The 20 best shows ending in 2026

Wonder Man received significant critical praise when it was released, and it’s not hard to see why. It manages to be a show that doesn’t have the highest stakes but still feels very watchable. It also has the dubious distinction of being a show that was initially renewed but later canceled. While there are certainly plenty of other MCU shows both currently airing and planned, this particular cancellation is perhaps an ominous sign for the franchise as a whole.

The Apple TV adaptation of Cape Fear is the third adaptation of the novel The Executioners,  and it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s over-the-top. The series definitely throws everything at the wall, and while not all of it sticks, there’s no doubt that this is the kind of TV show that takes up residence in the mind and refuses to leave. With its B-movie aesthetics and its terrific cast–which includes Patrick Wilson, Amy Adams, and Javier Bardem–it’s the kind of show that refuses to let the audience look away.

Apple TV has consistently produced some of the most lavish series on TV, and Palm Royale  might be its most sumptuously made series yet. Beyond its beauty, it also featured deliciously soapy plots and exquisitely ridiculous yet poignant performances from the likes of Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, and Carol Burnett. The second season had a lot going on, and though it ended with most storylines tied up, there were still enough threads for a third season. Unfortunately, Apple pulled the plug, and so those plot threads will have to remain in the realm of the what-might-have-been.

It’s probably safe to say that Euphoria  is one of the most daring and sometimes challenging series of the 21st century. This is a show, after all, that contends with very heavy material, including sobriety, addiction, and teen sex. What really set the series apart, however, was its cast, with members like Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi giving particularly powerful performances. The show might have ended this year, but its influence and legacy will live on.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria has become a favorite subject of popular culture in recent years, and she got the full series treatment in the aptly titled The Empress. Devrim Lingnau gives a strong performance as Sisi, a woman who refused to do as was expected of her. Given the strength of the series’ central character, it’s easy to see why the show became a hit for Netflix, and one can only hope the streamer will find other important historical women who deserve a similar biographical drama.

At first glance, The Abandons seemed to have a lot going for it. Among other things, it featured a powerhouse cast, with its two leads played by heavy hitters Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey. Unfortunately, it could never quite overcome some shortcomings in its script, and it met the fate of so many other Netflix series of recent vintage. It was canceled after just one season, and fans can only hope someone finds a reason to put Anderson and Headey back together.

Ryan Murphy has, time and again, proven himself to be an auteur with a distinct sense of style. He brought much of that to bear in his series The Beauty, which is part procedural and part body horror. The first season ended on a cliffhanger, leading fans to believe it might be renewed. However, now that the cast’s options have lapsed and they’ve begun to move on to other projects, it seems more likely than not that this series will join Murphy’s other productions that failed to move past one season.

At first, it seemed like The Boroughs would become another Netflix hit, given its all-star cast, suspenseful story, and the involvement of the Duffer Brothers. However, it ended up getting canceled after one season, meaning there won’t be any further adventures featuring the band of senior citizens trying to figure out what’s going on in their retirement community. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the season managed to tell a self-contained story, so at least one doesn’t have to deal with the disappointment of a cliffhanger ending.

Stumble is one of those shows that wears its heart on its sleeve, and it’s also a feel-good tale about a group of cheerleading misfits who try to make their team into something great. It has the perfect combination of likable stars, ridiculous scenarios, and sharp, smart writing. Unfortunately, despite all of its advantages, it wasn’t picked up for a second season. There is some good news for those who really love the show, however: the first season tells a self-contained story, so there’s no pesky cliffhanger. 

Though the first two seasons of Amazon’s beloved Good Omens were styled as a miniseries, the third and final one was released as a stand-alone, feature-length episode. Though this truncated ending creates some pacing issues, both David Tennant and Martin Sheen are at their best as Crowley and Aziraphale, the demon and angel who find unexpected love. The final season of the series might be shorter than some fans might have wished, but it’s still quite lovely to see these two characters get their long-awaited happy ending.

Given the enormous popularity of The Boys, it was inevitable that the series would get a variety of spinoffs. One of the more promising was Gen V, which focused on a group of young Supes and their struggles and realizations about those in power. Like several other high-profile Amazon productions, however, it struggled to find an audience large enough to justify its ongoing production, and this, in conjunction with the untimely death of star Chance Perdomo, practically guaranteed that it would be canceled. 

From its very first season, Emily in Paris has been a delight, with its blend of comedy and drama and its views of life in Paris. Though it has often been dismissed by critics, there’s still something appealing about the show’s earnestness, particularly as Emily, like many other young women, tries to figure out who she is and what she wants out of her romantic and professional lives. It might not be the most original show on TV, but its absence will still be missed.

From its first season, Hacks proved itself as one of the best shows on HBO Max. Focusing on the fraught, poignant, and hilarious relationship between aging comedian Deborah Vance and her assistant/collaborator/best friend Ava, it’s a show that is about many things, not the least of which is the position of women within the world of comedy. The final season has everything that made the series so beloved by its many fans, and its unique blend of humor and pathos will be dearly missed.

It’s safe to say that Stephen Colbert has been a fixture of American TV since he took over The Late Show in 2015. In 2025, CBS announced that the show would end in 2026, primarily for financial reasons. Though many decried the decision and though Colbert will certainly be missed by those who love late-night TV, there can be no doubt that he has left an indelible mark on American television and that his loss will be keenly felt for some time to come.

Spartacus: House of Ashur was certainly one of the more unique offerings from Starz, since it takes place in the same universe as the network’s hugely successful series Spartacus. Of course, the difference is that in this universe, the conniving and villainous Ashur survived and took charge of the ludus. The series offered the same mix of sex, blood, and politics as its predecessor but, unfortunately, Starz canceled it, leaving fans with a cliffhanger ending and unsure what lay in store for Ashur and the other gladiators.

From its very first episode, The Bear  marked itself out as one of the best shows on TV. It took a fairly typical story of a young man trying to run his family’s restaurant business and turned it into a reflection on grief, family, and trauma. Anchored by a set of terrific performances, including especially from Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, it has repeatedly shown how family can take many unexpected forms, and how running a restaurant is arguably the most stressful job around.

Based on the books and video games of the same name, Netflix’s The Witcher has undergone many changes over its run, including recasting its central character, Geralt. The fourth season was a strong piece of fantasy storytelling, with an especially devastating conclusion. It remains to be seen just how the series is going to bid farewell to its fans, but if it’s even close to the books, those who love this world and these characters should prepare for no small amount of heartache.

It’s safe to say that Outlander was a big winner for its home network, Starz, and up until its conclusion in 2026, it remained one of the network’s flagship series. The final season brought the characters’ arcs to satisfying conclusions, and while the finale itself was confusing to some, it was remarkably satisfying to others. It’s safe to say that the love between Claire and Jamie is one that will endure far beyond the series, in no small part because Starz has already greenlit a second season for the prequel, Blood of My Blood.

Lisa Kudrow might be best known for playing Phoebe on Friends, but she had a great second act with her role of Valerie Cherish in the HBO comedy The Comeback. The third and final season aired in 2026, and Valerie once again contended with the shifting sands of the TV industry. The series was its usual mix of touching and hilarious, and Kudrow once again demonstrated her remarkable skill at bringing depth and complexity to a character that could have been a simple caricature.

Prime Video’s The Boys, based on the graphic novel series of the same name, has repeatedly skewered American pop culture’s fascination with superheroes and strongmen. The series has never shied away from aggressive violence, and it also hasn’t spared its characters all manner of death, heartache, and trauma. This continues right up to the end of the series and, while the finale is deeply satisfying, it is nevertheless more than a little bittersweet to say goodbye to a show that so effectively tapped into the social and cultural zeitgeist.