What Makes a Hit in ’26? 20 Buzzy New Series Bet on the Answer
Stars, sequels, and more from Ryan Murphy, Taylor Sheridan are set to test the market
Recently, I interviewed the Bell Media execs who bet on breakout hit Heated Rivalry, analyzed 5 burning questions about Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. and wrote about the 10 showrunners who define TV now. Email me at lesley.goldberg@theankler.com
How do you define a “hit” in the second quarter of the 21st century?
Is it critical praise? Billions of minutes in viewership? Social media trending topics? Strong reviews? In reality, it can be any of the above as a “breakout” doesn’t need to just do one thing (we see you, All’s Fair).
For every slam dunk like HBO’s The Last of Us — a series that came baked with a legion of viewers thanks to its hugely popular video games — there’s a quiet little show with little to no marketing spend that can cut through (remember Baby Reindeer?). With this in mind, I sifted through the scores of scripted shows that are expected to premiere in the year ahead to determine which ones have the potential to rise to the top of the charts and the fore of culture. While there are plenty of returning series generating big buzz (HBO Max’s The Pitt, Netflix’s period juggernaut Bridgerton and Outlander’s eighth and final season on Starz, to name a few), these new entries represent bolder plays as they demand a bigger marketing lift — and budget.
Presented in alphabetical order (with a few key groupings), with premiere dates listed when available, these 20 shows reveal where the industry is placing its biggest bets heading into 2026.
Details include:
Where DC, Disney, Netflix and Amazon are making their swings
Which creators still get blank checks — and which genres don’t
Why drama keeps winning, even as comedy searches for its next breakout
And OMG — is this the year where Apple TV really breaks out?
