The last twelve months have been nothing short of a victory lap for HBO as the premium network successfully reasserted its absolute dominance over the streaming landscape. 2025 delivered a relentless barrage of cultural phenomena, ranging from the emotional sophomore season of The Last of Us to the hyper-violent return of James Gunn’s Peacemaker. In addition, IT: Welcome to Derry expanded the lore of Stephen King’s book to become one of the year’s most successful releases. We even saw The Penguin continue to gather accolades long after its finale, proving that the appetite for character-driven dramas is higher than ever. Warner Bros. Discovery has clearly moved past the instability of the strike era and returned to what it does best, which is producing event television that demands to be watched live rather than binged in the background.
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That momentum is set to accelerate aggressively as we head into 2026, a year that executives have clearly earmarked as a defining era for the brand’s long-term dominance. The upcoming slate represents a massive capital investment in established intellectual property and original ideas, ensuring there’s something for everyone. As a result, HBO prepares to deliver a powerful combination of returning heavyweights and ambitious spinoffs that are simply too big to fail.
7) Stuart Fails to Save the Universe
The Big Bang Theory franchise continues its unstoppable expansion with a surprisingly high-concept new show. While previous spinoffs like Young Sheldon grounded themselves in family dynamics, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe takes a hard left turn into sci-fi territory. The series stars Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom, the lovable but perpetually unlucky comic book store owner who finds himself at the center of a multiverse catastrophe. According to the official logline, Stuart accidentally breaks a device invented by Sheldon and Leonard, forcing him to hop between realities to fix the timeline. It is a bold premise that allows the show to bring back legacy cast members as bizarre alternate versions of themselves, offering a fresh twist on the familiar sitcom formula. This project proves that the creative team is willing to take risks, moving beyond the traditional multi-cam setup to deliver a visual effects-heavy comedy that honors the geek culture roots of the original series.
6) Rooster
Steve Carell is finally making his long-awaited return to television comedy in a buzzy new show from the mind of Bill Lawrence. Confirmed for a March 2026 premiere, Rooster is set on a chaotic college campus and features Carell as Greg Russo, a renowned author who is trying to rebuild his relationship with his daughter (Charly Clive). The pedigree behind this project is undeniable, as it pairs the star of The Office with the creator responsible for Scrubs and Ted Lasso. That means we can expect a series that balances laugh-out-loud humor with the genuine emotional beats that Lawrence is famous for delivering. With a supporting cast that includes the talented Danielle Deadwyler, Rooster is positioned to be the next great comfort watch, offering a grounded and heartfelt alternative to the genre-heavy blockbusters that dominate the rest of HBO’s schedule.
5) Industry
The cutthroat world of international finance is back in session with the fourth season of Industry. The series has quietly grown from a cult favorite into one of the most intense dramas on television, and the new season looks to raise the stakes even higher when it premieres on January 11. The plot picks up with Harper Stern (Myha’la) and Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela) navigating a new landscape of power after the explosive events of the previous finale. This season also introduces a major new player in the form of a fintech company led by Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella), a tech mogul who draws our anti-heroes into a high-stakes game of corporate warfare. Industry continues to excel at depicting the adrenaline-fueled toxicity of the trading floor while dissecting the personal cost of ambition. With Kit Harington also reprising his role as Sir Henry Muck, the cast is stacked with talent ready to deliver the sharp dialogue that fans have come to crave.
4) Lanterns
James Gunn is officially bringing the Green Lantern Corps to the small screen in this massive new show slated for 2026. Lanterns is described as a terrestrial-based mystery that channels the gritty atmosphere of True Detective, stripping away the space opera camp in favor of a dark police procedural. The series features Kyle Chandler as the legendary Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as the rookie John Stewart, two intergalactic cops investigating a murder in the American heartland. This grounded approach is a fascinating departure for the property, focusing on detective work and character chemistry rather than just CGI constructs. Furthermore, the dynamic between the weary veteran Jordan and the idealistic Stewart promises to be the emotional core of the narrative. As one of the first live-action series in the revamped DC Universe, Lanterns carries the heavy burden of setting the tone for the franchise, but the talent involved suggests it is more than up to the challenge.
3) A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
HBO is taking us back to Westeros, but this time the stakes are refreshingly personal in this new show arriving on January 18. Adapted from George R.R. Martin’s beloved Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, the series serves as a prequel set roughly a century before the main saga. It follows the wandering hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his diminutive squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), who is secretly a Targaryen prince. Unlike the sprawling war epics we are used to, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offers a road-trip adventure that explores the lives of the common people living under dragon rule. The tone is expected to be lighter and more adventurous, focusing on chivalry and friendship rather than political backstabbing. This shift in perspective makes it an exciting expansion of the Game of Thrones lore, proving that the world of Ice and Fire has plenty of stories to tell that do not involve the Iron Throne.
2) Euphoria
After a hiatus that felt longer than high school itself, the controversial teen drama Euphoria is finally coming back. Season 3 is confirmed for an April 2026 release and features a significant time jump, moving the characters out of the classroom and into the harsh realities of early adulthood. This narrative shift allows the series to evolve alongside its star-studded cast, giving Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, and Jacob Elordi new emotional territory to explore. Creator Sam Levinson has teased a film noir aesthetic for this chapter, suggesting that the visual style will remain as hypnotic as ever. The move away from the high school setting solves many of the logistical issues that plagued previous seasons of Euphoria and opens the door for more mature storytelling. Audiences are desperate to see how Rue has managed her sobriety and how the complex web of relationships has untangled over the years, making this one of the biggest television events of the decade.
1) House of the Dragon
Following a second season that set the board for total war, the third season of House of the Dragon is targeting an August release window to deliver the large-scale aerial battles and devastating betrayals that define the Targaryen civil war. The conflict between Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) is no longer a political dispute but a bloody struggle for survival that will burn the Seven Kingdoms to the ground. We can expect to see new dragonseeds taking flight and the introduction of key battles from the Fire & Blood history book. The production values remain unrivaled, offering a cinematic experience that simply cannot be matched by any other show on television. As cuh, HBO’s House of the Dragon remains the undisputed king of event TV, combining Shakespearean family tragedy with the visceral thrill of fantasy warfare.
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Image Courtesy of Netflix
