Mom and Grandpa in front of TV — Mom (Londie Benson), Grandpa (Raymond Johnson), posing in front of a TV (Admiral).

I used to know what was on TV because of The TV Guide and those big issues Entertainment Weekly put out every year during pilot season. Now, we have so much information but it feels impossible to sort through it all. This blog entry took me longer than I anticipated to research. Sites like the trusty thefutoncritic.com and IMDBpro.com helped me sift through gobs of content to find the actual scripted dramas and comedies, so you don’t have to.

First off, I thought you might be confused (like me) about who the major streamers are these days. Who absorbed who? Do they have a “+” after their name anymore or not or… yeah, it’s a lot. But don’t worry, I did the homework for us all. Here’s the 2026 streaming list:

AMC+
Apple TV
BET+
Crunchyroll
Discovery+
Disney+ (includes Hulu)
Hallmark+
HBO Max (lol, it was HBO Go and HBO Now, then HBO Max, then Max, now back to HBO Max.)
MGM+
Netflix
Paramount+ (includes Showtime)
Peacock
Prime Video (Amazon)
Starz

Although I added a lot of Streaming series in my list, Network TV hasn’t disappeared. In fact, I found quite a few broadcast gems for my list. For anyone else keeping track, I counted Network’s new and returning scripted shows for 2026 – CBS still dominates with 20 series (15 drama/5 comedy), ABC and NBC have half that with 10 shows each both splitting the same with (7 drama/3 comedy), FOX has only 3 dramas and 3 comedy series slated. (+7 returning animated series which bumps their numbers up). I’m sadly not listing CW in this network list as they have all but abandoned scripted dramas or comedies on their network. They primarily show sports and unscripted fare these days. Oh, and they only paid me below basic cable fees when I wrote on a CW show, which always ticked me off as they call themselves one of the big 5 broadcast channels, but I digress…

Across all four networks, I counted just 9 new dramas and 5 new comedies launching in 2026 and that's excluding animation, reality competitions, and limited series. Not surprisingly, 13 of the 46 total shows are part of established franchises like NCIS, Chicago, Law & Order, and 9-1-1. Networks aren't exactly swinging for the fences here. They're playing it safe with proven brands and “Prestidurals” (Prestige + Procedural portmanteau). Hey, I had to hear that term last year and now so do you.

If you're like me and struggling to keep track even with these paltry numbers, I've compiled everything into a comprehensive Network TV Schedule that I'll be dropping next week. But for now, here's my curated list of the shows I'm actually looking forward to watching in 2026:

JANUARY

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

(Paramount+ | January 15th)

Set in the 32nd century, this series promises to pick up where “Star Trek: Discovery” (S5) left off post “the burn” where Starfleet was, well, fleeting. I can’t help but feel a bit sad that my beloved “Star Trek: Prodigy” crew won’t be involved in this graduating class as ST:SFA takes place around 800 years after Prodigy. Nevertheless, I’m excited to see this take on a futuristic Starfleet and can’t wait to see Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti as the adults amongst the recruits. I mean… Pig Vomit in space!! Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau are co-showrunning the series and Jonathan Frakes (Riker) is directing episodes. I watched the pilot and really enjoyed it! There was even a Prodigy name drop in there which warmed my heart. If I were you, I’d just ignore some of the eyeroll evoking responses about the franchise being “woke” by certain close-minded individuals and just relax.

Captain’s Log: I got to housesit with a buddy of mine for a night at Holly Hunter and Janusz Kamiński’s house around 2001. I never met the Hollywood couple in person, but I hope they know it was a lovely stay and I just kept quoting “Raising Arizona” all night.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

(HBO Max | January 18)

This series takes place between “House of the Dragon” and “Game of Thrones” in the Westeros timeline of it all. But instead of following around the royal families playing succession, we’re with the common people. You know, down there with all those dragon fly-over states? We’re following the Targaryens around in the mud and muck as they try to maintain their grip on the Iron Throne. The GOT head office didn’t have to go far to find a Showrunner. “House of the Dragon” Co-EP writer Ira Parker has leveled up to running this spinoff series. I never got around to reading “The Hedge Knight” by George R.R. Martin, but I just love all the worldbuilding in his books and can’t wait for yet another installment into this realm.

Memory of a Killer

(FOX | January 25th & 26th)

Patrick Dempsey is playing an assassin with Alzheimer’s in this gritty looking crime drama. Seriously, one of the first trailers I’ve seen that surprised me was airing on Network TV and not Streaming. Dempsey plays Angelo Doyle and it seems like his “Breaking Bad” baddie persona is being hidden from his family while his boss, Michael Imperioli from “The Sopranos” is apparently unaware of Doyle's rapidly-changing brain. Some great writers are listed on this series including the terrific Glenise Mullens (“Invasion”) who is currently producing the show in Toronto. I hope she has plenty of hand warmers for those cold Canadian nightshoots. Aaron Zelman and Glenn Kessler from “Damages” are Showrunning the series.

Wonder Man

(Disney+ | January 27th)

An 8 episode miniseries but looks like a lot of fun from the trailer. Ben Kingsley is back as his actor Trevor Slattery (faux Mandarin) in “Iron Man 3” but the show stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who has left the DCU as Black Manta to join the MCU as Wonder Man. In the show, he’s playing Simon Williams, an actor cast as… Wonder Man? The meta “show inside a show” reminds me of “She-Hulk”, a show I loved and wish we had more of, but I digress… Destin Cretton, writer of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, created this series and I’m excited to see his take on the Lee/Kirby/Heck character. Will Wonder Man still be a stuntman? Is he still as powerful as Thor? Is this the start of the West Coast Avengers? Guess we’ll have to watch and until then, wonder…

RETURNING SHOWS - JANUARY

Abbott Elementary - Season 5

ABC/Hulu/Disney+

The Pitt - Season 2

HBO Max | January 8th

Shrinking - Season 3

Apple TV | January 28th

Bridgerton - Season 4

Netflix | January 29th

FEBRUARY

CIA

(CBS | February 23rd)

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Nicole Perlman, writer of “Guardians of the Galaxy” has penned a CIA meets FBI show about preventing domestic terrorism? How has this not been plastered all over my social media timeline? And it stars Tom Ellis from “Lucifer”?! I’m in! This odd-couple/buddy-cop drama is a spinoff from the “FBI” franchise and I admit I’m behind on that series. Nick Gehlfuss from "Chicago Med" co-stars but he's playing a brand new character in the Dick Wolf universe. Confused yet? Me too! But all we need to know is that the FBI guy (Gehlfuss) is a "by-the-book" black and white type paired with the covert CIA "works in the greys" op (Ellis) which ought to deliver some great odd-couple dynamics.

RETURNING SHOWS - FEBRUARY

Paradise - Season 2

Hulu | February 23rd

MARCH

RJ Decker

(ABC | March 3)

This reminds me of a show I worked on (as an assistant, not a writer) called “The Finder” for FOX. Both star quirky Hawaiian shirt-wearing hotties who’re good at uncovering hidden connections to mysteries. This ABC dramedy looks to be sassy, sexy, and sleuthy. The trailer pops with bright colors but promises the murky mysteries that Rob Doherty gave us in “Elementary.” The title is giving “T.J. Hooker” 80s vibes and I’m honestly ok with that.

Scarpetta

(Amazon Prime Video | March 11th)

Nicole Kidman leads this crime show playing Kay Scarpetta, the heroine from the novel “Postmortem”. Patricia Cornwall’s book about Scarpetta – a perfectionist workaholic who solves crimes as a chief medical officer – sounds right up my crime alley. But I better be prepared to read 29 books in the Scarpetta series. Amazon has already given this show a Season Two pick up, which honestly helps encourage me to watch. Not that I needed much of a push, they had me with Jamie Lee Curtis playing Kidman’s sister. Apparently, it’s told in a timey wimey way as we track two different timelines: present day and the 90s. And if you’re like me, you’re wondering how they can make a full ten years stretch for storytelling. (I know, I know, it’s been like 36 years, but try telling my brain that.)

Imperfect Women

(Apple TV | March 18th)

Also based on a popular crime novel (this one by Araminta Hall), but the star-studded cast alone is enough to draw viewers. As we all know, Apple doesn’t make a show without A-listers attached and managed to nab Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, Leslie Odem Jr., and Joel Kinneman for this crime drama. It looks like Annie Weisman has only created an 8 episode series. I’m not familiar with the book, but it sounds like a thriller that unravels not just clues but friendships. The logline suggests that the women’s friendships are shattered and revelations about affairs, betrayals, and secrets are revealed, making them wonder how much they actually knew about their friends after all. Usually, I wouldn’t be compelled to watch such glossy melodrama but I’m hoping that the mostly women cast/crew means the subject matter will be real and honest. Less surface level frenemies and chardonnay and more unflinching honesty, please.

RETURNING SHOWS - MARCH

APRIL

The Testaments

(Hulu/Disney+ | April TBD)

Set around five years after “The Handmaid's Tale” (unlike the book's 15-year jump), we track Margaret Atwood's Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) and June’s daughter, Hannah (played by Chase Infiniti) in Gilead. Unlike June (Elisabeth Moss), these women don’t know what freedom is like having grown up in Gilead their whole lives. My stomach sinks knowing how unaware they’ll be that their subjugation isn’t divine will but evil incarnate. But watching these young women rinse out their brainwashing and navigate their eventual escape will feel like a much needed victory lap of this brutal franchise.

After years of watching June try to get her daughter out of Dodge, we have a vested interest in seeing Hannah help herself. Showrunner Bruce Miller is back for this series and apparently started shooting “Testaments” only a few weeks after the Handmaids series finale wrapped. I watched every episode of that harrowing show and have read all the books, so I look forward to seeing Bruce and the writers bring this story to life.

Widow’s Bay

(Apple TV | April 29th)

Finally, a comedy on my list! Well, a horror-drama-comedy starring Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) created and written by Katie Dippold (“Ghostbusters”) and directed by Hiro Murai from “The Bear”. Rhys plays a small town Mayor trying to revitalize his small New England island that the locals are sure is cursed. The Mayor is successful in bringing in tourists, but supernatural shenanigans ensue. This sounds like a lot of fun and if so, I wish it would run longer than just the 10 episodes currently listed. But if so, here’s hoping Showrunner Dippold considers a writers’ room to keep the momentum going if it gets picked up for another season.

NEW SHOWS AIRDATE (?)

Blade Runner 2099

(Amazon Prime Video)

There’s not much out there about this show, not even a poster so I used a cool storyboard image I found from “Blade Runner” by Sherman Labby. So, I know nothing about this series other than:

It’s part of the “Blade Runner” universe.
The first “Blade Runner” film was set in 2019, the Ryan Gosling movie was set 40 years later, hence “Blade Runner 2049”. So we’re picking up 50 years after that…
It stars Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer.
Tom Spezially is a writing EP on it and I really admire Tom. I got to work with him on “Zero Hour” and he gave me the greatest advice once while freaking out at my desk over something probably very trivial: “Julie, go with the flow. Don’t try to change the flow. Don’t try to stop the flow.” It’s stuck with me ever since.
Ridley Scott is an EP.
I’m going to watch this and nothing will stop me.

Cupertino

(CBS)

At first, this sounds like a cop drama set in Silicon Valley, but I was happy to discover it’s a legal drama brought to us by Michelle King and Robert King (“The Good Wife”). This David and Golliath story will have us rooting for lawyers as they go up against a tech bro who owes them money. It stars “Luke Cage” himself Mike Colter who, if he knocked on my door asking for money owed, I’d Venmo him on the spot with lots of sorry face emojis and hearts. Excited to see how the tech bro angle is developed in the age of A.I. and how a bunch of assumedly intelligent lawyers got conned out of money by these graphic card grifters. Always ready for a ‘good guy fighting the righteous’ fight. What a novel idea.

Lanterns

(HBO Max)

I’m not sure there’s anyone who could better help comic writer Tom King navigate his first TV writing job than powerhouse writers Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen”) and Chris Mundy (“Ozark”). But then again, Tom went on to write the new “Supergirl” movie, so I’m sure he not only was already capable, but probably taught those two guys a thing or two about storytelling. This 8 episode series follows two intergalactic cops (Green Lanterns) in an American heartland mystery. So, this take sounds more grounded than galactic. Superhero stories are quite a feat these days, but with Kyle Chandler playing Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre playing the new recruit, John Stewart, the Green Lantern Corp shines bright.

Pride and Prejudice

(Netflix)

Alright, this is a bit of a cheat as it’s only a 6 episode miniseries, but it’s Jane Austen and one of my favorite stories (Sense and Sensibility being the GOAT), so I had to add it to the list. Also, the great Olivia Coleman playing the kooky Mrs. Bennett? Sign me up for a yes. Emma Corrin (“The Crown”) is playing Elizabeth Bennett and Jack Lowden (“Slow Horses”) is playing Mr. Darcy. Euros Lynn has directed a lot of “Doctor Who” so I’m already a fan but I’m not familiar with writer Dolly Alderton. She’s an English author who won the National Book Award for her debut “Everything I Know About Love” in 2018. Great, another book to add to my ever growing list… (Kidding, I’ll take all the books, please and thank you.)

Spider-Noir

(Amazon Prime Video)

Nic Cage playing a 1930s private investigator/superhero should be enough enticement, but I’ll add that the lovely Li Jun Li who I had the honor of working with on “Wu Assassins” is also in the cast, so now you should be sold. Oh, and did I mention Lamorne Morris (“Fargo”) is playing a journalist who takes on risky stories as he struggles against racism as a Black reporter? This reminds me of the recent (cancelled-to-soon) “Perry Mason”, but with superpowers! Amazon is going to air “Spider- Noir” in both black & white as well as color, so that’s fun. Off the successful introduction of Cage’s character in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse”, EPs Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal co-developed this series. Director Harry Bradbeer (“Enola Holmes”) is helming the series written by Oren Uziel who penned the 2021 “Mortal Kombat”. Steve Lightfoot (“Hannibal”) is co-Showrunning with Uziel. Having played in the superhero-noir sandbox myself on “Batman: Caped Crusader” I’m looking forward to seeing how this live-action show tackles the time period and tone.

RETURNING SHOWS AIRDATE (?)

House of the Dragon -Season 3

HBO Max *rumored summer

Whew. That was… a lot. I’m sure I missed a show or two that would strike my fancy, so let me know what you’re excited about watching this year. Do you keep track of shows and movies in the TV Time app like I do? Or do you just flip on the TV and scroll until something calls to you? I’m determined to add shows to the streamer’s watchlists or “remind me” selections this year so I don’t forget what I want to watch. But then again, I said I was going to wallpaper my bedroom and that bare, white wall laughs at me every night.

Whatcha Watching? My 2026 TV Watchlist