5 new Netflix shows to watch (and 2 to skip) in April 2026

Since the second the year began, 2026 has been positively flying by. Somehow, we're already racing toward the halfway point of the year and spring has officially sprung. But when it comes to Netflix new releases, our watch lists are about to receive an abundance of great shows in April. Well, you know what they say about April showers. And it's pouring down amazing titles throughout the month!

Between three exciting new shows making their premieres and four fan-favorites returning with brand-new seasons, there's something for every Netflix fan and for every genre anyone might like. Looking for comedy or romance? Check! Hungry for more chills and thrills? Check! However, are all of the new Netflix shows coming in April worth watching? Let's get into our recommendations!

XO, Kitty season 3

Watch! XO, Kitty fans have been waiting for the third season to arrive, and it's finally here! Kitty's latest adventures in life and love at KISS kick off on Thursday, April 2. But this time around, it's her senior year and she's ready to make her last hurrah at her school the most exciting ever, which includes actually moving forward with Min Ho.

If you're behind on the To All the Boys spinoff series, or maybe didn't even start it, now's the time! Lana Condor makes her first appearance in the show as Lara Jean Song-Covey in XO, Kitty season 3, making this a season fans simply cannot skip!

Big Mistakes

Watch! Calling all Schitt's Creek fans! Dan Levy's first starring role in a television series since his Emmy Award-winning comedy ended in 2020 has arrived, and it could be one of the best new comedies of the year.

Levy stars in Big Mistakes, which he co-created with Rachel Sennott and makes its premiere on Netflix on Thursday, April 9. Levy and Taylor Ortega star as siblings Nicky and Morgan, siblings who finds themselves wrapped in organized crime after a theft goes sideways. The series also stars Laurie Metcalf, Jack Innanen, Boran Kuzum, and Abby Quinn. You can't miss this one!

Million Dollar Secret season 2

Skip! Last year, Netflix debuted its new reality competition series Million Dollar Secret, which became a modest hit and earned a season 2 renewal. Well, the second season premieres on Wednesday, April 15 and reunites viewers with host Peter Serafinowicz for another round of the high-stakes game.

For those unfamilar, the series gathers 14 contestants to a lakeside estate, and one of them is given $1 million dollars and forced to keep it a secret. They win the money so long as they don't get caught. If you're a fan of reality TV, you're definitely binge-watching, but if you're not, go ahead and skip!

Beef season 2

Watch! It's been three years since Netflix debuted the dark comedy series Beef, which went on to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Originally conceived to be a one-season miniseries, Beef season 2 premieres on April 16 with a new cast, new characters, and a new case of beef.

Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, and Cailee Spaeny star in the new season as couples dueling after the younger couple witness a fight between the older couple, who happen to be their bosses. You don't have to watch season 1 to watch season 2, so feel free to add it to your list!

Running Point season 2

Watch! Fresh off of her second Academy Award nomination, Kate Hudson returns in the hilarious Netflix original comedy series Running Point, which should earn the actress her first Emmy Award nomination.

The comedy's second season drops on Thursday, April 23 and finds Hudson's character Isla Gordon continuing to lead the Los Angeles Waves basketball team and dealing with her unpredictable brothers. From Mindy Kaling, Running Point season 2 looks bigger, bolder, and — if it's possible — funnier than the first. Rewatch season 1 to get ready for the literal LOLs!

Stranger Things: Tales from '85

Skip? Okay, okay, look... Who would ever suggest skipping a new Stranger Things spinoff? It seems unfathomable, especially since we're still only a few months removed from the show's series finale. No one would ever pass up returning to Hawkins for more adventures, but for those missing the beloved Netflix series and wanting more, the animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales from '85 might not scratch that itch.

Taking place between seasons 2 and 3, the core gang gathers together (not voiced by the original series' stars) with some new characters to battle creatures and monsters. Check it out on April 23, but if animation isn't quite your thing, then don't feel bad about passing on this particular Stranger Things adventure.

Man on Fire

Watch! If you can't get enough of Netflix's action thriller series like The Night Agent, your watch list is about to receive a new series that you will devour in one sitting. Based on the novel of the same name by A.J. Quinnell, which inspired the 2004 movie starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning, Man on Fire stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as John Creasy, a Special Forces mercenary.

He's battling PTSD and attempting to redeeming himself in an unexpected new mission. The series comes from Kyle Killen and also stars Billie Boullet, Alice Braga, Scoot McNairy, Paul Ben-Victor, and Bobby Cannavale. Catch the seven-episode drama when it premieres on Thursday, April 30.