Most anticipated new TV shows of 2026, including a ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel

The new year will bring the usual wealth of returning television series, with my own most anticipated titles including “All Creatures Great and Small,” “Hacks” and “Ted Lasso.”

But should you be looking for something new, here’s a list of premiering shows to watch for this year.

Note: Dates are subject to change, and not all trailers may be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

This “Game of Thrones” prequel, taking place a century before that series’ events, is based on author George R.R. Martin’s novella “Tales of Dunk and Egg,” the story of a lowborn knight (Peter Claffey) and his child squire (Dexter Sol Ansell). Jan. 18, HBO

Steal

An office worker (Sophie Turner) at a pension fund investment company gets unexpectedly pulled into a heist in this six-episode series, also starring Archie Madekwe (“Saltburn”) and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. Jan. 21, Prime Video

The Beauty

Ryan Murphy’s latest is a body-horror sci-fi thriller, in which supermodels around the world are literally exploding(!) after taking a “fountain of youth” drug. The cast includes Rebecca Hall, Anthony Ramos, Ashton Kutcher and Isabella Rossellini. Jan. 21, FX/Hulu

Wonder Man

Yet another Marvel Comics adaptation, and an intriguing one: Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) are actors hoping to be cast in a “Wonder Man” movie, with the former suddenly finding himself with superpowers of his own. Destin Daniel Cretton (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) and Andrew Guest (“Community,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) are the co-creators. Jan. 27, Disney+

Strip Law

In the growing category of “adult animated comedy” (e.g., the Netflix hit “BoJack Horseman”) comes this series, in which an uptight Las Vegas lawyer (voiced by Adam Scott) teams up with a local magician (Janelle James) to bring some pizzazz to his cases. Feb. 20, Netflix

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins

This comedy about a disgraced NFL superstar is something of a “30 Rock” reunion, with Robert Carlock, Sam Means and Tina Fey on the creative team and Tracy Morgan playing the title role. (Feb. 23, NBC)

How to Get to Heaven From Belfast

From “Derry Girls” creator Lisa McGee, this comedy/thriller follows three Irish childhood friends as they try to solve the mysterious death of a former schoolmate. February TBD, Netflix

Young Sherlock

Hero Fiennes Tiffin, co-starring with his uncle Joseph Fiennes, plays a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes, solving his first murder case while a student at Oxford. The series is based on Andrew Lane’s “Young Sherlock Holmes” books. Co-stars include Zine Tseng, Natascha McElhone and Colin Firth. March 4, Prime Video

The Testaments

Based on Margaret Atwood’s bestselling sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale” (itself already a TV hit), this series follows a new generation of young women growing up in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead. Ann Dowd, of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” returns as Aunt Lydia; Chase Infiniti (“One Battle After Another”) co-stars. April TBD, Hulu/Disney+

Widow’s Bay

In this horror/comedy, Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) plays the mayor of an island town in New England, contending with locals who believe their community is cursed. Apparently, it is? Katie Dippold (“Parks and Recreation”) is the showrunner. April 29, Apple TV