The best TV shows of 2026 (so far), and where to stream them

Take a look at our Best TV list for 2026, and you’ll find a motley crew: vampires, football stars, even an aspiring James Bond.

They’re all part of the astonishingly varied TV shows that have premiered in the first half of this year, which include the triumphant return of dramas like Industry and The Pitt, the premiere of yet another Game of Thrones spin-off, and even more Bridgerton. And that was just January!

Beyond that, genre TV has dominated 2026, with horror-comedy Widow’s Bay, dystopian Handmaid’s Tale sequel The Testaments, and sci-fi twist-fest Paradise earning critical acclaim. This year’s superhero offerings, Wonder Man and Spider-Noir, also delivered on their promise with fun takes on an oversaturated genre.

On the comedy front, Hacks delivered what might be the most satisfying series finale of the year, Jury Duty pulled off its magic trick yet again in Season 2, and Shrinking and Rooster proved that Bill Lawrence is still the master of the feel-good hangout comedy. Drama lovers were spoiled for choice too, Love Story‘s historical romance, Half Man‘s bleak examination of toxic masculinity, and The Audacity‘s Silicon Valley satire. In the mood for a true dramedy? The always-excellent Tatiana Maslany has you covered in the darkly funny thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.

All this is to say, there’s been a lot of TV to start out 2026 — and a lot of it has been great! But 10 titles rose above the rest for us. Here are the 10 best TV shows of 2026 (so far).

10. Shrinking Season 3

TV’s most relentlessly optimistic show refuses to let you be a glass-half-empty person in yet another magnificent season. Created by Jason Segel, Bill Lawrence, and Brett Goldstein, Shrinking has become one of my go-to reflections on life, relationships, and finding unconventional ways to gain perspective on your Stuff. Though hilarious, Season 3 is all about the fear of moving forward, with Jimmy (Segel) and his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) staring down college, Gaby (Jessica Williams) navigating commitment, Brian (Michael Urie) moving into parenthood, and more. But it’s Harrison Ford who steals the show this season, with Paul saying much more than just “f*** Parkinson’s.” As I wrote in my review, “It’s this humans-will-surprise-you magic that makes Shrinking so wonderful, a laugh-out-loud comedy that reminds you that asking for support and supporting others in turn is an everyday superpower. An adamant champion of human complexity for three seasons, this show is so good it boggles my brain.” — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor

Starring: Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Ted McGinley, Brett Goldstein, Damon Wayans Jr., Wendie Malick, Cobie Smulders, Jeff Daniels, Candice Bergen, and Michael J. Fox

How to watch: Shrinking Season 3 is now streaming on Apple TV.

9. The Pitt Season 2

Sepideh Moafi and Noah Wyle in “The Pitt.”
Credit: Warrick Page / HBO Max

Don’t let the bizarre online backlash fool you: The Pitt‘s sophomore outing is a tremendous season of television. The series stays true to its real-time gimmick, but shakes things up just enough with new arrivals, like Sepideh Moafi’s Dr. Al-Hashimi, as well as a slate of afflictions that range from fascinating to heartbreaking. When it comes to medical dramas, R. Scott Gemmill’s HBO series remains the new gold standard.

In addition to its impressive surgery sequences and a series of escalating emergencies, The Pitt Season 2 manages to look even deeper inward than its predecessor. It pushes everyone to their breaking point, then sits quietly in the aftermath. Nowhere is this clearer than with Noah Wyle’s Dr. Robby, who puts himself — and especially his team — through hell in the show’s thorniest arc yet. More challenging than Season 1, Season 2 remains, as I wrote in my review, “empathetic, educational, and totally unforgettable.” — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Noah Wyle, Patrick Ball, Katherine LaNasa, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez, and Sepideh Moafi

How to watch: The Pitt Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max.

8. Beef Season 2

Charles Melton, Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, and Cailee Spaeny in “Beef.”
Credit: Netflix

Lee Sung Jin serves up a delectable new feud in Beef Season 2, a sharp examination of the intersection between capitalism and love. Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, and Cailee Spaeny star as two couples at war. As each pair fights tooth and nail to come out on top, Beef weaves a dazzling web of scams, blackmail, and rage that stretches all the way from California to Seoul.

That international reach is just one of several ways Beef Season 2 goes bigger than Season 1. (See also: doubling the number of beefing people.) What follows is a tad less focused than Beef‘s first entry, but it more than makes up for that with its astounding lead performances and awe-inspiring execution. As I wrote in my review, “Beef Season 2 is ambitious, impeccably acted, and proof that the series, while brilliant as a stand-alone, does have legs as an anthology.” — B.E.

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny, Youn Yuh-jung, Song Kang-ho, Jang So-yeon, Mikaela Hoover, BM, and William Fichtner

How to watch: Beef Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

7. The Comeback Season 3

Lisa Kudrow in “The Comeback.”
Credit: Erin Simkin / HBO

Between Hacks‘ generative AI writing program QuikScribbl and The Pitt‘s AI charting tool, 2026 has been the year where TV confronted AI in the workplace. But no show has been more laser-focused on the topic than The Comeback Season 3, which turns a swan song for Lisa Kudrow’s all-time great character Valerie Cherish into an urgent warning about the future of the entertainment industry.

Naturally, The Comeback Season 3 is a riot, but it’s also a deeply bleak, deeply prescient look at the devaluation of art in favor of AI. Kudrow is magnificent throughout, playing Valerie like a frog stuck in a pot of boiling water as she embraces AI without understanding the consequences. The Comeback understands the consequences loud and clear, though, and the result is as somber as it is funny. If this is truly, truly the last time we see Valerie Cherish, it’s a hell of a way to go. (And proof that yes, she’s still got it.) — B.E.

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

How to watch: The Comeback Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max.

6. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins

Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander, and Tracy Morgan in “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins.”
Credit: Scott Gries / NBC

What do you get when you cross 30 Rock‘s breakneck rhythm with the mockumentary format? Sitcom gem The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan as a disgraced football star and Daniel Radcliffe as the documentarian tasked with rehabilitating his image.

Bursting with killer cutaway gags and pop culture zingers, Reggie Dinkins filled the 30 Rock-shaped hole in my heart that few other shows can. (Shout-out to Girls5eva and The Other Two, gone too soon.) Plus, it’s blessed with the funniest ensemble on television, from Living Single‘s Erika Alexander to Saturday Night Live‘s Bobby Moynihan. At the heart of it all, of course, is the odd-couple of Morgan and Radcliffe, which proves a gift from the comedy gods. As I wrote in my review, “While their Reggie Dinkins characters gel like rubber and glue at first, Morgan and Radcliffe are the comedy equivalent of peanut butter and jelly: perfectly complementary, and a joy to savor.” — B.E.

Starring: Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way, and Jalyn Hall

How to watch: The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is now streaming on Peacock.

5. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
Credit: Steffan Hill / HBO

I fully expected to experience franchise fatigue with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the latest Game of Thrones spin-off. I have never been happier for a TV show to prove me wrong. 

Based on George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms goes smaller in scale, focusing not on a Westeros-wide war but on a single tournament. There, hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) crosses paths with sassy squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). The pair’s ensuing friendship offers up a surprisingly comforting take on Westeros, complete with a supporting cast of good people genuinely trying to do the honorable thing. This isn’t to say A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is devoid of Thrones-style tragedy, but as I wrote in my review, “It’s a welcome switch-up in HBO’s Game of Thrones lineup, and proof that the world of Westeros can be more than just a brutal cage match between warring families. More than that, though, it’s a balm for the soul.” — B.E.

Starring: Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, Tanzyn Crawford, Daniel Ings, and Sam Spruell

How to watch: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max.

4. Bait

Guz Khan and Riz Ahmed in “Bait.”
Credit: Prime Video

If you haven’t spent the three hours watching the entirety of Riz Ahmed’s exceptional series Bait, cancel your plans. The Oscar winner’s sharp satire begins with a seemingly simple question — who will play the next James Bond? — and uses it as a jumping off point to examine questions about identity and ambition for actors of colour, especially in the treacherous court of public opinion. Ahmed plays British Pakistani actor Shah Latif, whose 007 audition tanks, so he seizes the opportunity to start rumours about his potential casting through the press — and the effects are chaotic.

With co-writers Prashanth Venkataramanujam (Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj), Azam Mahmood (Ramy), and Karen Joseph Adcock (The Bear), and directors Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli), and Tom George (This Country), Ahmed has crafted a crucial, moving, and hilarious show, with jaw-dropping surrealism, ’60s cinematography, and a banger soundtrack. But it’s the star’s performance that will stay with you, as I wrote in my review, “Ahmed really pushes himself to the brink in Bait, through deadpan comedic stylings to romantic yearning and wholehearted drama. As Shah loses his sense of control, of his identity, and of who exactly people demand him to be, Ahmed brings his characteristic intensity and finesse to each stage.” — S.C.

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Guz Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Aasiya Shah, Sajid Hasan, Ritu Arya, Weruche Opia, Rafe Spall, and Nabhaan Rizwan

How to watch: Bait is now streaming on Prime Video.

3. The Vampire Lestat

Sam Reid in “The Vampire Lestat.”
Credit: AMC+

Seasons 1 and 2 of AMC’s sublime Interview with the Vampire focused on a saga told by Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) — and his clingy immortal boyfriend Armand (Assad Zaman). Season 3, rebranded The Vampire Lestat, is all about the POV of the Brat Prince. And as Lestat (Sam Reid) is seeking both a rewrite of his tarnished image and to become a rock god by spilling vampire secrets, this season is a wild ride of sex, drugs, rock n’ roll, and incest. Yep. Turns out Lestat is a real motherfucker.

Kicking off with rollicking energy and plenty of action (of every kind), The Vampire Lestat already has fans giddy. The thrills of the show have spread thanks to Reid’s live performance in character for a one-night-only concert and an accompanying soundtrack of glam rock songs of lust, love, and loneliness. Drinking up those lyrics and his velvet-tongued singing is wickedly intoxicating, but trust us, things are just going to get wilder this season. And be warned: reading the books won’t safeguard you from surprises. This adaptation is off the rails in the best way possible. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

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

How to watch: The Vampire Lestat is now streaming on AMC+.

2. Widow’s Bay

Matthew Rhys in “Widow’s Bay.”
Credit: Apple TV

There’s nothing on TV like Widow’s Bay. That’s not hyperbole: There’s genuinely no show out right now that has carved out such a singular niche, in such a self-assured manner. Part small-town spookfest, part riotous bureaucratic sitcom, Katie Dippold’s series about the mayor (Matthew Rhys) of a cursed New England island effortlessly blends horror and comedy, and it somehow always winds up with the best of both worlds. 

Take the show’s superlative fourth episode, where Kate O’Flynn’s Patricia (a perfect character whose existence alone earns Widow’s Bay a spot on this list) throws a cocktail party gone horribly, horribly wrong. Eerie and hysterical in equal measure, it’s a miraculous half-hour that defies easy genre categorization. The same goes for the rest of the show. Even while paying homage to horror classics like Jaws and Halloween, Widow’s Bay deftly charts its own path to excellence. Forget being the next Martha’s Vineyard; Widow’s Bay is the next great TV town, and I can’t see anyone dethroning it anytime soon. — B.E.

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

How to watch: Widow’s Bay is now streaming on Apple TV.

1. Industry Season 4

Myha’la and Marisa Abela in “Industry.”
Credit: Simon Ridgway / HBO

There are few greater joys in a TV critic’s life than watching a show level up each season, and that’s exactly what Industry has done. After blowing up Pierpoint in its Season 3 finale, Industry aims even higher in its spectacular fourth season. Its ambitions have never been more lofty, its execution has never been so confident, and its themes have never been more timely.

In its quest to illuminate the networks of greed, power, and desire that govern us all, Industry delivers standout episode after standout episode. Henry Muck’s (Kit Harington) costumed birthday dinner becomes a meditation on past trauma, while Sweetpea Golightly (Miriam Petche) and Kwabena Bannerman’s (Toheeb Jimoh) trip to Accra is a haunting thriller. Threading through it all is the cat and mouse game between Harper Stern (Myha’la), Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela), and Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella). It’s a slippery slope that causes one of Industry‘s leads to rise to her fullest potential, while the other sinks to almost unimaginable depths. Both arcs are masterfully crafted and exquisitely performed by Myha’la and Abela, and as Industry hurtles towards its fifth and final season, it’s hard to imagine it getting even better than this. Given the show’s past track record, though, I’m ready and excited to be proven wrong.

Starring: Myha’la, Marisa Abela, Kit Harington, Ken Leung, Max Minghella, Miriam Petche, Sagar Radia, Toheeb Jimoh, Charlie Heaton, Amy James-Kelly, Roger Barclay, Andrew Havill, Kiernan Shipka, Kal Penn, Jack Farthing, Stephen Campbell Moore, Claire Forlani, and Edward Holcroft

How to watch: Industry is now streaming on HBO Max.

For the best movies of 2026, Mashable’s got you covered.