Highest-rated picks

Best TV Shows of October 2026

Dexter: Resurrection currently leads October, but anime gives the list much of its character: The Apothecary Diaries sits at two, with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners at three and The Ramparts of Ice at four. Seven returning shows make this a month built around familiar series, while crime and drama run alongside Crunchyroll Premium’s anime-heavy presence.

10 ranked picksRatings + editorial fitFor October 2026

Browse Archive Previous Month

By PremiereLens

Ranked by current IMDb rating; release date breaks ties. Updated Oct 8, 2026.

#1 pick

Dexter: Resurrection

9.0

S02

18+Oct 30Paramount+ with Showtime / Crime / Drama

Why this made the list

The month's strongest pick: a 9.0-rated season 2 return on Paramount+ with Showtime with crime / drama appeal.

Weeks after taking a bullet to the chest from his own son, Dexter Morgan awakens from a coma to find Harrison gone. Realizing the weight of what he put his son through, Dexter sets out for New York City, determined to find him and make things right. But when Miami Metro's Angel Batista arrives with questions, Dexter realizes his past is catching up to him fast. As father and son navigate their own darkness, they soon find themselves deeper than ever imagined. A continuation of DEXTER: NEW BLOOD.

Details

#2 pick

The Apothecary Diaries

8.6

S01

MOct 2Nippon TV / Drama / Mystery

Why this made the list

8.6 audience rating, 13 wins & 47 nominations total, and a proven new-series entry make this a credible shortlist choice.

A young maiden is kidnapped and sold into servitude at the emperor's palace, where she secretly employs her pharmacist skills with the help of the head eunuch to unravel medical mysteries in the inner court.

Details