The 50 must-see TV shows for 2026

"As the writer of conspiracy thriller Utopia and Covid-era relationship drama Together, Dennis Kelly has form for creating darkly perceptive TV drama. This excellent series stars Josh Finan (whose performance in The Responder earned him a Bafta nomination) as Dan, a philosophy teacher with a troubled family past, working in a prison. As he explores issues around freedom, luck and destiny with the inmates, he starts to wonder if he actually belongs behind bars like his abusive father."

"Dawn French has made a new sitcom, which in itself should be cause for celebration. However, Can You Keep a Secret? is written by Simon Mayhew-Archer (producer of This Country and Funboys) and revolves around a couple trying to cope with the windfall they receive when one of them is mistakenly pronounced dead, which is even better. And Mark Heap is in it too. This one could be brilliant. BBC One, 7 January"

"The first season of this comedy mined belly laughs from institutional racism, starring Gbemisola Ikumelo and Hammed Animashaun as a pair of Black community support officers talked into infiltrating a drug gang. Season two takes things up a notch: Dom and Kay are now working for MI5. It's not as glamorous as it sounds though although their admin jobs soon liven up when they're approached by charismatic spy Steve. What follows finds a perfect balance between espionage and hilarity. BBC One, 8 January"

Dennis Kelly's new series stars Josh Finan as Dan, a philosophy teacher working in a prison who confronts freedom, luck and destiny while dealing with a troubled family past. Dan's exploration of those themes with inmates leads him to worry that he belongs behind bars like his abusive father, and his anxieties risk becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Dawn French headlines a sitcom by Simon Mayhew-Archer about a couple coping with a windfall after one partner is mistakenly pronounced dead, with Mark Heap also appearing. Black Ops season two follows two community support officers recruited by MI5, blending bureaucracy, espionage and comedy. Heated Rivalry depicts immediate sexual and romantic tension between rival ice-hockey players.

Read at www.theguardian.com