s Bay, starring Matthew Rhys as the mayor of a cursed island off the New England coast—could change that. It’s described by the streamer as a blend of “genuine horror with character-driven comedy,” and if it can get that tone right, we may have a new favorite once it premieres.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.