Top-tier dramas returning in 2026: From Doctor Foster to Sherwood and The Night Manager
Warn your friends – you won't be leaving the house in 2026!
The Night Manager is just one of the award-winning series returning to our screens in 2026, in what promises to be the year of top-tier dramas.
As someone who lives and breathes TV all day long – for work and for play – next year is one of the most exciting in recent memory. Not only is The Night Manager returning after nine years off our screens, but Line of Duty will also be back with AC-12 chasing more bent coppers.
And that’s just the start. A fan favourite revenge thriller is in the pipeline, as well as a new series of Steven Knight’s acclaimed historical crime drama set in Birmingham.
Here’s our top pick of the best returning dramas coming up in 2026.
The Night Manager series 2 on BBC One, New Years Day 2026
Glossy thriller The Night Manager made a ginormous impact when it first landed on BBC One in 2016. Yes, nine years ago! So fans were thrilled when the broadcaster revealed a series 2 was on the way. And not just that, it’s coming soon.
Like Happy Valley, Line of Duty, The White Lotus and Broadchurch, The Night Manager was THE television show everyone was talking about in the year it was released. That was largely down to the impeccable, A-list heavy cast, led by Marvel anti-hero Tom Hiddleston as former British intelligence operative, Jonathan Pine.
Combined with the mesmerising Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, and Hugh Laurie, it was never going to fail. Series 2 will see Loki legend Tom reprising his role as Jonathan Pine, this time in another dangerous situation.
The upcoming series 2 of The Night Manager “expands the story beyond the source material of the titular novel for the first time”. While series 1 stayed faithful to the John le Carré novel of the same name, series 2 will move the plot along. New cast members will include Coldwater‘s Indira Varma as Mayra.
The Beeb and Prime Video have now confirmed The Night Manager season 2 will be released on BBC One and iPlayer on New Year’s Day 2026. It will be six episodes of one hour each. It will premiere on Sunday, January 11, 2026 on Prime Video.
If the details of The Night Manager series 1 are hazy, read our handy recap, or watch on iPlayer.
2026 returning dramas: Line of Duty series 7 on BBC One
After years of speculation and wishful thinking, BBC One has finally confirmed that Line of Duty will be back for a series 7. It remains one of the most gripping crime dramas on TV ever, so it’s no surprise that fans never stopped hankering for more episodes.
There had been plenty of clues over the past few years that the acclaimed crime drama would be coming back, and now we know for sure. Our favourite characters from the fictional anti-corruption unit AC-12 will be back hunting bent coppers, but this time they’ve been “rebranded” as the Inspectorate of Police Standards.
BBC One tells us: “Anti-corruption work has never been more difficult. And, in this challenging climate, Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings are assigned their most sensitive case so far.”
Of course, they’ll be a brand new ‘villain’ too. Detective Inspector Dominic Gough is the “charismatic officer” getting kudos for taking down a string of organised crime gangs. But he stands accused of abusing his position of trust to act by acting in a sexually predatory manner.
After kicking off with series 1 in 2012, the sixth season aired in 2021. The BBC sold it as the last ever series. However, fans were left divided by the ending and the revelation of H’s identity. So much so, that the campaign for more episodes never really went away.
Series 1 to 6 of Line of Duty are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
2026 returning dramas: Sherwood series 3 on BBC One
Sherwood series 3 is happening, and it’s landing on our screens in 2026. BBC One commissioned a third series of James Graham’s hit drama after the huge success of series 1 and 2 in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
Set and filmed across Nottinghamshire, the first series combined one of the best ensemble casts ever, with the gripping true story of two shocking and unexpected murders in an already fractured community. The real life crime led to one of the largest manhunts in British history.
The second series of Sherwood was inspired by the so-called ‘Shottingham’ gang wars that mired the region and the Nottinghamshire community in which James Graham grew up. The crime drama quickly established itself as one of the all-time great television dramas.
Talking about a third series of the award-winning show, James Graham told us: “My biggest appreciation goes to our audiences and I’m determined to deliver for them in a series three. It will be a new set of stories, and the continuation – and completion – of some strands I’ve been dreaming of for some time.”
The upcoming series will “explore the brilliantly complex world of Sherwood” and “unearth some more of the many secrets which are harboured in and amongst its characters”.
The first two “spellbinding” series of Sherwood are available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer.
Doctor Foster series 3 on BBC One
Dr Gemma Foster, a the ultimate woman scorned, will be back on our screens in 2026 with a series 3. According to reports, revenge thriller Doctor Foster will return after eight years off screen.
Fans of the original two series – which aired in 2015 and 2017 – will know that the drama was ridiculously popular, and showcased the best of UK talent with Suranne Jones, Bertie Carvel, Jodie Comer, Victoria Hamilton, and Adam James in the cast.
According to The Sun newspaper, cast and crew will start filming Doctor Foster series 3 in 2026, “with a view to it potentially airing at the end of 2026 or early 2027”.
The story said: “There was always a sense of unfinished business with Doctor Foster, as the storyline could easily roll on and on.”
The BBC One drama introduced GP Gemma Foster, who seemed to have it all. Until she found out her husband Simon was cheating on her. In fact, he had a mistress who was pregnant with his child. Don’t worry, though, he soon regretted it as Gemma’s heartbreak turned to rage and she craved revenge.
The upcoming series 3 is said to focus on Gemma’s son Tom. Although he was a teenager in the last season, he’s an adult now, and “returns to the fractious family home as an adult”.
Watch series 1 and 2 of Doctor Foster on iPlayer now.
Time series 3 on BBC One
Jimmy McGovern’s prison drama Time is deservedly getting a series 3, and this time the always reliable David Tennant will be joining the anthology series as a prison officer in a young offenders’ institution.
This week, BBC One announced that the award-winning drama Time will be returning, after the huge success of series 1 and 2. The first series of the drama starred Sean Bean and Stephen Graham as prisoner and seasoned prison officer. It aired in 2021 and, quite rightly, won multiple awards including the 2022 BAFTA for Leading Actor, and Mini-Series.
Series 2 followed in 2023. This time, it was set in a female prison and starred Jodie Whittaker, and Bella Ramsey. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming series 3 of Time on BBC One.
This time, Time series 3 takes place in a young offenders’ institution (YOI), and will explore the impact of locking up teenagers and the effects on those who look after them. Prison Chaplain Marie-Louise is back as the only recurring character in all three series. She arrives in the YOI having lost her faith.
The BBC tells us: “When tragedy strikes within the prison, Marie-Louise clashes with veteran officer Bailey, a man in the midst of his own crisis. Bailey knows more about the circumstances that led to this major incident – but will he come clean before the guilt gets too much?”
Time series 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer and BritBox now.
2026 returning dramas: Peaky Blinders series 7 on BBC One
Peaky Blinders will be back with a “blood-soaked” series 7 in 2026, after BBC One confirmed the Birmingham-based series had been renewed for TWO new series.
This time, the gritty drama will be set in a different era. With that comes an entirely new generation of the Shelby family – and viewers have been promised the continuation of the gangster saga will be “one hell of a ride”.
Peaky Blinders has been off screens for three years, ever since series 6 ended in 2022. Series 6 took place in the 1930s, before the Second World War had broken out. The Nazis were on the rise and Tommy Shelby had lived to see another day after staring death in the face (again). Viewers will know the anti-hero was convinced he was suffering from the brain condition tuberculoma. But it was, in fact, all a sick joke fabricated by Oswald Mosley and his cronies.
The two new series of Peaky Blinders will be set in an entirely different decade – 1953, to be precise. Birmingham “is rising from the ashes of the war” and the future is beginning to look brighter. Thanks to the concrete and steel industry, the city is undergoing an impressive post-war reconstruction.
Lead character Cillian Murphy, who played the infamous Tommy Shelby, is back. However, it has been confirmed the award-winning Irish actor is taking on a different role. Cillian will be acting as an executive producer on the upcoming new series. Whether he also stars in the show remains to be seen.
Series 1 to 6 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Rivals series 2 on Disney+
In May 2025, Disney+ confirmed that filming had begun on the second season of the award-winning show, that first aired in 2024.
Based on the best-selling novel by the late writer Dame Jilly Cooper, the TV adaptation was undoubtedly one of the stand-out hits of the year. And series 2 promises to be bigger and better than ever.
We’re told: “As power struggles escalate and rivalries deepen, ambition drives every move, pushing loyalties to the edge.”
The plot? Well, you don’t really need to worry about that. Needless to say there IS one, but don’t get caught up in the little things. Rivals is about sex, chemistry, love, and – as the title suggests – rivalry.
A synopsis tells us: “Careers, marriages, and reputations hang in the balance as personal and professional lives collide in a world where secrets can’t stay hidden for long. Bold, emotionally charged, and filled with unforgettable moments, Rivals is a thrilling ride through a landscape of breathtaking beauty, fierce competition, and life-changing decisions – where the cost of success could be everything.”
All the main players of Rivals will return in the cast, including David Tennant as Tony Baddingham, Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black, Aidan Turner’s Declan O’Hara, Danny Dyer’s Freddie Jones, and Bella Maclean’s Taggie O’Hara.
Disney+ has also revealed that Mission Impossible actress Hayley Atwell, and Napoleon’s Rupert Everett will be joining the stellar cast. Watch series 1, with a subscription, on Disney+.
Strike series 7 on BBC One
Fan favourites Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott – played by Holliday Grainger and Tom Burke – will be back in Strike series 7 in December 2026. Otherwise known as Strike: The Running Grave.
BBC One like to make us wait two years for each series. December 2024 saw the long-awaited arrival of Strike: The Ink Black Heart, the latest adaptation of the popular crime novels. Before that, we’d seen the private investigators in the 2022 series Troubled Blood, based on the fifth book in the series.
The crime drama is based on the novels by J.K. Rowling (written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith), and the seventh book in the Strike series is called The Running Grave. The plot follows Cormoran Strike after he is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has joined a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside.
Strike discovers that, beneath the surface, there are deeply sinister undertones – and unexplained deaths. In order to try to rescue Will, Robin Ellacott decides to infiltrate the cult… At great risk to herself.
Watch series 1 to 6 of Strike on BBC iPlayer now.
Unforgotten series 7 on ITV1
ITV’s Unforgotten is one of the best detective dramas on TV right now – FACT. Not least because of the charming leading man Sanjeev Bhaskar as DI Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan, and his slightly spiky sidekick DCI Jess James, played by Sinéad Keenan.
Series 6 landed in February 2025 with many bingeing the entire six episodes on ITVX in a matter of days. Series 7 of cold case crime drama Unforgotten was, quite frankly, a no-brainer.
Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar announced the critically-acclaimed drama Unforgotten had been recommissioned via social media in late February. They unveiled a script for series seven along with a message thanking viewers for their support.
Meanwhile, writer Chris Lang said: “I am so delighted to have been asked to create another series of Unforgotten, and given the opportunity once again to follow Sunny, Jess and their brilliant team, as they attempt to crack another cold case.
“Unforgotten is a drama that has always asked its audience to lean in, concentrate, and engage with complex ideas, plots and themes, and we are profoundly grateful that such a large and loyal audience continue to enjoy doing exactly that. Roll on series 7!!”
Series 7 will catch up with a newly divorced DCI Jess James, after she finally split up with her cheating husband in series 6. Meanwhile, viewers need to see Sunny’s fledging relationship with pathologist Dr Leanne Balcombe fully investigated.
All six series of Unforgotten are available to watch on ITVX now.
2026 returning dramas: The Capture series 3 on BBC One
Holliday Grainger thriller The Capture has never been more relevant, so it’s great news that it’s returning in 2026. The series is one of the Beeb’s best, dealing with issues that are only too real right now – how to protect the truth in a world of AI and deepfakes.
DCI Rachel Carey is on a mission to get to the truth, however dangerous. She made her first appearance in 2019’s series 1, with a second coming in 2022.
Creator and writer Ben Chanan told us: “I am delighted to join up with the brilliant cast on The Capture again. And to welcome the fantastic Killian Scott to the fold.
“Previous seasons have seen Holliday’s Rachel Carey investigate others as their lives fall apart. Most of all, I am excited that Series 3 puts Carey at the heart of the conspiracy.”
The Capture series 3 begins 12 months after Rachel Carey broadcast a live deepfake of a government minister to the nation, exposing the UK intelligence service’s clandestine video manipulation programme known as Correction.
A synopsis tells us: “Amidst an inquiry into the unlawful use of Correction, Carey has become acting head of SO15, determined to regain the public’s trust in surveillance technology through the new Operation Veritas camera system. And then it happens: a brutal and exceptionally well-coordinated act of terror aimed right at the heart of the British establishment that leaves behind just one witness.”
Watch The Capture series 1 and 2 on Netflix now.
Blue Lights series 4 on BBC One
BBC One has confirmed that Blue Lights will be back for a series 4. The Belfast-based show returned with new episodes at the end of September 2025.
And we can expect more of the same in 2026. The BBC has ordered at least one more six-part series of the critically acclaimed drama.
Series 1 introduced three new PSNI probationary recruits Annie, Tommy, and Grace. Together with more experienced frontline response cops, they worked one of the hardest beats in the UK – Belfast, a city with unique pressures and dangers.
Series 2 aired in 2024. This time, the three rookie coppers were a year into the job, and faced a drug-fuelled crime wave that led them into a loyalist estate.
This year’s series 3 saw the officers face up to the “sinister world of organised crime”. Talking about series 4, BBC Director of Drama Lindsay Salt said: “Writers Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn have brilliant ideas about where to take the characters next and I can’t wait for viewers to see what’s in store.”
Blue Lights series 1 to 3 are currently all available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
2026 returning dramas: This City is Ours series 2 on BBC One
Series 2 of This City is Ours on BBC One is currently filming in Liverpool, with another famous Liverpudlian joining the cast.
The brilliant crime drama first aired in 2024, and saw Sean Bean perfectly cast as organised crime boss Ronnie. Although he didn’t last long – thanks to his wing man Michael who decided he deserved his spot in the limelight…
The series followed Michael as he attempted to take over Ronnie’s business. While also battling Ronnie’s son Jamie, and trying to consider a future with his girlfriend. Critics likened it to The Sopranos, Kin, Animal Kingdom, and Gangs of London.
After a pretty explosive ending to This City is Ours series 1, the gang will be back for a series 2. Executive producer Sian McWilliams said: “We are so delighted to be diving back into Stephen Butchard’s brilliant underworld of Liverpool crime.
“After the tumultuous events of the season one finale, the gang rivalries and betrayals have escalated to new levels… New ones have just begun, and there is a lot of unfinished business!”
Famous Liverpudlian Shaun Evans will be joining the cast of series 2. He’ll play former gangster Ozzie Thompson, who is recently out of prison.
The Split Up on BBC One
Okay, so this isn’t strictly a returning drama, but it’s definitely something to look forward to in 2026. Sadly The Split came to an end in 2024, finishing with a Spain-set swansong. And The Split Up is a spin-off legal drama designed to fill the gaping hole left by the end of The Split on BBC One.
The six-part drama includes a totally new cast, and features a “powerhouse British South Asian family firm” in the “charged world of Manchester’s high net worth divorce circuit”. Even better, Unforgotten legend Sanjeev Bhaskar will lead the cast.
A synopsis of The Split Up tells us: “The fast-rising star of Kishan Law is Aria Kishan, poised to step up and take the mantle from her father Dhruv. However, the death of her mother has cast a new light over these plans for Dhruv. He has begun to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single handedly.”
Ritu Arya stars as Aria Kisha, who is step to take over her father’s law firm. Goodness Gracious Me comedian and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar plays her father Dhruv. The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil will also guest star in The Split Up.
Read more: Betrayal on ITV: First look at Shaun Evans as ‘troubled operative’ in new ITV spy thriller
