Streaming giants are loading 2026 with comebacks and curveballs, daring you to pick a side. Which crown will slip, and which dark horse will hijack your watchlist?

Knights, detectives, slayers and starships are lining up for 2026 watchlists. Netflix dusts off Agatha Christie and Jane Austen while Disney+ brings back Buffy and Malcolm, Paramount+ opens Starfleet Academy, and HBO Max splits time between Westeros and a new comedy from Bill Lawrence. Prime Video swings from Spider-Noir to a fresh Carrie, with international teams elevating creators like Destin Daniel Cretton, Guy Ritchie and Mike Flanagan. Early buzz is building around titles such as Young Sherlock and The Testaments, with a few animated detours and franchise surprises in the mix.

A thrilling roadmap to TV in 2026

2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for television, with platforms preparing an ambitious slate of 16 brand-new series. From returning universes and inventive spin-offs to bold literary adaptations, the lineup promises range for every audience. Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Prime Video, and Paramount+ lead the charge, blending international storytelling traditions.

Spotlight on the most awaited premieres

Among the headline launches, Netflix will introduce The Seven Dials Mystery, reviving Agatha Christie’s puzzle-box thrills. HBO Max returns to Westeros with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a Game of Thrones prequel poised to captivate George R. R. Martin devotees.

Marvel enthusiasts can anticipate Wonder Man on Disney+, centered on Simon Williams and featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Paramount+ expands the Star Trek canon with Starfleet Academy. For darker fare, Prime Video presents Carrie, adapted from Stephen King’s seminal novel. Nostalgia also lands on Disney+ with Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale and Malcolm: Life’s Still Unfair, a continuation of the beloved sitcom.

Classics reborn

Netflix revisits Jane Austen with Pride and Prejudice, while HBO Max unveils Alice, chronicling the pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy Blaché and her extraordinary career. These cross-border narratives underscore how global the TV ecosystem has become.

More page-to-screen ventures include Prime Video’s Young Sherlock, charting the early exploits of the detective, and Netflix’s animated spin Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, reimagining Hawkins through a new lens.

What’s next for familiar favorites?

Returns from major hits keep momentum high, with new seasons of Bridgerton, One Piece, and Euphoria. Alongside them arrive fresh extensions such as The Testaments, a Disney+ spin-off of The Handmaid’s Tale, and Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, a playful expansion of The Big Bang Theory universe.

A year that redefines screen time

With a flood of high-profile titles arriving throughout 2026, choosing what to watch first may be the true challenge. From prestige literary adaptations to imaginative sequel series, platforms are raising the bar, setting the stage for a year of unmissable premieres.