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The best TV shows of 2026 so far in photos

Portrait of Kelly Lawler Kelly Lawler
June 17, 2026Updated June 18, 2026, 10:53 a.m. ET
We're halfway through 2026, and there has been so much great TV already. Here are the 10 best shows so far this year. 10. 'Ponies' (Peacock) Starring "Game of Thrones" alumna Emilia Clarke and "The White Lotus" Season 2 breakout Haley Lu Richardson , "Ponies" is the story of two unassuming CIA widows who turn out to be rather good spies themselves when thrust into the cold, killer world of 1970s Moscow. It is rich with warmth, good storytelling and magnetic actors.

We're halfway through 2026, and there has been so much great TV already. Here are the 10 best shows so far this year.

10. 'Ponies' (Peacock)Starring "Game of Thrones" alumna Emilia Clarke and "The White Lotus" Season 2 breakout Haley Lu Richardson, "Ponies" is the story of two unassuming CIA widows who turn out to be rather good spies themselves when thrust into the cold, killer world of 1970s Moscow. It is rich with warmth, good storytelling and magnetic actors.
Katalin Vermes, Peacock
9. 'How to Get to Heaven from Belfast' (Netflix) "Derry Girls" creator Lisa McGee returns with a very different but equally compelling Netflix series about female friendship and womanhood.
9. 'How to Get to Heaven from Belfast' (Netflix)"Derry Girls" creator Lisa McGee returns with a very different but equally compelling Netflix series about female friendship and womanhood.
Christopher Barr, Netflix
8. 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' (Apple TV) Hilarious, quirky and delicious, "Margo's Got Money Trouble" is an irresistible comedy with a magnetic cast that you just can't stop watching.
8. 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' (Apple TV)Hilarious, quirky and delicious, "Margo's Got Money Trouble" is an irresistible comedy with a magnetic cast that you just can't stop watching.
Allyson Riggs, Apple TV
7. 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins' (NBC) Who would ever think of pairing Daniel Radcliffe and Tracy Morgan in a goofy, self-referential network sitcom? Well, that would be creators Robert Carlock ("30 Rock") and Sam Means ("Girls5Eva") who found surprising comedic chemistry among those two stars, as well as the rest of the magnetic cast.
7. 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins' (NBC)Who would ever think of pairing Daniel Radcliffe and Tracy Morgan in a goofy, self-referential network sitcom? Well, that would be creators Robert Carlock ("30 Rock") and Sam Means ("Girls5Eva") who found surprising comedic chemistry among those two stars, as well as the rest of the magnetic cast.
Scott Gries, NBC
6. 'The Other Bennet Sister' (Britbox) "The Other Bennet Sister" is a perfect blend of sweet and simple without being boring or slow. Based on the novel by Janice Hadlow, "Bennet" tells the story of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" from the point of view of Mary Bennet, Lizzie Bennet's awkward and plain younger sister.
6. 'The Other Bennet Sister' (Britbox)"The Other Bennet Sister" is a perfect blend of sweet and simple without being boring or slow. Based on the novel by Janice Hadlow, "Bennet" tells the story of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" from the point of view of Mary Bennet, Lizzie Bennet's awkward and plain younger sister.
James Pardon, BBC/Bad Wolf
5. 'The Comeback' (HBO) No one is better at a comeback than Lisa Kudrow, except, perhaps, Valerie Cherish. Yes, the irresistibly cringey protagonist of HBO's comedic darling "The Comeback" came back, once again. The story of an actress looking for her comeback graced our screens in Season 1 (2005) and Season 2 (2014), and 2026's Season 3 found a story that is so very apt (and hilarious) for the times we're currently living in. This time Valerie, a faded TV star looking to bring her career back into the spotlight, is starring in a revolutionary new TV series: One written by AI. Kudrow hits every mark, the jokes penned by creator Michael Patrick King ("Sex and the City") are acerbic and hilarious, and every moment is must-see TV.
5. 'The Comeback' (HBO)No one is better at a comeback than Lisa Kudrow, except, perhaps, Valerie Cherish. Yes, the irresistibly cringey protagonist of HBO's comedic darling "The Comeback" came back, once again. The story of an actress looking for her comeback graced our screens in Season 1 (2005) and Season 2 (2014), and 2026's Season 3 found a story that is so very apt (and hilarious) for the times we're currently living in. This time Valerie, a faded TV star looking to bring her career back into the spotlight, is starring in a revolutionary new TV series: One written by AI. Kudrow hits every mark, the jokes penned by creator Michael Patrick King ("Sex and the City") are acerbic and hilarious, and every moment is must-see TV.
HBO
4. 'Beef' (Netflix) In 2023, Netflix's "Beef," the story of a road-rage incident that turns into a blood feud between two strangers, was a surprise hit, a word-of-mouth sensation that rode its acclaim and fantastic performances all the way to multiple Emmy awards. Its long-awaited second season, with a new cast and a new beef at the center, did not disappoint. Season 2 follows two couples on a path of mutual destruction, one older and jaded and one young and naive. Starring Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton, the story retains the shock and awe, exciting performances and mind-boggling twists of Season 1 while remaining fresh and exciting.
4. 'Beef' (Netflix)In 2023, Netflix's "Beef," the story of a road-rage incident that turns into a blood feud between two strangers, was a surprise hit, a word-of-mouth sensation that rode its acclaim and fantastic performances all the way to multiple Emmy awards. Its long-awaited second season, with a new cast and a new beef at the center, did not disappoint. Season 2 follows two couples on a path of mutual destruction, one older and jaded and one young and naive. Starring Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton, the story retains the shock and awe, exciting performances and mind-boggling twists of Season 1 while remaining fresh and exciting.
Netflix
3. 'Survivor 50' (CBS) Twenty-six years and 50 seasons into its run on CBS, the reality competition series that took the world by storm in 2000 is still kicking, and kicking up a storm of great TV.
3. 'Survivor 50' (CBS)Twenty-six years and 50 seasons into its run on CBS, the reality competition series that took the world by storm in 2000 is still kicking, and kicking up a storm of great TV.
Robert Voets, CBS
2. 'Lord of the Flies' (Netflix) The best new show to hit TV screens so far this year will give you flashbacks to high school English class. This new adaptation of the classic William Golding novel, a British production, is a moody, harrowing and deeply upsetting experience.
2. 'Lord of the Flies' (Netflix)The best new show to hit TV screens so far this year will give you flashbacks to high school English class. This new adaptation of the classic William Golding novel, a British production, is a moody, harrowing and deeply upsetting experience.
J Redza, Eleven/Sony Pictures Television
1. 'The Pitt' (HBO Max) It's almost a cliché to call HBO Max's medical drama sensation "The Pitt" the best show on TV. It has collected a wheelbarrow full of shiny awards, including 15 Emmys for 2025's first season. But in Season 2, which premiered back in January, "The Pitt" didn't miss a (heart)beat. The new episodes somehow grew on the creative success of Season 1, with new characters, new emergencies and new commentary on our very chaotic world. The show seems to be an unstoppable cultural phenomenon. If all continues like this, "The Pitt" will be the best show on television for as long as it airs.
1. 'The Pitt' (HBO Max)It's almost a cliché to call HBO Max's medical drama sensation "The Pitt" the best show on TV. It has collected a wheelbarrow full of shiny awards, including 15 Emmys for 2025's first season. But in Season 2, which premiered back in January, "The Pitt" didn't miss a (heart)beat. The new episodes somehow grew on the creative success of Season 1, with new characters, new emergencies and new commentary on our very chaotic world. The show seems to be an unstoppable cultural phenomenon. If all continues like this, "The Pitt" will be the best show on television for as long as it airs.
Warrick Page, HBO Max
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