10 TV shows you must watch in fall 2026, from 'Brothers' to 'Line of Fire'

There was a time when fall TV was everything. September was TV's starting gun, when the networks rolled out their most important new shows and returning hits.

That calendar has been blown apart; major shows now arrive throughout the course of the year. Heck, the dragon fire from the final Season 3 episode of HBO's "House of the Dragon" is still warm from summer.

Yet, fall TV still matters. It still drums up excitement. And we at USA TODAY have assembled our annual autumnal task force to determine what will rock your seasonal TV (or streaming) world. So pour yourself a big 'ol pumpkin spice drink of choice and cozy up in front of the TV.

'Brothers' (Apple TV)

Sept. 23, Wednesdays

Inspired by the notion that Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson could really be brothers, this new comedy finds the friends playing heightened versions of themselves as Harrelson and his family visit the McConaughey ranch and a family secret slips. Harrelson brings Cousin Eddie energy à la “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," and as expected, the enjoyable high jinks ensue.

'NCIS' universe (CBS)

Oct. 6, Tuesdays, 8-11 p.m. ET/PT

The entire "NCIS"-verse is ramping up to take over Tuesdays as the mothership series heads into its 24th season. Leading the charge is Mark Harmon, the OG Leroy Jethro Gibbs, making his full-time return for Season 3 of "NCIS: Origins," the prequel series helmed by his smoldering younger self, played by Austin Stowell. "NCIS: Los Angeles" star LL Cool J brings Sam Hanna back to his hometown for the new spin-off "NCIS: New York," alongside his new partner, played by Scott Caan. And Michael Weatherly brings wisecracking Tony DiNozzo back to "NCIS" a decade after departing in 2016 and less than a year after spin-off "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" was canceled. Gibbs' newest rule: Dominate Tuesdays.

'Newlyweds' (NBC)

Oct. 23, Fridays, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT

We can’t call it love at first sight, as we haven’t seen an episode yet. But given that NBC’s new half-hour comedy reunites “Madam Secretary” stars Téa Leoni and Tim Daly – who are married in real life – we’re enthusiastically declaring, “I do!” Leoni and Daly play opposites who quickly attract in “Newlyweds.” She’s more uninhibited, and, conversely, he leans toward tightly wound. Offscreen, the couple, who wed in 2025, “wanted to spend our days together."

'The Good Daughter' (Peacock)

Nov. 12 (all episodes)

Meghann Fahy and Rose Byrne star in the adaptation of Karin Slaughter’s 2017 novel of the same name. And fans of the page-turner might be delighted to know that Slaughter serves as the series showrunner. In “The Good Daughter,” sisters Charlotte (Fahy) and Samantha Quinn (Byrne) have grown distant over the years, after Samantha left their tiny hometown, which holds painful memories. She returns to assist her father, defense attorney Rusty Quinn (Brendan Gleeson), when he’s tasked with defending a new client. Get your popcorn ready.

'Line of Fire' (NBC)

Sept. 21, Mondays 10 p.m. ET/PT

Peter Krause knows complicated TV families, from "Six Feet Under" to "Parenthood." After his shocking "9-1-1" exit in 2025, Krause returns to NBC's "Line of Fire" as Secret Service agent Mike Hollingsworth, with Hope Davis as his U.S. Marshal estranged wife, Jane, and a sprawling family of federal agents in the FBI, Secret Service and Justice Department. Like a slick "Parenthood" with guns and government badges, it's messy but striving for greatness among the dysfunctionality.

'VisionQuest' (Disney+)

Oct. 14, Wednesdays

With Marvel's film empire seeking an alternate reality from its current slump, Disney is leaning into Paul Bettany's return as the android Avenger Vision in "VisionQuest," the concluding chapter of the critically acclaimed trilogy "WandaVision." Bettany and costar James Spader, returning as the villainous AI Ultron, kicked off Marvel's presentation at Disney's D23 fan convention last month. Screeners were not made available, but the initial data computes: promising.

'A Different World' (Netflix)

Sept. 24 (all episodes)

Class is back in session at Hillman College with a new batch of freshmen. The Netflix series rides on the success of the 1987 hit “A Different World,” a spin-off of “The Cosby Show” created by Bill Cosby himself, that ended its fifth season with Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne Wayne’s (Kadeem Hardison) engagement. The new revival follows their daughter, Deborah (pronounced De-bor-ah, not Deborah) as she catches up on classwork and gets distracted by an old situationship. It's a refreshing take on the feel-good sitcom with appearances from Hillman alums like Cree Summer, Dawnn Lewis and Jada Pinkett Smith.

'Monsters: A Lizzie Borden Story' (Netflix)

Sept. 17 (all episodes)

For those with an appetite for a macabre series featuring bloodbaths, a lustful entanglement and an eerie revenge plot, look no further than “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.” Ella Beatty plays the daughter of a well-to-do New England family who develops a close relationship with her maid after abuse from her parents. The series takes great liberties to depict the Aug. 4, 1892, ax murders of her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abbie Borden, and challenges the 19th-century stereotypes of what a killer could be.

'East of Eden' (Netflix)

Oct. 1 (all episodes)

Zoe Kazan adapts John Steinbeck's magnum opus, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, Elia Kazan. Her dark take centers on Cathy Ames, wife to Charles Trask and lover to his brother Adam. After Charles (Christopher Abbott) drags her west to Salinas, her manipulations reach new heights, despite the efforts of their dutiful servant Lee (Hoon Lee). The slow, taut emotional horror she inflicts − on everyone from Charles to the madame who later hires her (Martha Plimpton, a bit too obsequious) − would verge on the unbelievable if not for the captivating performance of Florence Pugh. She's so mesmerizing you find yourself wanting more of Cathy, even after the story ends.

'Carrie' (Prime Video)

Oct. 7 (all episodes)

Did we really need another "Carrie"? "The Haunting of Hill House" creator Mike Flanagan makes a strong case with this addictive new adaptation, which updates Stephen King's novel about a telekinetic school outcast for an age of cyberbullying and active shooter drills. Flanagan doesn't shy away from some major departures from the source material, and he significantly expands not only the story's scope but also the broader ideas being explored. Summer H. Howell turns in a starmaking performance as Carrie, and Flanagan universe alumni like Samantha Sloyan and Matthew Lillard are reliably compelling.

Notable mentions

Narrowing the upcoming TV slate to just 10 shows was quite the task, so here's a few others on our radar: "The Greatest" (Prime Video, Nov. 4), "American Horror Story" (FX/Hulu, Sept. 24), "War" (HBO, Oct. 1), "Crystal Lake" (Peacock, Oct. 15), "Pride and Prejudice" (Netflix, late 2026) and "Dig" (Peacock, Nov. 23).