Collider has published a ranked list of eight upcoming science-fiction television shows generating the most anticipation among fans, mixing returning favourites, franchise spin-offs and adaptations of well-known novels. The rankings are based on factors including each show's own track record, the strength of promotional material released so far, and general fan excitement, reflecting a strong year for the sci-fi genre on television in 2026.

The only fully detailed entry provided, ranked eighth, is the animated Netflix series Stranger Things: Tales from '85, which returns for a second season in the same calendar year as its April debut. Set in Hawkins, Indiana, between the second and third seasons of the flagship show, it follows the young characters battling new Upside Down creatures, with showrunner Eric Robles confirming the new season continues directly from the first via a fresh threat involving local silver mines and a mysterious blue flower.