OK, But This Sizzle Reel Is Good

There are a ton of downsides to anyone buying Warner Bros. Discovery, much less Netflix; Higher prices, less competition, lost jobs, fewer shows, and probably fewer theatrical releases.

The one upside? HBO Max content plays well on Netflix. There are a few HBO shows streaming on Netflix right now, and it’s nice that relatively underseen series like The Staircase or Love & Death get a Netflix bump (even if the latter wasn’t that great). At the very least, the takeover would probably lead to Six Feet Under, The Wire, and The Gilded Age landing on Netflix (although, we will probably have to pay considerably more).

But if you’re wondering what the real appeal for Netflix is: Check out HBO Max’s 2026 sizzle reel. Maybe HBO Max only puts out 20 series a year, but their track record is impeccable. I’m excited for nearly everything in the sizzle reel, even Euphoria and, especially, Damon Lindelof’s Lanterns with Coach Taylor and Bill Lawrence’s Rooster with Steve Carell. This provides our first glimpse of both, as well as a number of other projects to look forward to.

If I were Netflix, I’d want that content, too. Here’s the rundown (and the asterisks are of shows providing never-before-seen footage).

*House of the Dragon S3, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts summer 2026
*Euphoria S3, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts in April
Industry S4, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts January 11
The Pitt S2, Max Original Drama Series, debuts January 8
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts January 18
*DTF St. Louis, HBO Original Limited Series, debuts in 2026
*The Comeback S3, HBO Original Comedy Series, debuts in March
*Rooster, HBO Original Comedy Series, debuts in March
*Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, HBO Original Two-Part Documentary, debuts in 2026
*Untitled Larry David Project, HBO Original Limited Series, debuts in 2026
*Half Man, HBO Original Limited Drama Series, debuts in 2026
Hacks S5, Max Original Comedy Series, debuts in 2026
*Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, Max Original Comedy Series, debuts in 2026
The Gilded Age S4, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts in 2026
*War, HBO Original Series, debuts in 2026
*Dune: Prophecy S2, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts in 2026
*Lanterns, HBO Original Drama Series, debuts in 2026