The best TV shows of 2026 so far, per Variety critics
The best shows 2026 has produced so far, according to Variety TV critics, already include 20 standout titles across two critics' personal top-10 lists—among them Emmy-winning medical drama The Pitt, finance thriller Industry, horror-comedy Widow's Bay, and Hulu soap Rivals. Halfway through the year, Variety's critics say television has already delivered sitcoms, medical dramas, horror, fantasy, and more.
On July 1, 2026, Variety published its midyear roundup, with critics Aramide Tinubu and Alison Herman each selecting 10 favorites. The split format highlights personal taste while underscoring how crowded—and strong—the 2026 TV slate has been. For more ongoing coverage, bookmark our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
Key Takeaways
- Variety named 20 standout series for the first half of 2026, split across two critics' top-10 lists.
- Highlights include The Pitt Season 2, Industry Season 4, Widow's Bay, Star City, and The Testaments.
- Genres span medical procedurals, finance dramas, horror comedy, dark soap, and alt-history sci-fi.
- Apple TV, HBO, Hulu, and Prime Video each landed multiple picks.
- Variety frames summer as the ideal window to catch up on shows viewers may have missed.
Which shows made Variety's best-of list?
Aramide Tinubu's top 10 includes The 'Burbs (Peacock), Half Man (HBO), The House of the Spirits (Prime Video), Imperfect Women (Apple TV), Jury Duty: Company Retreat (Prime Video), Rivals (Hulu), Star City (Apple TV), The Testaments (Hulu), Young Sherlock (Prime Video), and Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV).
Alison Herman's selections are The Audacity (AMC), DTF St. Louis (HBO), The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins (NBC), Industry (HBO), A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO), Lord of the Flies (Netflix), Neighbors (HBO), The Pitt (HBO Max), The Vampire Lestat (AMC), and Widow's Bay (Apple TV).
What dramas are critics calling must-watch?
Industry returned for a fourth season that Variety calls a maximalist reinvention, with Harper Stern (Myha'la) now steering her own fund after the show abandoned its original premise. The Pitt's second season exceeded expectations for a series credited with reviving the weekly procedural, following Dr. Michael Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) through a punishing hospital shift.
Hulu's The Testaments extends The Handmaid's Tale into a coming-of-age story set four years after the War of Massachusetts. Star City, a For All Mankind spinoff, explores an alt-history space race from behind the Iron Curtain as a paranoid thriller.
Which comedies and genre picks stand out?
Widow's Bay blends horror and comedy in a cursed New England town led by mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys). Rivals delivers a soapy dark comedy adapted from Jilly Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles, pitting TV executive Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennent) against former host Declan O'Hara (Aidan Turner).
Genre variety runs deep: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offers a lighter Game of Thrones spinoff, The Vampire Lestat reinvents Interview With the Vampire as a rock-band road story, and Jury Duty: Company Retreat extends Prime Video's breakout hoax sitcom.
Why does this midyear list matter now?
Variety notes that with the hazy days of summer upon us, now is the perfect time to catch up on series viewers contemplated or may have missed. The list spans broadcast, cable, and streaming, covering period pieces and contemporary social commentary alongside horror and fantasy.
Whether you want a finance-world antihero, a Gilead sequel, or a Soviet space thriller, Variety's critics argue the best shows 2026 has offered so far are already on screens. Six months remain for new contenders to join the conversation.