Top 10 New Comedy Series To Keep An Eye On For The 2026 Emmy Awards Season

“AMERICAN CLASSIC” (8 episodes) – Now Streaming on MGM+
From “Schitt’s Creek” to “Ted Lasso,” stories of the high and mighty being humbled and forced to rebuild their lives have been a staple of Emmy-winning comedy series over the past decade. There’s just something irresistible about a good redemption story, the latest example of which is “American Classic,” which serves as a testament to the healing power of theatre. At its center is narcissistic Shakespearean actor Richard Bean (Kevin Kline), whose drunken tirade against a New York Times critic after a bad review has gone viral, exiling him to his hometown of Millersburg, Pa. There, ostensibly to attend the funeral of his beloved mother (Jane Alexander), he reconciles with his brother Jon (Jon Tenney) and Jon’s skeptical wife, Kristen (Laura Linney), whom Richard once dated and who is now the town’s mayor. Determined to prove himself, he announces his plan to bring the sleepy town back to life by refurbishing its rundown theater and staging a production of the American classic, “Our Town.”

EMMY OUTLOOK: With arguably one of television’s most distinguished casts—Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winners abound as regulars—this comedy, created by Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin, clearly has the goods. However, one big obstacle for Emmy glory is that it’s on MGM+. No shade to the hard-working folks at the streamer, but do you know anyone who subscribes to MGM+? We can’t say that many have even heard of this series, and we can’t help but think that the same may be true of Emmy voters. The awards team at Amazon/MGM has got quite a worthy contender to promote, but the challenge will be getting voters to watch.

“BIG MISTAKES” (8 episodes) – Now Streaming on Netflix
Dan Levy returns to the TV comedy race with his first series since his Emmy triumph, “Schitt’s Creek,” and has partnered in creating it with another Emmy contender, Rachel Sennott of “I Love LA.” Like “Schitt’s,” “Bad Mistakes” is a dysfunctional family comedy, but one that is interwoven with a criminal element as well. Levy portrays Nicky, a gay Protestant minister in a New Jersey town whose grandmother is dying. He and his sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega) are ordered by their overbearing mother (Laurie Metcalf) to buy a necklace as a final gift, but when a clerk refuses to sell her the necklace she wants, Morgan decides to steal it. Big mistake. It seems it was intended for a Russian mobster, and he demands repayment—not in cash, but in indentured servitude for both of them. Reviews for the series have been mixed to favorable, with particular praise given to Metcalf’s hilariously histrionic performance.

EMMY OUTLOOK: Of all of the freshman comedy series this season, “Big Mistakes” may rank high among curious Emmy voters for two reasons. This is the first comedy series for Levy since he set an Emmy record in 2020 by winning all four major disciplines (acting, directing, writing, and producing) on the same night for one project. Metcalf has also won four comedy Emmys (three consecutive for “Roseanne” and one for guesting on “Hacks“) and, in the meantime, has received numerous other prizes for her acclaimed stage work. Though both the series and Levy may be considered long shots for a nomination, Metcalf remains a possibility, though she is also in contention for her supporting work in “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” and Guest Comedy Actress for the return of her Emmy-winning role on “Hacks.”

“THE CHAIR COMPANY” (8 episodes) – Now Streaming on HBO Max
With “Curb Your Enthusiasm” no longer on the air, Tim Robinson has become HBO’s undisputed master of cringe comedy, and his new series may be his cringiest yet. Developed with partner Zach Kanin, Robinson’s latest is a portrait of Ron Trosper (Robinson), an insecure family man who has been hired to lead a team planning the construction of a new mall in Ohio. Anxious to make a good impression at his first company presentation, Ron sits down, only for the chair to collapse beneath him, prompting a mixture of sympathy and ridicule from his team. Rather than using that incident to help the team bond, Ron becomes obsessed with getting an apology from the chair manufacturer, uncovering a surprising conspiracy in the process.

EMMY OUTLOOK: Kanin and Robinson are no strangers to the Emmys. In 2022 and 2023, their previous series, “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson,” won successive Emmys as Outstanding Short-Form Comedy Series, and Robinson won both years for his performance. But now they’re competing in the big leagues, and it remains to be seen if Robinson’s brand of cringe is as appealing to the TV Academy as was “Curb.” In such a packed race, nominations for series and actor are likely to be tough to get. If there’s one set of voters who may be the likeliest to respond to Robinson’s look at fragile masculinity, it’s the Writers Branch, which in past years has honored risky, creative scripts with much-deserved nominations.

“THE FALL AND RISE OF REGGIE DINKINS” (10 episodes) – NBC, also streaming on Peacock
There’s one thing that shows created by writer/producer Robert Carlock (“30 Rock,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) seem to have in common: they tend to take a few episodes (or more) before they find their rhythm and really start to cook. And that’s happening once again with his latest, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” a mockumentary about a documentary being made about disgraced football pro Reggie Dinkins (Tracy Morgan). Banned for life after gambling on his team, Reggie sees a way back into the good graces of the NFL and the public via a documentary being offered by filmmaker Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe). Reggie has qualms, believing he has little in common with the young Brit, but he soon learns the opposite. After winning an Oscar for a sensitive doc, Arthur had a viral meltdown on the set of his first Marvel film (“Professor Squeeze in the Monoverse”) and has languished in director jail ever since. Both men find that they need each other to retrieve their good name and decide to team up, under the wary eye of Reggie’s ex-wife and manager, Monica (Erika Alexander).

EMMY OUTLOOK: Unlike “30 Rock” and “Kimmy Schmidt,” however, “Reggie’s” first season has yet to generate the same level of audience buzz, despite its critical acclaim (100% RT score). Therefore, actually getting seen must become the crucial focus for the NBC/Peacock awards team. Low awareness will likely make nabbing a series nomination difficult, and Morgan, though an Emmy nominee himself, is facing a packed field ahead in the Lead Actor race. But there are nomination possibilities in the supporting races, particularly for Radcliffe and Alexander, whose performances have been widely praised. Both actors, in fact, just received nominations for their work from the Gotham TV Awards, which offers a promising start toward what could be successful Emmy campaigns.

“I LOVE LA” (8 episodes) – Now Streaming on HBO Max
We’ve seen it in shows as varied as “Curb Your Enthusiasm” to “The Studio,” but life in the City of Angels seems to be a regular target for comedic satire, yet is often a favorite with Emmy voters. Just as we think we’ve seen every kind of L.A. denizen possible, creator and star Rachel Sennott has found a fresh (if at times, worrisome) demographic to lampoon: influencers. Here, she portrays Maia, an aspiring LA talent manager who grows increasingly jealous of her former best friend, Tallulah (Odessa A’Zion), and Tallulah’s success as a TikTok influencer. When Tallulah shows up unannounced for her birthday celebration, Maia is shocked (and a bit relieved) to learn that her friend’s facade of success is not at all what it appears to be. Now reconciled, Tallulah asks Maia to become her manager, and the two begin to rekindle a beautiful friendship.

EMMY OUTLOOK: No underachiever, Sennott has created two of this year’s freshman Emmy contenders (with Dan Levy, she co-created Netflix’s “Big Mistakes”). Of the two, it is “I Love LA” that speaks recognizably in Sennott’s voice, with a parade of Maia’s neuroses ever on display. Similar to her HBO stablemate Tim Robinson (“The Chair Company”), Sennott’s brand of satire is singular and may not be to the taste of some older Emmy voters. But like Robinson, she has her best shot at Emmy recognition with the adventurous Writers Branch, which has, in the past, been more open to honoring comedy with an edge.

“THE LOWDOWN” (8 episodes) – Now Streaming on Hulu
Citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke) is a so-called “truthstorian” whose compulsion to get to the bottom of what’s really going on in Tulsa is sometimes his undoing. And he definitely smells something fishy in the suicide of Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), a closeted member of a powerful family. Soon, Lee’s poking around becomes noticed by the wrong people, and it lands him in the middle of a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of power in town. Yet, despite all this backstabbing, “The Lowdown” is funny as hell, thanks largely to the writing of the series’ Emmy-nominated creator Sterlin Harjo and a balls-out performance by Hawke. A blend of the setting of Harjo’s “Reservation Dogs” and the absurdist sensibility of Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye,” this neo-noir stands on its own as one of the season’s most memorable series.

EMMY OUTLOOK: While the series sports some impressive below-the-line work, the comedy’s best chances may lie in the marquee categories. Certainly, Hawke, fresh off his 5th Oscar nomination for “Blue Moon,” will be a major contender in Lead Actor, Harjo’s script for the series pilot will likely contend, and the series is in the mix for that up-for-grabs eighth spot in Comedy Series. The show’s supporting cast (which includes Keith David, Kyle MacLachlan, and Tracy Letts) may be long shots, but Peter Dinklage, in the series’ most celebrated episode, is a strong contender for Guest Comedy Actor as Lee’s ornery ex-partner who brings even more chaos to his life.

“MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES” (8 episodes) – Now Streaming On Apple TVWith 30+ series under his belt, David E. Kelley has garnered acclaim in a number of genres, but few have garnered the kind of acclaim as his latest, which depicts lower middle-class American life as empathetically as any comedy since the early days of “Roseanne.” The sky seems to be the limit for college freshman and aspiring writer Margo (Elle Fanning) when she gets pregnant after an affair with her much-married professor (Michael Angarano). Much to the horror of her appearance-obsessed mother, Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Margo decides to raise the baby herself, a choice that prompts her long-absent father, Jinx (Nick Offerman), an ex-pro wrestler, to re-enter her life.

EMMY OUTLOOK: Of all the freshman comedies this season, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” may have the biggest awards buzz. Of course, 11-time Emmy winner Kelley has given the series immediate cachet, but it was the announcement of the show’s A-list cast that really sparked Emmy talk. Fanning, fresh off an Oscar nomination for “Sentimental Value,” looks to break into the Lead Actress race, while Pfeiffer and Offerman—each in the hunt in other categories for their dramatic work in other series this year—are likely nominees, and each of the three has a potential path to win. Kelley himself appears poised for yet another writing nom, and Dearbhla Walsh should make the grade for her directing. With a series nomination almost a given, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” has risen to the top of the freshman class and has the potential to shake things up on Emmy night.

“ROOSTER” (10 episodes) – Now Streaming on HBO Max
Writer/producer Bill Lawrence is a very busy man. With two comedy series currently on the air—the newly-rebooted “Scrubs” and Emmy contender “Shrinking” (plus now-in-production Season 5 of “Ted Lasso“)—he has still found time to create (with Matt Tarses) this college-set comedy starring Steve Carell. Like “Shrinking,” this is a relationship comedy for adults, by adults, as Greg Russo, an author known for his popular “Rooster” series, accepts a teaching job at the same college where his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive), is also a faculty member. Katie is having a rough time with her colleague and now-estranged husband Archie (Phil Dunster), who has left her for a graduate student (Lauren Tsai). Greg is there to help, but can he?

EMMY OUTLOOK: Ironically, the one show that might stand in the way of “Rooster” having a bigger Emmy nomination morning could be “Shrinking.” Both shows share a similar character-based sensibility, and with “Shrinking‘s” newly recharged Emmy prospects, it may be more difficult for “Rooster” to find its own awards path. Still, a Lead Actor nomination for Carell is almost assured, and both Dunster and Danielle Deadwyler, as Greg’s trusted colleague, are in the hunt for their supporting work. And, given its reviews, we wouldn’t count it out for sliding under the wire to nab that eighth series slot.

“WIDOW’S BAY” (10 episodes) – Now Streaming on Apple TVCreated by Katie Dippold (“Parks and Recreation”), this horror-comedy offers a unique blend of that series’ municipal quirkiness and an ominous, Stephen King-like tone of foreboding. Emmy winner Matthew Rhys stars as the mayor of a New England seaside village, whose effort to promote the town as an attractive vacation spot is met with resistance from locals, who are convinced that the town, with its history of cannibalism and witch trials, is cursed. While audiences may come for the series’ horror elements, they will likely stay for the series’ delightful collection of eccentric characters, and Dippold has been shrewd enough to cast the roles with a murderers’ row of character actors, including Emmy winner Jeff Hiller, Emmy nominee Stephen Root, and national treasure Dale Dickey.

EMMY OUTLOOK: Apple’s decision to submit “Widow’s Bay” in the comedy categories surprised some, but its light-hearted tone throughout the series makes it the right fit. Its late-April premiere, however, will require some profile-raising to get on Emmy voters’ radar before voting begins. For this initial season, the best chances for above-the-line honors may lie with Dippold’s writing and Emmy winner Hiro Murai’s direction. Much better chances may rest with the comedy’s impressive technical team, particularly in the sound and VFX categories.

“WONDER MAN” (8 episodes) – Now Streaming on Disney+When viewers think of series emanating from the MCU, most will probably think of shows like “Loki” or “WandaVision“—projects drawn directly from the characters in Marvel’s hit films. But the superhero tropes relied upon in those series are turned on their heads in “Wonder Man,” a meta-comedy in which the superhero is actually the struggling actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), whose dream role is Wonder Man. With the help of classical actor/ham Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), both men successfully land roles in the film and become friends. But Simon is keeping a secret: he actually possesses superhero powers—skills that would immediately cause him to be blackballed in Hollywood. He’s not the only one with a secret, however: Trevor is being blackmailed by the FBI into spying on his friend.

EMMY OUTLOOK: Probably the last thing Marvel fans may have expected when this series was announced was a Hollywood satire, much less one so character-based with such perceptive wit. Will Emmy voters respond? Though its tech achievements may be less spectacular than those from other Marvel series, this should still do well in below-the-line races, particularly sound, VFX, and production design. Above-the-line categories will likely be more challenging, with many categories packed with returning series. But don’t sleep on Kingsley as a possibility in Supporting Actor. The Oscar winner has previously appeared as Slattery in several MCU films (which attract the Marvel fanbase within the Academy), but his layered and increasingly complex character work will also likely attract a wide range of Emmy voters as well. 

What do you think are the big, new Emmy contenders this year for Outstanding Comedy Series? What are some of your favorite shows you’ve watched this season so far? Please let us know in the comments section below or over on our X account, and be sure to check out our latest Emmy predictions here. Please also be sure to subscribe to the Next Best Series Podcast, where we are conducting a number of interviews with Emmy contenders throughout the awards season and discussing the race over the next couple of months.