Netflix Has Announced 7 Shows Will End in 2026

Netflix has established itself as the most popular streaming platform in the world, thanks in large part to its extensive list of original series. However, a few of the streaming giant's most popular shows will be coming to an end in 2026.

While Netflix announced the cancellation of 11 different shows throughout 2025, the streaming service also announced this year that seven Netflix original series will officially conclude in 2026.

Stranger Things

The first and most high-profile show that will be coming to an end in 2026 is Stranger Things. Premiering in July of 2016, Stranger Things follows a group of friends in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, as supernatural occurrences start to disrupt their quiet, small town, beginning with the mysterious disappearance of a young boy.

Running for nearly a decade, the show has become one of the most-watched original series in Netflix history. However, on Jan. 1, 2026, it will officially come to a close after five seasons.

Netflix began rolling out the fifth and final season of the hit show back in November of 2025, and the two-hour series finale will debut on the platform on the evening of New Year's Day.

The Empress

Debuting in September of 2022, The Empress is a German historical drama television series that is based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

The show follows Elisabeth, who goes by "Sisi," as she falls in love with Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, the intended fiancé of her older sister, Duchess Helene. Eventually, they marry, and she finds herself navigating court politics and a scheming royal family.

The show was an immediate success, emerging as Netflix's second-most-watched series worldwide for two weeks. It was renewed for a second season and will now conclude with a third season, which is expected to premiere at some point in 2026.

Heartstopper

Premiering back in April of 2022, Heartstopper is a British coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama television series that follows a shy, openly gay Charlie Spring and popular rugby player Nick Nelson at an all-boys British school as their friendship gradually turns into love.

The show earned immediate success, with the first season receiving nine nominations and five wins for the inaugural ceremony of the Children's and Family Emmy Awards. It also emerged as one of the top ten most-watched English-language series on Netflix within two days of release.

After three seasons, Netflix announced that the series will officially conclude with a feature-length film titled Heartstopper Forever that is expected to be released at some point in 2026.

Queer Eye

Beginning in 2018, Queer Eye is a reality television makeover show in which five experts, who have become known as the "Fab Five," help people transform their lives in a variety of ways, from beauty and fashion to deeper personal growth.

The show stars Antoni Porowski as a food and wine expert, Jonathan Van Ness as the expert on aesthetic beauty, Karamo Brown as an expert on relationships and social interaction, and Tan France as the fashion expert. Bobby Berk served as the interior design expert for the first eight seasons, but he was replaced by Jeremiah Brent during season nine.

The show has been a hit for nearly a decade. However, it is officially coming to an end in 2026 as Netflix announced back in July that the 10th season would be the show's last.

Outer Banks

Premiering back in April of 2020, Outer Banks is set in a fictional coastal town along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where a stark social divide exists between the working class "Pogues" and the wealthy season residence, nicknamed the "Kooks."

The show follows a group of young "pogues" on an increasingly dangerous adventure as they search for legendary treasure, search for long-lost secrets, and uncover family mysteries, all while navigating normal young adult themes like love and friendship.

The show has become one of the most popular Netflix original series in history and has been generally well-received by critics, as well, with the fourth season even earning a 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite the popularity, Netflix announced in 2025 that the upcoming fifth season of the show, which is slated for a 2026 release, will be the last.

The Witcher

Based on the book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and following the popular video games, The Witcher follows Geralt of Rivia, a genetically enhanced monster hunter known as a "witcher" with superhuman abilities, as he eventually becomes the protector of Crown Princess Cirilla of Cintra.

The show has been quite popular on Netflix and has been well-received by critics, with the second season even earning a 95 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Netflix has announced that the upcoming fifth season, which is set to be released at some point in 2026, will be the last.

Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black

Premiering back in October of 2024, Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black is a drama series that follows two women living very different lives whose paths cross. Kimmie is trying to escape her life as a stripper, stuck as a hostage with a violent pimp, while Mallory runs a beauty empire but struggles in a loveless marriage.

The show has been quite popular with viewers, becoming Netflix's fourth-most-watched series with 5.6 million views in its first four days. As a result, the show was renewed for a second season, which debuted back in September of 2025 with part two of the second season slated for March 19, 2026.

In December 2025, Netflix announced that the series had been renewed for a third and final season, which is expected at some point in 2026.