5 Best TV Shows Returning In Summer 2026

The summer TV landscape isn't nearly as barren as it used to be, thanks to the offerings of cable and streaming. But if you're starting to see tumbleweeds roll across your watchlists as summer approaches, we've got some recommendations that will help end the drought.

Below, we're highlighting the five returning shows we're most excited to have back on our TV screens this summer. There's plenty of intriguing new fare, too, which we'll preview in a separate list coming soon — but for now, our attention is on series like Netflix's live-action "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (returning for Season 2 in June) and Apple TV's surprisingly bonkers neo-noir "Sugar" (also returning for Season 2 in June).

Our list also includes the pleasant surprise that is a fourth season of "Ted Lasso," plus what may or may not be the final season of Hulu staple "The Bear."

Keep scrolling to see all of the returning shows we're most looking forward to this summer, then drop a comment with your own!

Why We Can't Wait To Have It Back: Live-action adaptations of popular animated properties tend to be hit or miss, but we were pleasantly surprised by the first season of Netflix's faithful reimagining of Nickelodeon's "Avatar: The Last Airbender." (At the very least, it helped us forget that the 2010 big-screen disaster ever happened.) We have high expectations for Season 2, which will feature the long-awaited introduction of Miya Cech as beloved Earthbender Toph. We'll also see our characters explore Ba Sing Se, one of several iconic locations from the original show, and we'll get to spend a lot more time with Princess Azula (Elizabeth Yu), whose complex story has only begun to unfold. Yip yip! — Andy Swift

Return Date: Thursday, June 25

Why We Can't Wait To Have It Back: We're always happy to sit down for another meal with the cast of this delicious Emmy-winning dramedy. (Is it a "comedy"? Who cares, when it's this good?) But we're extra excited to see where it goes from here after that explosive Season 4 finale, where Carmy seemed determined to hand the restaurant over to Sydney and Richie and walk away for good. Plus, it sounds like "The Bear" could be closing its doors, with co-star Jamie Lee Curtis strongly hinting that this will be the final season. So let's savor it while it lasts, huh? — Dave Nemetz

Return Date: Summer 2026

Why We Can't Wait To Have It Back: AMC's seductive adaptation of Anne Rice's beloved vampire novels hasn't steered us wrong yet, so we have high hopes for Season 3, which finds Lestat (Sam Reid) hitting the road as a full-on rock god, complete with original songs performed by Reid. Sure, the trailer revealed that Lestat's relationship with Louis (Jacob Anderson) has seen better days, but as much as we enjoy watching them as a couple, we live for their drama even more. We also can't wait to see what the show does with the iconic character of Akasha (played by Sheila Atim), perhaps better known as the "Queen of the Damned." — A.S.

Return Date: Sunday, June 7, at 9/8c

Why We Can't Wait To Have It Back: Colin Farrell's sleek crime thriller was one of 2024's most pleasant surprises, both because it was a throwback to classic film noir with Farrell as hard-boiled L.A. private eye John Sugar, and because it hit us with a mind-blowing twist: That private eye is actually a blue-skinned alien from another planet! Season 2 will give us a brand-new case to puzzle over as Sugar looks for the missing brother of a local boxer, with intriguing cast additions like Tony Dalton ("Better Call Saul") and Shea Whigham ("Boardwalk Empire," pictured above)... and we're hoping it also sheds a little more light on Sugar's alien existence. — D.N.

Return Date: Friday, June 19

Why We Can't Wait To Have It Back: The Emmy-winning comedy first arrived just in the nick of time: at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we could all use a little more laughter and light. And three years after the show's last new episode, Jason Sudeikis & Co. are set to return at a moment that, once again, could use both. Though fans and critics were mixed on Season 3, we're encouraged by the previously announced reset, as Ted heads back to Richmond to coach a second-division women's football team. If you ask us, that smells like potential, as Ted might say. (At the very least, the photo above teases the return of biscuits with the boss — and we're here for it.) — Ryan Schwartz

Return Date: Summer 2026

Which returning summer shows are you anxiously awaiting? Tell us below!