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It's official, we are more than halfway through the calendar year of 2026. And thus far, it’s been a pretty solid year for television. Especially for HBO. This year, HBO has been at the top of the TV conversation with new seasons of hit shows like The Pitt and House of the Dragon. They welcomed back the highly anticipated return ofThe Comeback. 2026 also marked the end of the beloved comedy Hacks. With such a great roster of television, HBO had some time for new series.
What might shock you is that so far this year, there have only been five new HBO series. And, for the most part, they’ve all been pretty great! They’ve included a daring mystery miniseries, a new Larry David sketch series, Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer follow-up, a melancholic comedy starring Steve Carell from the brains behind Ted Lasso and Shrinking, and a long-awaited Game of Thrones spin-off. We're here to celebrate these titles. Which is the best this year? It's time to find out!
'Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness' (2026)
This year marked the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. To celebrate the occasion, many events went down around the country, including the wee controversial Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. While many networks had some one-off television specials, HBO gave the green light to their tried-and-true creator, Larry David, to tell the history of the country through comedy. And he wasn’t alone. He brought former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama along for the ride! Produced by their company, Higher Ground Productions, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America satirized major events in U.S. history to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary. Created by David and Jeff Schaffer, rather than an accurate or reverent history, the show acts as a conceptual successor to Curb Your Enthusiasm. It filters canonical American milestones through David's signature neuroses, petty grievances, and argumentative persona.
With the dialogue largely unscripted and heavily improvised, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness is like if David had full control of Drunk History. And if you have a reverence for that series, you might feel David's historical comedy is a bit redundant. David takes on a bevy of history's finest players alongside a smattering of incredible guest stars and Samuel L. Jackson as the narrator. As of publication, three out of the expected seven episodes have aired, in which the series has taken on Robert R. Livingston and the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington announcing he's not running for a third term, and Joseph McCarthy lambasting attendees of the Army-McCarthy hearings. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as Abraham Lincoln and Deepthroat are on their way. If you’re seeking something with an incredible roster of stars going ham, expect to see everyone from Jimmy Kimmel and Jerry Seinfeld to Kathryn Hahn and Bill Hader. This also marked Rob Reiner's final on-screen appearance. If sketch comedy is not your thing, Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness may be a good show to pass on. Either way, happy birthday, America!
'Half Man' (2026)
Following up a widely successful show with another one can be quite difficult. And yet Richard Gadd has done the unthinkable in the six-part British series, Half Man. The limited series chronicles the toxic, decades-long relationship between two inextricably bound stepbrothers, Niall Kennedy (Jamie Belland Mitchell Robertson), a sensitive, isolated, and bullied young man, and Ruben Pallister (Gadd and Stuart Campbell), a fiercely loyal but terrifyingly violent ex-con. Unfolding across four decades, the story begins at Niall's wedding, where his estranged stepbrother Ruben unexpectedly shows up. An explosive, violent confrontation follows, thrusting the story back through the previous 30 years to uncover the roots of their turbulent dynamic. Tackling the ripple effects of trauma, aggression, and repressed masculinity through the lens of queerness, shame, and cycles of abuse, Half Man is a raw, unnerving series that’s both intense and compelling.
Half Man uses a non-linear narrative device that plunges the viewers directly into the action. By giving a hook, it provides a wonderful opportunity to then pull back the layers of two richly crafted characters. By going back to the root of the trauma, it provides viewers a chance to truly grasp the connection and divide. Half Man is all about performance. The dual casting of the "brothers from another lover" brings remarkable depth to the narrative. Their codependent relationship is devastating and captivating, with the two adult leads providing extraordinary performances. Half Man thrives on moral ambiguity. There are no true black-or-white heroes or villains. Through the complexity of bullying, sexuality, and internalized self-hatred, Gadd's script depicts how deeply an individual can be shaped by societal demons. Though a riveting watch, Half Man doesn't quite capture the same shock that Baby Reindeer did.
'DTF St. Louis' (2026)
Perhaps the most shocking series of the calendar year is Steve Conrad's unconventional murder mystery limited series DTF St. Louis. The dark comedy follows a twisted love triangle between three disenchanted, middle-aged suburbanites— Floyd Smernitch (David Harbour), a mild-mannered, professional ASL interpreter experiencing marital and spiritual malaise, his wife Carol Love-Smernitch (Linda Cardellini), who feels stuck in her marriage and strikes up an affair, and Clark Forrest (Jason Bateman), a local TV meteorologist, close friend to Floyd, and the man Carol has the affair with. When an affair leads to the suspicious death of one of the husbands, two detectives—Detective Donoghue Homer (Richard Jenkins), a county detective, and Jodie Plumb (Joy Sunday), a special crimes officer from the Twyla police department— investigate and uncover a bizarre web of infidelity, depression, and a secret swinging app. Told through a non-linear format beginning with the discovery of Floyd's body, DTF St. Louis reveals how the simplicity of mundane suburban life can lead to dark, shocking revelations that turn fatal. DTF St. Louis is a subversion of the erotic thriller. It's not all about sex; the story celebrates the humor, awkwardness, and quirks that go into taboo intimacy.
The series uses humor and heart to explore contemporary relationships. Nothing is glamorized. There are cracks and flaws, and unfortunately, those same cracks and flaws lead to suspensions of the prime suspects. And yet, the strengths of the individual connections remain strong until the bitter end. DTF St. Louis is an unlikely story on all fronts, so by the time you reach the conclusion, you may not be shocked, but have a feeling of bittersweet melancholy. Every character, from the trio to the police, is brilliantly complex. They are beyond surface-level tropes. By pushing away from a straightforward crime drama, the suburban noir leaves room to see how deeply insecurities and marital unhappiness weigh on an individual. The series uses humor led by a quintet of brilliant performances. Jenkins and Sunday deserve to be in the same conversation with Bateman, Cardellini, and Harbour—who gives a career-best tender performance. The atmosphere may be moody, and the silence may be deafening, but the show uses communication to truly define the importance of human connection. Utilizing intense ASL conversations in exchange for high-voltage screaming matches is phenomenal. For that alone, DTF St. Louis is a must-watch.
'Rooster' (2026–Present)
There is a lot about Rooster that is familiar. Not just because many of the tried and true elements, themes, and archetypes from beloved Bill Lawrence series are found here. Rooster is familiar because it's filled with comfort. Whether you attended college in New England or not, Rooster brings a universality to the narrative that resonates. In the triumphant first season, Steve Carell stars as Greg Russo, a best-selling author of trashy beach reads who takes a Writer in Residence position at a fictional New England college. He does this to support his adult daughter, Katie (Charly Clive), an art history professor whose marriage to fellow professor Archie Bates (Phil Dunster), just imploded, while navigating the chaotic fishbowl dynamic of campus life. A delightful, heartwarming comedy about dysfunctional relationships that ultimately evolve into a wholesome-found family dynamic, Rooster mirrors the successful, optimistic and cozy comforts of Ted Lasso and Shrinking as it satirizes the politics of academia and the blurred lines as adults in specific roles on campus.
Co-created by Matt Tarses, Rooster is an easy, breezy watch that sparks joy. Like its recent predecessors, the writing is exceptionally sharp, capturing just the right amount of awkwardness to be endearing. We laugh not because it's hilarious, we laugh because it's believable. Though the emotional core may be between Greg and Katie, there's not a single relationship that isn’t charming, especially with Greg as the cog. Whether it's the paternal bond with student Tommy (Maximo Salas), the sexual tension with both Crisle (Annie Mumolo) and Dylan (Danielle Deadwyler), or the uncomfortable friendships with Walter (John McGinley) and Officer Donnie Mullins (Rory Scovel), they're all brilliant and sensational to watch unfold. Carell is in top form as the silver fox "Rooster." He may not be as uncouth as Michael Scott, but he's equally willing and able to say and do the darnedest things. The fishbowl aesthetic of college for the convenient relationships works to playfully display how modern academia's social liability and intergenerational gaps play into every connection. Rooster is a top-tier character-driven series that uses humor to mask the deeper themes of grief, regret, and loneliness. Rooster is incredibly human, and thankfully, there's more to come in Season 2. It's truly a wonderful life!
'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' (2026–Present)
Imagine this: Westeros is not a land that's all about death and despair. There is room for a buddy story of the most unlikely duo. A prequel to Game of Thrones, the third spin-off adapts George R. R. Martin's novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg. In the six-part first season, set in 209 AC, a time when the Targaryens still rule the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has passed, the story depicts an honorable but lowborn hedge knight, Dunk, or Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his young, bald, quick-witted squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), as they travel across Westeros as they encounter powerful Targaryen lords during a period of relative peace. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is not a heavy series. It's a lighter episodic tale that shifts focus to chivalry, loyalty, and the day-to-day survival of ordinary people.
Unlike Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, the Martin and Ira Parker-created story isn't centered around epic wars and grand political schemes for the Iron Throne. Instead, it provides a grounded look at the everyday lives of ordinary people and itinerant warriors without fixed masters, titles, or lands. Most importantly, it's an extraordinary character-driven story. Dunk is a simple man trying to do what is right in a world that often rewards ambition over morality. There has never been anyone as charming and endearing in this universe as Claffey as Dunk. Claffey captures the heightened essence of Martin’s Westeros while rooting him in honor and humbleness. His unlikely friendship with Egg, better known as Prince Aegon Targaryen, is built on witty banter and genuine care. Through the intimacy of a slice of a story, the Game of Thrones universe has been opened up to a world of potential. Though we know Westeros before and after A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, here, just a shred of optimism champions hope for the underdog. Now don't fret, if you're looking for some action, there's just enough to wet the whistle. This self-contained Game of Thrones story is an utter delight.
