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2026 brings highly anticipated TV returns and fresh series
Viewers can expect a packed year of television in 2026, with long-awaited comebacks, new adaptations and major sporting events set to dominate screens. While some release dates remain unconfirmed, several high-profile shows are scheduled to air in the coming months.
New Year's Day premieres kick off the year
The BBC will revive The Night Manager on 1 January, nine years after its original success. Tom Hiddleston returns as intelligence operative Jonathan Pine, joined by Olivia Colman reprising her role as Angela Burr. The new series expands on John le Carré's source material.
ITV's The Flight also debuts on 1 January, shifting its setting from an aircraft to the US Embassy. Jing Lusi and Martin Compston star as detectives hunting a killer amid threats to a government plane carrying MI5's director.
Netflix will conclude Stranger Things on 1 January, ending the Duffer brothers' sci-fi saga with a global simultaneous release featuring most of the main cast.
The non-celebrity edition of The Traitors returns for its fourth series on BBC One, with Claudia Winkleman hosting 22 contestants competing for a £120,000 prize.
Mid-January sees Agatha Christie and Game of Thrones spin-offs
Netflix adapts Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery in a three-part series starting 15 January. Mia McKenna-Bruce stars as Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent, investigating a deadly plot at a country house party.
Sky Atlantic's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the second Game of Thrones prequel, premieres on 19 January. Set a century before the original series, it follows Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg in Westeros.
Spring and summer highlights
A Scrubs reboot arrives on 25 February in the US, reuniting original cast members Zach Braff, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke alongside newcomer Jacob Dudman at Sacred Heart Hospital. A UK release date is pending.
Guy Ritchie directs Young Sherlock Holmes, a Prime Video series exploring the detective's origins, beginning 4 March. The story follows Holmes as a young man at Oxford before he uncovers a global conspiracy.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July on BBC One and ITV1. England and Scotland have secured qualification, while Wales and Northern Ireland remain in contention. A potential final between two home nations could draw record viewership.
Unconfirmed 2026 releases
The BBC will air Dear England, a four-part drama based on Gareth Southgate's tenure as England manager, though no date has been set.
Doctor Who returns at Christmas 2026, but speculation surrounds the new Doctor. Ncuti Gatwa regenerated into Billie Piper in May, leaving questions about whether Piper, David Tennant or an unknown actor will take the role.
ITV's The Dresser re-examines the Jane Andrews case, charting her rise from Buckingham Palace aide to convicted murderer. The four-part drama is produced by the team behind The Crown.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair revisits the family 20 years after the original series, with Malcolm now navigating parenthood and a chaotic anniversary event.
The second series of Rivals, based on Jilly Cooper's novel, returns to Disney+ with its 1980s Cotswolds setting and themes of power struggles and forbidden romance.
Strictly Come Dancing faces its biggest change since 2004, with Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly departing. The BBC will announce new hosts for the autumn 2026 series.
Russell T Davies's Tip Toe, set in Manchester, marks his return to Channel 4. Alan Cumming and David Morrissey star as long-time neighbours in the drama.
Projects in development with uncertain timelines
Line of Duty will begin filming its seventh series in Belfast in spring 2026, with Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar returning. However, it remains unclear whether the series will air in 2026 or 2027.
Steven Moffat's 10 Downing Street, a comedy-drama for Channel 4, stars Rafe Spall as the prime minister, with Katherine Parkinson and Jenna Coleman as his senior staff. The series is slated for 2026 or 2027.
