Best TV Shows of 2026
Ranked by our critic's grades, best first.
East of EdenFlorence Pugh's Cathy Ames anchors a handsome Steinbeck that finally gives Lee the dignity the book owed him.Read the review
Lord of the FliesThe first television version of Golding's novel, and it finds the horror in how quickly the boys agree with each other.
Widow's BayA cursed New England island played for laughs and for real dread, and the Emmys handed it fourteen awards for both.
BaitRiz Ahmed writes himself an audition for James Bond and turns four days of it into the sharpest comedy of the year.
Star CityThe Soviet half of the space race, told cold and close, and the best argument yet for spinning off For All Mankind.
LanternsGreen Lantern rebuilt as a two hander crime drama in rural Nebraska, and it works.
A Knight of the Seven KingdomsA hedge knight, a bald squire and no dragons, and it is the most likable thing Westeros has produced.
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!Apatow's third long documentary about a comedian is his best, largely because Mel Brooks refuses to sit still for it.
How to Get to Heaven from BelfastLisa McGee's first show since Derry Girls is funnier than it is coherent, and the three leads make that a fair trade.
CarrieMike Flanagan rebuilds Carrie for the social media age with real compassion, and loses some of the terror on the way.