Empire's Picks: The 10 Best Shows of 2026 (So Far)

We're only halfway through the year, but 2026 is going full throttle for television. Streamers and traditional networks alike keep churning out must-watch after must-watch; from two separate journeys to Westeros to mind-bending sci-fi dramas, from breathtaking thrillers to deeply felt character stories, the small screen is today's home for the best storytelling. Experts at Empire and Pilot TV have named the 10 best shows of the first half of the year.

10) Cape Fear

Platform: Apple TV

Despite having Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg as producers, and Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, and Patrick Wilson in the cast, the show was met with serious skepticism: there were already three good versions of the Max Cady story. Still, Nick Antosca's miniseries stands on its own two feet; it winks respectfully at its predecessors at first, then swings into a place that's both terrifying and campy once Bardem goes full-throttle Cady.

9) House Of The Dragon: Season 3

Platform: HBO Max

The kindling stacked up over the first two seasons has finally caught fire. The season, which opens with the Battle of the Gullet, fundamentally shifts the balance of power in King's Landing, turning Rhaenyra's (an ever-better Emma D'Arcy) life into hell alongside James Norton's villainous Ormund Hightower. Ryan Condal's adaptation is making big moves this time around.

8) Silo: Season 3

Platform: Apple TV

Silo's mysteries still unfold without rushing, but the show remains one of today's most compelling sci-fi series. As Rebecca Ferguson's stubborn Juliette battles drug-induced memory loss, the lives of 10,000 people hang in the balance, while a new backstory explores how humanity ended up locked in these giant bunkers.

7) Star City

Platform: Apple TV

Apple's best-kept secret. Spinning off For All Mankind is no easy task, and doing it in a bleak tone set in 1960s Soviet Russia is even harder. Star City pulls it off: Anna Maxwell Martin and Rhys Ifans are excellent, while Agnes O'Casey shines as the show's true breakout star in the role of Irina Morozova.

6) A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

Platform: HBO Max

Opening with its hero Ser Duncan The Tall (Peter Claffey) relieving himself behind a tree, the show announces from the very first second that this is something different within the Game of Thrones universe. The humble adventures of Dunk and his young squire 'Egg' prove just how differently scaled and toned Westeros' stories can be.

5) Widow's Bay

Platform: Apple TV

Few creators blend comedy and horror this well; Katie Dippold is now on that list. The story of a mayor trying to revive tourism on a cursed New England island offers a winding, and at times genuinely terrifying, descent into the island's dark past. Matthew Rhys, Kate O'Flynn, and Stephen Root know exactly what they're doing.

4) Tip Toe

Platform: Channel 4

Russell T. Davies steps away from the Who universe and returns with an angry portrait of the country. After a shocking act of violence, queer bar owner Leo (Alan Cumming) and his repairman neighbor Clive (David Morrissey) are dragged over five episodes toward an inevitable collision. It scrutinizes male violence, prejudice, and tribalism while still making room for queer joy.

3) Spider-Noir

Platform: Prime Video

Nicolas Cage's gruff spider, now in a live-action black-and-white world. Cage channels his inner Humphrey Bogart, swinging between skyscrapers with biting one-liners, and clashing with Brendan Gleeson's genuinely menacing Irish gangster Silvermane. Part noir, part comic-book escapade, part feverish dream.

2) The Bear: Season 5

Platform: Disney+

Supplies are running out, Chicago is battered by a storm, financial collapse looms. As Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) prepares to leave the chef's life behind, he hands the reins to Syd (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who are none too pleased with the mess they've inherited. A masterclass finale in editing, tone, and pacing.

1) The Pitt: Season 2

Platform: HBO Max

R. Scott Gemmill's real-time medical drama confirms with its second season that it became an instant classic. Set on the 4th of July, the season doesn't lean on a single big event this time, but instead digs into the details; cyberattacks, immigration raids, an abandoned child, and a groundbreaking exam force these frontline heroes to confront their own traumas. With razor-sharp writing and career-defining performances, it owns the top spot.