Many sci-fi TV shows have been announced in 2026, and these ten projects in development stand out as the most exciting and promising shows on the horizon. With the sci-fi genre more popular than ever, studios and streamers keep announcing new TV and movie projects. This year, word broke about the Cyberpunk 2077 movie and another entry in the Alien franchise. Red Rising could also finally hit the big screen.
Meanwhile, TV show announcements have been plentiful. Some, like Zero Hour, tell original stories, while others, like Daisy Ridley’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, reimagine beloved series. Not everything has had a positive reception. For instance, the upcoming Stargate TV show has been poorly received by the core fanbase, especially since the last showrunner was let go for creating a show that catered to the existing fanbase instead of new viewers. However, other projects are generating much more buzz, even if some of it’s cautious optimism. These ten science fiction TV shows in development are the most promising small-screen titles announced this year, ranked from least to most exciting.
10
Zero Hour
Dave Allocca/StarPix for Amazon MGM Studios/INSTARimages
World War Z co-screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan is teaming up with AGBO, the company behind Everything Everywhere All at Once, to bring Harrison Query’s original short story “Zero Hour” to life as a high-concept Paramount+ sci-fi/thriller TV show. In this first-contact story, people on Earth try to survive when ovals appear in the sky. Rather than following a single perspective, it switches between a wife of an ailing husband, a doomsday prepper, a teenage runaway, and a presidential aide.
“Zero Hour” isn’t available to the public as of the time of writing, but the concept’s interesting. The TV adaptation is also exciting because of the team involved. Harrison Query has made waves by sparking bidding wars and selling his spec scripts and short stories for millions. Carnahan and AGBO have both proven they can handle sci-fi.
9
Future Housewives
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Although we don’t have much to go off yet, Future Housewives is one of the most exciting sci-fi shows on the way. Refreshingly, it isn’t an adaptation. Instead, the original drama will satirize Real Housewives. Wealthy socialites living in the asteroid colony of New Beverly Hills navigate rivalries, interplanetary scandals, and the newest futuristic cosmetic procedures. However, everything gets thrown out of whack when a young outsider shows up.
The zany premise feels right at home at Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door. On top of that, actress and media personality Ariana Madix will star in the show, which is a fantastic choice since she started on the reality TV show Vanderpump Rules and she hosts Love Island USA. All things considered, Future Housewives is shaping up to be one of the most interesting upcoming sci-fis.
8
Robocop
Everett
The 1987 campy sci-fi classic RoboCop is being reimagined for television. This isn’t the first time it has been adapted for this format, but it’s probably the most exciting. Set in a dystopian, futuristic Detroit, the story centers on a police officer named Alex Murphy who is killed and then revived by the corporation Omni Consumer Products as a cyborg cop who upholds the law without question.
RoboCop’s themes of corporate greed and mass surveillance feel extremely relevant in today’s late-stage capitalist world, making it an ideal time to retell the story. Dan Stevens has been cast in the titular role, and his versatile, intense acting style makes him a strong fit. Showrunner Peter Ocko is well equipped to tell this story and he will be supported by the original co-creators Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner who will executive produce.
7
Shifter
Severance is one of the best sci-fi TV shows currently running and three individuals from the show are teaming up to adapt the French biopunk sci-fi graphic novel La Passe Visage aka Shifter by Koren Shadmi for Hulu. Set in the near future, a banned cosmetic procedure allows people to change their faces with ease. Consequently, a black market industry has developed for Shifters—people who will become anyone a person wants for any purpose.
Unfortunately, the graphic novel isn’t available in the US yet but the concept sounds extremely thrilling. It also has great reviews. On top of that Adam Scott Ezra Claytan Daniels and Eli Jorné have proven themselves capable both with Severance and their separate projects. Hulu might not have many sci-fi shows but those it does have are great. Shifter could continue this trend.
6
Artemis Fowl
