With just a few months left in 2026 and darker, colder nights for most of the population above the Equator, it's time to settle in, get cozy, and start watching all the great TV shows you've been putting off.
I love TV shows as much as anyone, but it can be exhausting to keep up with all the new releases all the time. That's why I took some time to share the six best shows released in the fall of 2026 that you probably aren't watching right now. I know most of you aren't watching because I look at the ratings. I know when we have a smash hit, like Netflix's Below, or the next underrated show that needs more love from fans.
For this list, I chose six of my favorite shows released this fall that you need to watch if you haven't already. Let's get the list started with a new Apple TV mystery series.
Last Seen
- Premiere date: Sept. 9, 2026
- Where to watch: Apple TV
Last Seen is one my favorite Apple TV shows of the year, although that list is quite long after Apple TV saved some absolute bangers to be released this year, including Widow's Bay and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, along with new seasons of Silo, Slow Horses, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, and Your Friends and Neighbors.
The series is based on a book, The Dispatcher by Ryan David Jahn, and it tells the story of Ian Ridley (Patrick Brammall), who is working as an emergency dispatcher after his life fell apart when his daughter disappeared a decade earlier. When Ian receives a disturbing call, he tries to get to the bottom of his daughter's disappearance once and for all.
If you like mystery/thrillers, this is absolutely the show you missed this fall. You can watch all six episodes on Apple TV right now.
Youth
- Premiere date: Sept. 20, 2026
- Where to watch: HBO Max
Sharon Horgan is one of the best and funniest TV creators in the game right now! She's responsible for some of the funniest shows of the last decade, including Catastrophe and Bad Sisters. Now, she's back with a new show, Youth, that's, perhaps, just as good as the others.
The HBO series premiered on Sept. 20, and it tells the story of Alex, played by Horgan, who is trying to hold on to her youth, so to speak, as her son moves off to university. While I won't say she's having a mid-life crisis, she's making some questionable, yet hilarious, decisions along the way.
Youth has an incredible cast around Horgan, including Rupert Friend, Sharlene Whyte, Aran Murphy, and Robbie Gee. Youth season 2 is also officially in the works. HBO picked up the series for another season very recently.
You can burn through this season in a matter of hours, and you should!
Phony
Premiere date: Oct. 20, 2026
Where to watch: Hulu and Disney+
Phony is definitely the best show of the fall that almost no one is watching! It's funny and bizarre, but there's a good mystery simmering with this show, too, and it just deserves to be way more popular than it is.
For those who don't know, Phony, from creator Nick Paley, tells the story of Sonny, played by Sam Nivola. After a car accident lands him in the hospital, Sonny wakes up and realizes that his mom, Ellen, played by Connie Britton, is not actually his real mom. She's an imposter. Sonny has to figure out who is pretending to be his mom and why.
At the time of publishing, we're about halfway through Phony on Hulu and Disney+ so far. There are four more episodes left this season, which will come to an end on Dec. 1, 2026. You still have plenty of time to catch up, and again, you definitely should.
The Diplomat season 4
- Premiere date: Oct. 15, 2026
- Where to watch: Netflix
The Diplomat returned for season 4 in October. After binge-watching the full season, I can admit that The Diplomat season 4 is the best season of the series so far. It's terrific on so many levels, and it ends with an incredible twist that sets up the fifth season. Netflix just confirmed that the fifth season is already in the works just a few weeks ago.
Keri Russell returned as Kate Wyler, the top diplomat to the United Kingdom, in the new season. In season 4, Kate finds herself at the middle of global political tension and tries to, again, maneuver her way through the crisis in a way that works best for everyone.
The unfortunate part of this is that I know not enough people are watching this show. Netflix shares its ratings, and so far, The Diplomat season 4's numbers have been a little below what they should be. There's no doubt this is one of the best shows on Netflix right now. If you love political thrillers, this is the best one on TV right now, and you should be watching.
Lupin season 4
- Premiere date: Oct. 24, 2026
- Where to watch: Netflix
We have another Netflix series in its fourth season that's an absolute must-watch! Lupin's fourth season just hit Netflix shortly after The Diplomat season 4, and it might be the best season of the series so far.
Omar Sy is back as Assane Diop in the new season of Lupin, but this time, he has a formidable foe who is setting him up. Assane must work hard to separate himself from someone who might be even better and smarter than him.
Overall, Lupin's latest numbers have been decent. It raked in more than 10 million views in its second week on Netflix, and it took home the top spot on the non-English Netflix Top 10. Still, I don't think it's good enough. Lupin deserves to be so much more popular than this.
Hopefully, if enough fans tune in for the new season, Netflix will announce its renewal in no time!
Nocturne
- Premiere date: Oct. 30, 2026
- Where to watch: Apple TV
I've already gone on and on about how much I love Apple TV's 2026 lineup, and that continues with its latest new mystery series, Nocturne, which just premiered at the end of October.
In Nocturne, Liev Schreiber stars as Jonah Lynn, a homicide detective, who gets out of the game and moves to a small town, just in time for a serial killer who has been behind bars, Jurek Walter, played by Stephen Graham, to restart his reign of terror.
Schreiber and Graham lead an outstanding cast that also includes Zazie Beetz, Rory Culkin, Garry Carr, Chrissy Metz, Poorna Jagannathan, Landon Valentin, and Bill Camp.
Nocturne is so new that it's hard to know just how good this series is going to be, but it's off to an excellent start on Apple TV. New episodes will air weekly through the season 1 finale on Oct. 27.
Those are the six fall shows you definitely should be watching but probably aren't at the moment! Obviously, if you have seen The Diplomat or Lupin, I highly recommend diving in for those new seasons because they are fantastic.
Beyond that, these are all fantastic shows. If you want two shows that are already finished, you can check out Last Seen and Youth. If you want to catch up before their season finales air, I recommend going with Phony or Nocturne!
Stay tuned for more good shows to stream this year!
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