Netflix is officially saying goodbye to its six best shows as the streaming service moves on to a brand-new era in 2027. Netflix is giving fans proper send-offs rather than abrupt cancellations for several of its most beloved series, with official final seasons confirmed across the next two years. 

The streaming giant already bid farewell to Stranger Things at the start of 2026 and officially closed the chapter on some of its fan-favorite series in 2025, including Squid Game, You, Cobra Kai, Big Mouth, and The Sandman. 

Aside from confirmed final seasons, Netflix also had notable cancellations in 2025, including The Recruit, The Waterfront, Pulse, The Residence, and Boots. 

Netflix's The Witness provided a detailed, victim-family-focused look at the 1992 murder case of Rachel Nickell. The 2026 three-part limited crime drama series dramatized the real-life aftermath of Nickell's death on Wimbledon Common in London. The series premiered on Netflix on June 4 alongside the companion documentary, The Murder of Rachel Nickell. 

Directed by Alex Winckler, The Witness centers to Rachel's two-year-old son, Alex, who was the sole witness to the crime. Instead of focusing on the actual murder, The Witness chronicles the story of how Alex and his father, André, moved forward after Nickell's death. 

Netflix's 2026 The Witness Cast & Real Life Counterparts 

House of the Dragon Season 3 is right around the corner, and it is expected to feature three actors who played substantial roles in the Marvel universe. The HBO series has showcased many different top-tier actors throughout its three installments, and Season 3 is no different. Many big names who have passed through the Game of Thrones universe have gone on to play in other major franchises such as Star Wars, DC, and more.

House of the Dragon Season 3 will be premiering on HBO on Sunday, June 21. It is expected to be the most action-packed chapter of the series to date, as trailers and other pieces of marketing have teased that viewers will get to witness major events such as the Battle of the Gullet, the Fall of King's Landing, and more. 

Many hope that Season 3 will be a step up from Season 2, which was criticized for pacing issues, straying away from the source material, and weak writing. Hopefully, the three actors who will be in Season 3 who have also been in Marvel projects will help Season 3 be an improvement as well.

Shrinking's initial 3 seasons concluded earlier this year on Apple TV with Jason Segel's character, Jimmy, choosing to take a leap of faith at another relationship after his wife's death. This ended the initial storyline creator Bill Lawrence had planned for Shrinking, but, as with many successful television series, the audience wanted more, and Season 4 was greenlit.

One of the first Shrinking Season 4 details we learned was that there would be a time jump, but we didn't know until recently that it would be two years. At the Newport Beach TV Fest, The Direct caught up with the cast of Shrinking on the red carpet, where star Michael Urie, who plays Brian, confirmed how long the Season 4 time jump will be.

"We've jumped two years," the actor said, explaining that "Brian [now] has a toddler instead of a baby, which is a very different thing." The fact that Brian has "spent two years as a father really shows on him [and] you can really see his growth changes."

The now-iconic Among Us video game became an international sensation during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided the world with the perfect escape, one with an engaging, endlessly exciting social experience on top.

Among Us is a social deduction game like Secret Hitler or Mafia. Four to 15 players group up as little-suited aliens on a spaceship, and while performing tasks on the ship, they need to find out which among them is the imposter before the imposter kills everyone on board. Now, that sensation is an animated television show on Paramount+, one that has remained quiet about its existence since its announcement. 

But the show surprised gamers at the Summer Game Fest (read more about what to expect at this year's Fest) with an unexpected ghost drop of the entire show, so you can watch it right now on Paramount+. 

Amazon Studios' Spider-Noir, which is streaming on Prime Video, surprised audiences in a major way. Many believe it's an incredible example of how Sony should be using the Spider-Man IP and the vast web of characters at its disposal.

A character from Spider-Man's world that fans have been dying to see come to life and wanted to be part of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat. That day has finally come, kind of. Spider-Noir puts Cat Hardy, played by Li Jun Li, in the spotlight as one of the show's leading characters. In fact, Cat and Ben Reilly's romantic chemistry is one of the main plots of the story,

Though in classic Black Cat fashion, that romance doesn't work out, and Nicolas Cage's Ben Reilly (yes, not Peter Parker) is betrayed by the woman he thought he was falling in love with. Despite Cat choosing another man, by the end of Season 1, Spider-Noir star Li Jun Li doesn't think that the two's love story is over just yet.

Wednesday Season 3, starring Jenna Ortega, is officially shifting away from its school-centric formula by leaving Nevermore Academy as its primary setting. Seasons 1 and 2 of the hit Netflix series were set in Nevermore, a gothic, monster-filled boarding school in Jericho, Vermont, that served as a central hub for superpowered individuals. Nevermore was instrumental in showcasing the dynamics of the core characters and introducing recurring mysteries, such as shocking deaths and hidden histories. 

Netflix officially confirmed that Wednesday Season 3 is abandoning the formula of the previous two seasons by leaving Nevermore Academy as its main location in favor of Paris. 

The streamer announced that production for Season 3 has been underway near Dublin, but a behind-the-scenes image of the series confirmed that Jenna Ortega's Wednesday is standing in front of the Eiffel Tower with Thing on a motorcycle, captioned, "From Paris, with dread." 

On June 5, Apple TV is bringing audiences the third version of Cape Fear, this time for television. The first two times were on the big screen, for outings in 1962 and 1991. Its plot follows Max Cady (Dune's Javier Bardem), a former convict released from prison after being exonerated by evidence proving he was innocent all along. The moment he gets out, he sets his sights on Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson's Anna and Tom Bowden, two lawyers responsible for his incarnation, and their children (played by Lily Collias and Joe Anders), to exact his revenge.

The Cape Fear series was created by showrunner Nick Antosca, known for his horror stories, including Channel Zero, Brand New Cherry, and Antlers. The Direct sat down with Antosca to discuss his ability to bewilder audiences, why a third telling of this story was needed, and how the show aims to avoid the trope of terrible, dumb teenagers.

For more horror from Apple TV, check out Widows Bay, which is getting rave reviews from critics and audiences.

The Legend of Vox Machina (TLOVM) is entering its endgame. The animated adaptation of Critical Role's first Dungeons & Dragons campaign is coming into its final stretch as Season 4 of the Prime Video show puts its beloved heroes against the threat of the mysterious Whispered One. The series will officially end with Season 5, but Critical Role is dramatically raising the stakes in this penultimate season.

Cast members and producers Ashley Johnson (Pike), Travis Willingham (Grog), Marisha Ray (Keyleth), Taliesin Jaffe (Percy), Laura Bailey (Vex), Liam O'Brien (Vax), and Sam Riegel (Scanlan) spoke to The Direct about The Legend of Vox Machina's fourth season and how it ups the ante from previous seasons.

When Season 4 premieres on June 3, it finds Vox Machina in a new place following a time jump. Season 3 left the heroes parting ways, and the cast members revealed what happened to each of their characters during this period apart. O'Brien teased that Vax is "coming to accept this condition he has," which was set up in Season 3, while Willingham said that best friends Pike and Grog are dealing with "the vacuum that's left from everybody leaving." 

One of Disney+'s flagship shows bit the dust due to recent events. The Walt Disney Company's streaming service launched in 2019 with a lineup of new content designed to bolster the studios' key brands, including Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar. One of these foundational shows was Lucasfilm's The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars series that was a selling point at Disney+'s launch. But now, The Mandalorian is no more.

The Mandalorian ran successfully for three seasons, telling the story of Pedro Pascal's helmeted bounty hunter, Din Djarin, and his adorable young companion, Grogu. Disney+ intended to make a fourth season of The Mandalorian until the studio approached the creator, Jon Favreau, about doing a movie instead, causing the streamer to shelve the series. 

The Mandalorian was an integral part of Disney+'s launch, serving as one of the few original series from Disney's iconic brands to debut alongside the streaming service. Now that it's become a movie franchise, The Mandalorian is no longer a part of building Disney's streaming ecosystem. Viewers can return to the streamer to view Seasons 1-3, but the future of The Mandalorian appears to be set on film, removing the chance of the foundational series continuing as it once was.

Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) did the unthinkable in Dutton Ranch Episode 4 by killing the entire herd of cattle, and some fans felt this act could have been avoided. The Yellowstone sequel series from Paramount+ continues the story of Rip and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) as they start fresh in South Texas after their Montana ranch was destroyed by a devastating wildfire. 

Part of their rebuilding efforts includes the acquisition of the former Edwards ranch, which encompasses cattle operations and day-to-day ranching. The initial herd they inherited had 175 head of Black Angus cattle, forming the foundation of their new beef operation. However, a risky deal involving buying a promising Black Angus bull threw a wrench into their operations, resulting in a tragic loss. 

Why Rip Killed All the Cattle in Dutton Ranch Episode 4

HBO has released an official new poster that unites the stars of its Game of Thrones trilogy. The Game of Thrones flagship series, which was based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, ended in 2019 after eight seasons, but that was only the beginning of Westeros' reign on TV. 2022 heralded the return of Game of Thrones TV, with the prequel series House of the Dragon, and 2025 brought the second spin-off series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

While each spin-off series focuses on its own characters and time periods, the three shows are canon in the Game of Thrones timeline and exist in the same world. This effectively makes them a trilogy of shows, and HBO has reflected that in its new official banner on Game of Thrones' social media accounts, which promotes "Reign of Thrones: Celebrating 15 Years." Game of Thrones began airing on HBO in 2011, making 2026 the 15th anniversary of Game of Thrones on TV.

However, Game of Thrones has become so much more than just one show in the past 15 years, and this new banner reflects that, with the stars of HBO's three flagship Westerosi series front and center. The Reign of Thrones poster marks the first time all three live-action shows have been featured on one official banner.

Netflix notably left out two of Stranger Things' biggest actors from its Emmy consideration campaign for the show's fifth and final season, despite the actors having a significant amount of screentime and the rest of the main cast being included. Stranger Things finally came to an end at the end of 2025, and Netflix is trying to get the show's ensemble cast to be officially recognized at the 2026 Emmy Awards for their performances throughout the installment.

Since awards season is nearing, Netflix officially released its "For Your Consideration" campaign for Stranger Things Season 5. This essentially means that Netflix formally asked the Emmy Awards panel to look at actors' performances throughout the fifth and final season of the sci-fi show and consider nominating them for an acting award.

A well-known name in the film and TV industry recently revealed a piece of concept art from 2020 that came from a pitch to Disney to reboot the popular Gargoyles animated series from the 1990s. Disney has long been at the top of the food chain when it comes to animation, whether it be movies, classic television series, or shows on the Disney+ streaming platform. Throughout the 1900s and 2000s, Disney has produced and distributed dozens upon dozens of animated titles, and one of the most popular ones was undoubtedly the Gargoyles series from the '90s.

Ciro Nieli, a decorated director, producer, and showrunner in the animated world (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, Teen Titans, etc.), recently revealed via Instagram that he went to Disney in 2020 with an idea to reboot the Gargoyles series from the 1990s, and even presented a piece of concept art for his idea. Nieli included that concept art in his Instagram post, showcasing what the group of New York City protectors would look like in his show.

The Testaments Season 1 finale addressed why Garth decided to lock Becka in a room, and this act completely changed everything for both characters. Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale spinoff delivered many twists and turns in its Season 1 finale, including the revelation of Agnes' true ties to June Osborne, the Gilead girls' effort to save Becka, and the devastating turn of events involving Becka. 

The penultimate episode of The Testaments Season 1 delivered a shocking twist: Becka murdered her adoptive father, Dr. Grove, as a way of seeking justice and revenge after learning he abused Agnes and other girls at Gilead's girls' academy. The Testaments' Episode 7 ended with Becka facing severe consequences for her actions, leading to her being taken away and imprisoned. 

The Testaments Season 1 finale revealed the extent of the consequences of Becka's reckless actions in killing Dr. Grove and how they affected other major characters, like her mother, Mrs. Grove. As it turned out, Aunt Lydia and Vidala devised a plan to save Becka by allowing Mrs. Grove to take the fall for her daughter. Surprisingly enough, Mrs. Grove agreed, noting, "it's what should have happened" in the first place. She confessed to the murder and was later executed, allowing Becka to be freed from prison, but at the cost of her mother's life. 

Invincible mainstay Andrew Rannells addressed his absence in Season 4 of the hit Prime Video series. Rannells joined the cast of Invincible in Season 1 as the voice of William Clockwell, Mark Grayson's loyal best friend and one of the few people to know his secret identity as Invincible. Rannells brought the right amount of warmth, sarcasm, humor, and emotional depth to the character across the first three seasons, making William a relatable human anchor and the franchise's first openly gay character. However, Rannells was recast for Invincible Season 4, with comedian Brandon Scott Jones taking over the role. 

Invincible fans were not happy with the recasting of William in Season 4, with some pointing out that Jones didn't sound like the character and that he lacked personality. Others claimed that the new voice of William, a gay character, sounded over-the-top and stereotypical.

HBO has lifted the lid on the next major battle sequence in the Game of Thrones world, and it might be the biggest one since Season 8's Battle of Winterfell. House of the Dragon Season 3 will be the next chapter in HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's fantasy universe, featuring the all-out war between the Targaryen dynasty as Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and her brother, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), fight for the Iron Throne. House of the Dragon's new season is already promising to remedy criticisms of the past season that lamented a lack of action, and it's doing so in the biggest way possible.

One of the major conflicts in House of the Dragon Season 3 is the Battle of the Gullet, but the war sequence is shaping up to rival even the best of those in Game of Thrones. Showrunner Ryan Condal previewed the battle sequence in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, describing it as "arguably the craziest episode of television ever made." 

The battle breaks out on the sea, between the Velaryon fleet, led by Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) for Rhaenyra's Blacks, and the Triarchy fleet, headed by Admiral Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn) for the Greens. Things are also taken to the air thanks to the presence of Dragonriders, Jacaerys Targaryen (Harry Collett) and Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia). 

Geena Davis sounded somewhat different in her role as Renee Joyce in Netflix's Stranger Things replacement, The Boroughs. The new trending science fiction series follows the story of elderly residents in the titular community as they form an unlikely alliance to stop an otherworldly threat anchored by a dark secret poised to kill them.

One of the residents in The Boroughs (the Duffer Brothers' spiritual successor to Stranger Things) is Geena Davis' Renee Joyce, a former rock 'n' roll band manager who was trying to enjoy her time in the community by living life to the fullest. 

Why Geena Davis Talks Like That In Netflix's The Boroughs Is On Many Viewers' Minds

Disney+ has quietly disabled a popular search feature on its platform, and there's no telling when or if it will be back. Since its launch in 2019, Disney+ has been the streaming home for all of the brands and titles under the Walt Disney umbrella, including Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Pixar, and more. The platform has gone through several shifts over the years. Some have meant big changes for content on Disney+, while others have been smaller UX or quality updates.

Recently, it's been noticed that Disney+'s A-Z search feature has disappeared from the platform. This function, which allowed users to browse Disney's catalog of movies and shows in alphabetical order, was popular among users. Now, it seems to be missing from Disney+ entirely.

The Chi Season 8 killed off Pastor Zeke (Daniel J. Watts) off-screen, and it's largely due to his past street ties and money-driven mistakes. Paramount+'s hit drama series is in its final season, and it pulled off a shocker after it confirmed Zeke's death by featuring an opening sequence highlighting his funeral at the Church of the Living Water.  

Introduced in The Chi Season 6, Pastor Zeke was Kenya's father and the pastor of a megachurch that served as a rival to Pastor Stanley Jackson's worldview. Initially portrayed as a corrupt pastor, Zeke later experienced some form of redemption after reconnecting with his family and began making amends for his past wrongdoings. 

What Happened to Zeke Before The Chi Season 8 Premiere