8 Fall Shows We Can't Wait to Watch in 2026

Summer TV has its charms, but fall is when our watchlists tend to get a little unruly. Fortunately, fall TV in 2026 is giving us plenty of reasons to spend a few more evenings on the couch.

We can look forward to the return of some familiar favorites, trips back to television worlds we thought we'd left behind, and enough romance, drama, murder, and espionage to keep things interesting.

Here are eight of the best fall TV shows people will be tuning into this season.

1. Brothers

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson have suspected for years that they could really be half-brothers. And, there may be more to the story than a running joke. 

Matthew's mother has acknowledged knowing Woody's father, Charles Harrelson, and the timing lines up with a period when Matthew's parents were separated. Woody has even said he believes there's “some veracity” to the possibility. Without a DNA test, though, they still don't know for certain whether they share a father. So, naturally, somebody decided that needed to become a television show.

Brothers will arrive on Apple TV on September 23rd, with the longtime friends playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Their lives get considerably more complicated when they discover they might share a father. Holland Taylor plays Matthew's mother, while Woody and his family descend on Matthew's Texas ranch.

If you already enjoy watching these two together, it's hard to imagine a better setup. Honestly, we're already in.

2. A Different World

We're going back to Hillman College. Nearly 40 years after the original A Different World premiered, Netflix is introducing a new generation of students on September 24th. This time, the story will center on Deborah Wayne, the daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert.

Some old friends are coming along for the ride, too. Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy will return as her parents, while Cree Summer and Darryl M. Bell will also reprise their roles. Brandy has even recorded a new version of the show's theme song. 

If you grew up with the original, Netflix clearly knows what it's doing to us here.

3. East of Eden

Now we're getting into the period drama portion of our fall lineup, and this one features Florence Pugh. Netflix's new adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden will arrive on October 1st, with Florence playing Cathy Ames. 

Zoe Kazan wrote and produced the limited series, which puts considerably more focus on Cathy as it works through Steinbeck's sprawling family story. There's also a lovely bit of Hollywood history behind the project. Zoe's grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the famous 1955 film adaptation starring James Dean.

So, we have Florence, California at the turn of the 20th century, complicated family relationships, and John Steinbeck. 

That's a very persuasive fall evening right there.

4. The Greatest

Muhammad Ali's life is coming to television in one of the more ambitious TV shows of the season. The Greatest will premiere on November 4th on Prime Video, with Jaalen Best taking on the role of the legendary boxer.

This isn't another unauthorized Hollywood retelling, either. Ali's widow, Lonnie Ali, is one of the executive producers, and the series will explore both the enormous public moments we already know, as well as the quieter parts of his life outside the ring.

That's a formidable role for any actor to step into, which will make this one of the more intriguing fall TV premieres on our list.

5. The Gentlemen

If you missed The Gentlemen the first time around, consider this your excuse to catch up. Season 2 arrived on Netflix September 3rd, with Theo James and Kaya Scodelario back for another round of expensive clothes and extremely questionable business decisions.

This time, Theo's Eddie Horniman is expanding the criminal empire he rather unexpectedly inherited in Season 1.  The action also moves beyond the family estate into London and Northern Italy, and Hugh Bonneville has joined the cast.

Best of all, there's no waiting around for weekly episodes. All eight are already available, making this one of the fall TV shows we can start immediately.

6. Slow Horses

Speaking of British people behaving badly, Jackson Lamb and his spectacularly dysfunctional collection of spies are coming back. Season 6 of Slow Horses will premiere on Apple TV on September 16th, with Gary Oldman once again playing the brilliant and impressively cantankerous Lamb.

The new season draws from Mick Herron's novels Joe Country and Slough House, and there's another familiar face returning. Olivia Cooke is back as Sid Baker, whom we haven't seen since Season 1.

There are six episodes this time around, arriving weekly through October 21st. So, unlike The Gentlemen, this one is going to make us practice a little patience.

7. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story

Of course, we can't make it through the fall without something a little creepy. Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan are turning their Monster anthology toward one of America's most infamous murder mysteries when Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premieres on September 17th on Netflix.

Ella Beatty will play Lizzie Borden, who was accused and later acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in 1892. Charlie Hunnam, Rebecca Hall, Billie Lourd, and Sarah Paulson are also in the cast.

So, if your idea of welcoming fall involves a blanket, a dark living room, and a 134-year-old unsolved mystery, Netflix has planned accordingly.

8. Carrie

Since we've already wandered into the darker side of the watchlist, we might as well go to prom. Yes, Carrie is coming back. 

This time, Mike Flanagan is turning Stephen King's novel into an eight-episode Prime Video series premiering October 7th. Mike already knows his way around Stephen's work, having directed Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck. 

Summer H. Howell will take over the role of Carrie White, as well as the new adaptation updates of the story. We already know prom night isn't going to go particularly well, but we’re still planning on watching.

Clear Some Room on the Watchlist

Eight shows barely even scratches the surface. This season will also bring War, Cupertino, Crystal Lake, Nocturne, and Blade Runner 2099, along with plenty of returning favorites.

So, we may not be able to watch everything arriving in the next few months.

But, between Florence in a period drama, Matthew and Woody possibly (probably) being brothers, and a fresh trip to Hillman College, we're not going to run out of options.

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