5 Best New Netflix Shows To Watch This Week (September 28–October 4, 2026)

Published Sep 28, 2026, 4:53 PM EDT Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions. Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston. The five best new Netflix series to binge-watch this week, September 28–October 4, 2026, include a star-studded adaptation of a bestselling masterpiece novel. In addition, other top new releases coming to Netflix this week are a celebrated coming-of-age anime, a beloved 4-season drama series, a legendary crime mystery franchise, and a groundbreaking collaboration between two major franchises. Over the weekend, Netflix titles such as Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, which remains the #1 most-watched show on the platform, and Not A Stranger, a thrilling 8-part series that's #2 worldwide, continued their streaming dominance. Other great Netflix shows to binge-watch include the reality competition series Wonka's The Golden Ticket (#3 worldwide) and the classic sitcom reboot A Different World (#1 in the U.S.). That said, the following five series represent what's on the cutting edge of Netflix's exclusive streaming releases this week. Blue Box The season 2 premiere of Blue Box, a critically acclaimed anime series, arrives on Netflix this Sunday, October 4, 2026. The first season, which consists of 25 episodes, debuted back in October 2024 and ran through March 2025 with weekly releases. Blue Box follows a high school student named Taiki who joins a badminton team and begins to fall in love with the school's star basketball player, Chinatsu. Taiki tries to earn Chinatsu's affection by improving as an athlete, which becomes complicated after they end up living under the same roof. The Way Home Season 4 of The Way Home arrives on Netflix this Thursday, October 1, 2026. The fourth and final season of the beloved Hallmark series will conclude the expansive story that centered on three generations of women living together in a small farm town. At its core, The Way Home is about healing a fractured family and recovering from past transgressions and tragedies. The series earned a 91% Rotten Tomatoes audience score and will finally have all 40 episodes available to stream on Netflix for the first time ever this week. NCIS Seasons 20–22 of the long-running crime mystery series NCIS will land on Netflix this Thursday, October 1, 2026, the same day that the removal of seasons 18 and 19 will take place. These new seasons on Netflix come just days before the season 24 premiere of NCIS on Tuesday, October 6, which will be available on CBS and Paramount+. NCIS has more than 500 episodes, all of which are available to stream on Paramount+. Those who don't have Paramount+ but have Netflix can finally enjoy the latest seasons of the legendary franchise. LEGO ONE PIECE LEGO ONE PIECE is one of the most anticipated new releases on Netflix this week, with two new episodes set to premiere on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Bringing two massive franchises together for the very first time, LEGO ONE PIECE will retell the first two seasons of Netflix's hit series, based on the acclaimed anime series, through LEGO animation and its signature comedic style. Perfect for the whole family, and featuring several of the Netflix series' main cast members, LEGO ONE PIECE is sure to be one of the biggest new streaming releases on Netflix this week. East of Eden East of Eden is without a doubt the biggest new series on Netflix this week, arriving with seven new episodes on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Starring Florence Pugh (Midsommar), Mike Faist (Challengers), Christopher Abbott (Game of Thrones), Ciarán Hinds (Rome), Martha Plimpton (Task), and more, East of Eden adapts one of the greatest American novels of all time, written by John Steinbeck. The Netflix series will bring to life the classic tale of the Trask and Hamilton families in this epic portrayal of the biblical Cain and Abel story and is poised to be the platform's new #1 worldwide streaming hit this week.