- Apple TV led all networks and streamers with eight wins at the 2026 Primetime Emmys, including six for Widow’s Bay and two for Pluribus.
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles, a show starring Elle Fanning, follows a college student turned single mother who turns to OnlyFans for financial support.
- Slow Horses, based on Mick Herron’s novels, has released five seasons since 2022 and stars Gary Oldman as the leader of a group of MI5 agents in purgatory.
Apple TV has quickly become an Emmy darling. At the 2026 Primetime Emmys, Apple TV led all networks and streamers with eight wins during the broadcast, including six for Widow’s Bayand two for Pluribus.Overall, Apple TV earned 89 nominations, bolstering its reputation as a streamer with critically acclaimed shows and star talent.
Those two shows are among the best programs Apple TV has to offer. Furthermore, the list of Apple’s Emmy-nominated shows this past year is quite impressive and worth the subscription price. I narrowed it down to five from the 2026 Emmy ceremony that should be on your watchlist. Surprisingly, my top selection is neither Widow’s Baynor Pluribus.Instead, I’m changing it up and spotlighting a delightful comedy starring the legendary Harrison Ford.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
A show made for the OnlyFans generation
I’m a huge fan of Elle Fanning. Like her sister Dakota, Elle was a child star, but I’ve loved her choices the past few years, including A Complete Unknown, Predator: Badlands, and Sentimental Value, the latter of which garnered her an Oscar nomination. Earlier this spring, Fanning returned to television as the lead in Margo’s Got Money Troubles, A24’s adaptation of Rufi Thorpe’s bestselling novel of the same name.
The life of college student Margo Millet (Elle Fanning) turns upside down after her married professor (Michael Angarano) impregnates her. Despite her mother’s (Michelle Pfeiffer) disapproval, Margo has the baby and becomes a single mother. Desperate for money, Margo turns to unorthodox methods—including OnlyFans—to support her child. It’s a David E. Kelley show, so the quality is high, but the performances are even better. Margo’s Got Money Troubleshas been renewed for a second season.
Slow Horses
Jackson Lamb and his island of misfit toys
Don’t believe a network or streamer when they say it’s impossible to release a new season of a show every year. If that happens, point them to Slow Horses, which has released five seasons since 2022, with a sixth premiering on September 16, 2026. Based on Mick Herron’s Slough Housenovels, Slow Horsesstars Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, the crotchety leader of Slough House, an MI5 branch where agents go after they mess up or get into trouble. Think of it as purgatory for humiliated spies.
Each season, the agents of Slough House find themselves in a precarious situation, where they’re forced to step up and save the day, much to the dismay of MI5. The Emmy-winning spy series has no plans of slowing down, and if it keeps putting out quality seasons, it shouldn’t stop. With a seventh season coming in 2027, Apple just announced an eighth season is in development.
Widow’s Bay
A genre-bending show
Widow’s Bayrefuses to be defined by one genre. The horror comedy follows the efforts of the titular town’s mayor to boost tourism on his cursed island. It’ll make you laugh thanks to an eccentric lead performance by Matthew Rhys, whose Mayor Tom Loftis is the perfect character to play off the deadpan humor of the residents. When you’re not laughing, you’ll experience feelings of dread and anxiety from the atmospheric and psychological horror.
Widow’s Baydid not just win at the Emmys; it dominated. The series won six major Emmys during the TV broadcast, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Hiro Murai), Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Katie Dippold), and acting wins for Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, and Stephen Root.
Overall, Widow’s Baywon 14 Emmys for its first season, breaking the previous single-season record for a comedy of 13, by The Studioseason 1. Widow’s Bayhas been renewed for a second season.
Pluribus
Patience required
Just because a TV show takes its time to build tension does not make it a slow burn. Sometimes, it’s just a bad show that spends too much time on exposition and not enough to advance the story. Luckily for Pluribus, Vince Gilligan is a master of the slow burn, having been the primary creative architect on Breaking Badand Better Call Saul.
In the Pluribuspilot, the majority of the world is infected with a virus that turns people into polite and obedient beings. The infected now share a hive mind. Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) is one of the 13 people immune to the virus. For the rest of the season, Carol investigates why this strange occurrence has happened and whether she wants to save humanity by reversing the virus. It’s a slow burn, but one that rewards patience.
Pluribuswon Gilligan his first Emmy in the Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series category. Additionally, Seehorn took home a much-award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Pluribushas been renewed for a second season.
Shrinking
Therapy in the form of comedy
There is a common theme in most Bill Lawrence comedies. They typically start out as character explorations about one protagonist. As the first season progresses, the supporting cast receives more chances to shine, to the point where the show becomes more of an ensemble comedy. By season 2, it’s a full-on hangout comedy where audiences enjoy spending time with their favorite characters on a weekly basis.
Shrinkingfollowed that same formula, and I’m glad it did. Jason Segel stars as Jimmy Laird, a widowed therapist in the midst of an existential crisis who decides on an unconventional approach with his patients: total honesty. I already knew Segel could give great comedic performances, so I was delighted to watch the supporting actors—including Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, and Harrison Ford—become my favorite aspect of the show. This comedic show is a warm blanket that I thoroughly enjoy returning to.
Shrinkinghas been renewed for a fourth season.
More Emmy-nominated shows to check out
With the Emmys still fresh in everyone’s minds, make sure to catch up on some shows that took home awards, including The Pittand Hacks. Speaking of HBO Max, the streamer had several Emmy-nominated shows this year, including A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsand The Gilded Age.
