The Ephemeric

Welcome back to The Ephemeric's 2026 Hot List. This week we will have a look at the most exciting new literature and novels you'll be reading in the coming year.


You know the spiel by now: I love to read. Reading is one of the few pursuits that reliably repays the time you give it. A great book can challenge, comfort, and expand your view of the world in ways little else can. The problem, of course, is time. Even the most enthusiastic reader has limits, and the pile of new releases never stops growing. With 2026 set to bring an especially rich crop of novels and ideas, this list is my attempt to cut through the noise and highlight the books most deserving of a place in an already crowded reading life.

So here it is: your reading list for 2026, our list of the top 10 upcoming releases from the world of literature to keep an eye on this year, starting, as always, with number 10:



10. "The Astral Library" by Kate Quinn

We begin with The Astral Library by Kate Quinn. Billed as one of the most anticipated titles of early 2026, The Astral Library weaves historical depth with speculative imagination, inviting readers into a secret trove of books that may literally transport them to other worlds. 

Alexandria Watson, shaped by a lonely childhood in foster care, has learned to trust books more than people. Juggling dead-end jobs and with college out of reach, she finds solace each night in the Boston Public Library, until she discovers a hidden door leading to a secret library overseen by an ageless, sharp-tongued Librarian, a refuge where the desperate can step directly into the worlds of their favorite books and claim entirely new lives.

Drawing on Quinn’s strength in blending richly drawn settings and immersive plotlines, the novel is poised to merge literary fantasy with layered narratives about the power and peril of stories themselves. Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? The Astral Library releases in February.

9. "Hooked" by Asako Yuzuki

The latest from celebrated Japanese author Asako Yuzuki, best known for 2017's Butter. Hooked is a razor-sharp psychological novel that dissects obsession, desire, and the quiet violence of emotional dependency.

This novel follows a young woman whose carefully ordered life begins to unravel as she falls into a relationship that is intoxicating, destabilising, and ultimately dangerous. 

With cool precision and mounting unease, Yuzuki charts how intimacy can blur into control, and how longing can become a trap of one’s own making. Elegant, unsettling, and unflinchingly perceptive, this is a slow-burn exploration of vulnerability and power that lingers long after its final page. Hooked releases in March.

8. "Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter" by Heather Fawcett

Taking a turn for the warm and whimsical, we have Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. This enchanting, and quietly profound novel centres on a reclusive woman who runs a peculiar shelter for cats. 

Set in 1920s Montreal, this cozy fantasy follows Agnes Aubert, a fiercely organized, type-A woman who has devoted her life to running a cat rescue charity and prefers her world tidy, practical, and free of nonsense. Her carefully managed existence is upended when a forced relocation reveals that her new landlord, a grouchy, disarmingly charming magician and former would-be Dark Lord, is using the shelter as a front for his notorious and illicit magic shop.

As magic, danger, and unexpected feelings collide, Agnes must decide whether she can protect her life’s work without compromising her principles, or her heart. this releases in February.

7. "So Old, So Young" by Grant Ginder

So Old, So Young follows six college friends whose lives weave together across five milestone gatherings over twenty years, from a Lower East Side New Year’s Eve party in 2007 to suburban barbecues, destination weddings, and ultimately a funeral, revealing how time reshapes love, ambition, jealousy, and the bonds that once seemed unbreakable. 

Told through multiple perspectives with sharp wit and poignant insight, the novel captures the messy, bittersweet realities of millennial adulthood: friends moving through new cities, spouses, children, and shifting identities while clinging to memories of who they once were. 

This generation-spanning, character-driven story comes from Grant Ginder, the American novelist best known for The People We Hate at the Wedding (now a major motion picture) and other acclaimed works that blend humor with emotional depth, who brings his signature voice to a tender, reflective exploration of lifelong friendship and change. This releases in February.

6.  "The Radiant Dark" by Alexandra Oliva

Set in March 1980 in a small Adirondacks town, The Radiant Dark is a sweeping, emotionally rich novel that blends intimate family drama with speculative wonder.

Carol Girard and her husband are settling into new parenthood when an unexplained flickering light in the night sky turns out to be communication from intelligent life eleven light-years away, sparking a decades-long exchange that forever alters humanity’s sense of itself and its place in the universe. Against this backdrop of first contact and cosmic mystery, Oliva follows the lives of the Girard family over fifty years: from Carol’s spiritual quest to understand the implications of what they’ve discovered, to her son Michael’s grounded perspective and daughter Ro’s growing fascination with interstellar communication

The novel bold fusion of speculative elements with thoughtful family portraiture comes from Alexandra Oliva, the author of The Last One and Forget Me Not, known for her atmospheric storytelling and emotionally resonant characters. Scheduled to hit the shelves in April.

5. "A Far Flung Life" by M.L. Stedman

From M.L. Stedman, author of the global bestseller The Light Between Oceans, A Far-Flung Life is a sweeping, emotionally resonant family saga set in the vast outback of Western Australia in 1958. 

On an ordinary day under an unending sky, a sudden accident on a lonely road shatters the lives of the MacBride family, claiming one sibling’s life and forcing the youngest, Matt, into a moral and emotional journey without map or guide. 

As tragedy and its ripple effects unfold over decades, Stedman explores the weight of love, duty, fate, and belonging against an unforgiving landscape, asking how people endure loss, seek redemption, and find shelter from life’s storms. A Far-Flung Life is both intimate and epic, a luminous meditation on resilience and the ties that bind us. Stedman, born and raised in Western Australia and now based in London, brings the same lyricism and moral depth that made her debut a global phenomenon. Due out in March.

4. "A World Appears" by Michael Pollan

Another Feburary book. In A World Appears, Michael Pollan embarks on an expansive, deeply researched exploration of one of science’s greatest mysteries: how and why subjective experience arises in the brain. 

Tracing what he calls the “unmapped continent” of consciousness, Pollan brings together scientific, philosophical, spiritual, literary, and psychedelic perspectives to investigate how feeling, thought, and a sense of self emerge from neural processes. Along the way, he meets neuroscientists probing cutting-edge theories, biologists considering sentience in unexpected forms, and AI researchers attempting to model feeling. 

Pollan’s inquiry illuminates not only what we know about consciousness, but also how understanding it reshapes our relationship to the world and ourselves. Pollan is the author of several New York Times bestselling works of nonfiction, including How to Change Your Mind, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food, and is widely celebrated for combining meticulous reportage with philosophical depth and cultural insight.

3. "Villa Coco" by Andrew Sean Greer

From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer comes Villa Coco, a sun-soaked, witty coming-of-age tale set in the rolling hills of Tuscany. 

Broke, directionless, and freshly arrived from America, the unnamed young narrator takes a job as assistant to Lisabetta, known affectionately as Coco, a charismatic, fiercely independent baronessa living in a crumbling villa. Though he expects to catalogue her eclectic art and artifact collection, his real duties range from battling a marten and navigating an ancient septic system to entertaining a parade of eccentric guests and aiding Coco in her last-ditch quest to reunite with the lost love of her life. 

Told with Greer’s signature warmth, insight, and humor, Villa Coco blends lighthearted farce with a deeper meditation on friendship, youth, age, and the messy, unpredictable path to becoming who you hoped you’d be. A nice summer read to be released in June.

2. "The Ending Writes Itself" by Evelyn Clarke

In The Ending Writes Itself, six struggling authors are invited to a secluded Scottish island with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: finish the final, unfinished manuscript of reclusive bestselling novelist Arthur Fletch and walk away with a life-changing publishing deal and prize money. 

Upon arrival they discover that Fletch is already dead and must compete over 72 intense hours to craft an ending worthy of literary immortality, in this clever locked-room mystery that doubles as a witty satire of the publishing world.

Written under the joint pen name Evelyn Clarke, a collaboration between bestselling authors V.E. Schwab (known for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) and Cat Clarke, the novel blends cozy whodunit energy with sharp industry insight and twisty intrigue, making it ideal for fans of classic mysteries and contemporary meta-thrillers alike when it releases in April.

1. "Exit Party" by Emily St John Mandel

Our top pick for 2026: the latest from Emily St John Mandel, the bestselling author of Station Eleven and Sea of Tranquility. Exit Party is a mind-bending literary epic set in 2031 that blends speculative fiction with mystery, art, and survival. 

In a future America fractured by conflict and the emergence of the Republic of California, peacekeepers withdraw from Los Angeles and a lifted curfew prompts a massive party. Aseemingly ordinary night explodes into a mystery involving shadow selves, disappearances, and fractured realities. 

From war-torn cities and seaside resorts to Paris and beyond, the novel probes the price of safety, the perils of surveillance, and the resilience of the human spirit in a broken world. This one is out in September, and it is the hype standout from the year's upcoming novels. 

So there you have it folks: 2026 in literature. Tune in soon for our next instalment of the Hot List, covering the essential new theatre coming up in 2026!

Hello and welcome back to the Hot List. This week we will turn our attention to the videogame industry, previewing for you loyal readers the most exciting videogames set for release in 2026.

15. Zero Parades: For Dead Spies (PC)

We start things off with a juicy one. Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is the new game from ZA/UM, developers of Disco Elysium. Disco Elysium is generally viewed as one of the greatest games of all time, a landmark in writing and storytelling, and arguably the best of the 2010s. So you may be wondering, why so low on this list? Well how much time have you got?

Long story short (and you can find the details of the long version in this Reddit post), shortly after the release of Disco Elysium, ZA/UM splintered into an effective civil war between the creatives and executives of the company, the result of which is that most of the people responsible for that game's success have now left the company, the IP remains in limbo, and there's a good half dozen or so companies vying to create the "true successor" to Disco Elysium.

Of these potential successors, first out the gate is Zero Parades, developed by what remains of ZA/UM. This title leans very much into the legacy of Disco Elysium, clearing aiming for a similar visual style, tone and text-heavy design. The plot is still mostly under wraps, but we do know that this is a tale of espionage, promising the same kinds of philosophical and political ruminations that characterised the narrative of its predecessor.

It's a somewhat controversial pick as you can imagine. Such is the animosity regarding the ZA/UM fracture that many fans of Disco Elysium are calling for boycotts of Zero Parades, a move that personally I find unfair on the remaining developers at the company who, of course, had nothing to do with all the drama. At the end of the day, can they craft a good game without so many of the key personnel behind Disco Elysium? We shall soon find out. 

Release Date: Late 2026

14. Mixtape (PC, Playstation, Xbox)

I have a great soft spot for Annapurna Interactive. In my view one of the most artistically interesting publishers out there with an array of highly talented development studios under their belt. This latest game Mixtape is the new title from Beethoven & Dinosaur, developers of the excellent The Artful Escape.

Ostensibly a narrative adventure in the mould of a Dontnod or Telltale title, Mixtape invites players into a nostalgic coming-of-age story set on the last night of high school. Players follow three friends as they embark on one final adventure together before parting ways, reliving key moments of their youth through a series of dreamlike, gameplay vignettes, all tied together by a generational soundtrack of legendary music that shapes the tone and atmosphere of the experience. 

The game blends heartfelt storytelling with a rich, evocative soundtrack and promises a deeply personal journey through memory, friendship, and the bittersweet end of an era, with a planned release in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.  

Release Date: TBD 2026

13. Scott Pilgrim EX (PC, Playstation, Xbox, Switch)

One of the more delightful unexpected surprises of the past year's gaming reveals. Once upon a time, Bryan wrote a pretty good graphic novel series, which then became a pretty good movie, and more recently a pretty good anime. 

At the time of the film's release, a tie-in videogame was released, Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game. A side-scrolling beat-em up with a nostalgic pixel art style and chiptune music from some of the most iconic musicians in the genre. It was surprisingly awesome for what appeared, at first, to just be a simple movie tie-in. It developed a bit of a cult following and is remembered fondly, but I don't think anyone expected a sequel after all these years.

That sequel is Scott Pilgrim EX, a brand new story in this world with these characters. It looks like more of the same game that we all loved, but bigger, with more scope, more playable characters, multiplayer, etc. For gamers of a certain age, or fans of the source material, this looks to be a highlight of 2026 in games. 

Release Date: Spring 2026

12. Deliver Us Home (PC)

The Deliver Us series began as something of a novelty. The first title, Deliver Us the Moon was a clever, but simple puzzle game in a realistic space setting. The sequel, Deliver Us Mars dialled things up a notch with more ambitious storytelling and presentation, and more complex gameplay. Now, the final chapter to the trilogy, Deliver Us Home is coming, and it looks to be a culmination of everything that has come before.

For this third title, developer KeokeN took to crowdfunding in lieu of a traditional publisher. But if that gives you pause as to the potential scope and ambition of this title, you can put those thoughts aside. This one is going bigger. Big, open environments for exploration, vehicles to drive, and survival/crafting gameplay.

With the Kickstarter successful, this title is now expected to release some time in 2026.

Release Date: TBD 2026

11. Control: Resonant (PC, Mac, Playstation, Xbox)

The latest title in the Remedyverse of horror games that includes the Alan Wake and Control series (and kinda Max Payne), Control: Resonant is the follow up to Remedy Entertainment's excellent 2019 title, Control.

Control: Resonant expands the enigmatic world of the Federal Bureau of Control with a new standalone story that blends mind-bending mystery, telekinetic combat, and the series’ trademark supernatural intrigue. Players once again step into a fractured reality where the ordinary bends to the uncanny, exploring shifting environments, unearthing cryptic artifacts, and confronting echoes of the Bureau’s deepest anomalies while unraveling a narrative that bridges familiar faces and fresh threats. 

With refined gunplay and psychic abilities, richly atmospheric locations that pulse with both danger and discovery, and a deeper dive into the metaphysical forces that define the Oldest House, Control: Resonant promises to deliver an immersive fusion of action and narrative depth when it arrives in 2026.

Release Date: Summer 2026

10. Fable (PC, Xbox)

The Fable franchise returns in a highly anticipated reboot from Playground Games, reimagining the iconic series with modern storytelling and cutting-edge visuals. 

The Fable series takes place in the whimsical yet dangerous world of Albion, a high fantasy world which draws heavily on European folklore, and the fantastical stylings of authors like Terry Pratchett and JK Rowling. Combine this with a distinctly British sense of humour, and you get some idea of what has made the setting so enduring. 

Players can expect a mix of open-world exploration, dynamic combat, and moral decision-making that will shape the fate of their character and the world around them. 

A formal release date has yet to be set, but is said to be targeting the Q4 2026 window.  

Release Date: TBD 2026

9. Nirvana Noir (PC)

The lower budget, lower risk of indie game development provides ideal opportunity for creative risks. As far as artistically ambitious indie games go, 2021's Genesis Noir is one of the more memorable. 

A heady blend of metaphysics, bauhaus illustrations and jazz music, that first game left an indelible impression. The sequel, Nirvana Noir is a narrative detective experience in the same vein that blends atmospheric storytelling with surreal mystery, placing players in the shoes of a hard-boiled investigator navigating a city steeped in retro-inspired visuals, jazz-tinged soundscapes, and existential intrigue. 

As you unravel a tangled web of secrets, missing persons, and hidden agendas, the game challenges you to interpret cryptic clues, solve puzzles, and make choices that reshape both the case and the world around you, all while questioning what’s real and what’s illusion in a world where truth is ever elusive. With its moody art direction, rich character interactions, and an emphasis on mood and deduction over brute force, Nirvana Noir aims to deliver a compelling fusion of classic noir sensibilities and modern narrative design when it arrives in 2026.

Release Date: Summer 2026

8. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn (PC, Playstation, Xbox)

I like to imagine that the conceptual process for The Expanse: Osiris Reborn started with "well if EA won't make a new Mass Effect game, we'll do it ourselves." The comparisons between Owlcat's ambitious new title and the celebrated RPG series are unavoidable, and that is no bad thing. 

But Owlcat's upcoming third person sci-fi action RPG has more going for it than just nostalgia. The Expanse IP is an exciting enough hook in its own right, and the promise of a title that can bring the rich political and hard-science universe of The Expanse to life, is a very tantalising prospect indeed. 

Set amid the fraught tensions between Earth, Mars, and the Belt, you’ll assemble and command your own crew and the most advanced frigate in the system, tackling real-time tactical combat, branching choices, and squad-driven encounters across iconic locations like Ganymede, Ceres, Luna, and Mars, with player origins (Earther, Martian, or Belter) shaping how the world reacts to you. Inspired in part by cinematic RPGs like Mass Effect yet grounded in the gritty realism fans expect, Osiris Reborn promises a narrative-rich journey of survival, loyalty, and political intrigue.

Release Date: TBD 2026

7. Witchbrook (PC, Xbox, Switch)

Now here's a blast from the past. First announced almost a decade ago, Witchbook (previously "Spellbound") has been on our watch list for an awful long time. But after a prolonged development cycle, the game is finally set for release in 2026.

Developed by Chucklefish, developers of the flawed but ambitious Starbound and original publisher of Stardew Valley, the hook of Witchbrook is an alluring one: a cosy pixel art life-sim RPG set in a Harry Potter-esque magical school. Unfortunately, for the longest time that hook was all they had, and the extended development time is apparently due to their efforts to try and figure out how to actually turn that hook into a compelling game.

That's totally fine of course, I am all in favour of game developers taking the time they need to get it right, and one way or another, they seem to have managed it. Blending life-sim staples like seasonal progression, character relationships, and world exploration with a rich fantasy twist, the game lets you customize your character, attend classes, cultivate friendships (and perhaps romance), take on tasks around town, and even play with up to four friends in online co-op as you work toward graduation and beyond.

Release Date: Spring 2026

6. Planet of Lana II (PC, Playstation, Xbox, Switch)

Alright, now we're talking. Initially, Planet of Lana looked just like the latest in a long line of artistic indie platformers. But what we got was a surprisingly compelling cinematic narrative experience, with characters, intriguing world-building, and excellent audio and visual presentation. The announcement of a full sequel, Planet of Lana II, is thus a reason for excitement.

Planet of Lana II continues the heart-felt journey that captivated players in the original Planet of Lana, blending emotional storytelling with lush, hand-painted worlds and puzzle-driven exploration. Players once again step into a beautifully crafted alien landscape, accompanied by loyal companions, as they uncover the mysteries of a planet under threat and confront challenges that test their bond, courage, and wits. 

Building on its predecessor’s strengths: evocative atmosphere, minimal text design, evocative music, and clever environmental puzzles, Planet of Lana II is expected to expand the scope of adventure with new biomes to explore, deeper narrative resonance, and heightened environmental interaction, all while preserving the serene yet poignant tone that made the first game memorable. With a planned release in 2026, the sequel aims to deliver an even more immersive and emotionally rich experience for fans of cinematic exploration games.  

Release Date: Late 2026

5. Nivalis (PC)

Ion Lands' debut title Cloudpunk placed them as one of the new darlings in indie gaming. But while the cyberpunk taxi simulator was blessed with tight driving mechanics and surprisingly adept storytelling, what really elevated the game to prominence was its setting, a stunning voxel cyberpunk dystopia oozing with atmosphere. Follow up project Nivalis builds on that strength. A slice of life sim set in that same immersive setting.

In Nivalis, players control a new character aiming to build a life in this city. The game will feature business management, social simulation and home decorating. Like a cyberpunk version of Stardew Valley, with more life-sim features. Ion Lands recognise that the biggest asset of Cloudpunk was its world, and Nivalis aims to capitalise on that asset by turning it into a fully immersive experience in which players can live and explore, and really feel a part of the setting.

This is another one for the list of seemingly perennial Hot List entrants, having featured some three times with no release. But after many years of development, Nivalis has been confirmed for a spring 2026 release.

Release Date: Spring 2026

4. Aphelion (PC, Playstation, Xbox)

Now here's a tasty prospect. Dontnod are a developer known for delivering cinematic, character-driven stories, most notably with the Life is Strange series, but also in last year's Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. While their stories typically do feature some supernatural element, one thing they all otherwise have in common is a relatable, real-world modern-day setting. In that respect, Aphelion marks something of a departure. 

Set against a richly detailed sci-fi backdrop, you’ll follow a group of compelling characters whose personal journeys intertwine with a larger enigma. It looks oddly reminiscent of another series featured on this list, the Deliver Us series. Frankly, the prospect of a hard sci-fi adventure in that vein, mixed with Dontnod's trademark storytelling pedigree, seems like a win to me.

Aphelion promises deep, choice-driven narrative paths, emotionally charged character relationships, and moral complexity that asks players not just what they will do, but why. Wrapped in a cinematic presentation and informed by themes of identity, consequence, and the human cost of progress, the game aims to deliver a resonant story experience when it arrives in 2026.

Release Date: TBD 2026


3. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave (Switch)

The history of Nintendo's signature tactical RPG series has been a turbulent one. Historically seeing minimal success in the west, with a number of Japan-only releases, Fire Emblem finally started to achieve greater mainstream success with the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening back in 2012 and, in particular, the wildly successful Fire Emblem: Three Houses, our runner up game of the year back in 2019. 

But even then it hasn't been plain sailing. For every Awakening, there's a Fates, for every Three Houses, there's an Engage. Fire Emblem as a franchise suffers from a bit of an identity crisis, with Nintendo struggling to appease all the different fan groups, from the hardcore tactical nerds, to the anime fans, to the multitudes with more mainstream sensibilities that have been brought in by Awakening and Three Houses. 

With Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, the hope will certainly be to keep everyone happy. But make no mistake, this is a game very decidedly taking its cues from Three Houses, both narratively and in terms of design. The game expands on classic Fire Emblem combat with refined mechanics, deeper character progression, and intricate weapon affinities, all supported by a lush visual style and a sweeping musical score tailored to its thematic threads of fortune and destiny.

Release Date: Summer 2026

2. Grand Theft Auto VI (PC - eventually, Playstation, Xbox)

Delayed yet again and down from top spot to runner up. Grand Theft Auto VI is the long, long, long awaited sequel to one of the biggest videogames of all time, in one of the most celebrated and well known franchises in gaming.

More than a decade in the making, GTA VI sees players return to Vice City in the present day, the GTA universe's version of Florida. Taking a page from its predecessor, this title will feature an expansive world, including its main city as well as the surrounding countryside and wilderness, offering the largest and most immersive evolution of the series to date. 

The narrative follows a criminal duo, Lucia and her partner (ostensibly a play on Bonnie and Clyde), as they navigate the underworld of this expansive open world. Players can expect enhanced graphics, increased interactivity with the environment, and next-gen destruction physics, with reports suggesting that approximately 40% of buildings will be enterable. While specific gameplay details remain under wraps, Rockstar aims to push the boundaries of immersive, story-driven open-world experiences, building upon the success of its predecessors. 

Release Date: November 2026  

1. 007 First Light (PC, Playstation, Xbox, Switch)

And new in at number 1 is 007 First Light, and boy does it look good. This is a new fully original James Bond title, developed by IO Interactive, creators of the Hitman franchise.

You could see it coming in the recent Hitman instalments. This looks like a match made in heaven, IO's penchant for environmental design, stealth and creative immersion at its very best, combined with James Bond's world of espionage and glamour.

Set early in Bond’s career, the game reportedly emphasizes intelligence work, infiltration, and consequence-driven decision-making over sheer firepower, drawing clear inspiration from grounded entries like Casino Royale. If it delivers on its promise of making players feel like Bond: cool under pressure, dangerously perceptive, and always one step ahead, First Light could mark the most authentic and mature interactive take on 007 yet. 

Release Date: May 2026

So there you have it folks: 2026 in videogames. Tune in next week for the most exciting new novels and literature coming this year!

Happy New Year to all and welcome back to The Ephemeric. No rest for the weary blogger. It seems like just days ago I finished writing up the Debbie Awards and already it's straight back to the grind with the first installment of The Hot List, this week focusing on the most exciting new TV series set to drop in 2026. 

So here it is, your ultimate guide to the year ahead, The Ephemeric's 2026 Hot List. In this first entry we will be looking at the most exciting things happening in the world of television over the next 12 months, with a particular eye cast over the brand new shows hitting your screens in 2026.

There is objectively too much TV on these days. We are truly spoilt for choice, and 2025 was another year with an abundance of quality, from returning favourites to exciting new series. 2026 looks to be more of the same, and it is notable that most of the entries on this list are, in fact, new shows. What's more, this is only the tip of the iceberg. There's much more to come that couldn't be fit into this list, and the result is what looks to be another great year of content for us all to consume. 

At the same time, however, it is worth recognising a darker side of TV in the streaming era. Increased expectations, competition, and budgets has resulted in bloated mega-sized productions more akin to a Hollywood blockbuster than the TV of old. This is why we increasingly see TV series taking multi-year gaps between seasons (which are themselves typically of a truncated 8-10 episode length), something which would have been unheard of in the broadcast era. You take the good with the bad, I suppose. And while I hope creators manage to strike a better balance in future, it is difficult to complain too much when you have a ready overabundance of replacement content ready to step into the gap. So onwards and upwards, then.

So without further ado here are the top 15 essential television shows, both new and returning, that will hit the airwaves and their web-equivalent in 2026:

15. Stranger Things: Tales From '85 - Netflix (New TV Show)

Stranger Things may be done and dusted, but that doesn't mean we've seen the last of Hawkins. Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is an animated spin-off that dives headfirst into the weird, pulpy heart of Hawkins at the height of the town’s supernatural troubles, telling standalone stories set between the events of the live-action seasons. 

Styled like a lost Saturday-morning cartoon crossed with vintage horror comics, the series leans into neon colors, synth-soaked atmosphere, and creature-feature thrills as familiar faces and new kids on the block encounter Upside Down oddities that never quite made it into the main timeline. 

More playful but still unsettling, Tales from ’85 expands the mythology with small-scale mysteries, government experiments gone wrong, and eerie suburban legends, offering fans a nostalgic, bite-sized return to a year when walkie-talkies ruled, bikes were freedom, and Hawkins was never as normal as it pretended to be.

Start Date: TBD 2026

14. American Love Story: - FX (New TV Show)

Next up, we have the latest from a very well known name in television, Mr. Ryan Murphy. American Love Story is the newest addition to a pantheon of TV series that includes American Horror Story, American Crime Story and American Sport story, focused on, you guessed it, famous love stories.

This first season turns its lens on the whirlwind courtship and marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bassette-Kennedy, with Sarah Pidgeon to star alongside Paul Kelly.

Murphy's work is not for everyone, but his signature blend of energetic filmmaking, high stylisation and ensemble casts generally makes for an entertaining watch, if nothing else. As with the other "Story" series, this will air on FX, and is expected to drop in time for Valentine's day.

Start Date: February 2026

13. Scrubs - ABC

It has finally happened. After years of speculation and rumour, the beloved medical comedy Scrubs returns to Sacred Heart with a new generation of interns navigating the same chaotic mix of medicine, friendship, and absurdity. 

This is very much a revival rather than a reboot, with the core cast all returning as the same characters for what essentially amounts to a season 10 of the classic series, some 15 years after its ill-fated ninth.

What have these beloved characters been up to for the past 15 years? Are JD and Elliot still together? We will soon find out. The revival will air on the series' latter-day home of ABC, come February 2026.

Start Date: February 2026

12. Invincible - Amazon 

Perhaps the most critically acclaimed adult animation series of the 2020s, Invincible's three seasons to-date have been brilliant, earning widespread praise and awards. Now, the series returns for its fourth season on Amazon.

Season 4 raises the stakes again as Mark Grayson faces the long-term consequences of the choices that saved Earth, but fractured his sense of right and wrong. With the Viltrumite threat evolving and alliances growing more uneasy, the season leans harder into moral ambiguity, asking what it truly means to protect humanity when every victory carries a brutal cost. 

Fans can anticipate a deeper exploration of complex themes and high-stakes challenges that push Mark to confront his past and future, all while striving to protect those he loves. Season 4 begins in March.

Start Date: March 2026

11. The Boys - Amazon

The final season of The Boys barrels toward an explosive endgame as the line between superheroes and tyrants finally collapses. 

With Vought’s grip tightening, Homelander more untethered than ever, and the Boys fractured by compromises they swore they’d never make, the season leans into its bleakest question yet: whether absolute power can be stopped without becoming monstrous yourself. 

Darkly funny, viciously political, and unflinching in its violence, the closing chapter promises no clean victories, only reckonings, as the series dismantles its own mythology and asks who, if anyone, deserves to survive the war it started.

Start Date: April 2026

10. Untitled Larry David Historical Sketch Show - HBO (New TV Show)

This unlikely match up sees Barack Obama and Larry David join forces on a new HBO sketch comedy series that takes aim at American history in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. 

The untitled half-hour project is produced by Higher Ground, the company Obama founded with Michelle Obama after leaving office in 2017. David will co-write the sketches with his longtime Curb Your Enthusiasm collaborator Jeff Schaffer, with reports suggesting appearances from former Curb cast members alongside other high-profile guest stars.

A precise release date is yet to be confirmed, but it is thought that this could air in the latter half of the year.

Start Date: TBD 2026


9. Spider-Noir - MGM+/Amazon (New TV Show)

Ever since the first Spiderverse movie swept the industry, there have been talks of various spin-offs, most commonly in the form of a Spider-Gwen spin-off. However, while that project continues its over-long gestation, it has been beaten to the punch by MGM+'s upcoming Spider-Noir.

The upcoming Spider-Noir promises a bold, genre-bending twist on the Spider-Man mythos when it premieres on MGM+ in 2026 before rolling out globally on Amazon. Set in a gritty, stylised 1930s New York, the eight-episode live-action series stars Nicolas Cage as an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator who must reckon with his past and the shadows of his old life swinging above the streets. 

Drawing on classic comic-book noir and detective drama, Spider-Noir blends superhero action with hard-boiled mystery and visual flair, including black-and-white and colour versions that underscore its period aesthetic.

Start Date: Early 2026

8. Blade Runner 2099 - Amazon (New TV Show)

Amazon bringing a cinematic classic to the small screan in 2026. Blade Runner 2099 is an ambitious new live-action limited series continuing the iconic sci-fi saga roughly 50 years after the events of Blade Runner 2049.

Anchored in the gritty, rain-soaked dystopian future that has defined the franchise, the show sees Michelle Yeoh among its leads and promises to explore the evolving tensions between humans and replicants amid a society still haunted by questions of identity, autonomy, and what it means to be alive. 

With Ridley Scott attached as an executive producer and a fresh ensemble cast, Blade Runner 2099 aims to honor the philosophical depth and stylistic legacy of its predecessors while opening the world to new mysteries, characters, and moral dilemmas in a future where the line between the organic and artificial has never been thinner.

Start Date: TBD 2026

7. Rooster - HBO (New TV Show)

Rooster is the latest comedy series from creator Bill Lawrence, best known for Scrubs, Ted Lasso and Shrinking. Lawrence is on a bit of a roll right now with the latter two series achieving a good amount of success on Apple, Ted Lasso in particular, making any new release of his an immediate fixture among the upcoming releases.

This latest, Lawrence's first with HBO, stars Steve Carell as Greg Russo, a celebrated author who winds up deeply entangled in college life after visiting a university campus for a reading. At its heart is a complicated but heartfelt father-daughter relationship with his daughter. 

Joining Carrell on the cast list are a number of frequent Lawrence collaborators, including John C. McGinley and Phil Dunster. This is expected to release in March.

Start Date: March 2026


6. The Boroughs - Netflix (New TV Show)

Those Duffer Brothers are busy in the wake of the Stranger Things finale. In addition to not one, but two spin-offs (see number 15 of this list for more on one of these) in development, the brothers have also been hard at work on their next fully original project, The Boroughs.

This new series trades Hawkins for an unlikely battlefield: a seemingly idyllic retirement community in the New Mexico desert. In the series, a diverse group of older residents, played by an ensemble including Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Bill Pullman and others, must band together to confront an otherworldly threat that aims to steal the one thing they don’t have… time. 

Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews with the Duffers producing under their Upside Down Pictures banner, the show mixes supernatural peril, humour, heart and a bit of nostalgia for genre fans, with themes of misfits and community resilience that echo (but don’t directly connect to) Stranger Things. 

Start Date: Late 2026

5. Ted Lasso - AppleTV

Yes, it is officially coming back. Ted Lasso is inarguably one of the biggest series of the 2020s, combining a feel-good comedy and winning characters with a beloved pastime. Originally intended for a three-season run, the strong reception was such that the powers that be were ultimately convinced to extend the run further with a highly anticipated fourth season.

Quite what form this continuation will take, and who from the cast will return, is not currently known. Reports indicate that the new story arc will follow the establishment of the AFC Richmond women's team, something vaguely alluded to during the original run.

Production is underway with many original cast members, including Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift said to be returning alongside some new faces. The story promises the same blend of humour, heart and life lessons fans adore. While plot details and an exact release date are still under wraps, the return to Richmond and this new coaching adventure make season 4 a much-anticipated continuation of the Lasso legacy.

Start Date: TBD 2026

4. How to Get to Heaven from Belfast - Netflix (New TV Show)

An exciting one for fans of the excellent Derry Girls, a new series from writer Lisa McGee.

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is an upcoming Netflix comedy-thriller series created by Lisa McGee. The show follows three lifelong friends: Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara, who reunite after the death of an old classmate turns a wake into a dark mystery. They embark on a thrilling adventure across Ireland, piecing together enigmatic truths amid complicated lives. 

The series stars Roísín Gallagher as Saoirse, Sinéad Keenan as Robyn, and Caoilfhionn Dunne as Dara. Filming began in Belfast in July 2024, with Michael Lennox directing. The eight-part series is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2026.

Start Date: TBD 2026

3. The Bear - Hulu 

One of the best series on television right now, The Bear is returning for a fifth season in 2026.

Season 5 promises to pick up the story at a pivotal crossroads for Chicago’s most intense kitchen crew. After Carmy’s stunning decision to step away from The Bear and transfer leadership to Sydney and the rest of the team, the next chapter is likely to explore how the restaurant survives and evolves without its head chef.

With much of the ensemble expected to return and the question of whether Carmy will stay in the drama at all still open, season 5 looks poised to be both a changing of the guard and potentially a culinary reckoning for everyone in and around the restaurant’s chaotic world.

Start Date: Summer 2026

2. The Boys From Brazil - Netflix (New TV Show)

The Boys from Brazil is a new adaptation of the 1976 novel from Peter Morgan. One of the great screenwriters of today, Morgan's work in film, television and theatre has been laden with such awards and critical acclaim that when he delivers a new project, it immediately becomes a must watch.

This historical thriller reimagines Ira Levin’s novel for the small screen. The story spans from the aftermath of World War II into the tumultuous 1970s, centering on Yakov Liebermann, a Holocaust survivor and relentless Nazi hunter, played by Succession’s Jeremy Strong, who uncovers a chilling conspiracy by a supposedly dead Nazi scientist to orchestrate the rise of a Fourth Reich. 

As Liebermann races against time to expose and stop this plot, the series weaves personal obsession, vengeance, and the haunting persistence of hatred into a tense, morally charged narrative bolstered by a cast including Gillian Anderson, Daniel Brühl, and Lizzy Caplan. Filming is set to take place across Europe, with no release date announced yet but anticipation building.

Start Date: Late 2026

1. Pluribus - AppleTV

And finally, our top pick for 2026 goes to the second season of last year's winner, Pluribus.

Season 2 will pick up the story after the first chapter ended with major twists and unanswered questions about humanity’s fate under the alien “Joining.” With creator Vince Gilligan and star Rhea Seehorn returning, the next season is expected to expand beyond Carol Sturka’s isolated resistance to the hive mind as she teams up with fellow immune survivor Manousos and grapples with the fallout from last season’s cliffhangers.

Frankly, I'm not so sure this will release in 2026, but production is under way and I, for one, am holding out hope that we will see it this year.

Start Date: TBD 2026

So there you have it folks: 2026 in television. Tune in next week for the essential new videogames of the year!