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Somehow, we're already heading into May, and as we're nearly a third of the way through 2026, I figured now was as good a time as any to take stock of the new movies and shows that Netflix has brought us so far this year. As we all know, Netflix is one of the biggest and best streaming services on the market, and it maintains that reputation in part by bringing us a steady stream of exclusive new movies and shows.
If you struggle to keep up with all the latest and greatest Netflix releases, it's sometimes easier just to check out whatever's at the top of the streamer's charts, but something can be "trending" and still not be the best series on Netflix.
Article continues belowMy top Netflix No. 1 shows of 2026 so far
'Bridgerton' season 4
"Bridgerton" has been pulling in millions of viewers since Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset/The Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) back in 2020, and when the beloved Shondaland period romance returned earlier for "Bridgerton" season 4 this year, it rocketed to the top of Netflix's charts all over again.
This time, all eyes were on Violet Bridgerton's bohemian second son, Benedict (Luke Thompson), who was stepping into the spotlight after Anthony and Colin both found their partners. Season 4 sees Benedict caught in a Cinderella-style romance following a chance encounter with a mysterious Lady in Silver (whom we knew to be Sophie Baek, played by Yerin Ha) at the family's masquerade ball. He was enchanted, instantly, and grew determined to unmask the guest who stole his heart.
Stream "Bridgerton" on Netflix now
'His & Hers'
If you're on top of all the big releases from 2026, you've likely seen "His & Hers." After all, this isn't just one of the most popular Netflix shows of 2026; it's also one of the streamer's most-watched shows of all time (it's in tenth place, at the time of writing).
If you missed this twisting mystery-thriller at the start of the year, "His & Hers" centers on two people: Anna Andrews (Tessa Thompson) and her estranged husband, Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal).
Anna is a reclusive former news anchor who heads back to her sleepy hometown (Dahlonega, Georgia) in the wake of a brutal murder; Jack is the officer heading up the investigation into that death. Anna launches an inquiry into the case, and as Jack grows suspicious of her interests, the pair find themselves on opposite sides of a complex murder case... and each believes the other is a prime suspect.
Stream "His & Hers" on Netflix now
'Virgin River' season 7
As you can see below, the beginning of 2026 has been a great period for romance fans. Along with "Bridgerton," Netflix also brought us "XO, Kitty" season 3 and the latest season of its cozy drama, "Virgin River." Knowing that the latter is Netflix's longest-running live-action scripted drama and how popular it is with its fans, I feel like it deserves to be my final pick right now.
We've been checking in with Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), Jack (Martin Henderson), and the rest of the residents since 2019, and in March, we got to catch up with the newlywed couple and see how the honeymoon phase treated them, and navigated more ups and downs with them and the other residents of the streamer's favorite small town.
Stream "Virgin River" season 7 on Netflix now
Every Netflix No. 1 show in 2026 (so far)
Below, you can find a full rundown of every show that's sat at the No. 1 spot in Netflix's top 10 TV shows chart for at least one week throughout 2026 so far (shows are listed alphabetically):
- "Bridgerton" Season 4
- "His & Hers"
- "Katt Williams: The Last Report"
- "Love is Blind: The Reunion"
- "Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model"
- "Stranger Things" season 5
- "Trust Me: The False Prophet"
- "Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black" Season 2
- "Virgin River" Season 7
- "XO, Kitty" Season 3
How I built my list of Netflix No. 1 shows
To make the list as clear as possible, I thought I'd explain where I got my data from, in case you think I've missed an obvious pick.
Over on Tudum, Netflix reports the top 10 shows in any given week of the year. At the time of writing, Netflix reported data for the weeks between December 12, 2025, and April 19, 2026.
So, I set my data range to the U.S., then recorded every show that's at the top of the list in every week of the year so far. It's from that list of 10 shows that I made my recommendations.
This approach does mean the above list is missing some big releases from this year — things like "One Piece" season 2, or "The Night Agent" season 3, or maybe the horror series "Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen," to name but a few — but it's the simplest way to keep tabs on the most popular watches in a given year (though seriously, if you haven't tried "One Piece," I can't recommend it enough).
This isn't the first time we've recommended Netflix shows in this manner, either. If you don't like my picks, you should check you're caught up on my 7 favorite Netflix No. 1 shows from 2025.
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