2025 has given us several amazing TV shows, including Alice in Borderlands, Daredevil: Born Again, and many more. However, now that we’ve entered 2026, several fans might wonder what this new year will have to offer us. Well, let me tell you that this year is going to be as amazing as the previous one, and here are some of the top returning TV shows you should look forward to watching in 2026.
Most Anticipated Returning TV Shows of 2026 Overview
Waiting for your beloved franchises to land with their new seasons on your screens quickly, aren’t you? Here’s a list of the most-anticipated returning television shows in 2026.
| TV Show Name | Detail |
| House of the Dragon Season 3 | Release Date: Summer 2026 (Official date not yet announced) Director: Clare Kilner, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Andrij Parekh, Loni Peristere Streaming Platform: HBO Max, JioHotstar |
| One Piece Season 2 | Release Date: March 10, 2026 Director: Christoph Schrewe, Emma Sullivan, Josef Kubota Wladyka, Lukas Ettlin Streaming Platform: Netflix |
| Monarchs: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 | Release Date: February 27, 2026 Director: Matt Shakman, Chris Black, Matt Fraction Streaming Platform: Apple TV+ |
| Yellowjackets Season 4 | Release Date: Late 2026 (Official date yet to be announced) Director: Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco, Karyn Kusama Streaming Platform: Paramount+ with SHOWTIME |
| Euphoria Season 3 | Release Date: April 12, 2026 Director: Sam Levinson Streaming Platform: HBO Max, JioHotstar |
| Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 | Release Date: March 4, 2026 Director: Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead Streaming Platform: Disney+, JioHotstar |
| Bridgerton Season 4 | Release Date: January 29, 2026 (Part 1), February 26, 2026 (Part 2) Director: Tom Verica Streaming Platform: Netflix |
Top Returning TV Shows of 2026 I Recommend
Here, I have discussed three returning television shows for 2026 that I would personally recommend to anyone who asks me which ones to look forward to.
House of the Dragon Season 3
House of the Dragon, initially released in 2022, proved itself to be the true predecessor of Game of Thrones. With its perfectcast and characters, it successfully garnered a huge fandom. Now that the third season, which will lay the foundation for the ultimate climax in Season 4, is all set to arrive on small screens in 2026, you shouldn’t miss the grand penultimate chapter. The stakes will get higher as the most intense and brutal war from the world of Fire and Blood is about to consume everything.
One Piece Live-Action Season 2
One Piece Season 1 was so good that it restored the fandom’s trust in the anime live-action. It did all the groundwork for the big things that are about to unfold in the second season. Straw Hat Pirates will finally enter the Grand Line, bombarding the community with several events that will stay with us even after the television show concludes. Besides that, we will get several fan-favourite One Piece animanga characters getting a live-action makeover.
Daredevil Born Again Season 2
The first season of Daredevil Born Again didn’t focus on any flashy superhero moments; instead, it featured grounded storytelling, and that’s what made me love it. What made it a solid television series was the tone and the way it didn’t rush the emotional events. Now, Daredevil Born Again Season 2 is all set to take the stakes even higher, with the characters struggling with their further choices. It will not just randomly continue the story, but it will allow the audience to go deeper.
Must-Watch Returning TV Shows of 2026
Here’s the full-fledged list featuring the best returning television shows that you should be watching in 2026.
House of the Dragon Season 3
- Release Date: Summer 2026 (Official date not yet announced)
- Director: Clare Kilner, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Andrij Parekh, Loni Peristere
- Cast: Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel
- Episode Count: 8
House of the Dragon Season 3 will feature the ongoing Targaryen Civil War, Dance of the Dragon as it reaches its most destructive phase. The new chapter will adapt the most gruesome clashes from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, including the Battle of Gullet. Both parties will face heavy consequences of the war, several crucial characters will die, and we will also get to watch massive dragon battles on our screens.
- Why HOTD Season 3 is a must-watch: House of the Dragon has always been a visual spectacle, and Season 3 is expected to take the stakes even higher by unleashing some of the most stunning sequences. The drama won’t stick just to the battlefield; there will be more betrayals, shifting alliances, and everything that makes it a true predecessor of Game of Thrones. Besides that, HOTD Season 3 is the penultimate installment that will do the groundwork for the ultimate finale of the saga.
One Piece Season 2
- Release Date: March 10, 2026
- Director: Christoph Schrewe, Emma Sullivan, Josef Kubota Wladyka, Lukas Ettlin
- Cast: Iñaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Jacob Romero Gibson, Taz Skylar
- Episode Count: 8
One Piece Season 2 will see the Straw Hat crew entering the grand Blue Line, where they will face new foes. The new season will cover the events from Chapter 96 to 154, adapting major arcs like Loguetown, Reverse Mountain & Laboon, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, Drum Island, and Baroque Works Conflict. One Piece live-action is expected to expand its horizons by bringing popular faces from the animanga to the live-action.
- Why One Piece Live-Action Season 2 is a must-watch: It will introduce us to some fan-favourite good guys and villains. One Piece Season 2 also promises to showcase some greater fight sequences with improved visuals. Besides that, it will also see some deep emotional moments of our beloved main crew.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2
- Release Date: February 27, 2026
- Director: Matt Shakman, Chris Black, Matt Fraction
- Cast: Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett, Anders Holm
- Episode Count: 10
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 will take us to King Kong’s Skull Island, where a new threat emerges from the sea. It will expand the Monsterverse by bringing hidden facilities to light, delving into the monsters’ origins, and exploring what happens to humanity when they discover the truth behind the monsters’ existence.
- Why Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 is a must-watch: The new season will give the monsters and new creatures even more screen time. In addition, the events that will unfold in the second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will directly connect to the movies that we have watched before.
Yellowjackets Season 4
- Release Date: Late 2026 (Official date yet to be announced)
- Director: Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco, Karyn Kusama
- Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Courtney Eaton
- Episode Count: 10
Yellowjackets is probably one of the most underrated thriller TV shows. It’s basically about a group of girls surviving the wilderness after their plane crashed in an isolated region. Not only do these girls have to fight the climate, but they also have to survive the hunger. So, eventually, they all resort to cannibalism. Of course, they are rescued, but the horrors of their past still haunt them, quite literally. Yellojackets is a great show, but some fans feel that the mystery is being stretched for too long, so the fourth season of the series might actually raise some burning questions for fans.
- Why Yellowjackets Season 4 is a must-watch: Yellowjackets is great when it comes to building a mysterious setting. So far, the show has grabbed a loyal fanbase by smartly keeping things fresh in its first three seasons. And now, the fourth season promises to get even darker by touching on some shady secrets from the wilderness.
Euphoria Season 3
- Release Date: April 12, 2026
- Director: Sam Levinson
- Cast: Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow, Eric Dane
- Episode Count: 8
Okay, even if you haven’t watched Euphoria, you at least must have heard about it. It’s an incredibly popular teen drama that broke several records with its story, music, and, of course, direction. And let’s not forget the incredible cast featuring Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney. Well, all of that is going to return to us with the much-awaited third season.
- Why Euphoria Season 3 is a must-watch: Euphoria Season 3 is clearly one of the most anticipated releases of this year, especially when it comes to TV shows. No one really imagined that a teen drama would get so popular that Hans Zimmer would compose music for it. That’s right, keeping aside the amazing story and fantastic acting, fans will get to experience Hans Zimmer’s score in Season 3 of Euphoria.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2
- Release Date: March 4, 2026
- Director: Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead
- Cast: Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Jon Bernthal
- Episode Count: 8
Daredevil: Born Again was one of the biggest TV shows of last year. Despite the negativity, Disney actually did a great job at reviving the Netflix series. The cast was the same, the story was gritty, dark, and of course, refreshing. However, the first season was more about Matt Murdock and less about Daredevil. Well, that’s going to change in Season 2, and Daredevil will make a full-fledged return in the next season.
- Why Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is a must-watch: Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 will not only bring back Daredevil in full capacity, but it also features other characters from the Netflix series. Jessica Jones will return, and of course, Punisher will play a bigger and more significant role. If that’s not enough to excite you for what’s to come, then hey, what is?
Bridgerton Season 4
- Release Date: January 29, 2026 (Part 1), February 26, 2026 (Part 2)
- Director: Tom Verica
- Cast: Luke Thompson, Yerin Ha, Luke Newton, Nicola Coughlan, Claudia Jessie, Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh
- Episode Count: 8
Bridgerton is one of the most popular Regency romance series that blessed the community with several high-profile love stories in the first three seasons. And now, it’s finally the turn of the most grounded romance to take the center stage. Benedict Bridgerton is all set to meet the love of his life in Season 4, and let’s not forget that the one his heart will fall for doesn’t belong to a rich family. So, it would be exciting to see how they manage to unite against all the odds.
- Why Bridgerton Season 4 is a must-watch: Bridgerton Season 4 will see the story evolve with a central romance that isn’t as lavish as the previous ones. We may also see our favorite supporting cast return, wearing the most vibrant costumes for which Bridgerton is known.
