Every year, I watch dozens of new shows to make sure I'm on top of the best series out there. That means every year, I also start developing a list of the shows I'm most anticipating in the upcoming year. Last year, that list included shows like "The Pitt," "Alien: Earth" and "Death by Lightning."
This year, well ... one of those shows is back for season 2, and it's right at the top of my list. In fact, there are more than a few returning shows that are high up on my list of most anticipated shows of 2026. But there are also a few new series I can't wait to watch, including one that finally brings one of my favorite superheroes to a live-action show.
Malcolm has been with the Tom's Guide streaming team since 2023, watching dozens of new shows each year so you don't have to watch the bad ones.
'The Pitt' season 2 (HBO Max)
When "The Pitt" season 1 wrapped up in April, I declared it the best show of the year so far. It never relinquished that title. This medical drama was a refreshing return to what TV used to be, and yet added a level of prestige and realism that most medical dramas lack.
If you didn't watch season 1, "The Pitt" is set in a fictional Pittsburgh emergency department, led by Dr. "Robby" Robinavitch (Noah Wyle). Combining the style of "ER" with the real-time pacing of "24." Over the first 10 hour-long episodes, we get a look into a typical shift in the ED, with interwoven storylines that sometimes wrap up in an episode, while others have multi-episode arcs. But at the end of episode 11, everything compresses and focuses on a single traumatic event, which then continues through the rest of the season until things slowly get back to normal in the season finale.
Expect the same formula this year, though not with the same event at the center of the season's climax. In "The Pitt" season 2, set months after season 1, Robby is on his last shift before going on sabbatical, working alongside a lot of familiar faces before taking a much-needed (but not much-desired) break. However, everything goes to hell in an instant when the computer systems of the hospital shut down, forcing the entire department to work like it's the 20th century all over again.
Watch "The Pitt" season 2 premiere on HBO Max starting on Jan. 8 at 9 p.m. ET
'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' (HBO Max)
"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is my first entry on this list from the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, but not the last. It's also the first new show on my list, even if it is a spinoff from an all-time (mostly) great show.
This show looks set to be different than either "Game of Thrones" or "House of the Dragon." First of all, there are no dragons. Instead, we follow our hero, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a hedge knight without a lord to serve. He's arrived at the town of Ashford to enter a royal tourney, but ends up unexpectedly involved with the Targaryens in more ways than one.
The entire first season is set over the events of this tournament, which means it covers mere days in the whole history of Westeros. It also consists of just six 30-minute episodes, meaning that this will be a far quicker George R.R. Martin tale than most viewers have come to expect. Personally, though, I'm excited for the change of pace.
Watch the "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" series premiere on HBO Max on Jan. 18 starting at 9 p.m. ET
'Paradise' season 2 (Hulu)
Before "The Pitt" took the crown and never let go, "Paradise" was briefly my top show of 2025. If you haven't watched the first season and don't want to be spoiled, stop reading and watch the first episode (at least) right now. Because that series premiere ends with an incredible twist.
Now, for the rest of you, here's the skinny on "Paradise." Sterling K. Brown plays Xavier Collins, a Secret Service agent on President Cal Bradford's (James Marsden) security detail in what seems to be an idyllic community. But it's soon revealed, after Bradford's shocking murder, that this community is secretly in a mountain bunker, and the last refugee of the U.S. government following an environmental apocalypse.
As season 1 goes along, we look back at what led to everyone in the bunker getting to survive the apocalypse, including in episode 7, "The Day," which is one of the best episodes of TV you'll watch all year. At the end of the season, though, we learn that there are still some outside the bunker, including Xavier's wife. Now, he's on a mission to reconnect with her and discover what's left of the United States, while back in the bunker, more dark secrets look set to be revealed.
Watch the "Paradise" season 2 three-episode premiere on Hulu on Feb. 23
'The Boys' season 5 (Prime Video)
"The Boys" season 5 is the final season of Prime Video's twisted superhero drama. Up until season 4, the team of Butcher (Karl Urban), Hughie (Jack Quaid), Starlight (Erin Moriarty), Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso) had been fighting the good fight against the deranged, fascistic Homelander (Antony Starr) and the evil capitalist empire of Vought Enterprises. But last season, Homelander finally had enough and took the U.S. for his own, declaring Supes as the master race once and for all.
That sets us up for a dark final season, and the first season 5 trailer for "The Boys" delivers on that promise. The tone is somber, setting the expectation that our heroes are walking to their death. I'm confident at least one of our merry band will be gone by the time the series is over, but the question on everyone's lips will be, "Can anyone even stand up to Homelander?" If you watched "Gen V" season 2, I think you'll agree with me that the answer is yes, but this show isn't afraid to dash your expectations at any moment.
Watch "The Boys" season 5 two-episode premiere on Prime Video on April 8
'Lanterns' (HBO Max)
We don't know much about "Lanterns" yet. But we've officially gotten a first look at footage from the upcoming DC Universe show, which you can see in the trailer above.
For those of you totally unfamiliar with this new HBO show or the Green Lantern character(s) in general, "Lanterns" stars Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, a new Green Lantern recruit. He's being trained by Green Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as they work to solve a dark, mysterious murder in America's heartland. Aside from these two, the cast also includes Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, and Ulrich Thomsen. Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner is also set to reprise his role from previous DCU shows and movies.
I cannot begin to describe how excited I am for this show. While Hal Jordan may be considered the prime Green Lantern (chronologically, he's not the first), for many of my generation, John Stewart is the Green Lantern, thanks to his prominence in the animated DC shows of the 2000s, when he was voiced by the iconic voice actor Phil LaMarr. Seeing him brought to life in live action (by an actor of Pierre's talent, no less) is a dream come true for many fans, myself included.
"Lanterns" is currently slated to premiere on HBO Max in mid-2026.
'House of the Dragon' season 3 (HBO Max)
The second entry on this list from the Song of Ice and Fire universe, "House of the Dragon" is set nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. It centers around the war of succession that followed the death of Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine). On the one side, the "Blacks," led by Viserys' eldest child, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and her husband/uncle Daemon (Matt Smith). On the other side, the "Greens," led by Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), the eldest son of Viserys and his second wife, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).
This show just made the cut to get included on this list. At the end of the year, I won't be shocked if I rate season 4 of "Industry" more highly, given it's been one of the best shows out there through its first three seasons. But "Industry" season 4 feels set for a major shakeup that could backfire, and "House of the Dragon" season 3 could be about to explode as multiple armies descend on Harrenhal and King's Landing. If this show nails it, this could be an incredible season.
"House of the Dragon" season 3 is currently slated to premiere on HBO Max in Summer 2026.
'Slow Horses' season 6 (Apple TV)
Please, hold back your surprise and shock. I'm excited for another season of "Slow Horses." It may no longer be a lock for my best show of a given year, but it always makes the top 10. This year, season 5 was no exception, and it finished sixth in my list of best shows of 2025.
So I expect that season 6 will continue the trend, even with Emmy-winning showrunner Will Smith no longer involved. Frankly, unless Gary Oldman leaves the show, I'm going to trust that this British spy thriller will remain excellent, and if he leaves, there's no more show, so I don't have to worry about that.
In "Slow Horses" season 6, which is based on the Mick Herron novels "Joe Country" and "Slough House," Jackson Lamb (Oldman) and the Slow Horses are on the run after Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) embroils them in a quest for retaliation and revenge. You can check out the trailer for season 6 above, which debuted at the end of the season 5 finale.
"Slow Horses" season 6 is currently slated to premiere on Apple TV in Fall 2026
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