Stephen King’s Carrie is getting the Mike Flanagan treatment, LL Cool J is launching a brand-new NCIS, and Ben Affleck is directing and starring in a kidnapping thriller on Netflix – all in the same week. If your watchlist felt thin, it’s about to get crowded.
Here’s your day-by-day guide to the best new TV this week, Oct. 5-11, 2026, across Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV, Peacock, Paramount+ and broadcast. Every pick comes with a quick “why watch” and where to stream it. No spoilers, promise.
Release dates are based on network and streamer schedules as of Oct. 3, 2026, cross-checked against Boston.com’s October streaming list and What’s on Netflix. Times are Eastern; streaming drops usually land overnight or early morning, and dates can shift, so check your app.
New TV This Week at a Glance
| Day | Top pick | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Oct. 5 | Lorne; FBI, CIA returns | Netflix; CBS/Paramount+ |
| Tue, Oct. 6 | NCIS: New York series premiere | CBS/Paramount+ |
| Wed, Oct. 7 | Carrie; Small Prophets; Abbott Elementary | Prime Video; Apple TV; ABC/Hulu |
| Thu, Oct. 8 | Below; Law & Order returns | Netflix; NBC/Peacock |
| Fri, Oct. 9 | Animals; Disclosure Day; Avatar: Seven Havens | Netflix; Peacock; Paramount+ |
| Sat-Sun, Oct. 10-11 | Hokum; catch-up weekend | Hulu |
Monday, Oct. 5: Lorne, Mayor of Kingstown and the FBI Night Returns
Lorne (Netflix)
Why watch: Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) profiles Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, with stories from comedy heavyweights including Tina Fey, Conan O’Brien, Maya Rudolph and Chris Rock. It streamed on Peacock first; this is its Netflix debut in the U.S. Perfect if you’re an SNL lifer.
Mayor of Kingstown, Seasons 1-4 (Netflix)
Why watch: Jeremy Renner’s gritty crime drama about a family of power brokers in a prison town lands on Netflix in one big batch. Four seasons is a serious binge, so pace yourself. Also arriving Monday: the 2023 Stephen King horror movie The Boogeyman, if you’re building a spooky-season queue.
FBI, CIA and Harlan Coben’s Final Twist (CBS, Paramount+)
Why watch: CBS’s Monday lineup is back. FBI opens Season 9 at 8 p.m., its spinoff CIA starts Season 2 at 9, and the true-crime series Harlan Coben’s Final Twist returns for Season 2 at 10. Stream on Paramount+.
Also Monday: 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 8 hits HBO Max, and the anime Gachiakuta (Season 1, Part 1) arrives on Hulu.
Tuesday, Oct. 6: A Brand-New NCIS Arrives
NCIS: New York (CBS, Paramount+)
Why watch: LL Cool J returns as Sam Hanna, the fan favorite from NCIS: Los Angeles, now leading a team in New York City. Scott Caan and Jennifer Beals also star. It premieres at 9 p.m., sandwiched between the Season 24 premiere of NCIS at 8 and the Season 3 premiere of NCIS: Origins at 10 – basically an entire NCIS night.
All American, Season 8 (Netflix)
Why watch: The final season of The CW’s football drama lands on Netflix, so streaming-only fans can finally see how it all ends.
Reasonable Doubt, Season 4 (Hulu)
Why watch: The stylish legal drama about defense attorney Jax Stewart returns with new episodes. A smart pick if you like your courtroom shows with a messy personal life on the side.
Wednesday, Oct. 7: The Biggest Streaming Day of the Week
Carrie (Prime Video)
Why watch: Mike Flanagan, the horror mind behind The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, reimagines Stephen King’s first novel as a limited series. All eight episodes drop at once. The cast includes Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Josie Totah and Matthew Lillard. This is the horror event of the week – clear your evening.
Small Prophets (Apple TV)
Why watch: From Mackenzie Crook, creator of the beloved Detectorists, this gentle, oddball British comedy follows Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley), a DIY store worker still hoping his long-missing girlfriend will come back, who stumbles onto something strange in his shed. Michael Palin co-stars. A great palate cleanser between scary movies.
Abbott Elementary, Season 6 (ABC, Hulu)
Why watch: Janine, Gregory, Barbara, Ava and the rest of the Abbott crew are back for a new school year. It airs at 8:30 p.m. on ABC, with a 22-episode season ahead. New episodes stream on Hulu the next day.
One Chicago Wednesday (NBC, Peacock)
Why watch: Chicago Med (Season 12), Chicago Fire (Season 15) and Chicago P.D. (Season 14) all return on NBC. Episodes hit Peacock the next day.
Also Wednesday: Netflix drops the documentary Who Is Martin Mull?, from the late Bob Saget and Neil Berkeley, about the musician, comic actor and painter.
Thursday, Oct. 8: Below and the Law & Order Comeback
Below (Netflix)
Why watch: Josh Hartnett, who is also in theaters right now in Verity, stars in this six-part supernatural thriller about a remote coastal town haunted by something in the water. Six episodes means it’s a one-weekend binge.
Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Peacock)
Why watch: Law & Order starts Season 26 and SVU kicks off a historic Season 28. Comfort TV at its finest. Stream next day on Peacock.
CBS Thursday: Elsbeth, Cupertino and Eternally Yours (CBS, Paramount+)
Why watch: Carrie Preston’s quirky Elsbeth returns for Season 4, and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage starts Season 3. CBS also launches two new series: the legal drama Cupertino and the vampire-couple comedy Eternally Yours. Sample the pilots and decide for yourself.
Friday, Oct. 9: Ben Affleck, Spielberg and a New Avatar
Animals (Netflix)
Why watch: Ben Affleck directs and stars in this R-rated thriller about a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife (Kerry Washington and Gillian Anderson are in the cast) who are pushed to the edge after their son is kidnapped. Matt Damon was originally set to star before The Odyssey pulled him away, so Affleck took the role himself. It’s also playing in select theaters. More October picks are in our New on Netflix October 2026 guide.
Disclosure Day (Peacock)
Why watch: Steven Spielberg’s 2026 sci-fi thriller, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colman Domingo, makes its streaming debut. If you missed it in theaters this summer, this is your chance to watch from the couch.
Avatar: Seven Havens (Paramount+)
Why watch: The next chapter of the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe follows a young Earthbender who becomes the Avatar after Korra, in a broken world that sees her as a destroyer, not a savior. Three episodes drop Friday, with more batches through Oct. 30. A must for longtime fans.
Also Friday: Matchbox The Movie, inspired by the die-cast toy cars, premieres on Apple TV. The 2025 thriller The Housemaid arrives on HBO Max. Netflix adds Haunted Hotel Season 2 and Is It Cake? Halloween Season 2. On CBS, Fire Country (Season 5), Sheriff Country (Season 2) and Boston Blue (Season 2) all return.
Weekend, Oct. 10-11: Catch Up and Get Spooky
The weekend is lighter, which makes it ideal for finishing Carrie or Below. On Saturday, Hulu adds the 2026 horror film Hokum On Sunday, Hulu has the Season 2 premiere of the anime Mission: Yozakura Family.
Missed last week’s premieres, including East of Eden? Catch up with our New TV This Week guide for Sept. 29-Oct. 4.
How to Plan Your New TV This Week Without Paying for Everything
With this many premieres across this many apps, the smartest move is to rotate subscriptions instead of stacking them. A few tips:
- Pick your “anchor” service for the month. If Carrie is your must-see, Prime Video is your anchor. If it’s Animals and Below, it’s Netflix.
- Batch the binge-drops. Carrie (8 episodes) and Below (6 episodes) drop all at once, so you can finish them in a single billing cycle and cancel if you want.
- Wait out the weekly shows. Avatar: Seven Havens releases in batches through Oct. 30. Subscribing near the end of the month lets you watch more for less.
- Use free broadcast. NCIS: New York, Abbott Elementary and the One Chicago shows all air on network TV, free with an antenna.
Looking for the bigger picture? Our Fall 2026 TV guide rounds up the new and returning shows actually worth your time this season.
The bottom line
If you only watch three things from the new TV this week, make them Carrie (Prime Video, Wednesday), Animals (Netflix, Friday) and Small Prophets (Apple TV, Wednesday) for a perfect mix of scary, tense and sweet. Procedural fans should circle Tuesday for NCIS: New York.
Save this list, set your reminders, and check back next weekend for another round of new TV this week, with every premiere date double-checked so you don’t have to.
