New Zealand Spy starring Rose Matafeo and Bret McKenzie is coming to TVNZ in 2026.
Spies, scandals, stalkers, sitcoms and celebs … a lot is happening on TV in 2026.
We didn’t have space to list every new and returning show heading our way, but here’s a whole bunch that caught our eye and that we’ll be looking forward to throughout this year from our local creators.
What happens when you combine Rose Matafeo, Paul Williams and Bret McKenzie? Maybe the most interesting – and funniest – local show this year.
This star-studded 1960s-set spy-spoof follows a group of “highly unqualified” recruits who find themselves enlisted as secret agents for the New Zealand Intelligence Agency and thrust into the dangerous world of professional spycraft. Other stars include Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners, Fresh Meat), Andy Lee (Hamish & Andy), Tim Key (The Ballad of Wallis Island, The Paper), and Kiwis Guy Williams, Shavaughn Ruakere, Pax Assadi and more. Written by – and starring – Williams (Taskmaster NZ), not laughing will be mission impossible.
Watch: TVNZ2 / TVNZ+
This vital true crime documentary series is presented by Jazz Thornton and follows the chilling stories of three stalking victims, told through their point of view. The series promises to raise essential awareness about the prolific and dangerous nature of stalking in New Zealand and takes a serious look at the lax laws exacerbating the problem. The project is personal to Thornton, who has experienced stalking first hand: in 2024, she told her followers that a man flew “half way around the world” to find her, just two weeks after he sent her a message on social media.
Watch: Sky Open / Neon
Tom Sainsbury’s fake true crime podcast about a true crime podcaster investigating a suspicious death gets a small screen adaptation from February 9. This comedic whodunnit boasts an all-star cast, including Sainsbury himself, along with Rose Matafeo (she’s definitely making the most of her time filming in NZ), Morgana O’Reilly and dear old Felicity Kendal (yes, she of The Good Life).
Watch: Sky Comedy / Neon
The producers of the tensely gripping drama After the Party shift gears with this dark comedy. It stars Josh Thomson as a chronic procrastinator who tries to save his marriage by starting the long-promised home renovations. But when he starts banging down walls, he uncovers a historic crime scene. And then his problems really begin.
Watch: Sky Open / Neon
I’ve no idea why people with zero building experience believe they have the skills to project manage their challengingly creative and audaciously ambitious dream homes themselves, but watching their attempts as budgets blow out and stress levels rise has proved robust entertainment over the years. Our local version returns for its 10th season later this year.
Watch: TVNZ1 / TVNZ+
Rebecca Gibney and Harry McNaughton’s colourful musical sitcom about a Tauranga theatre group was the surprise, feel-good hit of 2025, so its happy days indeed to hear it’s returning for an encore performance in 2026. I wrote in my review of season 1 that this show turned “my frown upside down” with it’s clever songs and great musical numbers. Here’s hoping that continues.
Watch: Three / ThreeNow
Following in the flippers of his famous grandpa, the legendary Kiwi explorer and marine environmentalist Kelly Tarlton, Tane dives into this aquatic nature series that looks at our native wildlife and the conservation efforts surrounding them.
Watch: Three / ThreeNow
The unhinged chaos of Taskmaster NZ is officially confirmed to be returning in 2026. A batch of local celebrities and comedians will voluntarily put their reputations on the line as they take on the absurd challenges and nonsensical demands put forth by host Jeremy Wells and his deadpan sidekick, Paul Williams.
Watch: TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+
Speaking of celebrities and comedians voluntarily putting their reputations on the line, CTI also drifts ashore one more time this year. Expect plenty of strategic backstabbing, rice-and-bean-induced meltdowns, and hosts Bree Tomasel and Jayden Daniels mocking 16 famous people as they fail at basic puzzles and physical challenges as they attempt to win a cool $100k for charity.
Watch: TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+
Speaking of celebrities and comedians voluntarily putting their … oh, you get the idea. In this new celeb-centric series, Aussie comedian Rove McManus (remember him?) will host a bunch of famous faces from Aotearoa and Australia as they compete to see who can get out of an escape room the fastest.
Watch: Three / Three Now
McLeod’s Daughters stars Michala Banas and Brett Tucker reunite for this new NZ-based crime-drama series. Here, the pair play a newly retired police detective couple who are following their dream of running a small beachside hotel. But that dream quickly turns into a nightmare when they discover a dead body in Unit 3 that was definitely not listed on the chattels when they bought the place ... The new series starts January 18.
Watch: TVNZ1 / TVNZ+
Surprise! It’s an election year. So it would have been a complete travesty not to have a bunch of professional mockers on hand each week to comedically skewer our politicians as they attempt to curry favour from a generally fed-up electorate. Fortunately, this long-running topical comedy fave will be returning.
Watch: Three / ThreeNow
Ten hardcore gamers hand the Player 1 controller to their mothers in this high-stakes, family-friendly reality competition. They have limited time to take their parents from “noob” to elite gamer before sending them off into the digital realm, where the mums will compete in a variety of popular video games as they chase a $50,000 prize.
Watch: TVNZ 2 / TVNZ+
New Zealand’s top chefs will be cooking up a storm in this culinary reality competition that challenges them to create flavourful masterpieces. Hosted by food writer and former MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong and the multi-award-winning Kiwi chef Vaughan Mabee, you can bet there’s going to be a lot of heat in the competition’s Queenstown kitchen.
Watch: TVNZ 1 / TVNZ+
This rom-com series starring comedian Pax Assadi and actor Hannah Marshall explores what happens when one of those teenage “if we’re not married by 30, we’ll marry each other” pacts comes due.
Watch: Three / ThreeNow
This procedural police drama puts a contemporary, queer twist on the popular genre. It stars Morgana O’Reilly and Roimata Fox as two former lovers, both assigned to the local station of a small Northland town. They’ll need to work out how to work together while navigating decade-old heartbreak and solving the mystery of the week.
Watch: Sky Open / Neon
Based on Rachael King’s award-winning novel, the Emmy-nominated Secrets at Red Rock returns for a second season. Set in a rugged coastal town, the gripping drama follows friends who discover a skeleton, forcing their community to finally confront dark, decades-old secrets.
Watch: Sky Open / Neon
The New Zealand TV icon (yes, that world is applicable here) turns 60 in 2026, and to celebrate, fans will have the chance to rewatch a collection of classic episodes on TVNZ+, alongside new stories every Sunday night. Just hearing that theme tune takes us back.
Watch: TVNZ 1 / TVNZ+