The Best New Network TV Show Of Fall 2026 Is Officially A Hit

Published Oct 20, 2026, 12:47 PM EDT Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour. With the fall 2026 television season now underway, the best new network series can now officially be called a hit. NBC and CBS have debuted a handful of new shows this fall, including Line of Fire, The Traitors: New Blood, Cupertino, Eternally Yours, NCIS: New York and the upcoming comedy Newlyweds. Neither ABC nor Fox have launched new shows, instead waiting until 2027 to air The Rookie: North, a new Grey's Anatomy spinoff, a Baywatch reboot, and The Interrogator. Cupertino premiered on CBS less than two weeks ago, but the Robert and Michelle King-created legal drama is already a streaming hit. Over the past couple of days, it's been in the Top 10 on Paramount+'s TV shows chart in the United States. Cupertino Becomes A Global Hit Internationally, Cupertino is currently at No. 6 in Indonesia and Thailand and No. 7 in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore on HBO Max's Top 10 chart. Cupertino stars Mike Colter, who previously worked with the Kings on The Good Wife and Evil before reprising his Luke Cage role this year on Daredevil: Born Again. He plays an attorney named Michael Price who decides to start his own law firm after a Silicon Valley tech startup fires him. Michael plans to protect people like him who have been taken advantage of or otherwise mistreated by tech giants. He starts up the new firm with Olivia Siffre, played by Rachel Keller. Other cast members include Ella Stiller, Nik Dodani, Busy Philipps, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Rob McClure, Joe Morton and Steven Pasquale. The Future Looks Promising For Cupertino Cupertino isn't finding success only on the streaming charts. Critics have showered the series with universal acclaim, giving it a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes (and a 76% from audiences). On Metacritic, Cupertino has an 85/100 Metascore from critics and a 6.7 user score, and on IMDb, it has a 7.6/10 rating. Critics have praised Cupertino for its topical, smart storylines (particularly in the tech world and AI), with some calling it the best new network show of the fall 2026 season and applauding the Kings for creating another high-quality hit series. Only two episodes have aired on CBS so far, with the series averaging 3.9 viewers. It's too early to tell whether ratings alone will earn it a season 2 renewal. However, the reactions from critics and its current streaming success are hopeful signs that Robert and Michelle King's long-running partnership with CBS and Paramount will continue after creating shows like The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and Evil and Elsbeth, with the latter series now in its fourth season and serving as the lead-in to Cupertino on Thursday nights. Cupertino airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS. Release Date October 8, 2026 Network CBS Showrunner Michelle King, Robert King Cast Mike Colter Michael Price Rachel Keller Olivia Siffre Cupertino is a 2026 drama that centers on a determined lawyer challenging a dominant tech conglomerate. Set in Silicon Valley, the show follows the intense legal battle and the attorney's pursuit of justice for the underdog, as she confronts the complexities of power and innovation. Directors Michelle King, Robert King, Sam Hoffman, Ron Underwood, Joe Menendez Writers Michelle King, Robert King, Joey Hartstone Main Genre Drama Creator(s) Michelle King, Robert King Executive Producer(s) Michelle King, Robert King, Liz Glotzer, Sam Hoffman Producers Liz Glotzer Seasons 1 Release Window 2026