The best shows to watch in 2026 are looking dangerously unmissable. From globe-trotting espionage to royalty-adjacent scandals, from laugh out loud comedies to psychological rabbit holes you did not see coming, the schedules are jam-packed and we are soooo here for it!
If you’re on the hunt for the new shows coming in 2026 that are actually worth your time, consider this your ultimate cheat sheet. We’re talking long-awaited returns, dazzling debuts, and a mix of bold, brilliant storytelling that’ll keep your watchlist overflowing!
Coming soon | Coming later this year
Coming soon
Blue Lights (Season 4)
BBC One and BBC iPlayer, 29th September
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Coming this autumn, the new season of Blue Lights is set to reveal a lot of secrets. And honestly? We can't wait to find out what they're hiding.
According to the BBC, season 4 follows Constables Grace Ellis (Siân Brooke), Tommy Foster (Nathan Braniff) and Annie Conlon (Katherine Devlin) three years into their policing careers as they face growing threats on the streets of Belfast, alongside the ongoing murder trial of Gerry Cliff.
Expect long-buried secrets to rise to the surface, with the fallout causing chaos both within the police and across Belfast's criminal underworld.
Winter
ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player, Wednesday 30th September
Richard Armitage (Red Eye), stars as unconventional forensic pathologist Dr Ethan Winter whose incredible mind and rule-breaking approach helps the police solve some of the most complex murder cases! Annabel Scholey (Rivals, The Split) stars alongside him as DI Lauren Bell, a no-nonsense detective who is as driven as Winter when working on a case. Together they form a formidable team!
The Reluctant Vampire
BBC One + BBC iPlayer
Lenny Rush stars in this coming-of-age sitcom based on the books by Eric Morecambe. Set in a timeless English village The Reluctant Vampire introduces us to Van (Rush), a young vampire who discovers (after a surprise interaction with his reflection), that he is in fact not a vampire at all. With a big secret to hide, Val must navigate finding out who he really is by mingling with locals to learn what I means to be human!
Break Clause
Channel 4
Ready for a hilarious and possibly relatable comedy? Break Clause introduces us to recent ex’s Ben (Samuel Bottomley, How to Have Sex) and Lil (Lara Ricote) who’s relationship may be over, but their tenancy certainly isn’t! The comedy drama follows the pair as they navigate their breakup whilst stuck sharing the same flat. It’s a show where moving on from your first love is hard enough, but moving out… even harder!
Time (Season 3)
BBC
Jimmy McGovern's BAFTA-winning hit drama set in a young offenders institution is returning for a third season. The three-part drama sees David Tennant lead the cast as Prison Officer Bailey, alongside Siobhan Finneran, who returns as Marie-Louise, a prison chaplain.
The series explores the impact of incarcerating young people, not only on those behind bars but also on the staff who care for them, making for another powerful and thought-provoking watch.
Pierre
Channel 4
Pierre follows a charming, funny West London duty solicitor as he juggles the pressure of his job, a fragile personal life, and juuuust about keeping his finances in check. But when a young Black client – Michael – is murdered, everything changes. As the police rush to paint Michael as a criminal, Pierre refuses to let the truth be buried. What starts as one man’s fight for justice soon unravels a chilling, devastating web of corruption that runs far deeper than he ever imagined – right to the very foundations of the institutions meant to protect us.
If you like your justice served with a side of chaos, Pierre is about to be your new obsession.
Coming later this year
I am Helen
Channel 4
The next part of the BAFTA-winning I Am anthology series is nearly here and it's going to be as emotional and heart-breaking as we were expecting! This time Nicola Coughlan and Joe Cole star with the story examining the pressure and expectations placed on woman while confronting the realities of toxic masculinity and the damages this causes on modern relationships. Definitely not a light-heart watch but definitely unmissable!
Adultery
ITV and STV
If you're obsessed with messy relationship dramas like Tell Me Lies, then Adultery needs to be on your watchlist. The addictive new series introduces young lovers Jess and Ollie, who are wrapped up in the bliss of teenage romance. But when Jess's dad Tom (Dominic Cooper) meets Ollie's mum Beth (Romola Garai), it's clear there's a spark between them too... Will they be able to resist temptation?
As well as serving up plenty of binge-worthy drama, Adultery explores class, grief and the impact of social media, all while taking viewers on a rollercoaster ride through passion, parenthood and the consequences of one life-changing affair.
The Witch Farm
BBC One and BBC iPlayer
In 1989, Bill and Liz Rich leave London behind and move to an isolated farmhouse in rural Wales, hoping for a fresh start. Instead, they find themselves at the centre of a terrifying haunting. When Liz begins seeing a ghostly figure on the property, the couple set out to investigate, only to uncover a disturbing history that refuses to stay buried.
Based on the real-life case that inspired Danny Robins' hit podcast, this chilling drama stars Gabrielle Creevy and Michael Socha and dramatizes one of Britain's most notorious paranormal investigations.
Number 10
Channel 4
A funny, fast-paced drama set inside 10 Downing Street, where political chaos collides with the everyday lives of the people who keep the place running. From ambitious advisers and eccentric staff to the resident cat, everyone’s caught up in the dramas, secrets and crises unfolding behind the famous black door. The politicians may be fictional, but the challenges are unmistakably real, making Number 10 a witty reflection of modern Britain.
Starring Rafe Spall (Secret Service, Trying), Katherine Kelly (Mr Bates vs the Post Office, In Flight) and Jenna Coleman (Victoria, The Sandman).
Doctor Foster (Season 3)
BBC One
She’s back after 10 years (can you believeeee it) and we already know the drama is going to be amazing. Suranne Jones returns as Gemma Foster in a brand new season packed with more secrets, emotional chaos and obviously explosive confrontations. If previous seasons taught us anything, it’s that nobody escapes untouched.
Complicit
Channel 4
After spending the night with a man who isn't her husband, Jen Molloy returns home expecting to keep her secret buried. But when a death follows, one split-second decision threatens to unravel the life she's worked so hard to build. As the consequences of a single lie spiral out of control, Jen is forced to ask herself one impossible question: if protecting your family means letting a killer walk free, what would you do?
Whodunnit fans, this one's got your name written alllll over it.
Claire Goose (The Bay, Gone) leads the cast as Jen, alongside Moe Dunford (House of Guinness, The Dry) as her lover Damian Barr and Jason O'Mara (The Man in the High Castle) as her husband Chris.
Changing Ends (Season 4)
ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player
Now we don’t know toooo much about the plot yet, but if the last three seasons are anything to go off, we can expect plenty of giggling fits ahead of us!
Honey
BBC One
It’s 1982 in East Berlin, and tensions are nowhere near easing. Martha (Ann Skelly, House of Guiness) is an MI6 deep‑cover agent living in a city full of threats, constantly fighting to keep her identity hidden – especially from Friedrich (Jannis Niewöhner), the newly appointed Stasi Head of Counter‑Espionage. Finding herself wedged between Friedrich and Aaron Neeland – a handsome American spy operating under the alias Kurt Fischer (Nate Mann), Martha is blindsided by desire in this Cold War three‑sided game of survival.
The threat of being garrotted or dragged into a cell is nothing compared to the petrifying ordeal of falling in love. To let someone in, to reveal the parts of herself she’s spent years burying? She’d sooner have her fingernails torn out.
Up to No Good
Channel 4
Meet Maud Oldcastle. She might seem like your average older woman, but she's hiding one very important secret: she's a killer. Glenn Close stars in this darkly funny crime drama as the sharp-tongued Maud, whose plans for a fresh start are thrown into chaos when a young detective begins to suspect there's more to her than meets the eye. Murder, mischief and a gloriously wicked lead performance? We're sold.
Peaky Blinders
BBC One
By order of the Peaky Blinders… they’re backkkkkk!
Steven Knight is unleashing a brand‑new generation of Shelby's, this time set in 1950s Birmingham. With two series already confirmed, here’s what we know: in this new era, the battle to control Birmingham’s vast post‑war reconstruction becomes a high‑stakes contest. And right on cue, the Peaky Blinders arrive – stepping straight into the blood‑soaked heart of the city!
Looking at the cast for the new Peaky Blinders, we know Charlie Heaton will be playing Charles Shelby and Jamie Bell will play Duke Shelby.
Hunting Alice Bell
Channel 4
Alice Bell disappeared from a quiet Yorkshire town 20 years ago, and nobody has ever discovered what happened to her. Now, when a true crime podcast reopens the cold case, long-buried secrets begin to surface and suspicion falls once again on those closest to her. As old wounds are reopened, the hunt for answers threatens to expose truths that some people would do anything to keep hidden.
Leading the search for the truth is Fran, played by Alex Roach (Nightsleeper), alongside a stellar cast including Amanda Abbington (Sherlock) as Julie, Emily Barber (MobLand) as Vanessa, Toni O'Rourke (God's Creatures) as Ros, Christina Bennington (Halo) as Charlotte, Rudi Dharmalingam (The Lazarus Project) as Nick, Ralf Little (Death in Paradise) as Graham Hunter and Simon Pegg (The Undeclared War) as Dr Jason Nash.
This City is Ours (Season 2)
BBC One + BBC iPlayer
It’s official! This City is Ours season 2 is coming to BBC One this autumn! Michael and Diana have barely arrived in Spain where they’re dragged right back into the fold to answer questions around Ricardo’s death. And back in Liverpool, tensions continue to bubble to the surface among the remaining members of the gang. Meanwhile, there;s trouble from an old school gangster from Robbie’s era who’s fresh out of prison and wanting compensation for his time.
James Nelson-Joyce, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Laura Aikman and Julie Graham are all listed to return to the cast of This City is Ours. If you’re wondering who the new cast members Shaun Evans (Betrayal, Endeavour) will star as former gangster Ozzie Thompson, alongside Álvaro Morte (Money Heist).
It Gets Worse
Channel 4
Written, created, and starring comedian Leo Reich, this comedy follows Ethan, Abi, and Sam, best friends from uni, soulmates for life, and dysfunctional roommates. A year after moving to London, they’ve achieved nothing, their landlord is selling up, and they’re being kicked out – cue chaos, bad decisions, and desperate attempts to keep their friendships alive. This is a show about young adulthood, humiliating jobs, non-existent love lives, and the dawning realisation that… it doesn’t get better.
Bills Included
BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Recently divorced and struggling to make ends meet, Bill Beam (Rob Brydon) comes up with a simple plan: rent out his spare rooms to students. What Bill doesn't realise is that being a landlord is a lot harder than it looks, especially when he's far more interested in becoming part of the gang than collecting the rent.
As Bill attempts to navigate life with his mismatched lodgers, everyday problems quickly spiral into chaos, creating an unlikely household full of friendship, frustration and plenty of laughs.
Careless
Channel 4
Get ready for a gripping drama that throws you headfirst into the life of Robbie, a young Scottish backpacker who lands what seems like the job of a lifetime in Sydney: caring for notorious rock ’n’ roll legend Mike, recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As Robbie becomes part of Mike and Angela’s inner circle, friendships deepen, secrets surface and the lines between carer and confidant begin to blur. But with a troubled past threatening to catch up with him, Robbie could be about to turn their world upside down.
Starring Solly McLeod (House of Dragon), Robyn Malcolm (After the Party), Katie Leung (Bridgerton) and Richard Roxburgh (Rake).
Maya
Channel 4
Psychological thriller fans, you won’t want to miss Maya! This new six-part drama follows mother Anna (Daisy Haggard, Boat Story) and daughter Maya (Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us) as they are forced to leave their London lives behind and enter witness protection to escape a dangerous threat. As they try to adjust to their new identities and new reality, the trauma of their past begins to creep up on them…
Stepping Up
Channel 4
Stepping Up is a new six-part comedy drama following the life of step-dad Josh (Josh Pugh) as he negotiates the tricky puzzle of bringing up another man’s children: locking in many love-triangles, the partner and the ex, the kid and the biological dad, there’s problems left right and centre!
Starring Denise Welch (Waterloo Road), Sophia Di Martino (Loki, Flowers), Tom Hanson (Outlaws) and Jeff Mirza (Bridget Jones: Made About a Boy).
The Party
ITV
What begins as the perfect celebration quickly spirals into chaos in this tense new thriller The Party. Starring Luke Evans, the series follows a glamorous gathering where secrets and simmering tensions begin erupting into disaster. Expect messy relationships, shocking revelations and plenty of drama.
Sisters in Arms
BBC
Call the Midwife fans, you're going to be excited for this one!
Set in September 1939, Sisters in Arms takes us back to a younger Nonnatus House, where Sister Monica Joan (Helen Schlesinger), Sister Julienne (Helena Wilson) and Sister Evangelina (Amy Booth-Steel) are just beginning their journeys. Alongside Sister Alice (Julie Hesmondhalgh), local GP Dr Kit and three young midwives, they'll care for mothers and families as the outbreak of war turns life in Poplar upside down.
With the blackout, the Blitz and bombs falling across London, expect an emotional period drama filled with courage, compassion and resilience.
Tall Tales & Murders
BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Bonnie and Clyde fans, get ready and get steady because Tall Tales & Murders is going to be righttttt up your street!
Bridget and Paul have little in common, but they're about to find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime. When they're swept into a dangerous world of gangsters, stolen gold and hidden treasure, the pair are forced to flee across Ireland alongside an outlaw who's about as trustworthy as he is charming. With criminals on their tail and far bigger forces at play than they realise, what begins as a fight to stay alive soon becomes a race to uncover the truth.
Expect to see Ella Lily Hyland (Towards Zero), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones), Philippa Dunne (Derry Girls) and Packy Lee (Peaky Blinders)
Return to Paradise (Season 3)
BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Set in the fictional Australian coastal town of Dolphin Cove, the latest season picks up in the aftermath of season 2's dramatic finale, which saw DS Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) wreck yet another of her ex-fiancé Glenn's (Tai Hara) weddings.
As well as navigating the fallout from that unforgettable ending, she'll be tackling a fresh batch of baffling murder mysteries, from an artist stabbed in full view of the public to a wildlife worker found dead inside a locked cassowary enclosure. If you love quirky mysteries with plenty of twists, this one's not to be missed.
Old Town Murders
BBC
Dark secrets and historic streets collide in Old Town Murders, BBC’s brand new crime drama. Set in an ancient town hiding decades of buried grudges, the series follows investigators trying to untangle a murder that threatens to rip the community apart.
First Day on Earth
BBC
Since her debut in Chewing Gum, Michaela Coel has gone onto make her name as a trusted and celebrated voice in female storytelling. Now, it’s been four years since her latest series I May Destroy You and we are very excited for her next personal story. First Day on Earth will see her play a British novelist, Henri, who feels stuck in her career, life and relationships. When she’s asked to relocate to Ghana for work, she seizes the opportunity to reconnect with her heritage. However, she soon encounters unforeseen dangers and finds herself forging a new sense of identity!
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