A handful of new series give way to a plethora of returning favorites as the streaming releases continue to heat up. Here are the 10 new shows to stream in August 2026.
The arrival of August means one thing: new streaming lineups. While viewers will indeed have a handful of new content to explore, the month is heaviest on returning fan-favorite shows with new seasons.
New August highlights include Ryan Murphy’s The Shards, the highly anticipated HBO Max series Lanterns, which is based on DC’s Green Lantern comic series, and—wait for it—a live, one-night-only concert event featuring the world’s first immortal rock star, Lestat de Lioncourt, performing original music from The Vampire Lestat. I’m already salivating.
Returning August highlights are plentiful. In addition to the return of Apple TV gamechanger Ted Lasso, we’re also in for new seasons of Reacher, Outer Banks, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Average Joe, and the hit Taylor Sheridan action-thriller Lioness, but that’s not all.
Here is a full look at 10 new and returning shows to stream in August 2026, listed in order of release date, along with a list of other returning shows that may spark your interest.
1. Lioness, Season 3
Premiere Date: August 2, 2026
Where to Watch: Paramount+
Taylor Sheridan’s hit female-led espionage thriller Lioness returns for a new season, and it continues on a global scale as chaos ensues and the Lioness team is deployed on its most personal assignment yet. Season three will see the collision of hidden networks, foreign operatives, and personal betrayals.
As Joe (Zoe Saldaña) walks the fine line between duty and home, unseen forces circle like sharks. Patterns appear where they shouldn’t, names begin to vanish, and paths unexpectedly rearrange. Guided by Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) and Westfield (Michael Kelly, of House of Cards), Joe confronts enemies operating in the shadows, leaving her to reckon with a war that now bleeds into every part of her life. New episodes will drop weekly on Sundays through September 20.
2. Ted Lasso, Season 4
Premiere Date: August 5, 2026
Where to Watch: Apple TV
Apple TV’s game-changing show Ted Lasso returns for a new season that was never supposed to happen, but then Jason Sudeikis had an epiphany. The new season will feature AFC Richmond’s all-female team rather than the male team at the center of the show’s first three seasons. Don’t worry, though: fan favorites like Ted (Sudeikis), Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Roy (Bret Goldstein) will all be returning.
3. Sterling Point
Premiere Date: August 5, 2026
Where to Watch: Prime Video
A heartfelt coming-of-age drama, Sterling Point follows the story of 17-year-old Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin, of Anora). After being raised in New York City with her twin brother, Connor (Keen Ruffalo, of Thor: Ragnarok) by their loving adoptive father, Annie’s life takes a dramatic turn when she inherits her mysterious grandfather’s island in Canada. New friends and budding romances await her arrival, but so, too, do untold family secrets. Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) and Jay Duplass (The Baltimorons) also star.
4. The Shards
Premiere Date: August 5, 2026
Where to Watch: Hulu
An upcoming thriller series created by Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story) and author Bret Easton Ellis, The Shards is based on Ellis’ autobiographical thriller novel of the same name. Set in 1981 Los Angeles, a group of privileged high school seniors at an elite prep school navigate identity, sex, jealousy, obsession, and the dangers lurking beneath the surface of American adolescence.
5. Monsters of God
Premiere Date: August 5, 2026
Where to Watch: HBO Max
Filmmaker Eric Goode (Tiger King) is back with another riveting docuseries, this time bringing us deeper into his love of reptiles. The five-part series explores his love of the creatures before delving into the dark gonzo underworld of exotic animal smuggling. There, everyone is chasing the ultimate prize, whether it be owning the rarest of species, claiming the biggest fortune, or taking down the most elusive criminals. The deeper Goode digs, the more he uncovers a labyrinth of outlaw traffickers, bombastic collectors, and the dogged law enforcement agents on that are hot on their trails. New episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays.
6. Reacher, Season 4
Premiere Date: August 12, 2026
Where to Watch: Prime Video
In this next batch of episodes, man-mountain Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) will be thrown into a bizarre New York-based conspiracy after he witnesses a traumatic incident. Season four brings the lone wolf back to NYC in a story based on the 13th book in the series, Gone Tomorrow.
When he encounters a troubled woman on the subway and notices that her behavior matches the potential warning signs of a suicide bomber, Reacher attempts to deescalate the situation, to no avail. The woman brandishes a gun and shoots herself in front of him. Her death pulls him into a far-reaching conspiracy involving powerful politicians, old wars, and, of course, extremists. Expect things to get very, very, very violent by season’s end.
7. Lanterns
Premiere Date: August 16, 2026
Where to Watch: HBO Max
If you’re a fan of sci-fi detective shows, you’ll want to tune into Lanterns on August 16. Based on the mythos of the DC comic Green Lantern, the eight-episode series follows two intergalactic cops as they investigate a murder with cosmic ties in the American heartland. Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) stars as cocky test pilot Hal Jordan, and Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad) as rookie John Stewart. While training Stewart in the ways of the force and the use of his Power Ring, Jordan finds himself drawn into an Earth-based mystery involving the deep-seated secrets of a small community, with Stewart in tow. New episodes will drop weekly on Sundays.
8. Average Joe, Season 2
Premiere Date: August 19, 2026
Where to Watch: Paramount+
Inspired by the life of creator Robb Cullen, Average Joe is an intense, darkly comedic series about a blue-collar plumber named Joe (Deon Cole, of Black-ish) who discovers his later father stole millions of dollars from the Russian mafia. When Joe is fingered for taking the money, he and his friends are forced into a high-stakes survival race. Season two will find Joe on the move from Pittsburgh when a mysterious threat targets his family, forcing Joe and his crew to Cape Town, South Africa. What begins as a search for answers quickly spirals into a dangerous adventure with international criminals, powerful enemies, and long-buried secrets. After the two-episode season premiere, new episodes will drop weekly on Wednesdays through September 23.
9. The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only Live
Premiere Date: August 23, 2026
Where to Watch: AMC+
If you’re like me, you find yourself unable to step away from the newest season of Interview with the Vampire, rebranded The Vampire Lestat. While each season of the hit Anne Rice series has been nothing short of an epically theatrical masterpiece, The Vampire Lestat has outdone itself in merging high-stakes drama, grand visual spectacle, and deep emotional resonance.
Lestat (Sam Reid) has taken us on an award-worthy thrill ride of emotion while exposing his vulnerabilities via the power of rock music, and now, fans have the chance to experience it live. For one night only, from the legendary Beacon Theatre in New York City, the world’s first immortal rock star will take the stage to perform original music from The Vampire Lestat. The inimitable season’s soundtrack has achieved real-world streaming success and critical praise. Mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss this.
10. Dark Matter, Season 2
Premiere Date: August 23, 2026
Where to Watch: Apple TV
Joel Edgerton (Star Wars franchise) stars in this acclaimed sci-fi series based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author Black Crouch. Season one followed Jason Dessen (Edgerton), a physicist, professor, and family man who is abducted into an alternate version of his life. When he tries to return to his reality, a nightmare ensues as he is forced into the mind-bending landscape of all the lives he could have lived.
Season two picks up with the Dessen family as they settle into a quiet life in a world that finally seems safe until the unimaginable forces them to run once again. As Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens, Daniela’s (Jennifer Connelly, Top Gun: Maverick) growing paranoia pushes her to the brink, threatening to tear their fragile stability apart.
Other Returning Shows to Watch For:
Futurama, Season 14
Premiere Date: August 3
Where to Watch: Hulu
My Life with the Walter Boys, Season 3
Premiere Date: August 6
Where to Watch: Netflix
Tires, Season 3
Premiere Date: August 13
Where to Watch: Netflix
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Season 18
Premiere Date: August 17
Where to Watch: Hulu
Outer Banks, Season 5
Premiere Date: August 20
Where to Watch: Netflix
Adults, Season 2
Premiere Date: August 27
Where to Watch: Hulu
Leanne, Season 2
Premiere Date: August 27
Where to Watch: Netflix