In 2026, the world of television has been blessed with the returns of several popular shows, as well as the debuts of exciting new ones. The miniseries landscape of 2026, particularly, has been quite a success so far with an exciting mix of genres, themes, and styles. From gripping true-crime dramas to thrilling mysteries, dark comedies to book adaptations, the first half of this year has seen a long list of newly released miniseries.
From vintage murder mysteries to modern true crime thrillers, Nicolas Cage’s television debut as a lead, and a delightful throwback to a 2000s comedy landmark, 2026’s miniseries covers a wide range of genres and styles. While some of these shows have been misses, failing to fulfill audience expectations, a select few have become critically and popularly acclaimed for their storytelling, acting, and production. With that in mind, here’s our handpicked selection of 2026 miniseries, ranked from worst to best.
10 ‘Vanished’ (2026)
Image via MGM+Created by David Hilton and Preston Thompson, Vanished is an MGM+ mystery thriller miniseries that follows Alice, an archaeologist who travels to Paris for a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, Tom. When Tom suddenly vanishes on a train while traveling together, Alice sets out on a maddening hunt for her lost lover, discovering dangerous secrets and shocking information about the man she thought she knew and trusted. Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin star as Alice and Tom, respectively, with Matthias Schweighöfer, Karin Viard, Simon Abkarian, and Dar Zuzovsky in notable roles.
While not exactly a mystery TV masterpiece, Vanished is fairly engaging, with a tight-knit mystery and gorgeous vistas that befit the theme. Kaley Cuoco is once again quite convincing as a civilian swept up in an international conspiracy, often resembling her performance in The Flight Attendant, but the show does not live up to the benchmark of the HBO series. Released earlier in 2026, Vanished had a mixed reception for its style and pacing, keeping it among the lower-rated shows of the year so far.
9 ‘Vladimir’ (2026)
Image via NetflixCreated by Julia May Jonas and adapted from her book, Vladimir centers on M, a middle-aged English professor who becomes dangerously fixated on her charming new colleague. Coupled with her failing career and a sex scandal involving her husband, she gets consumed by her newfound obsession, pushing her down a dark, reckless path. Rachel Weisz stars as the narrator and central character M, and Leo Woodall as the titular protagonist, with John Slattery, Jessica Henwick, and Ellen Robertson in key roles.
Vladimir blends dark comedy, satire, and intense psychological drama to put a new spin on the May-December romance trope. Released in March 2026, the Netflix original series met with polarized reviews, but Rachel Weisz’s captivating performance as the unreliable narrator was universally praised. However, while it is intelligent in places and has an interesting approach to discussing sexual desires, Vladimir ultimately fails to rise above genre clichés.
8 ‘Agatha Christie's Seven Dials’ (2026)
Image via NetflixBased on Agatha Christie’s 1929 novel The Seven Dials Mystery, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials was created by Chris Chibnall of Broadchurch and Doctor Who fame and revolves around the mysterious death of Gerry Wade, an English Foreign Office employee and guest at Lady Caterham’s country estate. When Gerry’s love interest and Lady Caterham’s daughter, Eileen “Bundle” Brent, starts seeking answers, she finds herself in the middle of a twisted conspiracy involving secret organizations and national security. Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman, Mia McKenna-Bruce, and Edward Bluemel star in the main roles.
Seven Dials boasts remarkable production values, a strong cast, and terrific on-screen chemistry. Even though the Netflix original series is least comparable to other small-screen adaptations of Christie’s mystery classics, it delivers a satisfying cozy murder mystery that is sure to appeal to genre fans. On its premiere in January 2026, Agatha Christie’s Sevel Dials was well-received by fans and critics, who praised the memorable performances by Bonham Carter and McKenna Bruce.
Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz
Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner?
Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn't work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
FIND YOUR PARTNER →
01
You're dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them. BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy. CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart. DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we're walking into. ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
AOn foot through terrain no one else would attempt — I move where vehicles can't follow. BOn a motorcycle, a cargo plane, or anything else that gets me there before I think too hard about it. CIn something that belongs to someone else — borrowed, stolen, or improvised under fire. DFirst class, with a cover identity and a gadget that does something I won't explain until it's needed. EBy whatever means are available — I've driven, flown, and once arrived by camel. The destination matters, not the method.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
You're pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
ADisappears into the environment, flanks them silently, and ends it before I've reloaded. BCracks a one-liner, grabs a fire extinguisher or a chair, and improvises something that somehow works. CProduces a gadget specifically designed for this exact scenario and uses it with infuriating precision. DPulls out a whip, a pistol, and an archaeological insight that somehow gets us out alive. ENeutralises the threat with maximum efficiency and minimum words — they were already three moves ahead.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
AA bar with terrible lighting, cold beer, and absolutely no questions about feelings. BThe finest restaurant in the city, a bottle of something expensive, and a conversation that is equal parts brilliant and exhausting. CA local dig site, a museum after hours, or a long story about why that particular artefact matters to human civilisation. DPizza. Bad TV. Falling asleep halfway through a movie neither of you were watching anyway. EA debrief that turns into three hours of contingency planning that somehow becomes the most fun you've had all week.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
APrecise and minimal — tell me what I need to know and nothing else. Every word has a cost. BDeadpan and dry — keeping it light keeps me sharp, even when everything is on fire. CEnthusiastic and slightly chaotic — but always with useful information buried somewhere in the noise. DCalm and controlled through an earpiece, with a plan that covers every variable I haven't thought of yet. EBarely at all — silence is a language and they speak it fluently.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
AInfiltrate their inner circle, learn everything, and dismantle them from inside out before they know we're there. BStudy the historical pattern — every villain of this type has a weakness written somewhere in the past. CGet them talking. The more they monologue, the more time I have to figure out how to beat them. DGo through them. Directly. With as much force as the terrain allows. EFind the one thing they haven't accounted for — there's always one thing — and make sure we're holding it.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
Things go badly wrong and you're captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
ACome in alone, quietly, and get me out before anyone knows they were there. BHave already been working on the extraction since the moment I disappeared — the plan is already running. CCome in loud, come in fast, and worry about the collateral damage later — I'd do the same for them. DUse every resource, every contact, and bend every rule until I'm out — they don't leave people behind. ECharm their way in somehow, bluff through the hard part, and still manage to look good doing it.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn't replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn't know you had.
ATechnology that shouldn't exist yet and the training to use it under any conditions. BSurvival instinct so refined it borders on supernatural — and the scars to prove it's been tested. CKnowledge of history, language, and culture that makes them invaluable in places where force is useless. DThe ability to walk into any room in the world and immediately become the most trusted person in it. EStubbornness that refuses to accept a situation is hopeless — and the improvisational skill to back it up.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
AA partner who never fully switches off — always watching exits, always calculating threats, even at dinner. BA partner who gets the job done brilliantly but has the emotional availability of a locked filing cabinet. CA partner who makes everything ten times more complicated than it needs to be — but who always comes through. DA partner who gets personally attached to every relic, ruin, and artefact we encounter, which slows everything down. EA partner who was not built for this and knows it — but shows up anyway, every time, without being asked.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
It's the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
AOne line. Absolutely dry. Delivered like the world isn't ending. Then we move. BNothing said at all — just a look that means we both already know what has to happen. CA plan I don't fully understand that somehow accounts for everything, delivered in thirty seconds flat. DA piece of historical context that reframes the entire situation and tells us exactly what to do next. ESomeone who steps forward instead of back — because that's who they've always been.
REVEAL MY PARTNER →
Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Rambo
Your partner doesn't talk much, doesn't need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you've finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You'll never need to ask if he has your back. You'll just know.
James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it'll take you a moment to remember what's actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You'll never be bored. You'll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar's eye and a brawler's instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn't matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you'll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren't so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you've finished reading the briefing, and the plan he's settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn't exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
7 ‘His & Hers’ (2026)
Image via NetflixA Netflix adaptation of Alice Feeney’s book, developed by William Oldroyd, His & Hers follows Anna, a former news anchor living a secluded life, who returns to her hometown after a series of murders shakes the small Georgia community. Anna’s investigation puts her head-to-head with her estranged husband, Detective Jack Harper, who begins to suspect her motives in the case. Tessa Thompson stars as Anna and Jon Bernthal as Jack, with Pablo Schreiber, Marin Ireland, Sunita Mani, and Poppy Liu in notable roles.
Moody and suspenseful, His & Hers is a well-made Netflix original miniseries with strong Southern Gothic and noir elements that accentuate the murder mystery at its heart. But what grabs the audience's attention the most is Thompson’s driven performance, with Bernthal’s detective as a close second. While the critical reviews have been quite divided, His & Hers will definitely find its audience among fans of twisty thrillers and mysteries.
6 ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ (2026)
Image via NetflixA horror thriller miniseries created by Haley Z. Boston, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen centers on a newly engaged couple, Rachel and Nicky, who are about to tie the knot within a week. But as their wedding date gets closer, a series of sinister, eerie events start occurring around Rachel, turning her expected pre-wedding anxiety into a supernatural nightmare that tests her relationship with Nicky. Camilla Morrone and Adam di Marco star as the couple, alongside Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ted Levine, Sawyer Fraser, and Jeff Wilbusch in notable roles.
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen can be best described as pre-wedding jitters seen through the lens of horror and gothic drama. Surreal and atmospheric, the series is right at the intersection of spooky, absurd, bleak, and darkly humorous. Said to be inspired by horror elements from classics like Carrie and Rosemary’s Baby, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is a binge-worthy horror miniseries that stands out for its tone and treatment.
5 ‘Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair’ (2026)
Image via HuluTwo decades after its final season, the television legend Malcolm in the Middle returns with a revival miniseries, created by Linwood Boomer, who also created the parent show. Set 20 years from the end of the original series, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair follows the titular and central character, Malcolm, who gets pulled back into the drama of his parents and siblings when Hal and Lois force him to attend their 40th anniversary party. Frankie Muniz reprises his fan-favorite titular character, with Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Justin Berfield, and Christopher Masterson reprising their lead roles.
On its premiere, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair became a massive surprise success, surpassing all expectations. The revival delivers newer antics with the same energy and familiar cast chemistry, serving as a charming and nostalgic experience for the fans. Highlighted by terrific performances by Cranston, Muniz, and Kaczmarek that surpass their own from the series, and plenty of funny moments, every episode of Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is a delight, securing a top place among the comedy shows of the year.
4 'DTF St. Louis' (2026)
Image via HBODTF St. Louis follows three middle-aged characters as they go through crises. The trio develops complicated romantic dynamics that end with one of them dead, and as investigators dive into the victim's last days on Earth, they uncover an unbelievable story. The seven-episode season features twists and turns as the investigators delve into each character to uncover the motive behind the surprising death. Every episode feels like a reset as a new piece of information or discovery sends the investigators in an unpredictable direction. The engaging storytelling has captured the attention of HBO Max subscribers, with the show currently among the top titles globally.
The limited series was created by Patriot's creator, Steven Conrad. It premiered on March 1 and concluded on April 12, right before the third season of Euphoria began airing. DTF St. Louis features a strong cast consisting of Stranger Things star David Harbor as Floyd Smernitch, Jason Bateman (Ozark) as Clark Forrest, and Linda Cardelinni (Dead to Me) as Carol Love-Smernitch. Joy Sunday and Richard Jenkins also star. - Denis Kimathi
3 'Lord of the Flies' (2026)
Image via BBCFollowing his work on Adolescence, Jack Thorne is back with another Netflix hit, this time adapting William Golding's classic 1954 novel Lord of the Flies. The series follows a group of British boys who, after becoming stranded alone on a tropical island, must learn to fend for themselves and try to create their own community. However, as the boundaries they build break down, anarchy erupts.
"Its cinematic style is effective, and its performances are outstanding," wrote Shawn Van Horn in Collider's review of the series, with this one of many positive responses to the adaptation. There have been many interpretations of Lord of the Flies on screen, but incredibly, this marks the first television adaptation ever. So, with that in mind, you won't want to miss out on this piece of history. - Jake Hodges
2 ‘Half Man’ (2026)
Image via HBOFollowing the success of Baby Reindeer, Scottish actor-comedian Richard Gadd returns to write, create, and star in the psychological miniseries Half Man. The six-part drama centers on lifelong friends Ruben and Niall, who reunite after 30 years at Niall’s wedding, where a sudden act of violence forces them to revisit their shared past, threatening their long-lasting friendship. The series also stars Jamie Bell, Stuart Campbell, and Mitchell Robertson in main roles.
A grim, gritty tale of toxic, codependent friendships, Half Man is deeply thoughtful and disturbing. Intense and gripping, the show largely thrives on its exceptionally raw narrative style, arguably ranking among the best television dramas of recent years. On its release, the series was a critical darling and became a massive hit on HBO Max, even if it did not achieve the phenomenal success of Gadd’s previous Netflix hit (yet).
1 ‘Spider-Noir’ (2026)
Image via Prime VideoCreated by Oren Uziel and starring Nicolas Cage as the titular superhero, Prime Video’s Spider-Noir is a reimagining of the Marvel Comics series and its fan-favorite hero. Set in 1930s New York City, the series follows Ben Reilly, aka The Spider, a grizzled detective who is thrown back to his dark past when he is hired for a mysterious case. The eight-episode series boasts a stacked cast with Li Jun Li, Lamorne Morris, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola, Jack Huston, and Brendan Gleeson in major roles.
Stylish, classy, and thrilling at every turn, Spider-Noir is uncharacteristically Marvel and beautifully so, blending the best of hard-boiled fiction, detective noir, and classic comic books. Nicolas Cage is a class apart in his first-ever TV lead role, channeling Humphrey Bogart (from The Maltese Falcon) and some James Stewart, fitting perfectly into his character. Released in both black-and-white and color, Spider-Noir opened to great success, earning critical acclaim and becoming one of the year’s best miniseries, not to mention one of the best new Spider-Man projects in recent years.
Spider-Noir
Release Date May 27, 2026
Network MGM+
Showrunner Oren Uziel, Steve Lightfoot
Directors Harry Bradbeer
English (US) ·