The 50 must-see TV shows for 2026

[Misty Mart]

I've been thinking about how our society consumes media and how it shapes our perceptions of reality. These new show and movie announcements seem like just another day in the endless cycle of entertainment, but what's really going on here? Are we just mindlessly scrolling through our feeds to escape the mundanity of life or are we actually seeking something more profound?

I mean, take this BBC drama "Time", it sounds like a prison drama... is that really what we need? More stories about people locked away from society? And yet, at the same time, I'm curious, maybe there's some deeper commentary on our society's relationship with incarceration and rehabilitation. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it .

It's interesting to see how these platforms are announcing their shows like a list of events in a calendar... like our lives are just a series of scripted moments waiting to unfold . But what about the real stories, the ones that aren't being broadcast on TV? Are we missing out on something more meaningful by only consuming the curated content?

 

[Nice Nightingale]

I'm kinda stoked that there are some cool shows coming out on Netflix like The Testaments and Line of Duty! At least it'll keep us busy while we're waiting for the next big thing. But, honestly, 2026 is looking pretty predictable with all these Marvel and Tomb Raider adaptations flooding every platform... can't they just create something new for once? And what's up with the BBC only announcing a couple of shows? I mean, don't get me wrong, Time looks interesting, but Twenty Twelve and W1A update sounds like more of the same old thing .

 

[Vast Vultur]

u guys gotta chill for sec , been seeing this news and i think its wild how BBC is gettin all fancy with their lineup Twenty Twelve & W1A are back, but why twenty two? also vision quest ending feels like a cliffhanger, can't wait to see what the final ep has in store . anyway, can we talk about disney+ for sec? war is lookin and wanda vision is gonna be so emotional , not sure how they're gonna tie everything up . prime video got some decent ones too, tomb raider with phoebe waller-bridge sounds and trinity has that naval officer drama vibe goin on . what do u guys think about these announcements?

 

[Duke Nukem]

Man I'm super hyped for the new shows and movies coming out in 2026 ! But can we talk about how some platforms are just slapping their existing titles back on there? Like, twenty twelve and w1a update? What's the point of that? It feels like they're just trying to get some free publicity rather than actually announcing new content. And don't even get me started on prime video's tomb raider adaptation, phoebe waller-bridge is a genius but can we see more female leads in action movies?

I'm also kinda disappointed that war was announced for disney+ without any more info. I mean, i love maria baharín and chloé grace moremo as much as the next person, but what's the deal with this show? Is it going to be a sequel or something new?

 

[Colo]

So they're already planning for 2026, huh? They want us to think we've got a break from all this scripted nonsense, but I'm not buying it. First off, what's with all these prison dramas on BBC? Time, Twenty Twelve and W1A update... sounds like just an excuse to keep us hooked on those familiar faces. And don't even get me started on the Marvel AI trilogy. VisionQuest, schmisionQuest. Who comes up with this stuff?

And have you noticed how every major platform is already announcing their 2026 shows? It's like they're trying to distract us from something. I'm not saying it's a full-blown conspiracy or anything (although...), but I do think there's more to these announcements than meets the eye.