As we approach the two-thirds of the year mark, members of Team Stylist reveal the best TV shows they’ve watched so far in 2026. Do you agree?
With multiple streamers releasing endless titles each month, it can be hard to know exactly what’s worth investing your precious time in. Is it Netflix’s latest thriller? Apple TV’s star-studded horror-comedy? Or is it the YA romance drama everyone’s quietly bingeing on Prime Video? (Yes, we see you, Sterling Point.)
As a TV obsessive, I pride myself on being able to separate the cinematic wheat from the chaff. But despite my best efforts, I can’t quite keep on top of every release as an endless slew of thrillers, romances, period dramas and crime procedurals lands each week.
Luckily, I enlisted my trusty colleagues at Team Stylist to tell me their best TV shows of the year – so take a look and get your watchlist ready.
Soraya Gaied Chortane, fashion writer – Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette
I loved Love Story for a lot of reasons, but the fashion was a huge part of it. I’m 26, so Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s world was before my time, but I still felt strangely nostalgic for it. The late-90s New York, the taxis, the tiny sunglasses, baguette bags, the simple Narciso Rodriguez slip dresses and sheaths, JFK Jr’s mini track shorts and roomy sweaters – it all made that period feel incredibly seductive. The soundtrack helped massively too. It’s full of Kate Bush, Sade, Mazzy Star, Portishead, Björk, Pulp and Radiohead.
What I liked most, though, was the way John and Carolyn’s relationship was handled. It starts off feeling exciting and glamorous, but over time you see how much pressure they’re under and how that starts to change them. They argue, they become frustrated with each other, and things begin to unravel, but the love between them never completely disappears.
The media side of it also feels incredibly relevant now. Carolyn was followed, photographed and judged constantly, and you can see how damaging that became. We might not have paparazzi culture in quite the same way today (luckily!), but social media has created its own version of it (horribly!). Celebrity couples are still analysed endlessly, only now millions of people can join in. That made it feel much more believable than a straightforward doomed-romance story. I’m glad it was made, as I had no idea about their relationship, and it really gave me a newfound appreciation for her fashion.
Steven Cowan, digital chief sub-editor – A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms arrived with relatively little fanfare for something set within the Game Of Thrones cinematic universe, and it was probably all the better for that. Set around a jousting tournament, rather than years of internecine battles and people droning on about dragons, this is the tale of Ser Dunk the Tall as he attempts to be taken seriously as a knight, and Egg, his young squire. All the familiar Westerosi hallmarks are present: gruesome deaths, gratuitous nudity and a healthy splash of bodily fluids, but it’s also charming and funny – and even has the odd likeable character, too.
Amy Beecham, commissioning editor – Heated Rivalry
Like the rest of the world, I was utterly obsessed with Heated Rivalry when it dropped, but what surprised me most is just how often I still think about the show months later. Yes, it’s sexy, and the yearning is off the charts, but there are so many sweet moments that pop into my head from time to time, like Shane asking Ilya to come to his cottage for the summer or the way he finally comes out to his parents. It’s so brilliantly scripted and acted that it makes me smile just thinking about it. Bring on season two!
Georgia Green, contributor – SNL UK
The sceptics were out in full force before SNL UK launched earlier this year – only to be justifiably quietened by the surprising comedic brilliance the show managed week on week (which is perhaps the most British reaction we could have possibly had as a nation, anyway). That aside, I’m proud to say that my husband and I championed it from day one and dutifully watched every episode – and it only got better as the weeks went on.
My favourite moments from the series included Jack Shep’s spot-on Princess Diana, theTraitorsparody and George Fouracres asking, ‘What kind of Irish is your grandad?’ (My husband and I still regularly sing this at each other.) But our absolute favourite sketch every week was the Weekend Update with Ania Magliano and Paddy Young, whose alternative news broadcast had us cackling without fail every time. For me, it fills a hole in British TV comedy right now – pushing the envelope just enough without punching down – and I can’t wait for it to return for its 12-week run in the autumn.
Charlotte Bitmead, senior beauty writer – Adults
I loathe the term ‘laugh out loud funny’ when it comes to sitcoms, but Adultsis outrageously so. It follows a chaotic group of twenty-something Gen-Zers living together in New York, each with their own flaws and bouts of bad luck. Its crude humour and insane scenarios had me laughing at every episode, allowing me to properly switch off. I’m already counting down the days until season two starts on 28 August.
Susanne Norris, executive editor, digital – Widow’s Bay
Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I watched a show that was as good as Widow’s Bay. I’ve recommended it to all my family, friends and the team here at Stylist (who, of course, also found it addictive). Streaming on Apple TV, the show is a horror-comedy hybrid. It charts the supernatural events that occur in the (aptly named) Widow’s Bay and offers an insight into the lives of some of the characters inhabiting the island. A horror-comedy combination may sound odd, but trust me, it works. With stellar performances from the entire cast, it’s both seriously spooky and laugh-out-loud funny (sorry, Charlotte). It is, by far, the best thing I have watched this year.
Abby Allen, writer –Off Campus
I know this is the second ice hockey romance to feature on this list, but there’s only one show that filled the gap left by Heated Rivalrythis year, and that was Prime Video’s Off Campus. Based on the books by Elle Kennedy, this series follows the story of Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham; she’s the quirky and clever music major, and he’s the hockey-obsessed star centre.
And while, yes, the show features a classic college fake-dating trope, a killer soundtrack (shoutout to G Flip’s Bed On Fire) and a love-it-but-hate-it workout scene (if you know, you know), it also features some of the most moving scenes I’ve watched all year. Like when Garrett opens up to Dean and they discuss consent in a way I’ve never seen on TV, or when Hannah shares her story of sexual assault and Garrett does nothing but make her feel safe and supported. Yes, it’s a sexy ice hockey show, but it’s also lived rent-free in my mind ever since.
Images: HBO, Sabrina Lantos/Sky/FX
