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2026 is already serving up a packed slate of must-watch TV, from prestige dramas to sharp comedies and wild genre twists. Join us as we count down the most acclaimed and talked-about series of the year so far, featuring breakout returns, bold new stories, and plenty of buzzworthy performances. Which show has been your favorite in 2026?
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00:00All right, a new day, another fresh start with my dudes!
00:04No, I'm sorry. Point is, I'm excited.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most acclaimed and talked-about TV shows
00:12through the first half of 2026.
00:15I have a fan!
00:21Number 10, Off Campus
00:36The era of steamy hockey television is upon us, and this new Prime video series has angling for more.
00:43Off Campus utilizes the classic fake lovers trope following music major Ella and hockey hunk Garrett,
00:49as they create a mutually beneficial arrangement to pretend to date.
00:54So what, I help you study for the midterm, and you play my fake boyfriend to get Justin's attention?
01:02Something like that?
01:03We won't spoil any spicy details that follow, but the series details the progression of their relationship,
01:10as well as those of their extended college friend group.
01:12If you love a rom-drom and or series with men written by women,
01:16this hot new show is bound to be at the top of your best of 2026 list.
01:21Roof.
01:22It's taking over.
01:26Look.
01:28You're feeling it too.
01:29Number 9, Widow's Bay
01:31Please step away from the creepy house.
01:36This isn't my house?
01:39My bad.
01:39Boy, get over here!
01:41Uh, thank God.
01:42Katie Dippold of Parks and Recreation brings a very different approach to political comedy to Apple TV.
01:49Widow's Bay stars Matthew Rhys as a mayor clashing with superstitious locals to boost tourism to their supposedly cursed New
01:56England island.
01:57We have a new chapter now, and there is nothing wrong with that inn.
02:03A lot of bad things have gone down there.
02:05Yes, that's, that's true, but it doesn't make it haunted.
02:09I would never put anyone in danger.
02:11Why don't you say that?
02:12It's a spoof of Stephen King as much as quirky municipal politics, yet its tone feels daringly original.
02:18The balance of genres succeeds with a talented team of comedy and horror directors, helmed by renowned experimentalist Hiro Mirai.
02:27Rhys' own revelatory comedic performance capably leads a hysterical ensemble through one wild twist after another.
02:35With word of mouth spreading fast, a cult following is flocking to Widow's Bay to enjoy the surprises of its
02:41debut season.
02:42Why is this happening?
02:46Why is this happening?
02:47I don't know.
02:49You just survived.
02:51Number 8, The Boys.
02:52Samir's done it.
02:54As of last week, that naughty little bug of his, it's finally strong enough to top Homelander.
02:58Well, so we reckon.
03:00We just need a little...
03:01As Homelander ascends from Vought mascot to apocalyptic dictator, the boys have one last shot to take him out with
03:09a super virus.
03:10It just wouldn't be Amazon Prime's flagship superhero spoof if it was that simple.
03:15This is a modern compound V molecule.
03:18This is the virus.
03:20Its spike proteins bind to the V receptors kind of like gears meshing, but V1 is different.
03:26It looks like this.
03:29Nothing for the virus to bind to.
03:31You might have told us that before we tested it.
03:33The final season of The Boys naturally pushes the dazzling, gory action and equally irreverent pop culture commentary to their
03:40most diabolical heights.
03:42Some may say that its improvement with political themes after season 4 is partly thanks to real-life politics becoming
03:49nearly as absurd.
03:50At the same time, rich writing and performances bring deceptively deep character arcs to a compelling conclusion.
03:57This became a matter of debate with a polarizing series finale.
04:01Despite this, The Boys caps its five-season run with fitting awe and audacity.
04:07You stayed yourself.
04:10No matter what, I'm done.
04:14Number 7, Fallout.
04:16Prime Video returned to the wasteland in December 2025 with a slower burn for Fallout's second season.
04:23This just meant deeper focus on post-apocalyptic world-building that advances creative incorporation of the video game franchise's vast
04:31lore.
04:32I know about the experiments.
04:34I've been to Vault 4.
04:37Vault 4 is a best-case scenario.
04:40Well, to be fair, it was a little weirder than the one I came from.
04:46You think so?
04:47The cinematic production values, special effects, and action never truly slow down.
04:53It's just that the second half of the season soars with plot twists and character development that move the social
04:58satire into profound moral ambiguity.
05:01Who ends the world?
05:03Is it you?
05:05What if it is you?
05:06I don't think you're a cowboy at all, no.
05:10I think you're a killer.
05:12I think I know exactly who you are.
05:15Justin Theroux may make a chilling addition as Robert House, but Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Walton Goggins remain a
05:23dynamic trio.
05:23The emotional weight they bring to epic adventure and unblinking black comedy rounds out Fallout as explosive viewing once again.
05:31But if it were to expel all of its energy simultaneously, the damage would likely extend to other planets, so
05:39I would exercise extreme caution.
05:41Number 6.
05:42A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
05:44I'm a knight, I'll have you know.
05:46You don't look to be a knight.
05:49What, all knights look the same, do they?
05:51No, but they don't look like you either.
05:54HBO's epic Game of Thrones franchise downsized for the adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Dunkin' Egg novellas.
06:02Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms runs six half-hour episodes with a sense of humor and
06:08whimsy that's closer to old-fashioned fantasy.
06:11The seven above gave you tallness, so be tall.
06:25There's still plenty of high-end production values, gritty violence, and vivid worldbuilding.
06:31At the heart of this sneakily ambitious genre-bending is the poignant evolution of a mild-mannered knight and his
06:38precocious squire.
06:39And at the heart of that are incredible breakout performances by former rugby star Peter Claffey and young Dexter Sol
06:47Ansell.
06:47A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shows that even at its humblest, the Westeros saga is always an imaginative adventure.
06:55A true knight always finishes a story.
07:02Number 5, Lord of the Flies.
07:09Attention!
07:11Over here!
07:15Attention everyone!
07:18Run for me at this meeting to find out what we all know and decide what to do.
07:23After using children's cruelty to comment on today's world in adolescence, Jack Thorne uses it to comment on human nature.
07:31His adaptation of Lord of the Flies for the BBC and Stan is boldly faithful to William Golding's deception of
07:38schoolboys on a deserted island.
07:40In contrast, Mark Munden's direction is extremely modern in atmospheric style.
08:01The four-part limited series is gorgeous to look at, but a grueling crescendo in suspense and uncompromising violence.
08:09It's worth enduring just for the tour-de-force performances from the child actors.
08:14The show's immediate impact rallied social media for conversations about tribalism and supposed innocence.
08:22Golding's parable is as relevant as ever in 2026, but it's never been this mesmerizing on the screen.
08:28What have you boys been doing?
08:30Having a war or something?
08:34Nobody hurt, I hope?
08:37Nobody hurt in your war?
08:39Number 4, Margot's Got Money Troubles.
08:41Needing cash fast as a college dropout and single mother, Margot Millett believes that her only hope is OnlyFans.
08:49This is just the beginning of a scandalous predicament that allows her to reconnect with family and her passion for
08:55storytelling.
08:56Life, right?
08:57You wanted to go to college because you wanted to be a writer, and then the little guy happened, which
09:02made you have to drop out, and now look at you.
09:05You're a freaking writer.
09:06Apple TV clearly isn't selling out the complicated feminist themes of Rufy Thorpe's hit novel Margot's Got Money Troubles.
09:13The inherent absurdities of the subject are enhanced by clever comedy and thoughtful character growth.
09:19You went on this whole diatribe about human anatomy and how women shouldn't feel shame, and you weren't ashamed.
09:33Elle Fanning certainly grows up fast as the versatile lead of an all-star cast brimming with Emmy buzz.
09:39With audience buzz alone prompting Apple to renew the would-be miniseries for a second season, Margot's Got Money Troubles
09:46is worth the price of admission.
09:48And maybe...
09:52Catch yourself a whale.
09:54Cha-ching.
09:55Number 3.
09:57Hacks.
09:58The moment that my contract expires, I will be speaking my truth.
10:01In fact, I'll be shouting it at my comeback show at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.
10:09Debra Vance takes her final bow with mismatched but trusted cohort Ava Daniels on HBO Max's Hacks.
10:17But the iconic comic isn't walking away without crafting her own legacy-defining project after her boldness gets her blacklisted.
10:24You know, for a woman who can't be on camera, you've just got a lot of airtime.
10:28Mm-hmm.
10:30Wait, you leaked that video, didn't you?
10:33No!
10:34I did.
10:35That was a great pitch.
10:37We gotta do it now somehow.
10:38The colorful ensemble we've come to love across five seasons are digging deeper into the madness of the entertainment industry
10:45with crackling dialogue.
10:46It's a balancing act between hilariously immature humor and mature development to proper resolutions for the characters.
10:54Leave it to Emmy winners Gene Smart and Hannah Einbinder to make it all look effortless.
10:59Though Hacks as a whole is sure to be ageless, the final season shows how to go out on the
11:04perfect punchline.
11:05Come on, you're getting crumbs everywhere.
11:08These are so good.
11:09But they need milk.
11:09Can we stop the milk?
11:10What are you, nine?
11:12So, um, should I tell Damien and Josefina that we hooked up or do you want to-
11:16What?
11:17No, we did not hook up!
11:182.
11:19Industry
11:20The BBC and HBO's cult financial drama has gone through regular restructuring.
11:26In its fourth installment, Industry finds the perfect balance between high-stakes corporate intrigue and steamy character drama.
11:33Now I need to work.
11:37I think that's why I'm here after all.
11:41Let's do good work.
11:42From today's turbulent political landscape to the often tragic personal conflicts of our anti-heroes,
11:48it's a show that demands viewers' investment.
11:51The payoff is dynamic style and dialogue, captivating acting, and a surprisingly epic narrative scope.
11:58The opaque structures, the complex web of subsidiaries, the Africa of it, they're probably so brazen they think people are
12:04too lazy to do the footwork to actually knock on the door.
12:07Fans have particularly singled out the evolution of Yasmin Karahanani from Nepo underdog to cutthroat villain.
12:14But the numbers show more buzz than ever for industry's most urgent and foreboding series yet.
12:20With one more series to go, the stock has gone up from hidden gem to prestige centerpiece.
12:25Does being so uniquely right when everyone was so totally wrong feel like vindication?
12:34Or does it ultimately make you feel very alone?
12:42Both and...
12:44Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
12:49Beef.
12:49The Netflix anthology beefs up classic satire and warfare with a new star-studded storyline.
12:55There's gotta be a redistribution of the wealth and, like, we should all get out and vote.
13:02Yeah, I mean, what you're really saying is we've gotta take it back from everyone.
13:05DTF St. Louis.
13:06HBO's midlife murder mystery miniseries is another wild experiment by Stephen Conrad.
13:12That does sound good.
13:14That sounds like I'm in good shape.
13:16Even though I'm not.
13:17And it's true.
13:18The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins.
13:20Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe are the perfect match for NBC's surreal comeback comedy.
13:26Whatever the documentary ends up becoming, we will discover it together,
13:29because the cameras will be filming everything.
13:32Both the highs and the lows.
13:36Oh, you want bad stuff?
13:38Reggie Dinkins will give you plenty of that.
13:40Shrinking.
13:41Apple TV delivers another hilarious and heartbreaking session of ensemble sitcom therapy.
14:03Spider Noir.
14:04Nicolas Cage swinging from the Spider-Verse into a stylish angle on the superhero genre.
14:09I really should've stayed retired.
14:14Come on.
14:15Can we just talk?
14:20I don't know.
14:22I think you still got it.
14:26If you love games, be sure to check out WatchMojo's new game, Terrible Influence.
14:30Just launched for purchase at TerribleInfluence.com.
14:33Terrible Influence is a satirical board game about the dark side of fame from the writer of the most popular
14:38girls in school,
14:39and us.
14:40WatchMojo.
14:41Boom.
14:42I can make an apology video.
14:43Oh, you so would.
14:44Click on the link in the description to check out the game,
14:47and be the first to play Terrible Influence.
14:51Number one.
14:52The Pit.
14:54Good morning.
14:55It was a good morning.
14:55I'd still be in bed.
14:57So what are you doing here?
14:58Reggie's mom is visiting for the holiday.
15:00She's still alive?
15:01Well, it still means to die.
15:03Plus, who else is gonna get this place through the 4th of July weekend?
15:05Sure as hell ain't gonna be me.
15:07I rest my case.
15:08What am I walking into?
15:10Last year's breakout HBO Max medical drama is back for another shift.
15:15The Pit continues the daunting format of following a 15-hour shift in a Pittsburgh emergency room,
15:20one hour per episode.
15:22And with it being the 4th of July, it's more chaos in politics than ever ahead of Dr. Robby's mental
15:28health sabbatical.
15:29I figured we'd have hands and burns down here a bunch, but so far nobody's blown off any fingers.
15:34Oh, you know you just jinxed it.
15:35You guys and your jinxes.
15:37There's more concentrated tension in a fast-paced caseload that presents a hospital as a great equalizer in modern America.
15:44The resident cast is also more nuanced, with Noah Wiley further cementing his commanding and devastating comeback.
15:51The most important things I've ever done in my life have been in this hospital.
15:57Nothing will ever matter more than what I've done in this hospital, but it is killing me.
16:02As thrilling as the Pit was in Season 1, the sophomore outing feels more assured.
16:06It's tough TV to top, but audiences are eager to check back in for Season 3.
16:11How can you not love this place?
16:16Look, don't make me look stupid.
16:19You come back to us in one piece.
16:21What are you watching in 2026?
16:23Spread the hype in the comments below.
16:25What are you watching in 2026?
16:27Spread the hype in the comments below.
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