The 20 Best TV Shows of 2026 (So Far)

Elle Fanning lies on a pink couch with black-and-white striped pillows, resting her head on a pillow in Michelle Pfeiffer lap in Apple TV+#039;s #039;Margo#039;s Got Money Troubles.#039; — (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Jump to category:

The Best So Far
Coming Soon

If you're a diehard TV fan, chances are you're a bit behind on your watchlist. So many must-watch shows came out last year, from the returns of juggernauts like The White Lotus and Stranger Things to surprise word-of-mouth hits like The Pitt and Heated Rivalry. Now that 2026 is approaching fall, it's time to take note of which upcoming shows will command the cultural conversation for the rest of the year—and which are already out and worth bingeing.

That's where I come in, a full-time culture writer whose literal job is to keep up with the overwhelming amount of media coming our way. Throughout the year, I'll be keeping track of the best and buzziest TV shows coming to Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV, and more. Read on for my picks for the best TV shows of 2026 so far.

The Best TV Shows of 2026 (So Far)

'The Pitt' season 2

Overriding Al-Hashimi played by sepideh moafi and Dr. Robby played by noah wyle encourage Samira played by Supriya Ganesh and Garcia played by alexandra metz through a procedure in the pitt season 2

Release Date: January 8, airing weekly on HBO Max

'Industry' season 4

Release Date: January 11, airing weekly on HBO

Starring: Myha'la, Marisa Abela, Ken Leung, Sagar Radia, Miriam Petche, Kit Harrington, Kiernan Shipka, Toheeb Jimoh, Max Minghella, Kal Penn, and Charlie Heaton

After bringing its Pierpoint era to an end in the season 3 finale, HBO's most undersung series reinvented itself in its fourth season. Harper (Myha'la) now leads her own team funded by a powerful backer, while Yasmin (Abela) navigates her new role as Henry's (Harrington) dutiful wife. Add a buzzy fintech start-up that enters everybody's orbit, and we're promised a propulsive new season.

WATCH IT

'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. Carolyn Bessette'

Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette holding Paul Anthony Kennedy as John F. Kennedy Jr#039;s hand in their apartment in FX#039;s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. amp;amp; Carolyn Bessette episode amp;quot;Exit Strategyamp;quot;

Release Date: February 12, airing weekly on FX/Hulu

Starring: Sarah Pidgeon, Paul Kelly, Naomi Watts, Grace Gummer, Sydney Lemmon, and Alessandro Nivola

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Ryan Murphy debuted his latest anthology based on a true story, after American Crime Story and American Sports Story. The first iteration of Love Story follows the whirlwind romance between Carolyn Bessette (Pidgeon), then a Calvin Klein employee, and scion John F. Kennedy Jr. (Kelly). Their relationship was the subject of constant tabloid fodder before ending in tragedy, and the series imagines what went on in their private relationship. Come for the incredible performances, stay for the '90s fashion inspiration.

WATCH IT

'The Comeback'

Lisa Kudrow stands with her arms extended in a large doorway, with a home#039;s entryway table and a painting of herself behind her, in the HBO series #039;The Comeback#039; season 3

Release Date: March 22, airing weekly on HBO

Starring: Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky, Laura Silverman, Damian Young, Tim Bagley, Jack O'Brien, Andrew Scott, Matt Cook, Ella Stiller, John Early, Barry Shabaka Henley, Abbi Jacobson, Tony Macht, Brittany O'Grady, Zane Phillips, and Julian Stern

Lisa Kudrow's cult-classic Hollywood satire returned for a third and final season, 21 years after its 2005 debut and almost 12 years since its 2014 sophomore season. We adored seeing sitcom star Valerie Cherish (Kudrow) back on our screens—this time as an executive producer handling Hollywood today, from TikTok and Hot Ones to AI and streaming.

WATCH IT

'The Testaments'

A young woman (Chase Infiniti) wears a white top while standing in a room filled with people, their faces obstructed by black robes. A first-look image from Hulu#039;s #039;The Testaments.#039;

Release Date: April 8, airing weekly on Hulu

Starring: Ann Dowd, Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday, Rowan Blanchard, and Mattea Conforti

Brace yourselves for a return to Gilead. Hulu's follow-up to The Handmaid's Tale adapts Margaret Atwood's 2019 sequel novel, with Ann Dowd returning as Aunt Lydia. The series follows a new group of young women in Gilead—including June's (Elisabeth Moss) now-16-year-old daughter, Hannah, known as Agnes (Infiniti) as she struggles to come of age in the dystopia.

WATCH IT

'Hacks' season 5

jean smart as deborah and hannah einbinder as ava standing in the desert in hacks season 4

Release Date: April 9, airing weekly on HBO Max

Starring: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Meg Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, and Christopher Briney

Season 5 ended up being Hacks's last—but at least we got one more round of Ava (Einbinder) and Deborah (Smart) hijinks. After that false death announcement in the season 4 finale, Deborah returns to the U.S. for her final attempt at a major comeback.

WATCH IT

'Big Mistakes'

Release Date: April 9 on Netflix

Starring: Dan Levy, Taylor Ortega, Laurie Metcalf, Abby Quinn, Boran Kuzum, Jack Innanen, Jacob Gutierrez, and Elizabeth Perkins

For his first TV show after Schitt’s Creek, Dan Levy teamed up with Rachel Sennott to create this raucous dark comedy about a dysfunctional New Jersey family. When gay pastor Nicky (Levy) and failed actor Morgan (Ortega) unknowingly steal jewels from the mob, they get sucked into the crime world and have to balance the enforcer’s demands with their overbearing mother’s (Metcalf).

WATCH IT

'Margo's Got Money Troubles'

Michelle Pfeiffer stands over her pregnant daughter played by Elle Fanning as she lies spread out on the wooden floor of a baby-clothing retailer, in Apple TV#039;s #039;Margo#039;s Got Money Troubles.#039;

Release Date: April 15, airing weekly on Apple TV

Starring: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Angarano, and Nick Offerman

All you need to hear to be excited for this show: David E. Kelley adapts Rufi Thorpe's buzzy 2024 novel, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning leading the cast. It follows Margo (Fanning), a 20-year-old single mom, as she searches for a way out of poverty after getting pregnant by her English professor.

WATCH IT

'Widow's Bay'

Matthew Rhys as Mayor Tom Loftis, looking scared while holding a red book to his chest and sitting behind an office desk, in the Apple TV show #039;Widow#039;s Bay.#039;

Release Date: April 29, airing weekly on Apple TV

Starring: Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Kevin Carroll, Dale Dickey, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Jeff Hiller, Toby Huss and Stephen Root

If the 19 Emmy nominations weren’t proof enough, take it from me: Widow’s Bay is the most exciting new show of 2026. It’s best to know as little as possible going into Katie Dippold’s horror-comedy series about the titular New England island town whose mayor, Tom Loftis (Rhys), is trying to sell it as the next Martha’s Vineyard. You know, if tourists can get past all the killings, the mysterious fog, and the generations-old curse.

WATCH IT

'The Other Bennet Sister'

A Regency-era woman (Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet) stands alone while framed by a row of red-coated soldiers and another row of Regency women, in BritBox#039;s #039;The Other Bennet Sister.#039;

Release Date: May 6, airing weekly on BritBox

Starring: Ella Bruccoleri, Dónal Finn, Laurie Davidson, Poppy Gilbert, Maddie Close, Molly Wright, Grace Hogg, Ruth Jones, Aaron Gill, Varada Sethu, Indira Varma, Richard Coyle, and Tanya Reynolds

In a year of buzzy new period dramas, the BBC’s adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s novel became a heartwarming, word-of-mouth sensation. This Pride and Prejudice continuation follows wallflower Mary Bennet as she heads off to London to find her place in the world outside her sisters’ shadow and away from her mother's watchful eye. Though Mary also finds herself in the middle of a love triangle, the show’s true love story lies within her self-awakening.

WATCH IT

'Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed'

A woman (Tatiana Maslany) brandishes a hockey stick while standing in the doorway of a home, with a string of Christmas lights hung to her right, in the Apple TV series #039;Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.#039;

Release Date: May 20, airing weekly on Apple TV

Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Jake Johnson, Brandon Flynn, Murray Bartlett, Jessy Hodges, Jon Michael Hill, Charlie Hall, Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg, Nola Wallace, and Dolly De Leon

Once again, Apple TV comes through with a star-studded cast and a can't-miss premise: "Convinced she witnessed a crime—while simultaneously struggling through a custody battle and an identity crisis—Paula (Maslany) begins her own investigation, one that could unravel a greater conspiracy while also holding the keys to rebuilding her family and sense of self."

WATCH IT

'The Vampire Lestat'

Sam Reid as Lestat leans back while singing into a microphone onstage in front of a rock band. Hands of screaming fans are in the bottom of the frame, in a still from AMC#039;s #039;The Vampire Lestat.#039;

Release Date: June 7, airing weekly on AMC

Starring: Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles, Jennifer Ehle, and Sheila Atim

For its third season, the show previously known as Interview with the Vampire switched narrators, with Lestat (Reid) stepping in to helm the adaptation of the second book in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Follow along with the vampire-turned-rockstar’s cross-country tour, as Lestat reckons with his complicated relationship with his mother (Ehle), the release of Louis’ (Anderson) memoir, the death of Claudia (Hayles), and the eternal loneliness of the living dead.

WATCH IT

'House of the Dragon' season 3

Emma D#039;Arcy as Rhaenyra, looking down while holding a golden crown, in a first-look image from #039;House of the Dragon#039; season 3.

Release Date: June 21, airing weekly on HBO

Starring: Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Harry Collett, Tom Glynn-Carney, Ewan Mitchell, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, and Phia Saban

2026 is a big year for Game of Thrones fans: Not only did A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiere in January, but House of the Dragon returned for its third season. The latest installment brought the epic sea battles and dragon face-offs that fans had been waiting for, and some new dramatic tension as a female Targaryen finally sat upon the Iron Throne.

WATCH IT

'Furious'

Release Date: July 27, airing weekly on Hulu

Starring: Emmy Rossum, Lola Petticrew, Scoot McNairy, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Steve Way, Danny McCarthy, and Jake Lacy

Liz Meriwether—the TV scribe behind Dying for Sex, The Dropout, and New Girl—is back with a new #MeToo-evoking miniseries inspired by the 1987 serial-killer flick Black Widow. It follows rookie FBI agent Alice Black (Rossum) as she and her boss (Bernstine) hunt down a female killer (Petticrew) whose victims are wealthy men.

WATCH IT

'Sterling Point'

Ella Rubin as Annie, Mabel Strachan as Maple, Bo Bragason as Oona, and Ameamp;#769;lie Hoeferle as Ramona howl while standing in a group outdoors, in the Prime Video series #039;Sterling Point.#039;

Release Date: August 5 on Prime Video

Starring: Ella Rubin, Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie, Amélie Hoeferle, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Bo Bragason, and Keen Ruffalo

Among Prime Video's stacked year of teen TV—from Off Campus to Every Year After to Elle and more—Megan Park's soap-tinged drama stands out as completely original. When adopted twins Annie (Rubin) and Connor (Ruffalo) discover they've inherited a Canadian island, Annie's exodus to Muskoka unearths some earth-shattering family secrets—including a secret sister (Hoeferle).

WATCH IT

The Best TV Shows of 2026 Coming Soon

'A Different World'

Release Date: September 24 on Netflix

Starring: Maleah Joi Moon, Alijah Kai Haggins, Cornell Young IV, Jordan Aaron Hall, Kennedi Reece, Chibuikem Uche, Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Darryl M. Bell, and Cree Summer

Nearly 40 years after the original, Netflix's reboot of A Different World will introduce viewers to a new generation of Hillman College. You'll be reacquainted with the original cast as we follow their offspring through freshman year, led by Dwayne Wayne (Hardison) and Whitley's (Guy) youngest daughter, Deborah (Moon).

WATCH THE TRAILER

'East of Eden'

Release Date: October 1, airing on Netflix

Starring: Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Tracy Letts, Ciarán Hinds, Martha Plimpton, Joseph Zada, and Joe Anders

Netflix's long-anticipated adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel is almost here, with Pugh playing famed antihero Cathy Ames. For anyone who missed reading the book in school, Zoe Kazan's take will follow "Ames, whose life is intertwined with the lives of generations of men from the Trask family—notably those of Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Charles (Mike Faist)—as the characters live out the darker side of the California dream."

WATCH THE TEASER

'Carrie'

Release Date: October 7, airing on Prime Video

Starring: Summer Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette, Josie Totah, Arthur Conti, Thalia Dudek, Amber Midthunder, and Matthew Lillard

Horror auteur Mike Flanagan is back with a new Stephen King adaptation. This time, he's bringing Carrie into the 21st century, expanding the classic story into a TV series touching on bullying in the age of social media and teens' mental health in the modern age.

WATCH THE TRAILER

'VisionQuest'

Release Date: October 14, airing weekly on Disney+

Starring: Paul Bettany, James Spader, Ruaridh Mollica, Todd Stashwick, T’Nia Miller, Lauren Morais, Orla Brady, Emily Hampshire, and James D’Arcy

Even if you're not a diehard Marvel fan, the studio's WandaVision trilogy is absolutely worth a watch. In this new spinoff, a reboot of Vision (Bettany) is on the run from agencies that want to weaponize him and is searching for his own meaning. To survive, he'll have to resist the sway of the A.I.'s living in his head—including Ultron (Spader)—and unravel the mystery of his new young companion (Mollica).

WATCH THE TRAILER

'Yellowjackets' season 4

Courtney Eaton as Teen Lottie, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Teen Taissa, Liv Hewson as Teen Van and Anisa Harris as Teen Robin in Yellowjackets, episode 10, season 3

Release Date: November 20, airing weekly on Paramount+

Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nélisse, Tawny Cypress, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Christina Ricci, Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, Courtney Eaton, Liv Hewson, Warren Kole, Elijah Wood, Kevin Alves, Sarah Desjardins, Nia Sondaya, Jenna Burgess, Hilary Swank, Molly Ringwald, and June Squibb

Get ready to "buzz, buzz" for the last time, as the cult-favorite mystery-thriller concludes with its final season. In addition to seeing the teen survivors finally rescued, season 4 is expected to wrap up a bunch of lingering questions.

WATCH THE TEASER

Explore More