{"id":726538,"date":"2026-06-10T03:32:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T03:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/726538\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T03:32:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T03:32:19","slug":"best-new-tv-shows-to-come-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/726538\/","title":{"rendered":"Best new TV shows to come in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first half of the year in television has been consistently rewarding, thanks to shows such as Widow\u2019s Bay, Rooster, The Pitt, and Kylie<\/a>. But what if that\u2019s just the start? The list of series scheduled for the rest of 2026 is brimming with potential. Here are 25 new titles \u2013 and 10 returning hits \u2013 to keep an eye out for.<\/p>\n

Editor’s pick\"Best<\/a>2.6 Seconds<\/p>\n

On November 9, 2019, two lives intersected in the remote Northern Territory community of Yuendumu, when 19-year-old Warlpiri Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker was fatally shot<\/a> in his grandmother\u2019s home by 27-year-old police officer Zachary Rolfe<\/a>. Directed by Darren Dale (Total Control), this documentary series examines the pair\u2019s respective lives, the personal and public aftermath of the shooting, and how it affected Australia. SBS\/NITV, TBC.<\/p>\n

\"HugoHugo Weaving and Shabana Azeez star in The Aiport Chaplain.The Airport Chaplain<\/p>\n

A bustling Australian international airport is the backdrop for this contemporary drama, which follows the unorthodox work of the airport\u2019s chaplain, Tobias Wallace (Hugo Weaving, Slow Horses<\/a>). A fixer whose work encompasses cash payments and comfort, the veteran\u2019s outlook is tested when he clashes with his new boss, Mira (Shabana Azeez, The Pitt<\/a>). Their power struggle reverberates through the airport and its staff. SBS, TBC.<\/p>\n

\"JonJon Hamm in American Hostage.American Hostage<\/p>\n

Adding to his eclectic recent run of Fargo, Landman, and Your Friends and Neighbours<\/a>, Jon Hamm<\/a> stars in this period thriller, which is based on historic events, as 1970s Indianapolis radio host Fred Heckman, who is thrust into a police crisis when armed hostage taker Tony Kiritsis (Giovanni Ribisi, Sneaky Pete) demands that Heckman interview him live on air about his grievances. Mireille Enos (The Killing) co-stars. Stan, TBC.<\/p>\n

\"AnnaAnna Torv stars in new ABC series Dustfall.Dustfall<\/p>\n

Anna Torv<\/a> has enjoyed a terrific run over the past decade \u2013 Mindhunter, The Newsreader<\/a>, The Last of Us<\/a>. Her latest headline role is atop this crime drama about a police detective, Tig Pollard (Torv), who returns to her home town to investigate a series of drink spikings and sexual assaults. Tig\u2019s case changes when the main suspect is found dead, forcing her to dig even deeper into those involved. ABC, TBC.<\/p>\n

East of Eden<\/p>\n

Hollywood\u2019s first adaptation of John Steinbeck\u2019s novel was the 1955 Elia Kazan epic about conflicted brothers, which helped make James Dean a screen icon. Adapted by Kazan\u2019s granddaughter, actor Zoe (The Plot Against America), this remake centres on the woman caught between the siblings, Cathy (Florence Pugh, Dune: Part Two), who is married to one brother (Christopher Abbott, Girls) but drawn to the other (Australian Joseph Zada<\/a>, Invisible Boys<\/a>, in Dean\u2019s role). Netflix, TBC.<\/p>\n

\"LexiLexi Minetree as Elle Woods in the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle.\u00a0Elle<\/p>\n

Superheroes of all kinds get origin stories, so it\u2019s only right that Reese Witherspoon\u2019s Elle Woods, the Californian blonde who conquered Harvard Law School in the 2001 comedy hit Legally Blonde, should step up. Lexi Minetree (The Murdaugh Murders) plays Elle as a 1990s high school student whose Los Angeles life is upended by her family\u2019s move to grunge-era Seattle. Now that smells like teen spirit. Amazon Prime Video, July 1.<\/p>\n

\"LolaLola Bond and Ioane Sa\u2019ula in The F Ward.The F Ward<\/p>\n

Bump co-creator Kelsey Munro<\/a> takes on the medical drama in this Sydney-set series about a group of dedicated but flawed student doctors given their last chance at an underfunded public hospital \u2013 with life-or-death ramifications. The doctors and interns are played by Anna Friel (Marcella), Dan Wyllie (Love My Way), Ioane Sa\u2019ula (Bump), and Lola Bond (Upright). A fresh take on a genre as old as television itself is always welcome. Stan, July 17.<\/p>\n

First Day on Earth<\/p>\n

Michaela Coel helped set the benchmark for television this decade with her coruscating 2020 comic drama, I May Destroy You. Coel now writes, directs, and stars in the story of a British novelist, Henri (Coel), who decides to reset her life by working on a film in Ghana, the west African home of her estranged father. Thandiwe Newton (Westworld) and Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who)<\/a> co-star in a hugely anticipated series. HBO Max, TBC.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Five Star Weekend features D\u2019Arcy Carden as Brooke, Regina Hall as Dru-Ann, Chlo\u00eb Sevigny as Tatum, Jennifer Garner as Hollis, Gemma Chan as Gigi.The Five Star Weekend<\/p>\n

Jennifer Garner (The Last Thing He Told Her) headlines this emotional reckoning, playing a widow who tries to understand her loss by hosting a weekend away with a friend from each phase of her life. It gets messy, and it gets therapeutic, with a supporting cast that includes D\u2019Arcy Carden<\/a> (The Good Place), Chlo\u00eb Sevigny (American Horror Story) and \u2013 rebound candidate! \u2013 Timothy Olyphant (Justified). Binge, July 9.<\/p>\n

\"EmmyEmmy Rossum and Scoot McNairy star in Furious. Furious<\/p>\n

Having delivered the must-see Dying for Sex<\/a>, creator Elizabeth Meriwether returns with this crime thriller, which is loosely inspired by the 1987 Hollywood hit Black Widow. The plot\u2019s crux is the obsessive pursuit that an FBI agent (Emmy Rossum, Shameless) goes through to track down a female killer targeting wealthy men (Lola Petticrew, Say Nothing<\/a>). Done right this should be a disturbing procedural. Disney+, July 27.<\/p>\n

Harry Potter<\/p>\n

No show this year comes with higher expectations<\/a>. J.K. Rowling\u2019s beloved fantasy books and their blockbuster adaptations are being rebooted: one season per book. This is intended to be an almost decade-long project, with three unknown child actors<\/a> in the lead roles and a supporting cast that includes John Lithgow (Dexter) and Janet McTeer (Ozark). The show has to match the movie\u2019s production values and not just be a slavish transcription of the books. HBO Max, either December 25 or 26.<\/p>\n

\"JimmyJimmy Tatro as Lance and Will Ferrell as Lonnie in The Hawk.The Hawk<\/p>\n

Aggressively idiotic professional athletes have long been a Will Ferrell specialty \u2013 the comic actor has played a figure skater (Blades of Glory), NASCAR driver (Talladega Nights) and basketball player (Semi-Pro). Now it\u2019s golf\u2019s turn, with Ferrell playing washed-up former champion Lonnie \u201cThe Hawk\u201d Hawkins, who returns to the PGA circuit seeking a final win. The trailer is giving plentiful John Daly vibes<\/a>. Netflix, July 16.<\/p>\n

\"YutakaYutaka Takenouchi in Human Vapour. Human Vapour<\/p>\n

The first collaboration between Netflix and Japan\u2019s venerable Toho Studios (home of Godzilla), this science-fiction crime thriller follows a police detective and reporter both pursuing a killer who can seemingly turn to gas and is using their power to kill prominent targets they\u2019ve publicly announced. Train to Busan writer Yeon Sang-ho brings South Korean genre input, with the show hoping to surprise audiences a la Squid Game<\/a>. Netflix, July 2.<\/p>\n

\"MiaMia Wasikowska and Xavier Samuel, with Di Adams and Sam Parsonson (lying on ground) in The Killings at Parrish Station.The Killings at Parrish Station<\/p>\n

Expect the eerie and inexplicable to hover over this Australian murder mystery, which begins with four slain scientists at a remote research station in the 1980s. The case is investigated in dual timelines: first by a young police detective, Georgia Cooke (Mia Wasikowska, Only Lovers Left Alive), and then 37 years later, following a similar crime, by a veteran Georgia (Heather Mitchell, Love Me<\/a>). Stan, June 18.<\/p>\n

\"AaronAaron Pierre (left) and Kyle Chandler in Lanterns. Lanterns <\/p>\n

The DC comic book universe has been rebooted<\/a> with 2025\u2019s Superman<\/a> and now it\u2019s the turn of the superhero franchise\u2019s television division. The subject is the intergalactic peacekeepers of the Green Lanterns, with veteran Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights) and new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre, Rebel Ridge) investigating a small-town Nebraska murder with possible extraterrestrial implications. A promising sign: the creators include Damon Lindelof, who oversaw the beguiling Watchmen. HBO Max, August 17.<\/p>\n

\"PatrickPatrick Brammall in Last Seen.Last Seen<\/p>\n

Fresh from expertly adding<\/a> some Australian energy to The Devil Wears Prada 2<\/a>, Patrick Brammall<\/a> swings back to drama for this local thriller. He plays a former police detective, Ian Ridley, whose life collapsed 11 years prior when his young daughter Maggie disappeared without trace. Now working as a police dispatcher, Ian is convinced a caller seeking help is a teenage Maggie, sending him on a lone pursuit. Apple TV, September 9.<\/p>\n

\"LarryLarry David and former US president Barack Obama feature in Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness<\/p>\n

Larry David\u2019s take on any given situation is likely to be unconventional, as countless episodes of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm can attest to. So when he takes on American history in this sketch comedy series, whose producers include former US president Barack Obama, the results should be distinct. The list of guest stars is impeccable, with Bill Hader (Barry) and Jerry Seinfeld (Unfrosted) just two of the many contributors. HBO Max, June 27.<\/p>\n

\" Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie.Little House on the Prairie<\/p>\n

Now this is an unexpected remake. The original Little House on the Prairie was a broadcast network-era hit between 1974 and 1983, delivering the heartwarming travails of an American frontier farming family in the 1870s. With Australian actor Luke Bracey (The Artful Dodger)<\/a> as upright father Charles Ingalls, this looks to be a faithful update that\u2019s aiming for family-friendly success. The trad-wife media takes will probably be unavoidable. Netflix, July 9.<\/p>\n

\"AnyaAnya Taylor-Joy stars in Lucky.Lucky<\/p>\n

Anya Taylor-Joy<\/a>, who proved her action mettle in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga<\/a>, goes on the run in this twisty crime thriller, playing the titular con artist whose big score is upended when her husband disappears and she\u2019s pursued by the FBI and a vicious mob boss (Annette Bening, Dutton Ranch<\/a>). The show was created by Jonathan Tropper<\/a>, whose dark crime comedy Your Friends and Neighbours just finished its second season<\/a>. Apple TV, July 15.<\/p>\n

\"PhilippaPhilippa Northeast (left) and Kate Mulvany in My Brilliant Career. My Brilliant Career<\/p>\n

Few texts are more totemic in Australian culture than Miles Franklin\u2019s 1901 novel about Sybylla Melvyn, a young woman caught between the convention of marriage and her desire to be a writer. Gillian Armstrong\u2019s 1979 film, with Judy Davis as Sybylla, was a landmark Australian feature<\/a>. It\u2019s up to creator Liz Doran (Please Like Me) and stars Philippa Northeast<\/a> (Territory<\/a>) and Christopher Chung (Slow Horses)<\/a> to maintain that gold standard. Netflix, TBC.<\/p>\n

Neuromancer<\/p>\n

William Gibson\u2019s 1984 novel kickstarted modern science-fiction, introducing dystopian excess, online culture and helter-skelter technology. The question now is how to present Gibson\u2019s vision of life circa 2035 when it\u2019s only nine years away? Callum Turner<\/a> (Masters of the Air) plays Case, a damaged hacker recruited for an online heist that introduces him to a menacing World War III veteran (Mark Strong, Dune: Prophecy) and a cybernetic mercenary (Brianna Middleton, Sharper). Apple TV, TBC.<\/p>\n

Pride and Prejudice<\/p>\n

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every era gets its own version of Jane Austen\u2019s classic 1813 novel of romantic manners. After Jennifer Ehle and (a drenched) Colin Firth<\/a> in the 1995 BBC series, there was Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen<\/a> in the 2005 feature. The latest version<\/a>, delivers Emma Corrin (The Crown), as the witty, defiant and unwed Elizabeth Bennet and Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) as the haughty Mr Darcy. Netflix, TBC.<\/p>\n

\"LivLiv Hewson and Michael Dorman in Treasure and Dirt. Treasure and Dirt<\/p>\n

With their pock-marked landscapes, secretive riches, and literal underground communities, outback opal mining towns are a perfect backdrop for a murder mystery. This Australian desert procedural, adapted from the novel of the same name by Chris Hammer, opens with the freakish murder of a miner, leading to an investigation by a local constable (Liv Hewson, Yellowjackets<\/a>) and a homicide detective sent from the big smoke (Michael Dorman, Patriot). ABC, TBC.<\/p>\n

Trinity<\/p>\n

Line of Duty<\/a> creator Jed Mercurio<\/a> put together this conspiratorial thriller, which revolves around the covert entanglement of America\u2019s defence secretary (Richard Madden, Game of Thrones) and a nuclear submarine commander (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Morning Wars). I\u2019m predicting a spicy tone for this nailbiter, because that\u2019s what Mercurio did with his 2018 British series, Bodyguard<\/a>, in which Madden played a former soldier protecting Keeley Hawes\u2019 politician. Netflix, TBC.<\/p>\n

War<\/p>\n

This London-set legal drama deep dives into a fight-to-the-last-lawyer battle that unfolds when the high-profile marriage of a tech billionaire (Dominic West, The Wire) and a Hollywood movie star (Sienna Miller, The Loudest Voice) comes scandalously apart. Creator George Kay (Hijack<\/a>) puts the focus on the legal tactics of the rival firms representing the adversarial exes. Expect some serious lawfare. HBO Max, TBC.<\/p>\n

Big shows coming back<\/p>\n

The Agency (season two): This CIA thriller with Michael Fassbender, Jodie Turner-Smith and Richard Gere, delivered a muscular, betrayal-laden debut. Expect more complications. Paramount+, June 22.<\/p>\n

The Bear (season five): It\u2019s the final season of this Chicago kitchen comic-drama, which has been all fine dining and flayed emotions. Hopefully, creator Christopher Storer can stick the landing. Disney+, June 26.<\/p>\n

Black Doves (season two): Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw will return as the badass besties who somehow make camp banter and automatic weapons compatible. Netflix, TBC.<\/p>\n

\"KeiraKeira Knightley in season one of Black Doves.<\/p>\n

Colin from Accounts (season three): Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer<\/a>, the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of uncomfortable screen relationships, return in Australia\u2019s top comedy. Binge, TBC.<\/p>\n

Dark Matter (season two): This parallel-worlds science-fiction thriller, with Joel Edgerton<\/a> and Jennifer Connelly playing multiple versions of their respective characters, was engrossing and nightmarish. Apple TV, August 28.<\/p>\n

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (season three): Tolkien time is back as the most expensive show in television history continues to build out a stand-alone Middle Earth epic. Amazon Prime Video, November 11.<\/p>\n

Maxton Hall \u2013 The World Between Us (season three): The little romantic-drama that could, this German-language (but set in England) series about torrid campus love has become a young-adult fiction blockbuster. Amazon Prime Video, TBC.<\/p>\n

Nobody Wants This (season three): Kristen Bell\u2019s frisky podcaster<\/a> and Adam Brody\u2019s rabbi will have a new set of personal tripwires to navigate, as the show becomes an annual fixture. Netflix, TBC.<\/p>\n

Silo (season three): It\u2019s a crucial season for this dystopian drama, which stars Dune\u2019s Rebecca Ferguson and is set in a vast, isolated underground city. Outside world answers are due. Apple TV, July 3.<\/p>\n

Ted Lasso (season 4): New team, same Ted<\/a>. Jason Sudeikis, his tracksuit, and the majority of the cast from the feel-good sports comedy report back as the American coach takes over a women\u2019s team. Apple TV, August 5.<\/p>\n

*Stan is owned by Nine, the publisher of this masthead.<\/p>\n

Want more TV? We\u2019ve got you.Newsletter: Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday<\/a>.Best TV of the year (so far): From The Pitt to Widow\u2019s Bay, and ABC comedy Dog Park, these are the shows that have caught our critics\u2019 attention<\/a>.Adults only: Sex work is all over TV right now<\/a>. Which shows are telling the real story?Nick Mohammed: The British comedian has been drafted by SBS for the World Cup. But all we want to know is whether he\u2019ll be back in Ted Lasso<\/a>.Ground Up review: This new ABC comedy about forming an AFL team in Tasmania misses the mark<\/a>.Video: Deputy TV editor Meg Watson on the TV shows she recommends watching right now (below).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first half of the year in television has been consistently rewarding, thanks to shows such as Widow\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":726539,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[64,63,134,427],"class_list":["post-726538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-entertainment","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/726538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=726538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/726538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/726539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=726538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=726538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=726538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}