There are very few things better than finding the perfect TV show to watch on Friday or Saturday and diving in for a full binge watch in one weekend.
If that sounds like a good time to you, you have to check one of three incredible new shows released this year.
It’s been an incredible year for new TV shows! After finishing 2025 with the Stranger Things 5 finale, we’ve seen so many incredible new and returning shows in 2026. We’ve seen new seasons of The Night Manager, Shrinking, House of the Dragon, Ted Lasso, Outer Banks, and so many more.
But, you can’t finish any of those shows in one weekend without incredible dedication. You need a show that has few seasons, short seasons, or short episodes, for the most part, to really have a chance to complete a full series.
The shows I picked are all new shows from this year. They’re only one season, and they’re definitely watchable in one weekend if you put your mind to it.
Let’s get the list started with one of the best shows of the year, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Premiere date: Jan. 18, 2026
- Episodes: 6
- Where to watch: HBO Max
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms absolutely kicked off 2026 in the right way. We had a few notable shows released before the Game of Thrones spinoff created by Ira Parker premiered on Jan. 18, but there's no doubt A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was the biggest new show of the first quarter of the year.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms stars Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell as Ser Dunk the Tall and his squire Egg. The series follows Dunk and Egg through their first tournament as a team. It's based on George R.R. Martin's novella, The Hedge Knight.
There are only six episodes in the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and they are even shorter than your average Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon episodes. It's the perfect, snackable dose of Westeros that you can watch in one weekend.
It's also funnier than Game of Thrones and feels quite lighter and more refreshing. Don't get too comfortable, though. This is still Westeros, and it's still Martin with the pen.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 premieres next year, so you have plenty of time to catch up, although you won't need it.
Widow's Bay
- Premiere date: April 29, 2026
- Episodes: 10
- Where to watch: Apple TV
Heading into 2026, I had one show on my must-watch list, and that was Widow's Bay. I heard horror comedy from Parks and Rec writer Katie Dippold starring one of my favorite actors ever, Matthew Rhys, and I knew this show was going to absolutely crush. And it did.
Widow's Bay premiered on Apple TV this spring, and while it started slow, this show became a resounding hit. It's easily one of the best Apple TV shows of the year, if not the best. Although I watched the first season weekly on Apple TV, this is the most binge-watchable show of 2026. Once you start, you will not be able to stop. It's so funny, thrilling, and addicting.
The series, which racked up a stunning 19 Emmy nominations, tells the story of Mayor Tom Loftis, played by Matthew Rhys, and his pursuit to turn the small island community of Widow's Bay into the next Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. Unfortunately, there are a lot of weird things that happen on Widow's Bay, and everyone is starting to think the island is cursed. Tom can't have those rumors floating around his new tourist destination.
Widow's Bay is already renewed for season 2. Hopefully, we don't have to wait too long into 2027 to see the next season, but we can always rewatch season 1 again.
There are 10 episodes of Widow's Bay season 1, which is more than the other shows on this list. That might be hard for some people to do in one weekend. These episodes are only 30-ish minutes, with one or two exceptions.
I Will Find You
- Premeire date: June 18, 2026
- Episodes: 8
- Where to watch: Netflix
I Will Find You is the final choice on the list of great 2026 shows to watch in a weekend. Honestly, I was torn between His and Hers starring Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson and I Will Find You, but I went with the more popular of the two Netflix limited series.
I Will Find You is the latest Harlan Coben Netflix show. It premiered on June 18, and it’s been a smash hit. The series is already on the all-time Netflix Top 10, and it’s more popular than every season and nearly as popular as Monster, Wednesday, and Stranger Things.
The series, which happens to be Coben’s first Netflix show set in America, tells the story of a man serving a prison sentence for killing his son. When he learns that his son might still be alive, he tries to find a way to see his son again and clear his name.
Sam Worthington, Britt Lower, and Milo Ventimiglia star in I Will Find You.
There are eight episodes in this one, and each is about an hour. So, that’s going to take some commitment, but when you dive in, I think you’ll realize it will be a breeze.
Stay tuned for more great shows to watch!
Add us as a preferred source on Google