{"id":390825,"date":"2026-01-06T02:37:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T02:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/390825\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T02:37:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T02:37:11","slug":"the-year-ahead-in-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/390825\/","title":{"rendered":"The Year Ahead in TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Top Story: <\/p>\n

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<\/a>; Game of Thrones gets a scaled-down side quest of sorts in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll also get new shows from DC (Lanterns<\/a>), Marvel (Wonder Man<\/a>), and even Sony (Spider-Noir<\/a>). Blade Runner 2099<\/a> returns us to a familiar dystopia\u2014as does The Testaments<\/a>, the sequel to The Handmaid\u2019s Tale. And a hit returns with a rock n\u2019 roll makeover: Interview With the Vampire season three, now called The Vampire Lestat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What We\u2019re Waiting For <\/p>\n

Eagerly anticipated returns include second seasons of Paradise, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters<\/a>, and the live-action One Piece<\/a>. Season three of House of the Dragon<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

But we\u2019re also excited for fresh titles to arrive, including a trio of horror shows based on movies: dark comedy The \u2018Burbs, the Friday the 13th prequel Crystal Lake, and serial Stephen King adapter Mike Flanagan\u2019s latest, Carrie.<\/p>\n

Another adaptation we\u2019re hoping arrives this year, though there\u2019s been no release date confirmation: Apple TV\u2019s take on William Gibson\u2019s groundbreaking cyberpunk tale Neuromancer.<\/p>\n

Unconventional Wisdom <\/p>\n

Netflix still holds firm to its binge-release model, but it\u2019s increasingly been dividing up episodes within a season across release dates, as it did with last year\u2019s Wednesday season two and Stranger Things season five. That\u2019s one way to keep the conversation going about your series\u2014something that\u2019s serving Prime Video\u2019s Fallout quite well, which shifted from a binge to a weekly drop for its current second season.<\/p>\n

The biggest example of that in reverse is probably Hulu\u2019s decision to drop all of Futurama\u2019s 10th season at once\u2014a first for the show and possibly a reason we didn\u2019t see many folks talking about what was actually an excellent set of episodes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not saying we\u2019re 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\u2014and if you can protect yourself from spoilers, the binge option is always there: wait until the season\u2019s over, then gobble up the whole thing at once.<\/p>\n

Who to Follow <\/p>\n

@GameOfThrones<\/a> on X\u2014This 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.<\/p>\n

@Bradcalebkane<\/a> on Instagram\u2014The showrunner of Crystal Lake and the co-showrunner of It: Welcome to Derry (where\u2019s that season two announcement, HBO?) often posts behind-the-scenes photos and updates.<\/p>\n

James Gunn on X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>\u2014As if you weren\u2019t already following this guy? The head of DC not only drops news about its movie slate, but he\u2019s also a prolific source for the studio\u2019s TV shows too.<\/p>\n

@AppleTV<\/a> on X\u2014Plenty of news, but also memes galore. We\u2019re going to miss all the Carol content when the Pluribus hype shifts for whatever comes next.<\/p>\n

Companies to Watch <\/p>\n

A24: Though its movie arm remains king, this company\u2019s producing realm continues to expand, with Crystal Lake coming to Peacock this year. We\u2019re curious to see what A24, so known for taking risks on genre projects, will bring to the small screen in the months ahead.<\/p>\n

Netflix: That Warner Bros. deal<\/a> isn\u2019t officially official yet, but does anyone really doubt the power of Tudum? In 2026, we\u2019ll 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\u2019s library?<\/p>\n

A Longshot Bet <\/p>\n

Apple TV has brought us so much sci-fi joy in shows like Severance, Foundation, For All Mankind, and Pluribus\u2014but it hasn\u2019t ventured too deeply into horror. The intriguing-looking Widow\u2019s Bay, starring Matthew Rhys as the mayor of a cursed island off the New England coast\u2014could change that. It\u2019s described by the streamer as a blend of \u201cgenuine horror with character-driven comedy,\u201d and if it can get that tone right, we may have a new favorite once it premieres.<\/p>\n

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel<\/a>, Star Wars<\/a>, and Star Trek<\/a> releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV<\/a>, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who<\/a>.<\/p>\n