The weights and per-show scores are published below. Sitcoms are personal — re-weight rewatchability or timing and your top pick may differ.
Smarter Ranking scored seven sitcoms and comedy series with 2026 seasons against a published 100-point Watch Score. Writing leads the rubric.
Quick answer
Hacks Season 5 scores 89.0/100 and leads the field — the 2026 Emmy comedy frontrunner returned to Las Vegas for what critics called a triumphant final season, carried by Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. If you want an ensemble comfort comedy, the runner-up — Only Murders in the Building at 85.6 — is the pick.
The ranking
| Rank | Show | Best for | Platform | Watch Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hacks Season 5 | Prestige comedy | HBO Max | 89.0 |
| 2 | Only Murders in the Building | Comedy mystery | Hulu | 85.6 |
| 3 | The Comeback | Cringe comedy | HBO Max | 84.4 |
| 4 | The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins | Ensemble sitcom | Streaming | 82.6 |
| 5 | Rooster | Workplace sitcom | HBO Max | 83.0 |
| 6 | Not Suitable for Work | Ensemble comedy | Hulu | 81.6 |
| 7 | Stuart Fails to Save the Universe | Spinoff sitcom | HBO Max | 79.4 |
Titles verified via Like A Dad, BuzzFeed, and Variety.
Methodology
The full rubric. Weights sum to 100. Each show scored 0–100 per criterion; the weighted average is the Watch Score.
| Criterion | Weight | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Writing & jokes | 30 | Script quality, joke density, structure. |
| Performances & timing | 25 | Comic timing, delivery, chemistry. |
| Critical & audience reception | 20 | Aggregate critic and audience signal. |
| Rewatchability | 15 | Comfort-watch and repeat value. |
| Craft & direction | 10 | Pacing, editing, production. |
| Total | 100 |
Writing leads at 30; timing 25; reception 20; rewatch 15; craft 10.
Per-show profiles
1. Hacks Season 5 — 89.0/100
The acclaimed comedy returned to Las Vegas for a final season, the 2026 Emmy frontrunner.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing & jokes | 90 | 30 | 27.0 |
| Performances & timing | 92 | 25 | 23.0 |
| Critical & audience reception | 89 | 20 | 17.8 |
| Rewatchability | 85 | 15 | 12.75 |
| Craft & direction | 84 | 10 | 8.4 |
| Total | 100 | 89.0 |
Trade-off: a familiar central dynamic by season five.
2. Only Murders in the Building — 85.6/100
The Steve Martin–Martin Short–Selena Gomez comedy mystery returned with more podcast-spoof sleuthing.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing & jokes | 85 | 30 | 25.5 |
| Performances & timing | 88 | 25 | 22.0 |
| Critical & audience reception | 86 | 20 | 17.2 |
| Rewatchability | 84 | 15 | 12.6 |
| Craft & direction | 83 | 10 | 8.3 |
| Total | 100 | 85.6 |
Trade-off: the formula is starting to wear.
3. The Comeback — 84.4/100
Lisa Kudrow’s cult cringe-comedy returned for a potential final season as Valerie Cherish.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing & jokes | 85 | 30 | 25.5 |
| Performances & timing | 88 | 25 | 22.0 |
| Critical & audience reception | 82 | 20 | 16.4 |
| Rewatchability | 79 | 15 | 11.85 |
| Craft & direction | 87 | 10 | 8.7 |
| Total | 100 | 84.4 |
Trade-off: the deliberate cringe humor is divisive.
4. Rooster — 83.0/100
Steve Carell’s 2026 freshman workplace sitcom.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing & jokes | 83 | 30 | 24.9 |
| Performances & timing | 85 | 25 | 21.25 |
| Critical & audience reception | 84 | 20 | 16.8 |
| Rewatchability | 80 | 15 | 12.0 |
| Craft & direction | 81 | 10 | 8.1 |
| Total | 100 | 83.0 |
Trade-off: a first season still finding its voice.
5. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — 82.6/100
An ensemble sitcom with Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander, and Bobby Moynihan, praised for consistent laughs.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing & jokes | 83 | 30 | 24.9 |
| Performances & timing | 85 | 25 | 21.25 |
| Critical & audience reception | 81 | 20 | 16.2 |
| Rewatchability | 81 | 15 | 12.15 |
| Craft & direction | 81 | 10 | 8.1 |
| Total | 100 | 82.6 |
Trade-off: a broad ensemble premise.
6. Not Suitable for Work — 81.6/100
Mindy Kaling’s ensemble comedy about ambitious twenty-somethings in Manhattan.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing & jokes | 82 | 30 | 24.6 |
| Performances & timing | 83 | 25 | 20.75 |
| Critical & audience reception | 81 | 20 | 16.2 |
| Rewatchability | 81 | 15 | 12.15 |
| Craft & direction | 79 | 10 | 7.9 |
| Total | 100 | 81.6 |
Trade-off: familiar workplace-comedy beats.
7. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe — 79.4/100
A Big Bang Theory spinoff sending Stuart, Bert, and Denise into reality-bending alternate worlds.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing & jokes | 79 | 30 | 23.7 |
| Performances & timing | 81 | 25 | 20.25 |
| Critical & audience reception | 79 | 20 | 15.8 |
| Rewatchability | 80 | 15 | 12.0 |
| Craft & direction | 77 | 10 | 7.7 |
| Total | 100 | 79.4 |
Trade-off: a spinoff leaning on franchise nostalgia.
How to re-weight
- Comfort rewatch: rewatch to 30%. Only Murders and Reggie Dinkins climb.
- Pure joke rate: writing to 45%. Hacks holds; The Comeback rises.
- Performance-first: timing to 35%. Hacks widens its lead.
Verification
- Hacks Season 5, The Comeback, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe — 2026 sitcom slate via Like A Dad top TV shows 2026 and Variety 2026 Emmys comedy predictions.
- The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — cast via BuzzFeed summer TV 2026.
- Only Murders, Rooster, Not Suitable for Work — via Rotten Tomatoes best comedy TV.
Related rankings
- Best Comedy Shows (2026): Ranked by Watch Score
- Best Anime of 2026: Ranked by Watch Score
- Best Comedy Movies (2026): Ranked by Watch Score
- Best Comedy Specials of 2026: Ranked by Watch Score
Frequently asked questions
- What window does this cover?
- Sitcoms and comedy series with new 2026 seasons or debuts, drawn from current critical and awards coverage through early June.
- Why does Hacks rank #1?
- It scores highest on writing and timing — the 2026 Emmy comedy frontrunner returned to Las Vegas for what critics called a triumphant final run.
- Why is writing weighted highest?
- A sitcom is a joke-delivery machine; the script and joke rate lead at 30% with timing close behind.
- Can I re-weight the rubric?
- Yes. Push rewatchability higher and a comfort-watch climbs. The full table is published.
- How often is this updated?
- Quarterly, plus a refresh around the fall comedy season.