Top TV shows of 2026, ranked so far by USA TODAY
USA TODAY’s Kelly Lawler ranks the best TV shows of 2026 so far, including “Survivor,” “Lord of the Flies” and “The Pit.”
We have a doctor, an Emmy-nominated doctor, on board.
HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pit,” directed by star and executive producer Noah Wyle, proves to be just what the doctor ordered. The series, which concluded its second season in April, topped the nominations with 25 honors. (It won three statuettes last year, including Best Drama.)
“Hacks,” also an HBO Max series, received 24 nominations for its fifth and final season. Star Jean Smart has won the Outstanding Lead Actress award four times for her role as the resurgent comedian Deborah Vance, and could win the award for the fifth time. The quirky horror/comedy “Widow’s Bay” (Apple TV+) received the third-most nominations with 19 mentions.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” earned nine nominations, including in the variety series category, two months after the CBS late-night talk show was canceled and officially ended in May. “The Late Show” left the venue with a pair of statuettes at last year’s awards ceremony, which recognized outstanding talk series and outstanding production of variety series.
Rob Reiner, who passed away in December, received a posthumous nomination for his work on “The Bear.”
Where can you watch Emmy Award nominees?
On Wednesday, Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear) and Jeff Hiller (Widow’s Bay) announced their nominations during a ceremony streamed live on the Emmy Awards website.
Who hosts the Emmy Awards?
The 2026 Emmy Awards will be held on September 14th (8pm ET/5pm PT) and will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock. It has been announced that Mariska Hargitay, the Emmy Award-winning star of Law & Order: SVU, will host the awards ceremony, which will be held on July 7th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Here are the actors, hosts, and shows submitted to the major Emmy categories:
Emmy nominations: complete list
Leading Actress, Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Sally Field “Remarkably Bright Creatures” (Netflix)
Carey Mulligan “Beef” (Netflix)
Sarah Pidgeon “Love Story” (FX, Hulu)
Sarah Snook “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Leading Actor, Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Riz Ahmed “Bait” (Prime Video)
Jason Bateman “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
Charlie Hunnam “Monster: The Ed Gain Story” (Netflix)
Oscar Isaac “Beef” (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Limited series or anthology series
“It’s all her fault” (Peacock)
“The Beast Inside Me” (Netflix)
“Beef” (Netflix)
“DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
“Love Story” (FX, Hulu)
Supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie
Linda Cardellini “DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
Dakota Fanning “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Laurie Metcalf, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Joy Sunday “DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
Yoon Yoo Jung “Beef” (Netflix)
Constance Zimmer “Love Story” (FX, Hulu)
Supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie
Jason Bateman “DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
Richard Gadd “Half Man” (HBO Max)
David Harbor “DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
Richard Jenkins “DTF St. Louis” (HBO Max)
Charles Melton “Beef” (Netflix)
Nick Offerman “Death by Lightning” (Netflix)
Lead actress, comedy series
Quinta Branson “Abbott Elementary School” (ABC)
Ayo Edebiri “The Bear” (FX/Hulu)
Elle Fanning “Margo’s Money Trouble” (Apple TV+)
Lisa Kudrow “The Comeback” (HBO Max)
Gene Smart “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Lead actor, comedy series
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II “Wonder Man” (Disney+)
Steve Carell “Rooster” (HBO Max)
Matthew Rhys “Widow’s Bay” (Apple TV+)
Jason Segel “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
Martin Short “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
comedy series
“Abbott Elementary School” (ABC)
“The Bear” (FX/Hulu)
“Hax” (HBO Max)
“Margo’s Money Trouble” (Apple TV+)
“Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
“Widow’s Bay” (Apple TV+)
Supporting actress, comedy series
Dale Dickey “Widow’s Bay” (Apple TV+)
Hannah Einbinder, “Hux” (HBO Max)
Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Kate O’Flynn, “Widow’s Bay” (Apple TV+)
Michelle Pfeiffer, “Margo’s Money Trouble” (Apple TV+)
Megan Stalter, “The Hux” (HBO Max)
Jessica Williams “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
Supporting actor, comedy series
Colman Domingo “The Four Seasons” (Netflix)
Paul W. Downs “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Harrison Ford “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
Nick Offerman, “Margo’s Got Money Trouble” (Apple TV+)
Stephen Root “Widow’s Bay” (Apple TV+)
Michael Urie “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
Tyler James Williams “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
comedy guest actor
Michael J. Fox “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
Brett Goldstein “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
Hamish Linklater “Widow’s Bay” (Apple TV+)
Christopher MacDonald “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Rob Reiner “The Bear” (FX/Hulu)
Connor Story “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
comedy guest actress
Leslie Bibb “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Jamie Lee Curtis “The Bear” (FX/Hulu)
Betty Gilpin “Widow’s Bay” (Apple TV+)
Cherry Jones “Hux” (HBO Max)
Laurie Metcalfe, “Hax” (HBO Max)
Caitlin Olson, “The Hux” (HBO Max)
Lauren Weedman, “Hux” (HBO Max)
Lead actress, drama series
Carrie Coon “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)
Chase Infinity “Testament” (Hulu)
Keri Russell “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn “More” (Apple TV+)
Zendaya “Euphoria” (HBO Max)
Lead actor, drama series
Sterling K. Brown “Paradise” (Hulu)
Gary Oldman “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)
Mark Ruffalo “Tusk” (HBO Max)
Rufus Sewell “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Noah Wyle “The Pit” (HBO Max)
drama series
“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)
“Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (HBO Max)
“Paradise” (Hulu)
“The Pit” (HBO Max)
“See more” (Apple TV+)
“Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)
“Your Friends & Neighbors” (Apple TV+)
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Taylor Dearden, “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Fiona Dourif, “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Allison Janney “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Katherine LaNasa, “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Sepideh Moafi “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Julianne Nicholson “Paradise” (Hulu)
Karolina Wydra “Pluribus” (Apple TV+)
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Ball “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)
Sean Hatosy, “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Gerran Howell “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Jack Lowden “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)
Tom Pelphrey “Tusk” (HBO Max)
Carlos Manuel Vesuga “Pluribus” (Apple TV+)
drama guest actor
Colman Domingo “Euphoria” (HBO Max)
Ernest Harden Jr. “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Jeff Hiller “More” (Apple TV+)
Jeff Kober “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Jonathan Pryce “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)
Bradley Whitford “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
drama guest actress
Brittany Allen, “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Tal Anderson “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Tina Ivlev, “The Pit” (HBO Max)
Miriam Scholl “More” (Apple TV+)
Merritt Wever “The Gilded Age” (HBO Max)
Shailene Woodley “Paradise” (Hulu)
tv movie
“Head of State” (Prime Video)
“Miss You, Love You” (HBO Max)
“People You Meet on Vacation” (Netflix)
“Surprisingly Bright Creatures” (Netflix)
“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War” (Prime Video)
variety series
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO Max)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
reality competition program
“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)
“Survivor” (CBS)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“Traitor” (Peacock)
Contributor: Kalia Richardson, USA TODAY

