Which of the many 2026 TV highlights coming up this year are you most excited about? If you don’t know where to begin, check out our guide to the biggest shows coming this year to a small screen near you.
New series from incredible showrunners
Many of our 2026 TV highlights are new series coming from showrunners who have already proven themselves with groundbreaking series. Micaela Cole, creator of the astonishing ‘I May Destroy You’, is triple-billed as writer, executive producer and star of the new series ‘First Day on Earth’ (BBC One).
Meanwhile, ‘Derry Girls’ creator Lisa McGee will debut her new comedy drama ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’ (Netflix) – expecting to bring tears of laughter and heartfelt emotions in equal measure.
‘Baby Reindeer’ creator and star Richard Gadd hasn’t revealed too many details about his new show ‘Half Man’ (BBC One), but that hasn’t stopped speculation that it will be another massive hit.
How to watch Heated Rivalry in the UK
If you’d have told us a year ago that the show everyone would be talking about would be a romance about hockey players, we’d have laughed, but ‘Heated Rivalry’ has defied expectations to become a legitimate phenomenon. UK viewers can now finally join the obsession, with the series airing on Sky and Now TV starting from January 10th.
Unmissable Sports TV in 2026
2026 is set to be another huge year for sports, with live events featuring heavily in our roster of TV highlights. For Rugby fans, the Six Nations tournament begins in February, with coverage split between the BBC and ITV – just make sure your TV licence is up to date.
Football lovers will be able to enjoy the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the BBC and ITV as well, with the ongoing Premier League airing across Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
2026 will also see the Commonwealth Games back in the UK, with Glasgow serving as host city. For those who can’t make it in person, TNT Sports has replaced the BBC as the live broadcaster for the event.
Is there a new Game of Thrones series in 2026?
While the Game of Thrones series finale is still final, fans of Westeros will have two new series to enjoy this year. Two of our 2026 TV highlights are season 3 of spin-off ‘House of the Dragon’ and new show ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ – both exclusively available to watch on Sky Atlantic through Sky or Now TV.
The best new shows on Netflix in 2026
Streaming giant Netflix is coming out of the gate swinging with a packed roster of new shows in 2026. As well as ‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’ from Lisa McGee, creator of Derry Girls, subscribers will be able to enjoy returning series like season 2 of ‘Beef’ and new soon-to-be classics like the brand new adaptation of ‘Pride and Prejudice’.
Disney+ is reviving some iconic series
Disney+ also aren’t holding back when it comes to 2026 TV highlights. 90’s and 00’s kids will be delighted by two reboots of classic shows coming this year – ‘Malcom in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale’. Both shows feature much of the original cast returning to their iconic roles, which is sure to hit us right in the nostalgia.
Fans of animation will also be able to enjoy the new ‘Spider Noir’ spin-off from the massively successful ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ films, starring the black-and-white super detective in his own show for the first time.
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