Pictures via Netflix
Between anticipated live events and new, playful concepts of competitions, game shows, and everything in between, here is a non-exhaustive roundup of everything Netflix has highlighted for this upcoming year on the reality TV front.
Also, don’t forget Netflix is fully expanding into video podcasts, which count as unscripted titles, beginning in January 2026 in the US, with further rollouts planned throughout the year. You can see our full recap for Next on Netflix 2026 here.
Star Search
Let’s start with one of the biggest bets of the year: the reboot of one of American television’s most beloved prime-time shows for a global stage. This week, the judges of Star Search were revealed to be Sarah Michelle Gellar, breakout country/rap star Jelly Roll, and Chrissy Teigen. Anthony Anderson was previously confirmed as host ; the episodes will go live every week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9PM ET/6PM PT. The format, set to air over ten episodes and five weeks, will also see weekly eliminations, but will it drive enough engagement from global audiences, who will be invited to vote live? And will the family-oriented program captivate most segments of the Netflix audience? All questions that shall be solved over the next few months, and might help determine the future of global competition bets from the platform going forward.
Temptation Island (Season 2)
The tried-and-true dating format, which was relaunched again as a Netflix Original in March of 2025 after five seasons broadcast on USA Network, is set to return this year with a brand-new set of couples, alongside host Mark L. Walberg. Shot in Hawaii once again, the show may launch again next spring, even though a release window is still unconfirmed.
Queer Eye (Season 10)
The final season of the long-running show, launching on January 21st, will see a last series of makeovers by the quintet of Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo, and Tan France, as well as a reflection of the impact and legacy of the show.
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (Season 4)
Even though the Queer Love spin-off is bygones, The Ultimatum hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey are still planning to come back for a fourth season of the spicy dating format. Once anticipated for late 2025, as Season 3 already premiered more than a year ago, in December 2024, a release date was expected to be imminent.
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment (Season 2)
UNLOCKED: A Jail Experiment. Inmate Jay in episode 202 of UNLOCKED: A Jail Experiment. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix/
This one is now streaming globally, and we have a preview of what to expect from the 6-episode series set in a facility in Arizona where inmates will be given unprecedented agency.
Is It Cake? Valentines
Hosted by comedian Mikey Day, this new special edition of the long-running cooking format, which has already celebrated holidays and Halloween, will see three duos of master baking artists compete in Valentines Day themed brand-new games. It is set to arrive on February 4th.
Per the official description, “For the first time in Is It Cake history, there are games just for the viewer! With hearts pounding and money on the line, these couples are in for the sweetest date night of their lives!”. Judges for this edition will be Casey Wilson and David Caspe, alongside Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross.
Love Is Blind (Season 10) & Love is Blind: UK (Season 3)
Releasing February 11th, the 10th season of the format, releasing only 4 months after the previous cycle, will make the show the longest-running unscripted series in Netflix history. Hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey return. The UK spin-off will also return with hosts Emma and Matt Willis in August 2026.
Million Dollar Secret (Season 2)
Renewed in May of 2025, the show was one of the biggest reality debuts of the year. Peter Serafinowicz returns as host, with a brand-new group of contestants.
The logline :
This is a game of wit, cunning and deception. Twelve strangers enter a sumptuous lakeside estate and in each of their rooms is a mysterious welcome gift — a box. Eleven of them are empty and one contains $1,000,000, and it’s for that guest to keep — as long as they keep their identity hidden. Devilish games will reveal clues about the millionaire’s identity, and they must do whatever it takes to keep their Million Dollar Secret.
Perfect Match (Season 4)
Renewed last summer, the brand-new season will feature returning contestants and fan favorite from other Netflix reality shows, alongside host Nick Lachey.
Age of Attraction
A brand-new dating format, presented as a social experiment, will focus on age differences and their impact on dating with a group of candidates aged 22 to 59. Per the official logline, “Age is thrown out the window when singles search for their soulmates, but will the years come between them?” Nick Viall and Natalie Joy host, with showrunner Sam Dean (Love Is Blind) at the helm.
Calabasas Confidential
This new format will focus on the frenzy around the famous Californian residential area, with a focus on a reunion of a group of college graduates coming back to the hillsides after four years apart. Per the description, “As old flames reignite and buried tensions resurface, they’re forced to confront unfinished business and uncertain futures in the town that raised them.” Spoke Studios is the production company.
The Golden Ticket
One of the many Roald Dahl projects developed for the platform, which acquired the company owning the rights to the works by the famous author in 2021, this competition will be the first unscripted project to make its way to subscribers globally, inspired by the famous Willy Wonka lore.
The official logline :
Lucky contestants will have the chance to enter Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, but there’s a catch — only players who find a coveted golden ticket will gain entry to the factory. But a golden ticket doesn’t guarantee a sweet ride once the gates open; only those who can adapt, strategize, and withstand the unknown will make it through. Set inside a retro-futuristic dreamscape, this high-stakes social experiment will challenge players not just physically, but mentally as they navigate games, tests, and temptations designed to probe their instincts, resilience, and ability to thrive in chaos.
Let’s Marry Harry
Coming from podcaster Alex Cooper‘s production company Unwell, the project was announced last summer during a Summer Break event in Los Angeles, and centers on former Too Hot To Handle and Perfect Match contestant Harry Jowsey in a Bachelor-style dating competition. Jowsey currently hosts the podcast Boyfriend Material, also produced by Cooper and Unwell Productions.
Untitled Kevin Hart Competition Series
Alongside the upcoming movie 72 Hours, Kevin Hart remains busy and in business with Netflix as the executive producer and proposed host (alongside “a crew of comedy titans” to be named) of this competition series to find the next big-time talent in stand-up comedy. According to the official logline, “this unfiltered, uncensored and unapologetic competition will pull back the curtain on the gritty, hilarious and often unpredictable path of a stand-up career.”
Win The Mall
Announced last November and produced by Fremantle, this 8-episode series will see ten “expert shoppers” face off against each other in a classic American shopping mall. Produced by leading production company Fremantle (Let’s Make A Deal), EP Jimmy Fox summarized the ambition of the program thusly: “You go to a mall for two reasons: to shop and to socialize. You’ll have to excel at both in order to Win the Mall.” The series will launch this fall.
L’Arène
Alongside the upcoming season of Nouvelle École, the French adaptation of Rhythm + Flow, Netflix France announced the upcoming MMA competition format L’Arène (The Arena). A string of challengers will face off and undertake mental and physical challenges for the chance to win €100,000 and a spot in a professional league. Three major stars of the field will be judges on the program: Ciryl Gane (who fronted Netflix action movie K.O. in 2025), Cédric Doumbé and Benoît Saint Denis.
Blue Therapy
Confirmed in the UK Next on Netflix slate document for a March 2026 premiere is Blue Therapy. Directed by Gary Brooks and produced by Anna Edwinson, Luti Fagbenle, Andy Amadi, and Vanessa Van Yeboah, the series follows couples who have faced challenges in their relationships who are now attempting to rebuild their lives guided by experts.
At Home with the Furys (Season 2)
Also on the UK slate this year is the long-awaited return of the sports docu-soap reality series following Tyson Fury following his retirement from the ring. The first season premiered back in August 2023. Per Netflix, “At Home with the Furys S2 will show the heavyweight champion of the world determined to give retirement another shot and embrace a future in Morecambe Bay without boxing, alongside his wife Paris, their seven children, and dad, John.” Netflix is also releasing a documentary film on Tyson Fury in 2026.
Elsewhere on Netflix’s reality slate, they’re developing a competition series with YouTuber Mark Rober as well as bringing Monopoly and Clue to our screens.
Are you excited to see some of these highlights? Let us know in the comments below!
