'Love Story' & 4 Other Best TV Series Released in the First Half of 2026, Ranked by RT
These are the shows that you absolutely cannot miss.
The first six months of 2026 have seen an abundance of high-quality television projects. Series creators have abandoned safe templates and are boldly blending genres, reviving cult classics, and reimagining great literary plots.
5. 'Half Man', 2026
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Streaming Platform: HBO Max
In 2024, Richard Gadd bared his soul in the autofiction series Baby Reindeer, a dark tragicomedy about obsessions, toxic masculinity, male depression, and violence.
In his new project, Half Man, Gadd once again bares his soul and refines his storytelling, offering an even more sophisticated and candid exploration of male identity mired in cruel patriarchal attitudes.
Shy Niall grows up under the watchful eye of his rage-prone half-brother, Ruben. Over the decades, the codependent relationship between the half-siblings – full of mutual hatred, love, acceptance, and rejection – only grows stronger, turning into a destructive force.
4. 'Love Story', 2026
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Streaming Platform: Disney+, Hulu
Ryan Murphy's Love Story became one of the first surefire hits of 2026. The FX and Hulu project broke platform records and went viral on social media.
The first season of the anthology series focused on the relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr., the "heir apparent" to the US presidency, and Carolyn Bessette, an employee of the Calvin Klein fashion house.
These beautiful people were trapped by their feelings and social expectations. Even in life, their romance drew widespread attention and pressure to live up to the Kennedy name.
3. 'Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen', 2026
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Streaming Platform: Netflix
The show has an intriguing, mystical premise that plays on the soulmate and eternal love stereotypes. Rachel travels to the groom's family mansion, where the wedding is to be held.
With its skillful genre-defying and eerie atmosphere, the series accurately depicts how people change in relationships and how family influences a person, especially when they're about to start their own family.
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is a unique project about love and marriage. The result is an unsettling yet captivating show about trust and conviction.
2. 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms', 2026-...
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Streaming Platform: HBO Max
Based on George R.R. Martin's novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offered a refreshing change of pace within both the Game of Thrones franchise and the fantasy genre.
Instead of political intrigue, large-scale battles, special effects, and high stakes, the prequel offers an intimate, comedic story about the aspiring knight Ser Duncan and his young squire, Egg, who are destined to become great heroes.
They arrive at a jousting tournament, observe the morals of the people of Westeros, and get into trouble and only towards the end does Duncan risk his life.
1. 'Widow's Bay', 2026-...
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Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Streaming Platform: Apple TV+
The show follows the town administration on the small island of Widow's Bay as they prepare for the start of the tourist season. The mayor is trying hard to transform the town into a prestigious resort, but the locals know the island is full of secrets.
Showrunner Katie Dippold and producer Hiro Murai have created a show that is both warm and genuinely terrifying, where comedy and horror coexist without interfering with each other.
In addition to a bestiary of mythical creatures and the town founders' secrets, Widow's Bay offers a vibrant cast of characters you won't want to leave.
