Don't know what to watch? We've got you covered. Whether you're looking for something intense, funny, weird, nostalgic, or completely new, these 25 shows are among the most acclaimed on television in 2026 so far.
1. The Pitt
The second season of The Pitt had an almost impossible task: follow one of the most acclaimed new dramas of 2025. It managed to do exactly that, with critics once again praising the medical drama's humanity, ensemble performances, and high-stakes storytelling.
2. Widow's Bay
Part horror, part mystery, part comedy, Widow's Bay is difficult to put into a single genre — and that's part of its charm. The Apple TV series follows a mayor trying to turn a potentially haunted island town into a tourist destination, with Matthew Rhys and Kate O'Flynn leading its wonderfully strange ensemble.
3. Hacks
Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels finally got their farewell season in 2026. The fifth and final season of Hacks brought the acclaimed comedy to an end while keeping its sharp writing, complicated relationship between its two leads, and excellent performances firmly intact.
4. Industry
Industry has spent several seasons finding its own identity, and its fourth season made an especially strong impression on critics. The HBO drama once again dives into the ruthless world of finance while giving its increasingly complicated characters plenty of room to evolve.
5. The Vampire Lestat
The Interview with the Vampire universe entered a new chapter with The Vampire Lestat. Sam Reid takes center stage as the charismatic, theatrical vampire, bringing a rock-and-roll sensibility and plenty of gothic melodrama to one of television's most stylish franchises.
6. The Bear
After some more divisive seasons, The Bear returned for its fifth and final season with a renewed focus on the characters who made the series such a phenomenon. Carmy, Sydney, Richie, and the rest of the restaurant crew get one last chance to figure out what comes next.
7. Bait
Riz Ahmed pulls double duty as creator and star of Bait, a sharp comedy-drama about a struggling actor whose life spirals after he gets the chance to audition for the role of James Bond. The six-episode series takes aim at the entertainment industry while keeping its story surprisingly intimate.
8. Adults
The second season of FXX's Adults proved that the young-adult hangout comedy still has plenty of life left in it. Following five friends sharing a house in New York, the series mixes awkward friendships, questionable decisions, romance, and the general chaos of trying to become an adult.
9. Slow Horses
The sixth season of Slow Horses kept the spy thriller at the top of the critics' conversation. Gary Oldman returns as the brilliantly unpleasant Jackson Lamb, alongside a team of MI5 agents who somehow manage to get themselves into increasingly dangerous situations.
10. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Westeros got a smaller, more intimate spin-off in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Set before the events of Game of Thrones, the series follows Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire, Egg, on a journey through a very different corner of the Seven Kingdoms.
11. Furious
Emmy Rossum stars in Furious as an FBI agent hunting a serial killer whose crimes are connected to a traumatic past. The Hulu thriller mixes a cat-and-mouse mystery with a much more character-driven story, making it one of the year's standout new crime dramas.
12. Margo's Got Money Troubles
Elle Fanning leads this comedy-drama about a young woman dealing with money problems, motherhood, and the complicated people around her. With Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, and Nicole Kidman also in the cast, Margo's Got Money Troubles has plenty of star power without losing sight of its central character.
13. Riot Women
What happens when a group of middle-aged women decide to start a punk band? Riot Women answers that question with humor, music, anger, and plenty of heart. The BritBox series comes from Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright and turns female friendship and reinvention into its own kind of rock 'n' roll story.
14. Lanterns
The DC universe took a decidedly different route with Lanterns, which follows Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart as they investigate a mysterious case in the American heartland. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre lead the new series, which combines superhero mythology with a grounded mystery.
15. Silo
The third season of Apple's dystopian drama continued to expand the mysteries surrounding its underground civilization. With Rebecca Ferguson back as Juliette Nichols, Silo keeps peeling back the layers of its post-apocalyptic world while pushing its characters into increasingly dangerous territory.
16. Shrinking
Shrinking returned for a third season with its trademark combination of uncomfortable comedy and genuine emotional warmth. Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams remain at the center of a story about therapists, grief, friendship, and the consequences of deciding to tell people exactly what you think.
17. How to Get to Heaven From Belfast
From Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee comes another Irish comedy-drama centered on friendship. How to Get to Heaven From Belfast follows three longtime friends whose lives are shaken by a mysterious death, giving the series plenty of room for both hilarious situations and more painful truths.
18. Spider-Noir
Nicolas Cage gets his own gloriously pulpy corner of the Spider-Man universe in Spider-Noir. Set in a 1930s-inspired world, the series transforms the superhero mythology into a hard-boiled detective story, complete with noir narration, stylish visuals, and a suitably eccentric performance from Cage.
19. The Other Bennet Sister
Mary Bennet finally gets the spotlight in The Other Bennet Sister, a period drama inspired by Jane Austen's world. Rather than retelling Pride and Prejudice from Elizabeth's perspective, the series follows the overlooked middle sister as she tries to find her own place in Regency society.
20. Colin From Accounts
The Australian romantic comedy Colin From Accounts returned for its third and final season, bringing Gordon and Ashley's messy relationship to another chapter. The series has always mixed romance with awkwardness and absurdity, and its final season gives the unconventional couple another chance to prove why they work.
21. The Comeback
Lisa Kudrow returned as Valerie Cherish for the third and final season of The Comeback. The mockumentary comedy remains fascinated by celebrity, Hollywood, humiliation, and Valerie's seemingly indestructible determination to remain relevant.
22. Sugar
Colin Farrell returned as private investigator John Sugar in the second season of Apple's stylish noir mystery. The series continues to mix detective fiction with science-fiction elements, giving Farrell another opportunity to play a character who is considerably more complicated than he initially appears.
23. Reacher
Alan Ritchson returned as Jack Reacher for a fourth season of Amazon's action series. The formula remains familiar: a mysterious case, a dangerous conspiracy, and one extremely capable drifter who has little patience for bad guys.
24. X-Men '97
The animated revival continued its impressive run in its second season. X-Men '97 once again combines the nostalgic appeal of the original animated series with more serialized storytelling, complicated character relationships, and plenty of superhero action.
25. King of the Hill
Hank Hill and the residents of Arlen continued their unlikely comeback in 2026. The revived King of the Hill has managed to preserve the low-key humor and everyday absurdity of the original while giving its characters room to exist in a very different era.
