The Best TV Shows of 2026 (So Far): 26 Boob-Tube Bangers
Last year, 1,122 shows premiered across the television industry. Full, perhaps unnecessary, disclosure: The CableTV.com staff watches a ton of TV, but not 1,000+ TV shows a year. We also track release schedules, follow news, and even heed hype to decide how to spend our precious couch time — and recommend how you spend yours.
Speakin’ of which, we’re dropping a mid-year report on the best TV shows of 2026 (so far). We’re still watching some shows, with others on deck and more awaiting premieres. But we’re confident in this litany of 26 boob-tube bangers, including both new and returning shows, selected by our crack crew of discriminating couch creatures.
We’ve argued, we’ve binged, and we’ll do more of both before the year is out. In the meantime, here’s our mid-2026 guide to the best new and returning shows of 2026. It’s populated with violent superheroes, fairytale romances, high-stakes espionage, and fraught fraternal relationships. You’ll also discover real-time medical crises, a reality dating circus, a moving exploration of mental illness, and more. Get ready to add ’em to your watchlist and live your best life on the couch.
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” | HBO Max
HBO’s “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is a welcome change of pace from its predecessors: smaller in scale, warmer in spirit, and surprisingly soulful. Adapted from George R.R. Martin’s beloved “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas, the series follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) through dusty roads, muddy tournaments, and moral tests that carry real weight.
Where “Game of Thrones” reveled in cynicism and “House of the Dragon” burned with dynastic fury, this prequel earns its emotion through restraint and droll wit. In fact, dare I say it’s my favorite series of the GoT universe? I dare. —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor
“Beef” (Season 2) | Netflix
If you missed “Beef” Season 1, you still have time to catch up — I quickly binged it before Season 2 debuted. Just know that Season 2 shifts into anthology territory, sharing no continuity with its predecessor. It trades Valley road rage for an elite California country club, where two clashing couples untangle messy personal issues while navigating a larger crisis involving the club’s billionaire owner.
This layered, eight-episode binge channels a heavy “White Lotus” vibe before spectacularly spiraling into chaos two-thirds of the way in. Anchoring that madness is a stellar cast.
I’m biased toward seeing Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan reunite because I loved them in “Drive” and “Inside Llewyn Davis.” But Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny truly shine here as well. I particularly enjoyed Melton’s nuanced performance as a vulnerable, well-meaning guy, as it effectively grounds the show’s wilder elements. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor
“Big Mood” (Season 2) | Tubi
Not long before the second-season premiere of “Big Mood,” I decided to watch a couple of episodes of the first season and see if I wanted to include it in the “What to Watch This Week” column. I fell in love with the hilarious, deeply affecting series. I gobbled the entire first season in one gulp and, a week later, finished Season 2 in another.
It’s one of those shows where you feel the ups and downs deeply. You root for main character Maggie (Nicola Coughlan, “Derry Girls”) when she’s delightfully manic/magnetic, and pity her tragic downside — and want to hug both versions of her. And, when the show’s over, you realize it’s rather therapeutic for anyone suffering from, or who loves someone suffering from, mental illness. If you haven’t seen “Big Mood” yet, give it a shot. It makes a weirdly great comfort show. —Randy Harward, Entertainment Editor
“The Boys” (Season 5) | Prime Video
It’s wild to think “The Boys” is officially over. While it’s been nearly seven years since the series debuted, 40 episodes to show for it feels like a slim return. Still, the series doesn’t waste a single second of its final act.
Season 5 throws us right into the deep end. Homelander is now running the U.S. through a puppet president. But Butcher’s crew possesses a virus capable of wiping out every Supe on Earth. The stakes are as big as they get, especially with Homelander secretly hunting the original Compound V formula to become truly immortal.
Fans always hope a beloved show can stick the landing, and “The Boys” nails it. This final run delivers the signature violence, pitch-black humor, and raunchiness we expect, alongside a surprisingly emotional heart. It’s a chaotic swan song that leaves you wanting more. Fortunately, relief is coming. The “Vought Rising” prequel series should hit Prime Video in 2027. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor
“Bridgerton” (Season 4) | Netflix
“Bridgerton” went fairytale this season with a storyline loosely inspired by “Cinderella.” The second Bridgerton son, Benedict, was the “prince,” and Cinderella’s role was filled by a maid named Sophie Baek. Society would never approve of their relationship, but the Bridgertons always get their love match.
There’s just a lot of wet shirt scenes, steamy stairwell kisses, and banter with quirky waitstaff background characters that have to come first, before the happily-ever-after. —Olivia Bono, Entertainment Writer
“Devil May Cry” (Season 2) | Netflix
The second season of this animated video game adaptation didn’t pull any punches. Nor did it pull any gunshots, demon sword strikes, or devil triggers.
While the first season ended with Dante’s capture by the nefarious government agency DARKCOM, the first season sees Lady (née Mary Arkham) grapple with the consequences of her decision. All of her decisions, really. She’s still haunted by the sins of her past, which makes for some very juicy TV.
Plus, the parallels to current political events are pretty poignant. There’s even a fight scene in the Washington D.C. reflecting pool! —Olivia Bono, Entertainment Writer
“The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” | NBC, Peacock
“The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” should not be confused with ABC’s similar-sounding Scott Speedman vehicle, “R.J. Decker.” But my family constantly mixes up the two, and for that, I love them.
All confusion aside, “Reggie Dinkins” is a hilarious comedy that’s very obviously from the minds behind “30 Rock” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” It brings that exact same signature brand of chaotic energy. Tracy Morgan stars as a disgraced ex-football star attempting to salvage his heavily tarnished public image through a redemption documentary. The catch? The project is helmed by a completely eccentric, out-of-his-depth director played by Daniel Radcliffe.
Packed with rapid-fire bits, absurd cutaways, and clever callbacks, the writing is so dense that I’ve already picked up on missed jokes during a couple of episode rewatches. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor
“Fallout” (Season 2) | Prime Video
The second season of Prime Video’s video game adaptation continued nailing the tonal juggling act that made “Fallout”‘s first season such a hit. With another season under its belt, “Fallout” adeptly broadened the show’s scale with deeper-cut source material like the Roman Empire-themed faction Caesar’s Legion without compromising its watchability for first-time and long-running “Fallout” fans alike.
With or without a nose, Walton Goggins remains one of television’s great natural resources, and the father-daughter relationship between Lucy (Ella Purnell) and Hank (Kyle MacLachlan) took unexpected turns throughout the season. —Eric Chiu, Internet Editor
“The Four Seasons” (Season 2) | Netflix
Season 2 of Netflix’s “The Four Seasons” picks up in the wake of Nick’s (Steve Carell) sudden death, as his longtime friends Kate (Tina Fey), Jack (Will Forte), Danny (Colman Domingo), and Claude (Marco Calvani), and his embattled widow Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) try to hold the group together while quietly falling apart. (Not an easy task when the gang is joined by Nick’s pregnant girlfriend, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), partway through Episode 1.
This season reads sadder and richer than the first, trading some of its breezy comedy for something more honest about what middle age actually looks like: long marriages, the question of children, empty nests, and the strange guilt of moving forward. Co-creators Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield balance the heartache with genuine laughs and even immerse the audience in an opulent Italian Christmas, complete with a cameo from La Befana. Molto divertente! —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor
“From” (Season 4) | MGM+
When I first watched “From,” I was struck by its genuine scariness and tasteful brutality. The theme song, a cover of “Qué Será Será” by the Pixies, sets a bleak, haunting tone, then we get into the gory details: Dozens of people are stuck in an inescapable small town. At night, the survivors must hide from smiling creeps that lurk outside, hurling harrowing taunts and turning unlucky survivors inside-out. When someone’s unlucky enough to be caught out at night, it’s not pretty—but you feel loss and revulsion since the characters are so likeable and relatable. Yup, the writers have a “Game of Thrones” streak; they’re unafraid to bump off your favorites.
In the first season, I wondered how fast “From” would be canceled. Yet, four seasons later, the show’s still going hard (with a fifth, final season coming), with a new, day-walking villain hiding among the survivors and the same killer instinct. —Randy Harward, Entertainment Editor
“Hacks” (Season 5) | HBO Max
The Emmy-winning comedy returned for its fifth and final season earlier this year, navigating the messiest chapter yet in the complicated partnership between veteran Las Vegas stand-up Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her Gen Z comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). After tabloids falsely report Deborah’s death, the two women reunite in Las Vegas to reclaim her legacy and rewrite the ending of her story.
With the finish line in sight, the show leans into everything that made it great: biting comedy, hard-won warmth, and a mentor-protégé dynamic that’s never been easy but has always been worth it. Funny, fierce, and unexpectedly moving, “Hacks” Season 5 returns the series to its former glory and is well worth watching if you fell off in between seasons. —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor
“Half Man” | HBO Max
Were you bitten by the “Baby Reindeer” bug? The buzzy 2024 Netflix black comedy from creator/star Richard Gadd had us glued to our screens, wondering where the next darkly humorous twist would come from. Gadd’s newest series achieves the same effect — well, with more darkness and less humor. “Half Man” locked me in from the beginning scenes, ratcheting up the drama and suspense as it took me through two stepbrothers’ (Gadd, Jamie Bell) intensely complicated, toxic-but-kinda-touching, 30-year history. By the conclusion, I was a taut knot on my couch, craving whatever’s next from Gadd. — Randy Harward, Entertainment Editor
“Lord of the Flies” | Netflix
I’ve waited since junior high for a sweeping, modern adaptation of William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies,” and this four-part miniseries delivers perfectly. It’s a brilliant, unflinching slow burn. Director Marc Munden captures the boys’ survival like a Terrence Malick film, blending meditative island photography with the unfolding psychological horror. It’s a remarkably visceral ride where you can almost feel every mosquito bite and mud splatter.
“Love Island USA” (Season 8) | Peacock
“Love Island” isn’t your typical reality dating show. Since becoming the hit of the summer, it’s become a messy, diabolical, and delicious event that I, and many reality TV fans, will not stop eating.
The spin-off of the British series “Love Island”, “Love Island USA,” brings sexy single Islanders to Fiji. Filmed in “Big Brother”-esque living conditions, the contestants attempt to find their match in the villa while navigating love, lust, and man-made storms with their water bottles in hand —and a $100,000 prize on their minds.
The Islanders continue to up the stakes with their sometimes questionable decisions, while “Love Island USA” producers craft experiences, games, and messy surprises (including the alluring villa, Casa Amor) that shake things up. If you’re not watching this marvelous mess, please fix your summers and watch the chaos. I beg of you. — Insha Fitzpatrick, Contributor
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” | Apple TV
Elle Fanning can do no wrong in my eyes (“Sentimental Value” was far and away my favorite movie of last year), and “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is no exception. Playing a struggling young mother after an affair with her college professor leaves her pregnant, Fanning totally sells the show’s wild premise: turning to OnlyFans and using pro-wrestling tactics to survive the gig-economy hustle and raise her son.
There’s a lot to rave about here, from Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance as Margo’s chaotic mom, to the way the show portrays the harsh realities of single motherhood with real empathy and humor. Maybe the best part of the show, though, is the bizarre chemistry between Fanning and Nick Offerman as her estranged, ex-wrestler dad. Having your dad coach you in your OnlyFans persona may seem like any sane person’s nightmare, but in “Margo’s” it just works.
Apparently everyone else thinks it works, too—even though “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is based on a book, Apple TV recently announced it’s been renewed for a second season. —Logan Jones, Staff Writer
“One Piece” (Season 2) | Netflix
“One Piece” is proof that live-action adaptations can actually be good. (God, I wish Netflix had learned how to do this back when they were making that cursed “Winx” series.)
In the second season of the live-action “One Piece”, the Straw Hats finally enter the Grand Line. Where Devil Fruit users were a rarity in the first season, this season goes all out, introducing villains with increasingly wacky abilities. There’s also an otter in pajamas who wields a machine gun and rides a vulture, but I’m not really sure if they ate any Devil Fruits or if they’re just Like That.
I know what every anime fan is thinking: is this the season we meet Vivi’s giant pet duck, Karoo? Unfortunately, no. Netflix blew its whole Cute Lil Guy budget on Tony Tony Chopper and is saving Karoo for Season 3. —Olivia Bono, Entertainment Writer
“The Pitt” (Season 2) | HBO Max
“The Pitt” returned for its second season — again in real time, again relentless — dropping Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) and his team into a chaotic Fourth of July weekend, ten months after the events that left viewers shaken at the end of Season 1. The body horror of fireworks injuries, alcohol-related emergencies, and cases that escalate by the hour form only part of it.
This season also brings Dr. Langdon back to the ER for his first day post-hiatus, and a sudden technological failure forces the entire department to go analog under maximum pressure. IMO, the Emmy-winning drama that redefined the medical procedural hasn’t lost a step; it’s only gotten better as Robby’s mental health has emerged as the season’s pressing emergency. —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor
“PONIES”| Peacock
In Peacock’s new Cold War thriller “PONIES,” the undisputed star of the show is Vic “Vehicular” Michaelis, best known for their work on “Very Important People.” Their “PONIES” character, jealous housewife Cheryl Szymanski, adds a bit of drama to the show’s nontraditional workplace.
Okay, she’s not actually the main character. The show is actually about Bea Grant (Emilia Clarke) and Twila Hasbeck (Haley Lu Richardson), two “persons of no interest” and widows who become spies in Soviet Russia. They work together to figure out what happened to their late husbands, and what the government isn’t telling them. —Olivia Bono, Entertainment Writer
“Paradise” (Season 2) | Hulu
Don’t you love a show that reflects the real world just enough that you forget its fiction? How it burrows into your head and you think, “This is totally happening in real life. Maybe I should try to cozy up to a billionaire with a mountainside bunker.”
In this political sci-fi thriller, a beloved POTUS (James Marsden) is assassinated in his home. Then, as his chief of security (Sterling K. Brown) investigates, the other shoe drops. (But maybe I’ve said enough already.) Suffice to say, there’s a gut-punch of twist (unless somebody spoils it for you), and the accompanying complications (revealed in a time-jumping narrative) are so compelling that you’ll greedily binge-watch both seasons. —Randy Harward, Entertainment Editor
“Rooster” | HBO Max
Sitcom savant Bill Lawrence is all over 2026, with the “Scrubs” revival, the third season of “Shrinking,” and a fourth season of “Ted Lasso.” There’s also “Rooster,” a delightful comfort dramedy where a father (Steve Carell) takes a writer-in-residence gig at the college where his daughter (Charly Clive) teaches — just as she experiences personal turmoil. Besides an engaging, funny story, “Rooster” has everything I love about Bill Lawrence shows (and TV shows in general): loveable characters who feel like friends, playful humor juxtaposed with genuine heart (and, hence, a tendency to inflict tonal whiplash), cameos from other shows in the Lawrence-verse, a fantastic theme song, and a well-curated soundtrack. —Randy Harward, Entertainment Editor
“Shrinking” (Season 3) | Apple TV
“Shrinking” does a lot of things right: normalizes therapy, puts its actors in a position to succeed, and allows levity to shine through some of its heavier emotional themes.
It’s no different in Season 3 of one of my favorite shows. This season is heavier than the previous two, as pretty much every character faces life-changing situations and decisions. It’s not quite an insurmountable shift in tone, but it gets close.
Nevertheless, I still enjoy watching Jimmy, Alice, Paul, the Dereks, Gaby, Brian, Liz, and Sean figure it all out together. It’s not as funny or well-written as the first two seasons of the show, I’ll admit. But it still has a lot to say, and I think it does a good job of saying it. —Alex Vejar, Junior Sports Writer
“Spider-Noir” | MGM+, Prime Video
Nicolas Cage as a 1930s Spider-Man is the exact kind of madness I live for. While not a direct continuation of his Spider-Verse character, “Spider-Noir” stars Cage as Ben Reilly, an aging, Depression-era private eye pulled back into his vigilante past as “The Spider.” It’s basically “The Big Sleep” meets 2002’s “Spider-Man” with a zany dash of “Vampire’s Kiss.”
We never got Cage’s ’90s Superman — I’m definitely ignoring whatever that was in “The Flash” (2023) — but this more than makes up for it. Complete with wild Cage-isms and a brilliant Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane, this alternate-universe noir spin-off is an absolute blast. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor
“Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” | Disney+
While the Disney era of the Star Wars franchise has been under constant criticism, it’s hard to deny that the animated TV side has been absolutely stellar. Following the final season of “The Clone Wars” and the highly enjoyable run of “The Bad Batch,” “Maul – Shadow Lord” is another home run — and arguably the animated franchise’s best single-season entry.
Set a year after the Clone Wars, the series follows the former Sith lord (voiced again by Sam Witwer) rebuilding his criminal syndicate on the planet Janix. Maul’s dark quest intersects with Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon), a Jedi on the run following Order 66, and Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura), a police detective investigating Janix’s underworld.
Moura’s silky yet gravelly vocal performance is a standout, perfectly anchoring the gritty procedural elements. Blending those hardboiled tropes with epic lightsaber duels makes this an inventive and thrilling must-watch. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor
“This Is A Gardening Show” | Netflix
Let’s get one thing straight right now: I do not like gardening. But this show was actually really fun to watch.
My main reason for watching this was that my partner has quite the green thumb, and we needed a new show. We both like Zach Galifianakis quite a bit, and the 15-minute run times for each of the six episodes worked well with our schedule. Soon after we started watching this show, it became clear that it’s not just for the gardening aficionados.
Galifinakis teaches the audience about concepts like composting and foraging, as well as specific plants like tomatoes and corn. But this is not a dry, school-feeling experience. He interviews real farmers, sure, but there are plenty of hilarious one-liners that take you out of the fact that you’re watching a show about gardening. The best moments of the show by far are when he’s interviewing young children about gardening and listening to their answers.
I wanted a little bit more educational content from this show, and a lot of it is kinda shoehorned into animated interstitials with a lot of text. So that’s not great. But this is a fun, quirky show that you can binge in an afternoon, and you won’t regret doing so. —Alex Vejar, Junior Sports Writer
“Widow’s Bay” | Apple TV
Apple TV’s hit horror-comedy doesn’t skimp on either side of the equation. Created by Katie Dippold — who previously wrote on “Parks and Recreation” and films like 2016’s “Ghostbusters” reboot — “Widow’s Bay” is set on a Stephen King-esque New England island town beset by supernatural horrors. With directors like “Atlanta”‘s Hiro Murai, Andrew DeYoung, and Ti West, the show’s scares are equal parts scary and unnerving.
But much like its monsters, the show’s laughs slyly sneak up on you. Matthew Rhys is a comedic revelation as the town’s increasingly frazzled mayor, Kate O’Flynn (Patricia) gives one of the year’s best performances, and the show’s stacked with a murderer’s row of character actors like Stephen Root, Dale Dickey, and Betty Gilpin. —Eric Chiu, Internet Editor
“Wonder Man” | Disney+
Marvel’s TV division has long played second-fiddle to the studio’s films, but we’re extremely glad they gave “Wonder Man” creators Andrew Guest and Destin Daniel Cretton the space to make one of the best Marvel productions in years.
The show follows struggling actors Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) as they try to make it in Hollywood and hide Williams’ superpowers from the public. “Wonder Man”‘s grounded focus lets the show (along with Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley’s chemistry) breathe, making drudgery like auditions and self-tapes as compelling as high-flying superhero action. —Eric Chiu, Internet Editor
