Top Show Picks from Streaming Sister and Babble Panel to Kick Off 2026

Most of us spent that week between Christmas and New Years parked right in front of a screen watching/streaming/binging a show (or five). As we started the new year and emerged from off our couches it seems every conversation with family/friends/co-workers was about what shows and movies we watched - and loved and hated - during the holidays.

Well, we've collected all of those great recommendations - beyond Stranger Things - and the ones to avoid in a list below (in no particular order) Start streaming today! (Thank us later.)

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Pluribus (Apple TV)

It isn't often that my husband and I are into the same show. Usually he passes out during mine and I doom scroll during his. But Pluribus on Apple TV has us both hooked!

It's some of the best TV of the year. Starring  Rhea Seehorn as Carol who experiences the most confusing and unbelievable experience imaginable.

You will be confused at first while information comes to light. It's so rare for a new concept to hit the screen - you have to enjoy the ride. 

I can't tell you more because it will ruin it - but if you're a fan of Young and the Restless - enjoy a cameo from Jack Abbott himself, Peter Bergman! --Streaming Sister

The Big C (Netflix)

It’s w Laura Linney, I mean, obviously she finds out she has cancer, but she’s kind of in the same phase of life that we are in and how she chooses to approach it. Basically zero fucks given.

Binged the entire first season on a trip just before Christmas. How had I missed this?--Tarah 

Heated Rivalry (HBO Max)

This one I'm giving you the reviews straight from two different friends' texts that they sent me over the Christmas break regarding this show because they are perfection...

Friend #1: If you want to desperately wish you were a gay man having hot, hot sex, then yes, you need to watch it.

Friend #2: It is sexy with lots of sex content. Like, a lot. In the best way. I am enjoying it. But lots of ‘suck my cock’. Just watched episode 3. It’s really fucking good. Sweet. And lots of sexual tension and sex. Just finished episode 5 of 6 of Heated Rivalry and am so choked up and invested in this love story. It’s really, really, really good. There is a TON of sex in the first four episodes but you only see butts. One quick dick pic for like a millisecond. It’s wild. The fact that it is two dudes kind of gets forgotten because the story is so sweet. Sweet and sexy. I can’t emphasize enough that there is a lot of sexy stuff. (Proceeds to send me photos of hot guys in the show.) And also, the kissing. The kissing was the best kissing I have seen on TV.

Overall things you need to know about Heated Rivalry:

• There is very little hockey

• There is a lot of sex, a lot of hot, great sex

• You see a lot of really good looking butts, chest and abs, but not a lot of penises swinging around. One millisecond of a dick-pic in one episode

• I went from being really hot and turned on to then being super excited that these dudes get to have sex with one another

• Brought in by the sex and then stayed to cheer on the relationship between the characters

Love + War (National Geographic)

This documentary from National Geographic (now streaming on Hulu and Disney+ was exquisitely done. Oscar winning filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin capture photographer Lynsey Addario in the field and at home in London with her family. The cost of exposing yourself to tragedy and war on her psyche and then transitioning home to her husband and two young sons is fascinating to watch.

A must-see documentary for those who celebrate the challenges of being a girl boss and the challenges of balancing home life and work.

Likely an Oscar nom here...and while I have some major opinions after watching.....I'm not spoiling it for you. -Streaming Sister

Tell Me Lies (Hulu/Disney+)

This is a dirty little show that I love in all the best and worst ways. The characters are just so believable as terrible people (well not all of them)! Season one sucked me in, season two surprised me that it was just as good as the first one and I can't wait to see what they do in season three (premieres January 13th). The show keeps evolving, it doesn't just keep doing the same thing over and over again. It centers around a VERY toxic relationship and their friend groups. Binge this one baby! -Brooke

Tell Me Lies is a character-driven drama about a toxic, addictive relationship that unfolds over years, not just one season. It starts when college freshman Lucy meets older student Stephen (oddly sexy??) at Baird College, and what looks like a whirlwind romance quickly spirals into something messy, intense, and deeply impactful on both their lives and their friends’. Instead of glossy love story beats, you get the emotional fallout, bad decisions, and long echoes of choices made in youth — showing how desire, confusion, and attachment can feel like love when you’re young and vulnerable.

Task (HBO Max)

This show is SO good! I'm not sure why more people aren't talking about it. It's a drama from the creator of Mare of Easttown (Kate Winslet - another one I'd highly recommend!) and stars Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey (Ozark). Ruffalo plays an FBI agent working through his own set of personal struggles as he is asked to create a task force to hunt down thieves hitting stash houses owned by a local biker gang. The show is intense, but also tender and emotional. It's SO well done - you'll want to binge the hell out of this one! --Erika

All Her Fault (Peacock)

This is an eight-episode mystery thriller miniseries on Peacock, adapted from Andrea Mara’s 2021 novel of the same name. It follows Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook), a successful working mom whose worst nightmare begins when she goes to pick up her young son, Milo, from a playdate — only to be told by the woman at the house that neither she nor her son has ever been there. As the search for Milo intensifies, hidden secrets, lies, and complex personal dynamics unravel among parents, friends, and families. With the help of a new ally, Jenny (Dakota Fanning), Marissa dives deeper into a web of deception that challenges everything she thought she knew about her family and herself.

The series weaves suspense, psychological tension, and social commentary on motherhood, trust, and blame, keeping viewers guessing as layers of betrayal and shocking revelations come to light.

This gripping show starts with every parents nightmare: arriving to a house to pick up your child and your child is missing. Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning are fantastic! --Anissa

Mayor Of Kingstown (Paramount+)

The fourth season just wrapped up on Paramount+ and, buckle up! It's just as intense as the three previous seasons. I don't normally like crime dramas, but I gave this show a try because I love Jeremy Renner and I'm so glad I did. The show is violent, but it's smart too. You almost need to watch each episode twice just to make sure you didn't miss little clues. You'll be on the edge of your seat every episode! --Erika

Your Honor (Netflix)

Starring Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) is a tense thriller about how far a devoted father will go to protect his child — even if it means breaking the law.

The series follows Michael Desiato, a respected New Orleans judge whose teenage son, Adam, accidentally kills another boy in a hit-and-run. When Michael learns the victim was the son of a powerful mob boss, he abandons his principles and works to cover up his son’s involvement. This decision draws him into a dangerous web of lies, corruption, and escalating crime as he struggles to balance his duties as a jurist with his desperate desire to save his child.

Across its two seasons, Your Honor explores morally fraught choices, the ripple effects of deception, and the personal cost of protecting family at any price.

Season 2 just dropped. Season 1 was amazing! Can't wait to binge! --Anissa

Victoria (Netflix)

A British historical drama that dramatizes the early life and reign of Queen Victoria. It begins in 1837, when 18-year-old Alexandrina Victoria unexpectedly becomes Queen of the United Kingdom after the death of her uncle. The series follows her struggle to assert independence and authority in a world skeptical of her youth — navigating court politics, dangerous scheming relatives, and public expectations — as she grows into her role as monarch. Along the way she forms a close partnership with Prime Minister Lord Melbourne and later falls in love with Prince Albert, balancing matters of state with her personal and romantic life.

It blends romance, political drama, and historical events from the early years of her long reign, bringing to life both her leadership challenges and her evolving relationships.

The Pitt (HBO Max)

I held back from watching this show as long as I could. EVERYONE was talking about it, but the medical drama thing doesn't do it for me (unless it's like Gray's Anatomy where they are mainly making out in the staff lounge). My husband and I couldn't agree on a show and decided to give this series a go.

The Pitt is a fast-paced medical drama set inside a Pittsburgh trauma hospital, following doctors and nurses through high-stakes emergencies, long shifts, and the emotional toll of saving lives. It’s less glossy romance, more real-life pressure—showing how modern healthcare actually works when every second counts.

Each episode covers one hour of a single ER shift, and the entire season unfolds over that one continuous shift. No time jumps, no next-day reset. You’re watching the pressure, fatigue, and decisions compound in real time as the hours tick by.

It’s a big part of what makes The Pitt feel so intense and grounded — the mistakes, emotions, and consequences don’t get a break, and neither do you.

Season 2 just came out and it was already announced that Season 3 is in the works!

The Buccaneers (Apple TV+)

Streaming Sister told me about this one awhile ago on our "Girlie Shows All of Us Need On Our Radar Right Now", but I just got around to it.

Based on five New York girls who travel to England to find husbands. The girls are rich, so they are highly sought after by poor noblemen. The music is current, the outfits are old, their attitudes on sex, dating and marriage are hilarious. Bad decisions=entertainment. I am very pro The Duke, which may not match up with most.

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🚫Shows We Didn't Love

It's Florida, Man (HBO Max)

This show is so stupid. It tried to combine real-life stories of people in Florida doing really stupid stuff...and then they reenact the stories with b-level comedy actors. It lands flat. It's not funny. And I fell asleep before the first episode was over. Pass.

Palm Royale

I really wanted this to be good! It has a great cast (Kristin Wiig! Carol Burnett!) But it is just not funny, doesn't move along fast enough. I'm not really sure what they are trying to accomplish with this one. Definitely don't waste your time.

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