15 must-see LGBTQ+ shows we can’t wait to watch in 2026
All the 2026 LGBTQ+ TV to look forward to. (Channel 4/AMC/Disney)
All the 2026 LGBTQ+ TV to look forward to. (Channel 4/AMC/Disney)
There have been so many hit TV LGBTQ+ shows this year that we’ve enjoyed, but 2026 is set to be just as exciting.
2025 has treated us to What It Feels Like For A Girl, The Hunting Wives and Heated Rivalry, but there’s so much more to look forward to.
From a star-studded sci-fi body horror to a Buffy remake to the final series of beloved shows – here are all the LGBTQ+ TV shows we’re particularly excited for in 2026:
A Knight of Seven Kingdoms
The upcoming fantasy drama A Knight of Seven Kingdoms marks the third series in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire franchise and an adaptation of the Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. Set a century before the events of Game of Thrones, A Knight of Seven Kingdoms follows a knight named Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his bald squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).
In the fallout from a second civil war, these improbable and incomparable friends face an uphill battle, with dangerous quests ahead. There is also one canonically LGBTQ+ character: Daemon Blackfyre’s son, Daemon II Blackfyre, has been confirmed to be gay by Martin.
A Knight of Seven Kingdoms debuts on Sky Atlantic on January 19.
The Beauty
Ryan Murphy is back, alongside Matt Hodgson, with sci-fi body horror The Beauty. The 11-part series chronicles a string of mysterious and gruesome deaths of international supermodels. FBI Agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) set out to uncover the bizarre killings.
“As they delve deeper into the case, they uncover a sexually transmitted virus that transforms ordinary people into visions of physical perfection, but with terrifying consequences,” a synopsis reads. Furthermore, the show is bolstered by an all-star cast, also including Jeremy Pope, Lux Pascal, Ben Platt and Billy Eichner.
The Beauty premieres on Disney+ on January 21.
Bridgerton
Bridgerton season four will welcome us back to the ton, this time with a focus on bohemian second son Benedict (Luke Thompson). Canonically pansexual, Benedict enjoyed ménage à trois last season, but is now under pressure to marry.
When Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) steps on the scene, Benedict is smitten. This fourth season has been teased to have greater LGBTQ+ representation. Furthermore, it has been said that Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) will begin a gay relationship this season.
Bridgerton season four, part one, will premiere on Netflix on January 29. Part two follows on 26 February.
Enigma Variations
Based on Call Me By Your Name’s André Aciman novel Enigma Variations, the upcoming Netflix limited series is set to star The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White. Also, Oliver Hermanus is set to direct. The show will follow White as Paul, a man exploring his bisexuality.
The show is set to chronicle Paul’s intense but fleeting queer romances throughout his life. As the novel’s description reads: “Ahead of every step Paul takes, his hopes, denials, fears, and regrets are always ready to lay their traps. Yet the dream of love lingers. We may not always know what we want. We may remain enigmas to ourselves and to others.”
Enigma Variations is set to debut on Netflix in 2026.
Euphoria
It feels like we’ve been waiting on the return of Euphoria for a decade, but it’s finally on the horizon. Euphoria season three is much-anticipated, with Sydney Sweeney calling it “unhinged” while Jacob Elordi said it was “incredibly clever”.
There’s set to be a five-year jump following the last season, with the main characters graduating from college. Show creator Sam Levinson has teased: “We basically pick up Rue (Zendaya) south of the border in Mexico, in debt to Laurie (the drug dealer played by Martha Kelly), trying to come up with some very innovative ways to pay it off.”
Euphoria is scheduled for an April release.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale
Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer have been treated to the announcement of a spin-off show, helmed by Buffy fan and Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao. Also, original star Sarah Michelle Gellar signed on to the project, returning as Buffy Summers.
While much remains under wraps, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale is not a reboot but an expansion of the Buffy world. So far, Star Wars’ Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Unprisoned’s Faly Rakotohavana, and I Know What You Did Last Summer‘s Chase Sui Wonders have signed on.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale is expected in 2026.
Hacks
We cannot wait for the fifth season of Hacks, the dark comedy drama featuring formidable performances from gay icons Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. However, we can hold on as this upcoming season will be the show’s last. Creators Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs have often said they’ve considered Hacks a five-season series.
Last time we saw the pair, Deborah (Smart) returned to the US to reclaim her legacy while comedy writer Ava (Einbinder) was on her last straw. No word yet on the direction of season five, but if their strangers-to-enemies-to-friends arc does conclude with lovers, then the internet may finally rest happy.
Hacks season five is expected in 2026.
Interview With the Vampire
Based on Anne Rice’s book The Vampire Lestat, season three of Interview With the Vampire promises heaps of drama, blood and also rock and roll. More than that, it may just be a musical season! However, amid the drama, the focus is on the relationship between vampires Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat (Sam Reid).
Furthermore, season three has been coined as “a sexy pilgrimage across space, time and trauma.” Speaking about the season, Reid also teased: “Season three starts with [Lestat] in a rockstar life in its most hedonistic, authentic way. Right now, he wants to be completely engulfed in the music; it lights a fire in him.”
Interview With the Vampire season three is expected on BBC/AMC in April.
Queer Eye
Queer Eye is set to return for the 10th and also the last series. The gang are reuniting for one last road trip to provide expertise in style, grooming, interior design, culture, and food and drink. Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Jeremiah Brent, Karamo Brown, and Antoni Porowski will once again guide participants through a period of self-improvement.
Also, for this final season, the Fab Five are heading to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Though one thing is for sure: Queer Eye, the longest-running unscripted Netflix series, will bow out with a bright and bold celebration of queer joy.
Queer Eye season 10 is set to return to Netflix in 2026.
Rivals
Based on Jilly Cooper’s famously risqué novels, Rivals made quite the splash earlier this year with its delightfully smutty content. Set in 80s Britain, the show follows the rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant).
Jam-packed with sex, scandal, and plenty of nudity, Rivlas fans latched on to the show’s queer characters. Amongst the social elite couples, there are gay lovers Charles Fairburn (Gary Lamont) and Gerald Middleton (Hubert Burton). The show also offers an interesting take on queer history, with conservative political hopeful Charles and openly gay controller of programmes Gerald navigating queer love.
Rivals series two is set to return to Disney+ in 2026.
The Pitt
Medical dramas are the backbone of TV programming, and The Pitt is the latest exciting contribution in the genre. The show follows emergency department staff as they battle long shifts and underfunding at a fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.
Among the stars of The Pitt, there’s Dr. Samira Mohan, portrayed by Supriya Ganesh, who came out as queer and shared they’re using she/they pronouns. The show also features a number of queer regular characters as well as the asexual character, Dr. Melissa “Mel” King.
The Pitt series two will return to HBO Max on January 8.
Tell Me Lies
Hulu drama Tell Me Lies, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Carola Lovering, focuses primarily on the toxic relationship between Lucy and Stephen. However, in season two, the show introduced the slow-burning queer romance between Diana and Pippa. As the show navigates its will-they-or-won’t-they romance, season three is set to bring even more drama.
This queer storyline has been a welcome refresher for some viewers. Though, with season three on the horizon, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the couple (Dippa) can have a happy ending.
Tell Me Lies season three will premiere on Hulu on Janurary 13.
Tip Toe
This new Russell T Davies drama promises to follow in the footsteps of his seminal show, It’s A Sin. Starring Avengers’ Alan Cumming as Leo and also Sherwood’s David Morrissey as Clive, Tip Toe follows the lives of these next-door neighbours as they intersect. Having lived side by side for nearly 15 years, as tensions rise, the pair become embroiled in a feud.
Furthermore, Cumming exclusively told PinkNews that “it’s a very powerful story” with “such brilliant writing.” His character, Leo, is the owner of a bar called Spit & Polish in Manchester’s Gay Village. Meanwhile, Clive is described as an “unsmiling and troubled” man.
Tip Toe is expected to debut on Channel 4 in 2026.
Tomb Raider
Based on the beloved video game franchise, the upcoming Tomb Raider series is a live-action take on the action-adventure tale. Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner is set for the lead role of lesbian icon Lara Croft, a role previously held by Angelina Jolie, Minnie Driver, and Alicia Vikander. Alien’s Sigourney Weaver and The White Lotus’ Jason Isaacs are also set to star.
The show is from creator, writer and executive producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, best known for Fleabag. Top Boy director Jonathan Van Tulleken will be directing Tomb Raider. Further narrative details are being kept secret, but we’re expecting big things!
Tomb Raider is set to arrive on Prime Video in 2026.
Yellowjackets
The upcoming fourth instalment of Yellowjackets is set to be the last. However, many are confident the creators will resolve the show’s lingering mysteries. Yellowjackets chronicles a New Jersey high school girls’ football team whose plane crashes in 1996. They’re left in the remote wilderness to survive.
Simultaneously, there’s a present-day timeline that shows how the women have adapted to ‘normal life’ again. The show has plenty of LGBTQ+ representation, from yearning sapphic moments to the inclusion of non-binary actor Liv Hewson and also trans actress Nicole Maines.
Yellowjackets season four is expected in 2026 on Showtime and Paramount+.
