Belgian series to watch in 2026, from the south to the north of the country

A record year for Belgian fiction

After two quieter years, the RTBF is broadcasting five Belgian productions in 2026, a record for the public broadcaster. VRT and Streamz are not far behind, and the two communities increasingly co-produce their series. Good news: most are accessible free of charge, on Auvio or VRT MAX.

We haven't yet seen all of these series: we tell you what the broadcasters have announced, who made them and where to watch them, without revealing anything about the plot.

Francophone Belgian series

Vital, Hospital Investigation

RTBF Auvio · since 1 October 2026 · medical thriller

During a visit to the Alma hospital, the Health Minister and several members of his team are struck by a fatal collapse. An emergency doctor (Alexia Depicker) and her brother, a forensic pathologist (Douglas Grauwels), must understand what is happening in order to lift the quarantine, while reopening old family wounds. Six episodes written by Fred Castadot (Ennemi public) and Maud Carpentier, directed by Gary Seghers and Julien Henry. The RTBF reports a very strong start in the ratings on La Une.

The Twelve, Botox Murders

RTBF Auvio · late October 2026 · legal drama

Twelve jurors must reach a verdict on the botox poisoning of a famous writer and his pregnant wife, during a party held to reveal the sex of their twins. It is the third season of the Flemish anthology series De twaalf, known internationally as The Twelve, and the first co-produced by VRT and RTBF. The plot unfolds between Liège and Hasselt, with a cast from both sides of the language border: Laura Sépul, Roda Fawaz, Stéphanie Van Vyve, Sophie Breyer, Tijmen Govaerts, Jennifer Heylen... Eight episodes.

Haemers, Public Enemy No. 1

RTBF Auvio and La Une · from November 2026 · drama, based on a true story

Spectacular heists, a fugitive run in Brazil, the kidnapping of a former Prime Minister: the story of Patrick Haemers left its mark on Belgium in the 1980s. The four-part mini-series of 52-minute episodes tells it through the eyes of his mother, Liliane, without glorifying the criminal. Yoann Zimmer plays Patrick Haemers opposite Anne Coesens, with Mara Taquin and Jan Hammenecker. Directed by Delphine Lehericey, co-produced by RTBF, VRT and HBO.

Ethernel

RTBF Auvio · since April 2026 · futuristic crime series

A specialist squad investigates crimes whose answers lie beyond death. Six 45-minute episodes produced by RTBF and Hélicotronc, blending crime, thriller and family drama, with Alexia Depicker among the cast. A good series to catch up on if you liked Vital.

Kody, Almost Normal

RTBF Auvio and La Une · from December 2026 · comedy

Comedian Kody plays himself in a ‘fake-real' chronicle of his life, between family, friends and writer's block. Written by Benjamin Dessy and Grégory Beghin, with Naïma Rodric, Clément Manuel and Salim Talbi. Worth noting for ending the year on a laugh.

Flemish series

Breendonk

Streamz · from October 2026, then VRT 1 and VRT MAX · historical drama

Antwerp, 1942. After a failed resistance action, the young couple Elisabeth and Rik are brutally separated: she must go into hiding, while he finds himself with his father in the feared SS prison at Breendonk Fort. Kevin Janssens makes his directing debut, with Filip Lenaerts, and also plays one of the lead roles. To survive, Rik and his father forge a secret alliance with a Flemish SS guard who begins to have doubts. Koen De Bouw and his son Jolan play a father and son, alongside Anne-Laure Vandeputte. The series is part of New8, an alliance of eight European public broadcasters.

De twaalf, De botoxmoorden

VRT MAX · since 6 September 2026 · legal drama

The Dutch-language version of the Twelve (see above) airs on Sundays on VRT 1 and is available in full on VRT MAX, with audio description. Handy for Dutch speakers who want to binge the lot.

Time:out

VRT MAX · since 31 August 2026 · comedy drama

Ellis and Brecht have been a model couple for seven years, until the day Brecht decides to take a month off to think about his life. A ‘feel-good' series about love, friendship and choices, with Elisabeth De Weerdt, Jonathan Michiels and Ismaïl L'hamiti. Broadcast Monday to Thursday on VRT 1 and available on VRT MAX.

Altijd welkom

VRT 1 and VRT MAX · autumn 2026 · tragicomedy

Lieve (Barbara Sarafian) gathers her deceased son's friends around a meal, without being sure her husband (Koen De Bouw) approves of the idea. What was meant to be a one-off gathering becomes a series of get-togethers. A bittersweet series about grief, with Pommelien Thijs, Femke Van der Steen, Misha Van der Werf and Willem Loobuyck.

And in 2027?

The next major RTBF and VRT co-production, La Traque (international title Hunters), is announced for early 2027 on Auvio and VRT MAX, in partnership with HBO Max. It follows Belgian special units during the 440 days separating the Charlie Hebdo attacks from the Brussels attacks.

Where to watch, and at what price

The details of the plans are in our guide streaming platforms in Belgium. And if you'd rather watch live TV, our page receiving TV in Belgium covers the options.

Watching Belgian series properly

Auvio and VRT MAX stream in high definition, not 4K. That's not a problem: a good 4K TV ‘rescales' the picture (known as upscaling) and makes it look very clean. A few tips:

• Use thebuilt-in app on the TV rather than streaming from a mobile phone: the picture is more stable. See Smart TVs and Belgian apps.
• Choose the picture mode ‘Cinema' or ‘Filmmaker', which is more faithful than ‘Standard' or ‘Dynamic'. All our settings are in installing and setting up your TV.
• Belgian series rely heavily on dialogue: turn on the mode clear voice if you find it hard to follow.

Frequently asked questions