The World Cup has ended, so how does one fill the OTT void? Here are the most impressive Hindi and English shows from 2026 to make up the absence of football fever.
Key Points
- Superhero dramas, crime thrillers, political sagas and dark comedies.
- Standout picks include Spider-Noir, Wonder Man, Raakh, The Bear Season 5 and Mamla Legal Hai Season 2 for their strong writing and memorable performances.
- Whether you’re in the mood for mystery, history, courtroom satire or emotional drama, these series offer some of the year’s finest binge-worthy entertainment.
Now that the FIFA World Cup 2026 has ended and Spain has left the American continent with the championship title, what are you doing with your life?
Are you still nursing the hangover of a competition gone by?
Looking to fill the void left by football mania with some exciting shows that came out this year?
Sreeju Sudhakaran recommends Hindi and English shows that left him impressed in 2026 (in no particular order), and hopes they will tide you over after the conclusion of one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Or at least until the next one.
Spider-Noir
Where To Watch: Prime Video
The worst thing about the show is that it gives you a choice of how to watch it: In black and white or in colour, and both look equally enticing. However, there are recommendations online about how you can mix and match them for specific episodes for greater effect. Your choice.
A superhero show that feels refreshingly different in both tone and execution, Spider-Noir is also a gripping detective series with Nicolas Cage in top form as the haunted private investigator Ben Reilly, who isn’t particularly enthused about using his powers.
Also featuring Brendan Gleeson, Lamorne Morris, Karen Rodriguez, Jack Huston and Li Jun Li, Spider-Noir feels like a loving tribute to the noir films of the 1940s that occasionally takes some bizarre turns (it has Nic Cage, after all), making it all the more compelling.
Widow’s Bay
Where To Watch: Apple TV+
Do you love a show that feels like it feels like it came out of Stephen King’s wonderfully weird imagination, but with a healthy dose of humour? You’re most likely going to fall in love with Widow’s Bay, created by Katie Dippold.
Matthew Rhys is superb as the mayor of a cursed town desperately trying to boost tourism, blissfully unaware of the horrors awaiting both him and its inhabitants.
The series has plenty of creepy moments, some genuinely surprising, (like when we briefly see the real mental state of the guests at the party sequence), yet they are all balanced with an enjoyably quirky sense of humour.
Not to mention, enjoyable performances from the supporting cast, including Stephen Root, Kate O’Flynn and Dale Dickey, and the two terrific cameos from Hamish Linklater and Betty Gilpin.
Beef Season 2
Where To Watch: Netflix
The star-studded second season of Beef may not be quite as good as its predecessor, but it is still a captivating new saga of ego-driven conflicts.
Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny, Youn Yuh-jung and Seoyeon Jang, the new season delivers some truly thrilling drama that certainly trips into The White Lotus territory with its posh resorts, devious secrets, flawed and selfish characters and blackmailing characters, all building towards a frenetic finale.
Despite that veer towards drawing parallels to a different show on another platform, Beef S2 is a thoroughly enjoyable watch with smart writing and good performances throughout.
The Bear Season 5
Where To Watch: JioHotstar
The acclaimed, often Emmy-grabbing show takes an interesting route with its final season. Save for the last episode, almost the entire season unfolds over a single evening of chaotic cooking and service.
While this could easily have been a disaster, much like how How I Met Your Mother unsuccessfully stretched its final season across a single weekend, The Bear impresses with its stylish presentation, razor-sharp editing and tense dramatic moments that are beautifully balanced by warmth and humour.
The performances are exceptional across the board, with Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas and Abby Elliott all at the top of their game.
Freedom At Midnight Season 2
Where To Watch: Sony LIV
The first season of Freedom At Midnight affectingly explored how the divisive politics of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the British’s shrewd politics paved the way for the Partition of India.
The second season of Nikkhil Advani’s series picks up from there to deliver a compelling account of how Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel guided the nation through its darkest phase and into the light of freedom. Almost at the cost of their personal equation.
It also chronicles Mahatma Gandhi’s relentless efforts to heal a deeply wounded nation, at the cost of his health and life. The series is thoughtfully written and directed, showing that India’s journey to Independence was far from the black-and-white narrative that certain sections often present.
In that sense, it serves as a fitting tribute to the leaders who made that transition possible. Impactful performances from Sidhant Gupta, Rajendra Chawla, Chirag Vohra and Arif Zakaria elevate an already powerful drama that deserves to be seen by many.
Raakh
Where To Watch: Prime Video
Based on the terrifying crimes of the infamous killer duo Billa-Ranga, Raakh is a riveting investigative period drama that also sneaks in some contemplative political commentary.
The show occasionally feels too violent even for the story it is telling, especially the sequence involving the assault and murder of the children. Otherwise, Raakh effectively depicts the advent of forensic science in Indian police investigations, while also delivering a gripping cat-and-mouse game between the cops and the killers.
The performances are solid throughout, with Ali Fazal, Rakesh Bedi, Sonali Bendre, Aamir Bashir, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and especially Akash Makhija impressing in their respective roles.
Made in India: A Titan Story
Where To Watch: Prime Video and MX Player
What a year the great Naseeruddin Shah is having!
Before making audiences weep with his heartbreaking performance in Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga, he delivered another commanding turn earlier this year as J R D Tata in Robbie Grewal’s highly engaging series about the legacy behind one of India’s most famous watch brands.
Providing excellent support is the always dependable Jim Sarbh, who shines as Xerxes Desai. Together, they elevate the series with several powerful moments.
Made in India: A Titan Story may not be perfect, and it is slyly pro-capitalist in its outlook, but as an engaging, feel-good account of people united by a common vision to build a true Indian success story, it works remarkably well.
Mamla Legal Hai Season 2
Where To Watch: Netflix
Having carefully established its setting and colourful characters in the previous season, even if not always consistently, Mamla Legal Hai flourishes this time with sharper satire inspired by real-life headlines about the compromised state of India’s judicial system.
The performances remain delightful, especially Ravi Kishan’s, the humour is consistently witty, and the show even tackles contentious issues such as the morality of capital punishment with admirable sensitivity without becoming overly dramatic.
We definitely need more of this court-kacheri in our lives!
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
Where To Watch: JioHotstar
Sure, there is probably a bit too much Game Of Thrones content arriving through prequels and spin-offs that rarely match the iconic legacy of the original.
Yet, standing on its own, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms is a remarkably well-written series that is comparatively lighter in tone than the other Westeros stories, while still being capable of turning disturbing, violent and even downright disgusting whenever required.
What really works is the inspired writing behind building the earnest but perpetually unlucky Ser Duncan, and the heartwarming bond he shares with his young squire, Egg. Who knew such a warm human story could exist in the cold world of dragons and thrones?
Wonder Man
Where To Watch: JioHotstar
Marvel has been on a bit of a downward curve when it comes to its shows, but every now and then one arrives to remind you what the studio is capable of.
Wonder Man is exactly that kind of MCU series.
It’s funny, suspenseful, touching and even throws in some wonderfully subversive surprises, with the entire flashback episode standing out as one of the year’s very best.
Co-created by Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Wonder Man thrives on the warm friendship that develops between Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery as they chase their big Hollywood break together.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley are both superb in a show that is a must-watch if you enjoy underdog stories set in the movie business. Of course, with a superhero twist.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
