The 25 Best TV Shows of 2026 (So Far)

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.Sarah Shatz11 min readWe had a real scorcher of a summer, but finally, we’re enjoying the crisp air of autumn. Once upon a time, fall used to mean a slew of brand-new TV shows and new seasons of returning favorites. But these days, great television hits the streamers basically whenever. It’s hell to keep up with, we know. But that just means there are more great shows to watch than ever before.The show of the year is easily Widow’s Bay. The Apple TV phenom from Kate Dippold broke out big-time as an Emmys juggernaut thanks to an always-on-point Matthew Rhys and a revelatory Kate O’Flynn as its MVP. But a close second has to be Furious. The psychological crime drama on Hulu casts Emmy Rossum in one of her most complex roles yet as an FBI agent on the trail of a female serial killer.Meanwhile, other shows have been hogging our shrinking attention spans. Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, two other Apple TV favorites for the Esquire staff, have made TV sexy again. Comedies like Running Point and Chad Powers reveal the funny side of sports, while Dutton Ranch gives wayward Taylor Sheridan fans something new to chew on. The return of House of the Dragon gave us the epic Battle of the Gullett, but its cousin series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was a welcome change of pace from all the grit and grime we’re used to in Westeros. Speaking of dragons, have you seen Ted? This season, it had the funniest game of D&D on TV since Community.Earlier this year, we obsessed over new seasons of The Pitt and Paradise, and learned to love brand-new shows like The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins and Rooster. Then summer came with BEEF and Lanterns heating up our screens. What will the rest of the year bring? Below, Esquire raves about some of the best TV shows of 2026 that are well worth the weekend binge.FuriousOne of the most talked-about dramas of the year has been Furious. A sharp left turn from creator Elizabeth Meriwether, whose body of work includes sitcoms like New Girl and Single Parents, Furious stars Emmy Rossum as an FBI agent who investigates a female serial killer (Lola Petticrew) who targets powerful men. What is right and what is just blur in Meriwether’s pitch-black psychological thriller that we just can’t stop thinking about.Watch NowLanternsSuperheroes are back, baby. The first live-action series to launch under James Gunn’s stewardship of DC Studios is the riveting Lanterns, a buddy-cop sci-fi thriller (trust us, that’s the vibe) set in the DC Universe. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre star as Green Lanterns who investigate a murder case in Nebraska. But that’s just scratching the emerald surface of Lanterns, because the real drama is how one maverick superhero keeps a vise grip over his power from the hotshot he’s training to replace him. It’s like True Detective with aliens, and it’s awesome.Watch NowChad Powers (season 2)Go Catfish! Glen Powell is back on the field as Russ Holliday—or rather, “Chad Powers”—in the Hulu sports comedy we can’t get enough of. In season 2, Chad Powers’ stardom has grown as a college football star, but how much more can the washed-up Russ keep up his facade? The competition for best sports comedy on TV is pretty fierce these days, but Chad Powers is easily the MVP.Watch NowSterling PointRemember when “young adult television” was more The O.C. than Euphoria? Sterling Point throws it back to the golden age of teen TV in its story about Annie (Ella Rubin), who secretly travels from New York to Canada to check out her recently departed grandfather’s cottage—and meets Amélie Hoeferle, the half-sister she never knew she had. Mired in family secrets but never too dour or lurid to be a turnoff, Sterling Point is simply the best coming-of-age YA we’ve seen on TV in a long time.Watch NowPoniesPour one out for Ponies. Although this terrific spy comedy was canceled in June, it’s still one of the best shows we’ve seen all year. Set in the thick of the Cold War, Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson co-star as two widows who take over spy duties from their husbands while they work as embassy secretaries in Moscow. Not only is Ponies hilarious and sexy, it’s also heartfelt in its story about two women navigating grief behind the Iron Curtain. It’s a shame we won’t see more Ponies, because Clarke and Richardson were just getting started here.Watch NowStar Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth JediI know what you’re thinking: “Ugh, a Star Wars cartoon?” First, it’s anime. Second, it’s awesome. A spin-off from the anime anthology Star Wars: Visions, The Ninth Jedi continues the story of Kara, the Force-sensitive daughter of the last lightsaber maker in the galaxy. It’s been a thousand years since the Skywalker Saga, and in an age when the Jedi and Sith are myth, The Ninth Jedi lays the groundwork for a truly new beginning. If you can’t stand the thought of more Star Wars, trust us, The Ninth Jedi will make you believe in the Force once more.Watch NowMobLand (season 2)You might have heard about some tensions on the set of MobLand season 2. But all that matters is what’s in front of the camera, and the second season of MobLand is just as good as the first, with the Harrigan family dealing with their crumbling criminal empire and the rise of enterprising rivals ready to take what’s theirs. Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Tom Hardy continue leading this Paramount+ heavyweight, and rest assured, they aren’t going anywhere for season 3.Watch NowThe Paper (season 2)Reports of local journalism’s demise have been exaggerated. The Paper, a spin-off to The Office, continues its circulation with a new season that premiered on September 9. After dominating the Ohio Journalism Awards, the staff at the Toledo Truth Teller pursue their next big award-winning story. But Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei) follow some hot tips of their own—each other’s. Can ethical journalism endure the murky waters of an office romance? We’re excited to find out.Watch NowRunning Point (season 2)Kate Hudson scores big in the second season of Netflix’s Running Point. As the L. A. Waves search for a new coach, Isla (Hudson) fights to keep control of the team from her brother (Justin Theroux), who plans to oust her for good. Not all sports comedies are feel-good group hugs, and Running Point shows how personal business can get.Watch NowWidow’s BayOkay, let’s talk: At what moment did you know Widow’s Bay was a winner? For me, it was the “cannibalism” bit in the first episode. The comedy-horror series that is basically “Jaws with ghosts” has been the talk of the water cooler since its premiere on Apple TV. By now, you’ve maybe heard your friends and coworkers rave about it. It even swept the Emmy Awards. So if you haven’t seen Widow’s Bay yet, dive in.Watch NowThe Bear (Season 5)In its final season, The Bear did away with bottle episodes, trauma-inducing family meals, and even its beloved dad-rock soundtrack. Instead, series creator Chris Storer brilliantly takes the FX culinary drama back to its roots, paring down the climactic eight episodes into a fit of sweaty kitchen mania. Even more, Storer gives Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) the hard-fought happy ending they deserve. It makes for the best season of The Bear since its sophomore effort, even if fans are once again perplexed by a deceptively straightforward finale.Watch NowMargo’s Got Money TroublesElle Fanning’s hot streak continues with a whole show of her own to flex her star power. Based on the 2024 novel by Rufi Thorpe, Fanning plays a college student and aspiring writer who becomes pregnant by her English professor. To support herself and her baby, she turns to creating content on OnlyFans. While the show gets heavy on the melodrama at times, it’s still a polished streaming comedy about ingenuity and inner resourcefulness. Nick Offerman and Michelle Pfeiffer lend some extra star power as Margo’s estranged parents, but Fanning is the one to watch.Watch NowDutton RanchDutton Ranch is more than just Yellowstone 2.0. The sequel spinoff is also the first real sign from Paramount that the Yellowstone franchise can (and should!) continue past the legacy of Kevin Costner and creator Taylor Sheridan—sorry, Marshals. This new series shifts to John Dutton’s daughter, Beth (Kelly Reilly), and her husband, Rip (Cole Hauser), as they try to make a new life for themselves in South Texas. They’re joined by Ed Harris and Annette Bening, who provide veteran talent to a modern Western about the cattle business and rival cowboy showdowns. For die-hard Dutton-heads, it’s exactly the kind of show they’ve been waiting for.Watch NowMaximum Pleasure GuaranteedWith Marvel criminally doing nothing with Tatiana Maslany after She-Hulk, the acclaimed actress is free to show off her raw strength elsewhere as a stressed-out single mother in the pulpy crime drama Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. Set in New York, Maslany balances between family and work while surviving a nightmarish ordeal of blackmail—and possibly murder—after she bears witness to a horrific crime involving her camboy crush. Imagine the propulsive, forward-moving plots of Uncut Gems and Marty Supreme stretched out over ten episodes. You can see why we’re caught hook, line, and sinker.Watch NowHouse of the Dragon (Season 3)The Battle of the Gullet is finally here. House of the Dragon is back, and once more we’re obsessing over George R.R. Martin’s saga just like we did a decade ago during peak Game of Thrones. The war between Alicent and Rhaenyra heats up in season 3, as both sides continue collecting allies for the inevitable showdown for the Iron Throne. Maybe we’ll never see a show feel as big as Game of Thrones again, but House of the Dragon is compelling enough to make us forget its predecessor’s terrible finale.Watch NowBEEF (Season 2)Few storytellers in recent memory have aimed their pen at modern love with such veracity, hilarity, and intelligence as Lee Sung-Jin has done in BEEF season 2. This season’s ill-fated couples—played by the great Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, and Charles Melton—will give you quite a few lessons to take home with you. And even after this year’s bounty of great season finales, from Widow’s Bay to The Bear, BEEF still has the final shot that might never unburrow itself from your brain.Watch NowSilo (Season 3)Apple TV has solidified itself as the reigning champ of streaming sci-fi, with shows like For All Mankind, Foundation, Severance, Murderbot, hell, even a whole-ass Godzilla show. But Silo is quietly the best among them with a locked-in Rebecca Ferguson at the center of it. In season 3, Ferguson’s Juliette is rocked with amnesia following the events of season 2. As she tries to collect her memory, Silo retraces its own steps to the very beginning, before the world collapsed, to follow a journalist (Jessica Henwick) working with a politician to uncover a conspiracy. Apple TV is basically the sci-fi book section in TV form, and right now, Silo is the best book we’re watching.Watch NowTed (Season 2)Hey, remember Ted? The movie where Mark Wahlberg spends his days smoking pot with his best friend, who is a talking teddy bear voiced by Seth MacFarlane? In case you don’t have a Peacock subscription, you might have missed that the movie has a prequel series. We’re dead serious when we tell you it’s one of the funniest things on right now. Set in the Boston suburbs during the ’90s, the series Ted follows John Bennett navigating the ups and downs of high school. In season 2, John and Ted resolve to make the most of their senior year—that is, if they can put down the weed first. I highly recommend the Dungeons & Dragons episode; tell me when you’ve seen Ted the Bard’s ballad reciting the plot of Philadelphia.Watch NowThe Pitt (Season 2)Dr. Robby rode his motorcycle to Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center (without a helmet!) and kicked off season 2 of the acclaimed HBO medical drama with a dangerous new twist. Before he leaves for a much-needed sabbatical, he must prepare the rest of the Pitt’s crew to run the hospital without him. He’ll do it over the course of another 15-hour shift, which tackles everything from ICE raids and mass shootings to the controversies around AI in hospital work. Luckily, season 2 keeps up The Pitt’s excellent quality—reminding viewers why season 1 felt like one of the most important TV shows of the last decade.Watch NowThe Fall and Rise of Reggie DinkinsJust when you thought the documentary-style sitcom was passé, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins dares you to call it a comeback. Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe are a dynamite, however unlikely pair in this sports sitcom about disgraced football star Reggie Dinkins (Morgan) and the washed-out movie director (Daniel Radcliffe) he’s hired to helm his vanity documentary. It might look like another The Office or Parks & Rec clone, but Reggie Dinkins is following its own playbook.Watch NowA Knight of the Seven KingdomsGame of Thrones needed a new perspective if the fantasy world was ever truly going to reach franchise potential. House of the Dragon’s second season mostly disappointed viewers, and the world of Westeros needed a heroic knight to save them. That man is Ser Duncan the Tall, who leads a more lighthearted and simpler spin-off in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms about a lowly knight who just wanted to prove himself in a local jousting tournament. As it turns out, all Thrones wanted was a likable character to root for again.Watch NowDTF St. LouisYou know what “DTF” stands for. If you don’t, you’ll know after an uncomfortably normal Jason Bateman hilariously enunciates it in DTF St. Louis. In this pitch-black dramedy about suburban malaise, a careless affair ends with a family man (David Harbour) dead at a public pool. As two investigators work to crack the case, they learn all about an affair between a local TV weatherman (Bateman) and his friend’s wife (Linda Cardellini).Watch NowParadise (Season 2)The first season was no fluke—Paradise is the real deal. The postapocalyptic Hulu thriller is back and better than ever in its second season, with Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) now roaming the world outside the bunker to find his wife. Smarter and more heartfelt than other cynical shows about the end times, Paradise is worth holing up for and bingeing through the weekend.Watch NowIndustry (Season 4)Arguably, Industry should have never returned for season 4. The season 3 finale perfectly wrapped up every story on the British banking drama, making season 4 feel like a real cherry on top of the cake. But dessert is probably the best way to describe this season, because it’s a savory and wholly unnecessary treat that I’m glad we all left room for at the end of our meal. I couldn’t predict a single moment in the entire season—including Ken Leung’s likely goodbye—and I hope Industry carries that insane energy into its fifth and final batch of episodes.Watch NowRoosterSteve Carell is firmly into his silver fox era in Rooster, the newest comfort watch from Ted Lasso and Shrinking creator Bill Lawrence. Carell stars as a successful novelist who accepts a job teaching at a Boston university to help his daughter (Charly Clive) in the aftermath of her husband’s infidelity. In the process, Carell’s Greg—nicknamed “Rooster,” after the cocky antihero of his bestsellers—learns from his own students. For an unlikely coming-of-age comedy where the lead protagonist is 60 years old, Rooster earns its high marks.Watch Now