October 2026 TV Schedule: Premieres, Finales and Printable Calendar

October 2026 is bringing a packed TV lineup, from returning network favorites to supernatural new series, true-crime documentaries and Halloween-ready movies. The biggest challenge may be deciding what to watch first: a new chapter of Avatar, Mike Flanagan’s take on Carrie, the return of the NCIS universe or a binge-worthy mystery starring Josh Hartnett. Here are the premieres and finales worth circling on your calendar.

The first week wastes no time

October opens with enough new television to fill several weekends. Streaming viewers can dive into complete seasons, while broadcast fans get major finales and the start of fall’s familiar weekly routine.

A literary classic gets a star-powered makeover

Netflix’s East of Eden offers a seven-episode binge centered on the Trask family. This take on John Steinbeck’s story shifts the spotlight to Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh. If sprawling family conflict is your thing, it could be an ideal first stop.

The opening stretch also brings the Season 28 finale of Big Brother on CBS and a four-episode premiere for Freeform’s Coven Academy. The series follows teenage witches and warlocks at a magic boarding school where secrets and attraction can be dangerous. Its full 10-episode first season will also stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

Keep an eye on these new dramas

Catherine Zeta-Jones leads AMC+’s Kill Jackie as a former drug smuggler who emerges from hiding to confront seven hitmen hired to kill her. On HBO, War turns a tech mogul’s divorce from his actress wife into a battle spanning London’s social and professional circles. Starz’s Tip Toe pairs Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as neighbors whose lives unravel after one gives the other a spare key. Apparently, house-sitting is October’s most perilous act of kindness.

Broadcast TV brings back its heavy hitters

If you’ve missed the rhythm of a weekly network schedule, the first full week of October should feel reassuringly busy. CBS, NBC and ABC all have returning favorites, plus several newcomers hoping to earn a permanent place on your watchlist.

Crime dramas take over CBS

FBI returns for Season 9, followed by the second seasons of CIA and Harlan Coben’s Final Twist. The NCIS lineup is just as full: the flagship series begins Season 24, NCIS: Origins enters Season 3, and new series NCIS: New York brings LL COOL J’s Sam Hanna back to his hometown. Scott Caan plays the roguish agent who becomes his partner.

Later in the week, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage returns for Season 3, Elsbeth for Season 4 and Fire Country for Season 5. Sheriff Country and Boston Blue each begin their second seasons. New CBS entries include Eternally Yours, about a vampire couple married for 500 years, and Cupertino, where two lawyers take on Silicon Valley power players.

Chicago, Abbott and plenty more

NBC’s Chicago trio returns with Season 12 of Chicago Med, Season 15 of Chicago Fire and Season 14 of Chicago P.D. The network also brings back Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order. For a change of pace, ABC’s Abbott Elementary begins Season 6, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune return.

CBS isn’t the only home for investigators this month. The CW’s Private Eyes West Coast reunites Matt Shade and Angie Everett. Their quieter life is disrupted when a night out leads them to a murder scene.

Streaming’s biggest swing is into the supernatural

October is made for eerie viewing, and streamers seem ready to oblige. The lineup ranges from a famous Stephen King story to animated fantasy and a creature feature set in coastal Canada.

Carrie, Avatar and a monster beneath the water

Prime Video will release all eight episodes of Mike Flanagan’s contemporary Carrie at once. Summer H. Howell plays the sheltered teenager at its center, with Samantha Sloyan as her protective mother. Netflix takes a different route to fear with Below, a six-episode binge starring Josh Hartnett as a fisherman trying to protect his family and Newfoundland community from a mysterious sea creature.

Paramount+ expands a beloved animated world with Avatar: Seven Havens. The sequel introduces a young Earthbender who discovers she is the Avatar after Korra, in a world damaged by cataclysm. Over on Disney+, VisionQuest follows Paul Bettany’s Vision as he searches for his memory and humanity while evading a bounty.

For lighter Halloween viewing, Netflix has Season 2 of Haunted Hotel and a three-episode binge of Is It Cake? Halloween. Hulu adds an exclusive Family Guy: Happy Hell-o-ween episode, while Prime Video’s Helluva Boss begins Season 3 with three episodes.

Do not overlook the finales, movies and documentaries

Premieres may get the loudest buzz, but October also has notable goodbyes and a wide selection of one-night watches. Make room for them before another new season takes over your queue.

Catch these endings while you can

Apple TV’s Ted Lasso concludes Season 4, while HBO’s Lanterns reaches its Season 1 finale. Other endings include the series finale of TNT’s High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam, the limited-series finale of MGM+’s A Tale of Two Cities and the Season 18 finale of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. CBS viewers can also catch the Season 28 finale of Big Brother early in the month.

Pick a movie for every October mood

Netflix’s Animals stars Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington as parents caught up in a deception after their son is kidnapped. Apple TV’s Matchbox The Movie is bigger and faster, with John Cena as an undercover CIA agent whose return draws his childhood friends into an international pursuit. Hallmark Channel brings seasonal romance and fantasy with A Knight to Remember and The Spirit of Halloween.

Documentary fans have options, too. Netflix’s Who Is Martin Mull? follows the entertainer’s varied career, while its four-part Tyson explores the boxer’s rise, controversies and personal struggles. Hulu’s Clown Panic revisits reports that spread across the United States in 2016. Whether you’re after something unsettling, nostalgic or simply addictive, this schedule has a strong contender.