2026 is going to be a big year in television – not just because of all the highly-anticipated new and returning shows, but also because of the many old series that are about to get new reboots. As you will see in the list below, these shows range from programs that were popular in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, to some that date back as far as the 1960s and 1970s!
There are a couple of upcoming reboots on the list that were previously movies and are now getting the chance to put their stamp on television. All in all, the whole list is pretty worthy of fans’ hype, so to make things interesting, we’re ranking the shows by just how hyped people should be for each of them.
10. Little House on the Prairie
ERIC ZACHANOWICH/NETFLIX
A year ago, Netflix announced a reboot of Little House on the Prairie was in the works, and some photos of the cast confirm it. The new series will reportedly be based more on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder than the original CBS TV show was. Rebecca Sonnenshine will serve as showrunner and an executive producer; Trip Friendly, son of original series producer Ed Friendly, is also an executive producer on the project.
Alice Halsey, Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald, and Skywalker Hughes have been cast as Laura, Charles, Caroline, and Mary Ingalls. Jocko Sims, Warren Christie, Wren Zhawenim Gotts, Meegwun Fairbrother, and Alyssa Wapanatâhk will appear as series regulars; Xander Cole, Barrett Doss, Mary Holland, Michael Hough, Kowen Cadorath, Thosh Collins, Maclean Fish, and Rebecca Amzallag will all appear in recurring roles.
The reboot has already become a political lightning rod, with major pundits targeting it as a potential “woke” re-invention of the original. But the age of the original series, plus the potentially toxic social discourse, keeps this one low on our hype meter.
9. The ‘Burbs
Play video
In this Peacock Reboot of the 1989 Joe Dante (Gremlins) film, “Old secrets resurface when a newly married couple relocate to the suburban neighbourhood of the husband’s youth.” The original film starred the likes of Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Henry Gibson, Courtney Gains, Corey Feldman and Bruce Dern; this modern reboot stars Keke Palmer (Nope), Jack Whitehall (Disney’s Jungle Cruise), Mark Proksch (What We Do In The Shadows), Paula Pell (SNL, 30 Rock), Kapil Talwalkar (Night Court reboot), and a recurring cast of familiar names (Justin Kirk, Haley Joel Osment, RJ Cyler, and more).
The film was a black comedy/mystery about the crazy neighbors that could be living next door in suburbia; it will be interesting to see how Peacock flips the concept for a modern show. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is attached as an executive producer (as is Palmer), so expect some wild twists.
8. Bewitched
CBS
According to Deadline, “In the new Bewitched, whose tone is described as heartfelt, though they come from two wildly different worlds — he’s a human, she’s a witch — for Samantha and Darrin, it’s love at first sight. But to be together, they’ll have to navigate their disapproving parents, walk a tightrope of cultural clashes, and bridge the divides between their families and worlds.”
Sounds like a high-concept metaphor for modern blended families. Writer/executive producer Judalina Neira (The Boys, Daisy Jones and the Six) and executive producer Doug Robinson are developing the series.
7. Elle (Legally Blonde)
Prime video – MGM
Amazon Prime Video and MGM Television are going to be launching a TV prequel to Reese Witherspoon’s iconic 2000s film Legally Blonde. Titled Elle, the series will follow Elle Woods during her high school years in the 1990s. Lexi Minetree (The Murdaugh Murders) will be taking over the Elle Woods role from Witherspoon, with a supporting cast that includes June Diane Raphael (Grace and Frankie), Tom Everett Scott (An American Werewolf in Paris), Chandler Kinney (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin), Amy Pietz (Aliens in America) and James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek).
Legally Blonde is a generational vibe at this point, and most fans seem to like Minetree in the role. Witherspoon is attached as an executive producer, lending authority to the reboot – as does Caroline Dries (Smallville, Melrose Place, Vampire Diaries, Batwoman), being one of the creators/showrunners. It’s set for release sometime in 2026.
6. Prison Break
“Prison Break” / 20th Century Studios
A new Prison Break TV series will be launched on Hulu in 2026. It will not feature the characters from the original 2000s series, but is said to be set “in the same world.” Elgin James (Mayans M.C.) will take over writing and showrunning duties from series creator Paul T. Scheuring. The new cast includes Emily Browning, Lukas Gage, Drake Rodger, Clayton Cardenas, JR Bourne, Georgie Flores, and Myles Bullock in series regular roles, with Ray McKinnon, Margo Martindale, Donal Logue, Lili Taylor, and Sylvester Powell set for guest roles.
The original series was a poster child for high-concept TV shows that lose steam as they get into later seasons. That said, the series
5. Baywatch
NBC
We’ll be ready… whenever it premieres. If don’t get that joke, you probably weren’t binging syndicated episodes of Baywatch in the 1990s and 2000s. Well, Lara Olsen (Reign, 90210 reboot) has been tapped to bring Baywatch back, and so far it looks like it will be a return to the basic form of the series: “Lifeguards train rookies while facing dangers on the beach and complicated personal relationships.”
The fun of the original series was how off-the-wall it got with episodic and seasonal story arcs. There were moments of action movie hijinks and crime drama; cringe-worthy takes on serious issues (AIDS), and so many romantic recombinations that it began to feel like inbreeding by the end. Hopefully, the reboot series strikes a better balance and is fully intentional with its comedy.
4. A Different World
The Cast of A Different World / NBC
The Cosby Show was such a big hit in the 1980s that it was able to backdoor launch a spinoff series, A Different World. That show saw Cliff Huxtable’s (Cosby) eldest daughter, Denise (Lisa Bonet), leave home to attend school at the fictional HBCU Hillman College. Once there, the show evolved into the story of the college itself and the students attending it (Denise dropped out).
The new reboot will focus on original series leads Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley Gilbert-Wayne (Jasmine Guy), who got married and settled down at the end of the original series. Now their daughter Deborah (Maleah Joi Moon) is set to attend Hillman, which undoubtedly be a very different school in the modern age. A Different World was one of formative African American-led TV shows of the 1990s, and the fact that prominent original cast members are returning (Hardison, Guy, Darryl M. Bell, Cree Summer, Merrick McCartha) earns it more immediate hype than, say, the Bel-Air reboot (which is an entirely new vision of the “Fresh Prince” character and lore).
3. Scrubs
nBC
One of the biggest shows of the 2000s (before The Office changed the face of TV comedy), Scrubs was the funny alternative to all serious medical dramas like ER and Grey’s Anatomy. However, the slapstick comedy and one-liners worked so well thanks to the talents of the cast, which included Zack Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, John C. McGinley, and Judy Reyes – all of whom are expected to return. With that cast (and others) coming back together, and being joined by some new comedic talent, there’s no reason to be anything less than hyped for Scrubs‘ return.
2. Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Play video
Malcolm in the Middle was one of the most groundbreaking shows of the 2000s. It was one of the first to offer an unflinchingly honest (yet still comedic) look at the real challenges and experiences of working-class families, who were (for the very first time) facing the reality that their generation wouldn’t prosper more than their parents had. It also became a pivotal snapshot, capturing the shift between Millennial and Gen Z youth culture.
The upcoming revival series Life’s Still Unfair will stream on Hulu and Disney+ in April, and will bring back the principal cast of Frankie Muniz (Malcolm), Jane Kaczmarek (his mom Lois), Bryan Cranston (his dad, Hal), Christopher Masterson (his eldest older brother, Francis), Justin Berfield (second oldest brother), and Emy Coligado (Francis’s Alaskan Natie wife, Piama). The new story is set “approximately 19 years after the end of the original series, Malcolm now lives a happy life with his daughter Leah (Keeley Karsten) and girlfriend Tristan (Kiana Madeira), having purposely distanced himself from his birth family. He is forced to bring them into the family’s chaos when his parents Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.
With the original cast back, a short four-episode run, and Malcolm now dealing with middle age, this is one to definitely be very hyped for.
1. Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale
DISNEY HULU
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is arguably the poster child for cult-hit properties that slowly but surely grow to become entire subcultures of fandom. The 1992 original film was largely seen as a flop ($16.6 million on a budget of $7 million); more importantly, screenwriter Joss Whedon didn’t feel like his vision was being properly honored by the film; when he was offered the opportunity to convert the film into a TV show, he took it. The resulting cultural impact is now obvious: Buffy was an early harbinger of superhero universe IP (sharing a “Buffyverse” franchise universe with its spinoff show, Angel). It was also pivotal in ushering in a new 21st century wave of empowered female heroines, alongside the likes of hit shows like Xena: Warrior Princess, Charmed, Alias, cult shows like Dark Angel and La Femme Nikita, and films like Kill Bill.
Since leaving the airwaves, Buffy has become a major success as a franchise IP, staying relevant throughout the last few decades via merchandise, novels, comics, video games, and more. This upcoming sequel series/reboot has been done without Joss Whedon’s involvement (due to some very public scandals), but series star Sarah Michelle Gellar shocked the world when she agreed to sharpen her stakes (and pump up her muscles) to return as Buffy in New Sunnydale.
The new series will see a new slayer named Nova (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew‘s Ryan Kiera Armstrong) step up to take the mantle, with Buffy Summers (Gellar) providing guidance. Series regulars include Faly Rakatohavana (Unprisoned), Ava Jean (Law & Order: SVU), Sarah Bock (Severance), Daniel Di Tomasso (CSI: Vegas) and Jack Cutmore-Scott (Frasier), Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio), Merrin Dungey (The Lincoln Lawyer), Audrey Hsieh (Found), Audrey Grace Marshall (The Flight Attendant) and guest star Kingston Vernes (The Survivor). With Chloe Zao directing the pilot (Eternals), and Agents of SHIELD writers Nora and Lilla Zuckerman scripting the series, this is the most highly-anticipated revival coming to TV in 2026.
What TV shows are you looking forward to in 2026? It can be a reboot, a new show, or a returning show; let us know your picks over on the ComicBook Forum!