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From superheroes to space odysseys, the small screen is set to explode with must-watch content! Join us as we count down the shows that have us clearing our 2026 viewing schedules. Our list includes returning favorites and brand-new series that promise to revolutionize television. Which upcoming show has you most excited? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Well, while you've been busy taking all the credit, some of us have been busy getting ready
00:04for what's next. Busy doing what? Well... Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our
00:10picks for the most anticipated shows of 2026. We're including new shows premiering this year,
00:15as well as returning shows. Tier 1 trauma, ETA, 6 minutes. And so it begins.
00:21Number 10. The Boys, Season 5. While Amazon Prime Video still has a few projects set in
00:27the Boys universe lined up, this fifth and final season of the dark superhero satire is bound to
00:32bring several arcs to a close. You all think you're the heroes of your own story. I mean,
00:39look at you. You're more moral and good and honest than the rest of us. In addition to Starlight and
00:47the Resistance taking on a corrupt government, Butcher and Homelander should settle their score.
00:52That's not the only rivalry that'll meet its climax. Homelander will pick up where he left
00:56off with his estranged father, Soldier Boy. Whether or not the latter survives, Jensen Ackles
01:12is returning in the upcoming prequel spin-off, Vault Rising. As for the season, producer Eric
01:18Kripke says there's no guarantee who's going to survive. In any case, the skies are going to rain
01:23blood. The train has left the station gorgeous. And you're on it.
01:27Number 9. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1.
01:31What's your name? Sir Duncan the Todd. Never heard of him.
01:36You know every knight in the Seven Kingdoms then? The good ones.
01:39It's a shame that Game of Thrones Season 8 has overshadowed the show as a whole.
01:43That said, we're still not over how badly it ended. While House of the Dragon restored some goodwill,
01:48that spin-off hasn't been without pacing issues. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms might be the show this
01:53franchise needs, telling a smaller, more focused story centered around Hedged Knight,
01:57Sir Duncan, and his squire, the child prince, Aegon Targaryen.
02:01Rob me, and I'll hunt you down with dogs.
02:04You don't have dogs!
02:06I'll get some.
02:07Where?
02:08Who?
02:08There may be less attention paid to dragons, magic, and politics, but as long as the characters and
02:14their dynamics draw us in, this could be a winner for HBO. A more comedic take on this universe isn't
02:19unwelcome either, as G.O.T. could be quite funny when it wanted to be.
02:31Number 8. Daredevil Born Again Season 2
02:35Marvel has a couple of miniseries lined up for the new year, like Vision Quest and Wonder Man.
02:40We are going to make the last movie on Earth. No one will have the balls to make another.
02:47The second season of Daredevil Born Again is our most anticipated live-action MCU show,
02:52however. As ecstatic as we are to see Matt Murdock's story continue beyond Netflix,
02:56we feared that it would be toned down under Disney's management. To our surprise, Daredevil Born Again
03:02wasn't just dark.
03:03And in the immediate future, New York City is under martial law.
03:09The first season might have been even darker than its predecessor, killing off a major character,
03:14seeing Murdock's arch-nemesis rise to the height of his power, and ending with New York essentially
03:18becoming a police state. It was a hell of a way to go out, setting us up for a sophomore season
03:23that'll either delve deeper into darkness, or see the light.
03:27Tonight.
03:31And every night.
03:38I love New York.
03:40Number 7. One Piece. Season 2
03:43You're a good guy.
03:46I'm Roro Noa Zoro. The pirate hunter.
03:49Well, I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I will be the king of the pirates.
03:55Just as the treasure of One Piece can feel like an unattainable MacGuffin, it's hard to
03:59come by a live-action reimagining of a beloved anime that's passable, let alone good. The
04:04first season of Netflix's One Piece was a rare adaptation that remained faithful to the
04:08spirit of its predecessor, while still having its own charm.
04:11I'm on my way to the Grand Line.
04:14Pirate graveyard.
04:15There are a hundred foot waves, and sea beasts that'll crush your bones.
04:20Once you enter the Grand Line, you never return.
04:23It sounds kind of fun.
04:25This is largely thanks to the charismatic cast, especially Inaki Godoy, who embodies Monkey
04:30D. Luffy in ways we didn't think an actor could in live-action. The performances bring
04:34a groundedness to the over-the-top visuals, making us feel like we're watching a live-action
04:38anime. Season 2, which is subtitled Into the Grand Line, promises more colorful adventures
04:44with the Straw Hat Pirates, while hinting at darker waters.
04:47As we head into the Grand Line, the world of One Piece keeps getting bigger and bigger.
04:53What is that?
04:56Woo!
04:58Number 6, Spider-Noir, Season 1.
05:02Hey, fellas.
05:04Is he in black and white?
05:05Where's that wind coming from? We're in a basement.
05:07Wherever I go, the wind follows.
05:09The bad news is that Sony's Spider-Man universe isn't quite dead yet. The good news is that
05:14this MGM Plus series might be the franchise's first entry that actually works. Part of that's
05:19because it's a Spider-Man project with Spider-Man in it. More specifically, Spider-Man Noir,
05:25who Nicolas Cage will bring into live-action.
05:27Two of the visionaries behind the animated Spider-Verse movies, Phil Lord and Christopher
05:41Miller, will serve as executive producers. Showrunner Orin Uziel also has ties to the
05:46Lord Miller team, being a co-writer on 22 Jump Street. Staying true to the character's black
05:51and white roots, the series may finally fulfill the promise of Sony's Spider-Man universe,
05:55telling Spidey-centric stories that we likely wouldn't see in the MCU or more traditional
06:00adaptations.
06:01Get a load of how the waiters are dressed. It's in poor taste, but it can't be that easy.
06:07Number 5, Invincible, Season 4.
06:10Few superhero shows pack a more powerful punch than Invincible. We mean that in more ways than one.
06:15All this, this is my fault. So the only thing I want to do right now is hit something.
06:26As hard as I can.
06:28As Mark Grayson endures one physical beating after another, the audience has taken no shortage of
06:32emotional gut punches. For all the brutality we faced alongside Mark, Invincible is balanced
06:37with humor and relatable characters. We're given a taste of the latter in the Season 4 teaser,
06:42in which Mark and Eve sit down to an extra well-done burger.
06:45And two, because I'm starving, since I just like single-handedly saved the Earth twice in the last two weeks.
06:51Hey, don't!
06:52Although this suggests a lighter tone, creator Robert Kirkman says that we're going to see a much darker
06:57Mark Grayson this season, which introduces new threats like Lee Pace as the villainous Thrag.
07:02To survive what's ahead, Mark may need to embrace his Viltrumite side, even at humanity's expense.
07:08So if anyone else ever puts my family or anyone I love at risk, I won't hesitate to kill them.
07:17Number 4. X-Men 97 Season 2
07:20Recent events have aligned themselves in an unprecedented fashion for our kind.
07:27With even the most overlooked of us finally getting a voice.
07:32Even with the best of the live-action movies, many fans still consider X-Men the Animated Series
07:36to be the definitive adaptation of the comics.
07:38X-Men 97 preserved everything that made the first show great, from the comic-faithful visuals
07:43to the spot-on voice acting.
07:45This sequel series didn't just feel like a continuation of the nostalgic favorite, however.
07:48It was the next step in its evolution, taking its mature themes further, with an even older audience in mind.
07:55Did you honestly think we'd roll over and let mutants take over the planet?
07:59That we wouldn't fight back?
08:01Yet your cruelty has only made humanity more sympathetic to our cause.
08:06Time will only tell if Season 2 can maintain that quality, especially since head writer Beau DeMaio was fired,
08:11with Matthew Chauncey of What If Season 3 being brought on as his replacement.
08:15As long as it has Apocalypse, though, this is priority viewing for every 90s kid.
08:19So much pain, my children.
08:26So much death.
08:30Number 3. Blade Runner 2099 Season 1
08:33Replicants are like any other machine.
08:36They're either a benefit or a hazard.
08:38If they're a benefit, it's not my problem.
08:39The original Blade Runner is a science fiction classic.
08:43While Blade Runner 2049 is among the best legacy sequels of the past decade,
08:46the fact that neither film was a huge financial success upon release is why we can't have nice things.
08:52Then again, perhaps we can, as the industry hasn't entirely abandoned this promising property.
08:57I had your job.
08:58I was good at it.
08:59It was simpler then.
09:01Why are you making it complicated?
09:02Why don't you just answer the question?
09:03What question?
09:04This miniseries brings the story into 2099, centering on Michelle Yeoh as a replicant named Olwen.
09:10Unlike some of the other protagonists in this franchise, there might not be a mystery as to whether or not Yeoh's character is human.
09:16That doesn't mean the series won't ask complex questions, as Olwen contemplates the end of her life.
09:21Even replicants can face their own mortality.
09:23All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
09:40Number 2.
09:41The Pit.
09:42Season 2.
09:43In a golden age of high-concept shows, you won't think another medical drama would garner much excitement.
09:48Is it always this busy?
09:51Uh, no.
09:52It gets a lot busier.
09:55With every passing week, though, more people discovered why The Pit was making audiences fall back in love with traditional TV.
10:01That's not to say the show didn't bring a few innovations to the equation, with a grounded sense of realism and a 15-hour work shift that played out in actual time.
10:09What makes The Pit truly stand out, though, is its ensemble, who are so well-cast that their characters practically feel real.
10:16Why couldn't you save her?
10:17I mean, this is what you do.
10:24I tried.
10:27I really tried.
10:28We all did.
10:29Winning the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, Season 1 set the bar high for Season 2, which will be set against the backdrop of a 4th of July weekend.
10:37What could possibly go wrong?
10:38You guys do this every day?
10:41If we're lucky.
10:42Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:46Blue-Eyed Samurai, Season 2.
10:48The Emmy-winning animated series is back with a vengeance.
10:51Legend is what history doesn't record, but still remembers.
10:58Star Trek Starfleet Academy, Season 1.
11:01Shaping the next generation of Starfleet captains.
11:04Is anybody whistling, whistling, whistling?
11:07Why does everything have to be a full-on lesson in this place?
11:10Because it's a school, Caleb.
11:11The Burroughs, Season 1.
11:13The Duffer Brothers produce another strange series set in a retirement community.
11:17Is there an ETA on those projects yet?
11:20I don't know if we're supposed to say, I mean, they will be next, they'll be next year though, and pretty soon, pretty soon.
11:27Burroughs is basically done, and then something very bad is chugging along.
11:32Shrinking, Season 3.
11:34Another session sure to bring more laughs and tears.
11:37That's what I'm, that's what I'm thankful for.
11:40Because we can get through anything.
11:42If we have people to lean on, I'm leaning on you.
11:51Star Wars Maul, Shadow Lord, Season 1.
11:55Seriously, why hasn't Maul gotten more solo projects?
11:58I am here to bring you to justice.
12:01Justice is merely the construct of the current power base.
12:05A base which, according to my calculations, is about to change.
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12:26Number 1.
12:28Lanterns, Season 1.
12:30You might have noticed that more than half of our picks were superhero shows.
12:33Who says that this genre is dead?
12:35We suspect that Lanterns is the one that will leave all others green with envy.
12:39The brightest day and blackest night.
12:44No evil shall escape my sight.
12:46James Gunn breathed new life into the DC brand in 2025 with Superman on the big screen.
12:51Lanterns is sure to be a small screen event.
12:53How long has this been like this?
12:55I'm guessing all day.
12:57All day?
12:58Who set it up?
12:59Guy.
13:00Whoa, no, hey, I am not an AV guy.
13:03I'd stand to it.
13:04The bodyguard?
13:05He is more than just his occupation.
13:07The premise, which sees Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's Jon Stewart unraveling a murder mystery, sounds like a superhero version of True Detective.
13:16Makes sense, as showrunner Chris Mundy worked on Night Country.
13:19Co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom King are no strangers to superheroes either.
13:24One developed Watchmen, while the other wrote the comic, Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow.
13:28The rings are burning bright.
13:31You okay?
13:31I'd just like to say thank you on behalf of Lortec Industries for the opportunity.
13:37Why is nobody clapping?
13:38What other shows are on your watch list for 2026?
13:41Let us know in the comments.
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