We all said goodbye to Stranger Things, one of the biggest shows in modern TV history, at the end of 2025. While I think we're all going to miss this great Netflix show, there are a11 new TV shows that are going to explode on the scene or go out with a bang just like Stranger Things 5.
Before we get going, I just want to mention that we're probably never going to see another show like Stranger Things. The timing, the organic bump in popularity, and then the investment from Netflix to create this massive series don't happen every day.
But, there's always going to be new shows that come out of nowhere to become a massive hit. There will always be shows in their final season that ride off into the sunset with an out-of-this-world finale. For this list, those are the new 2026 TV shows I tried to highlight.
Let's get the list started with the biggest show to kick off 2026, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Network: HBO and HBO Max
- Release date: Jan. 18
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the show I'm most excited to watch in the first month of the year. The new series based on George R.R. Martin's collection of novellas premieres on Sunday, Jan. 18. It is the second Game of Thrones prequel. It's set between the events of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.
The series tells the stories of Ser Dunk the Tall, a hedge knight going on adventures in and around Westeros about 100 years before the events of GoT. He's joined by a young, bald child named Egg, and they have some good times. Overall, I'm expecting A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to be a little lighter and more fun than Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, but it's still Westeros, after all.
I don't think A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is going to storm on the scene quite like Stranger Things did way back in 2016, but there's potential for this series to be massive. I can't wait to watch!
One Piece season 2
- Network: Netflix
- Release date: March 10
Who’s ready to see the next part of Luffy’s adventure with the Straw Hat Pirates? I know I am!
One Piece is back for season 2 on March 10, and I think we all have high hopes for the sophomore season of the Netflix original series based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga. It’s been a long way between the first and second season. By the time season 2 premieres, it will have been about two and a half years between seasons. That’s a long time!
Obviously, I’m a little bit fearful that the hype for the series will have cooled a bit because of that long gap. That might be one of the reasons One Piece season 2 will never quite reach the masses like Stranger Things. It’s a little bit quirky for the mainstream, but there’s no doubt the global popularity of One Piece is similar to Stranger Things. Now, if the TV series could just capture part of that audience, it could become an event.
The Boys season 5
- Network: Prime Video
- Release date: April 8
The Boys are back in town this spring on Prime Video for one last time. The fifth season of The Boys will be the final season. So, it’s almost time to see how it all comes together for Butcher (Karl Urban), Hughie (Jack Quaid), Annie (Erin Moriarty), Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), Frenchie (Tomer Capone), and MM (Laz Alonso). Will they take down Homelander (Antony Starr) and Vought or die trying? Honestly, maybe both!
At the end of the fourth season, Homelander and Vought have thwarted the Boys and set them into hiding, and worse, but we know that Butcher isn’t going to go out like that. He’s going to try to take them down one last time.
Of all the TV shows on this list, The Boys probably has the most potential to get that Stranger Things-style send-off. We know the show doesn’t have quite the reach that Stranger Things has, but it’s popular, and it’s topical. It’s much more niche than Stranger Things, but I think everyone is going to be interested to see if Eric Kripke and his team can stick the landing.
Euphoria season 3
- Network: HBO and HBO Max
- Release date: April
I know Euphoria isn’t a fantasy or sci-fi series, but it makes the list because it is one of the most interesting show’s returning for its final season in 2026. It’ll have been four years since the show’s second season, and so much has happened since then. The cast has completely blown up. Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Sydney Sweeney are three of the biggest movie and TV stars in the world now. I can’t believe HBO even got them all back for season 3.
While I don’t think Euphoria necessarily appeals to the masses like Stranger Things, there’s no doubt this show has a chance to be a massive event for HBO this spring. There’s going to be so much interest from fans into how Rue’s story comes to an end. It’s not a bold prediction to say Euphoria is going to be one of the biggest shows of the year, but I really feel like this might be the show that gets the most buzz in 2026. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. We’ll just have to wait and see when the show’s third season premieres in April 2026.
Widow's Bay
- Network: Apple TV
- Release date: April 29
Widow’s Bay is going to be a massive hit for Apple TV. I can feel it already! The horror comedy, as it’s described by Apple TV, just feels like Stranger Things. It definitely has some thriller and mystery elements, which is very similar to Stranger Things, too.
Matthew Rhys stars as Tom Loftis, the mayor of Widow’s Bay, a small town in New England that residents say is cursed, according to Apple TV. Tom tries to bring in more visitors to the town when strange things start to happen. Sounds like Hawkins to me, honestly.
Widow’s Bay premieres on Apple TV on April 29.
Lanterns
- Network: HBO Max
- Release date: Summer 2026
DC is taking another stab at the Green Lantern story, and it's coming to HBO Max this summer.
Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald, and Nathan Fillion will star in the series, which is unlike anything we've seen before.
In Lanterns, we're going to get a detective story as Hal Jordan and co. try to solve a grisly murder with potentially supernatural characteristics. The series was created by Chris Mundy, who created Ozark, along with Damon Lindelof, who created the Watchmen TV series, The Leftovers, and more, and Tom King. This is an A+ creative team for a show like this, and I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Lanterns is another interesting series! It's been a minute since we've had a show based on a comic series like this once to get excited about, but Lanterns has the makings of something really special. Will fans respond? That's the hardest part of the equation, but again, I really like what I've heard about the series so far.
House of the Dragon season 3
- Network: HBO and HBO Max
- Release date: Summer 2026
House of the Dragon season 3 is the most obvious addition to this list. Of course, we're super excited about the upcoming season. There's no doubt it's going to be the biggest season of the series so far, although it's not the final season like Stranger Things or a new series. Still, I think A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is going to be the perfect lead-in to House of the Dragon later this year.
We're getting two Game of Thrones shows in a year for the first time ever, so while we might not reach all-time high excitement for Westeros, but it's probably going to be all-time high for this series.
House of the Dragon is coming to an end after season 4, so expect this season to be absolutely jam-packed.
Outer Banks season 5
- Network: Netflix
- Release date: 2026
Like Euphoria, Outer Banks is a little bit outside the realm of what we cover at Winter is Coming, but there's no doubt that fans are going to be hyped to watch the final season of the hit treasure-hunting series set in the OBX.
In the final season, the Pogues are out for revenge after their brother was killed off in the season finale. With only 10 episodes left, the Pogues are ready to make a major play and take back what's theirs.
Overall, the excitement for Outer Banks won't quite reach Stranger Things levels, but I do think it's going to be an all-time high for this series. It's probably not going to be the biggest Netflix show of the year, though I do think it will be in the conversation for biggest final seasons in terms of interest.
The Boroughs
- Network: Netflix
- Release date: 2026
The Duffer brothers won't have the Stranger Things spinoff ready for release in 2026, but they are producing a show that might as well be the next best thing to Stranger Things.
The Boroughs will premiere on Netflix sometime in 2026, and it has all the makings of a smash hit on Netflix. Here's the official synopsis of the series, via Netflix:
"In a seemingly picturesque retirement community, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have… time.”
If that doesn't sound like the perfect show for Stranger Things fans to watch, well, I don't even know what to do. On top of that perfect premise, there's an even better cast, including Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, Jena Malone, Dennis O'Hare, Clarke Peters, and more.
Carrie
- Network: Prime Video
- Release date: 2026
Mike Flanagan's first Prime Video series is ready for its premiere in 2026. Flanagan is adapting another Stephen King classic, Carrie, for the streamer, and it's going to be awesome.
Carrie is my sleeper pick to become a word-of-mouth hit for Prime Video. I don't think it's on anyone's radar yet, but if Prime Video plays their cards right, this show could be massive. It's been so long since Carrie has been part of the zeitgeist. This is a series that's long overdue.
There are so many parallels between this show and Stranger Things, but mainly, Carrie tells the story of a bullied teenager, Carrie White (Summer Howell), who is learning to control her telekinetic abilities. Stranger Things fans will want to tune in for this one.
Josh Hartnett's sea monster Netflix show
- Network: Netflix
- Release date: Hopefully 2026
Okay, so the last pick on the list is a Netflix show without a title and a firm 2026 premiere, but I'm really hopeful that Josh Harnett's unnamed sea monster show is ready to go for 2026. It's literally the perfect show for Stranger Things to watch.
The series, which was created by Jesse McKeown, is set in a small coastal town. When a sea monster begins attacking the town's residents, a local fisherman, played by Hartnett, tries to play the hero and save the town, according to Netflix.
That sounds very Stranger Things to me, honestly! And, there's a big Stranger Things connection to the series. Charlie Heaton, who starred as Jonathan Byers in the series, also stars in this upcoming series.
We don't know much about the show or what Netflix has planned, but production wrapped this fall, which means there's a good chance we'll see the series on Netflix sometime in the fall of 2026.
So, that's the list of TV shows Stranger Things fans need to watch in 2026! There's some serious potential for each show to make a big leap and become a major hit or go out on top and end just like Stranger Things did with its fifth and final season.