The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, and More in May 2026

We understand if you're still catching up on all the great shows that came out in April. But there's no rest for the TV viewer, and it's officially time to start looking toward the May schedule. This month has an eclectic group of new releases, including the Yellowstone spin-off series Dutton Ranch, the Nicolas Cage-starring superhero series Spider-Noir, and the Apple TV dark comedy Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. There's also the limited series adaptation of Lord of Flies, which hits Netflix in May after airing in the U.K. Or if you're just missing Heated Rivalry, maybe you can welcome the new hockey romance Off Campus into your heart. Like we said, it's an eclectic month, but there's something for everyone.

Our guide to the best TV and streaming movies in May is divided into three sections: the best shows to watch this month, the best shows to watch by streaming service, and a calendar of TV highlights. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it below.

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• The complete guide to spring TV
• The most anticipated shows coming this spring
• The ultimate guide to what to watch in April
• All the renewed and canceled shows in April

The best shows to watch in May

Lord of the Flies (May 4, Netflix)

This BBC miniseries already aired in the U.K. to rave reviews, but Netflix gets first crack at it in the U.S., partly due to the show's connection to the streamer's megahit Adolescence and its screenwriter Jack Thorne. Thorne wrote this adaptation of William Golding's classic about a group of boys who fend for themselves after becoming stranded on an island with little hope of rescue, only to devolve into their most primal instincts. Here Piggy, Piggy. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Off Campus (May 13, Prime Video)

Can anyone get through talking about Off Campus without mentioning Heated Rivalry? Apparently not. Prime Video's adaptation of Elle Kennedy's popular romance novels is making headlines for also being about hockey players falling in love. Set at a fictional college, Off Campus tracks the romantic entanglements of an elite hockey team and their partners, with Season 1 covering the opposites-attract union of musician Hannah (Ella Bright) and all-star puckhead Garrett (Belmont Cameli), who hatch a rom-com scheme of pretending to date to make someone else jealous, only to catch real feelings for each other. That should be two minutes in the penalty box, but instead it will probably lead to a happy ending. The book series follows a new lead with each book, like Bridgerton, and it's assumed the TV show will follow the same track; it's already been renewed for Season 2. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Dutton Ranch (May 15, Paramount+)

Yellowstone is dead, long live Yellowstone. A sequel series to Taylor Sheridan's hit neo-Western, Dutton Ranch brings a fan-favorite couple back to our screens — Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), that is — and follows them as they try to start their lives over in Texas, only to discover that they're runnin' into a whole lotta the same problems. -Allison Picurro [Teaser]

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (May 20, Apple TV)

Can we interest you in another dark comedy with a killer cast this spring? Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed stars Tatiana Maslany as recently divorced mom Paula, who "falls down a dangerous rabbit hole of blackmail, murder, and youth soccer." After becoming convinced she witnessed a crime, Paula begins her own investigation, hoping to unravel a conspiracy and heal her family at the same time. Jake Johnson plays Paula's ex-husband, Karl; the ensemble also features Murray Bartlett Jessy Hodges, Jon Michael Hill, Brandon Flynn, and Dolly de Leon. This is a cast that could live up to the promise of the title. -Kelly Connolly [Teaser]

The Boroughs (May 21, Netflix)

Everyone is going to say The Boroughs is Stranger Things but with old people, and they're... actually kind of right. The supernatural thriller (which has to have some comedic elements, right?) follows a group in their golden years who battle an unknown horror in their retirement community. The loaded cast includes Clarke Peters, Alfre Woodard, Alfred Molina, Denis O'Hare, Bill Pullman, and Geena Davis. -Tim Surette [Teaser]

Spider-Noir (May 25, MGM+ and May 27, Prime Video)

We're all going to just have to keep waiting for the third and final installment of the Spider-Verse trilogy, but of all the things to hold us over, Spider-Noir feels pretty promising. Nicolas Cage, who voiced a version of the character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, stars as Ben Reilly, a grizzled private investigator who once masqueraded as 1930s New York City's only superhero, known as the Spider. Years after his retirement, Reilly decides to resurrect his alter ego when an exceptional case comes his way. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Deli Boys Season 2 (May 28, Hulu)

One of 2025's most underwatched shows was Deli Boys, a comedic crime caper about two pampered Pakistani American brothers who inherit one of Philadelphia's biggest drug rings when their father, who they thought was just the owner of several corner stores, dies. Season 2 will add more gags and gag-worthy violence as Mir (Asif Ali) and Raj (Saagar Shaikh) learn the hard way that maintaining an illegal empire isn't easy. New cast additions include Fred Armisen, Andrew Rannells, Kumail Nanjiani, and Lilly Singh. -Tim Surette

What's on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video, and more in May

Netflix's best new shows and movies in May

Spring's in full bloom, but that doesn't mean you have to bask in the sun or picnic in the park every opportunity you get. No, you can very well be resting in the comforts of your home — and that's where Netflix's bountiful May slate comes in. Kicking off the month is Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne's adaptation of William Golding's haunting novel Lord of the Flies. The four-episode series premiered on BBC earlier this year, but will soon become available to U.S. audiences via Netflix. May also sees the return of two 2025 shows — Devil May Cry, the animated series that adapts Capcom's video game of the same name, and The Four Seasons, the comedy drama created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield. But take notice of the new titles dropping in May, too. Power creator Courtney Kemp introduces a police detective and his nemesis in Nemesis, and The Boroughs — produced by the Duffer Brothers — follows a group of unlikely heroes battling an otherworldly force. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix in May, plus everything coming to and leaving Netflix in May.

More on Netflix:

• The best shows on Netflix right now
• The best movies on Netflix right now

HBO Max's best new shows and movies in May

There isn't much in the way of new TV on HBO Max this May, but considering that Euphoria, Hacks, and Half Man will all be airing new episodes throughout the month, you'll still have plenty to watch. You could also use the next few weeks to rewatch the first two seasons of House of the Dragon before Season 3 premieres in June. That's not to say there's nothing new, with the highest profile TV premiere being the second season of Jason Momoa's travel docuseries On the Roam. But HBO Max's most exciting premieres this month are all movies, from Emerald Fennell's period romance Wuthering Heights to Charli XCX's not-quite-documentary The Moment to Alex Russell's psychological thriller Lurker. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on HBO Max in May, plus everything coming to HBO Max in May.

More on HBO Max:

• The best movies on HBO Max right now
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• HBO Max review: Everything to know about the streaming service

Hulu's best new shows and movies in May

This May, you'll probably be using Hulu to watch the season finales of some of your favorite broadcast shows on ABC and Fox, but let's not ignore the streamer's originals. May brings the sophomore seasons of two of Hulu's most raucous series. Rivals, an adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles and one of TV's horniest shows, returns with more 1980s business intrigue, bumping and grinding, and polo playing. And Deli Boys, a goofy comedy about bumbling Pakistani American brothers taking over their father's criminal enterprise, is back with energized casting additions. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Hulu in May, plus everything coming to Hulu in May.

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• The best TV shows on Hulu right now
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• How much does Hulu cost? Plans, pricing, channels, and more

Amazon Prime Video's best new shows and movies in May

Aside from HBO Max and Netflix, consistency isn't a characteristic I'd use to describe other streamers. But fortunately for subscribers of Prime Video, inconsistency is in their favor with an unusually busy month for the service. Father's Day comes a month early thanks to the release of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War, a new film that continues the story of the dad show franchise starring John Krasinski as the world-saving CIA agent. Nicolas Cage stars in Spider-Noir, a new series featuring a film noir detective version of Spider-Man from the Spider-Verse series of animated films (but this one is live action). And Prime Video is hoping for a hat trick of hits with Off Campus, a romantic drama following a college hockey team and all the tonsil hockey they play with coeds. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video in May, plus everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in May. 

More on Prime Video: 

• The best TV shows on Amazon Prime Video right now
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• Amazon Prime Video pricing, channels, and deals

Peacock's new shows and movies in May

Peacock's biggest new release in May is M.I.A. That would be true even if M.I.A. weren't an actual show, because beyond the new crime thriller about a Miami woman on a quest for revenge against those who destroyed her family's drug business, any other new release worth watching appears to be missing in action. Peacock is extremely light this month. There will be plenty of NBC finales airing in May, though, like the closing chapters of the current seasons of Chicago Fire, Law & Order: SVU, The Hunting Party, and Saturday Night Live. And if you're a Quentin Tarantino fan, you should know that a whole bunch of films from the acclaimed director are coming to Peacock, including Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, which combines both Kill Bill films into one continuous movie. Here's our list of everything coming to Peacock in May.

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• The best movies on Peacock right now
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Paramount+'s new shows and movies in May

Yellowstone has ended, and Yellowstone will never end. Taylor Sheridan's hit neo-Western has grown into an empire, complete with prequels (1883, 1923) and sequels (Marshals, now airing its first season on CBS), plus at least one show that got treated like a spiritual spin-off despite having no actual connection to the flagship series (Sheridan's recent The Madison). Next up is Dutton Ranch, a genuine Yellowstone sequel that might be the most Yellowstone-y of them all, because it's got Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser). The show follows the fan-favorite couple as they work to start over in Texas; would y'all believe it's not going to be easy? While Beth and Rip are starting rivalries at the ranch, Paramount+ is keeping busy with new seasons of Criminal Minds: Evolution and Couples Therapy, plus the final season of The Chi. And as CBS gets ready for summer, you can also expect the season finales of CBS favorites like Ghosts and Elsbeth, not to mention the series finale of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Here's our list of everything coming to Paramount+ in May.

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• The best shows on Paramount+ right now
• How to get a Paramount+ free trial and deals

Tubi's new shows and movies in May

Like most of the planet, Tubi already has World Cup fever. The big footie tourney doesn't start until the middle of June, but the free streamer is getting ready for it with a pair of series, the most notable of which is the BBC satire Twenty Twenty Six, starring Hugh Bonneville as a TV executive working on the world's biggest soccer tournament. And starting on April 30 but running through May is the six-part docuseries Destination World Cup 2026, which follows three soccer players — America's Weston McKennie, Spain's Marc Cucurella, and Wales' Harry Wilson — as they gear up for the Cup. If your idea of goals isn't kicking a ball into the net, but rather watching good shows, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off Angel, Emmy-nominated anthology American Crime, and sci-fi series Colony all hit the service in May. Here's our list of everything coming to Tubi in May.

More on Tubi:

• The new shows and movies on Tubi in April

May TV calendar highlights

May 1
Swapped (Film, Netflix)

May 4
Lord of the Flies (Limited Series, Netflix)

May 6
Citadel (Season 2, Prime Video)
The Other Bennet Sister (Season 1, BritBox)

May 7
Legends (Limited Series, Netflix)
M.I.A. (Season 1, Peacock)
The Terror: Devil in Silver (Season 1, AMC+/Shudder)

May 8
Amadeus (Limited Series, Starz)
Remarkably Bright Creatures (Film, Netflix)

May 9
Song of the Samurai (Season 1, HBO Max)

May 12
Devil May Cry (Season 2, Netflix)
Marty, Life Is Short (Documentary, Netflix)
The Punisher: One Last Kill (Special, Disney+)

May 13
Good Omens (Season 3, Prime Video)
Off Campus (Season 1, Prime Video)

May 14
Nemesis (Season 1, Netflix)
On the Roam (Season 2, HBO Max)

May 15
Couples Therapy (Season 5, Paramount+)
Dutton Ranch (Season 1, Paramount+)

May 20
Jack Ryan: Ghost War (Film, Prime Video)
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (Season 1, Apple TV)

May 21
The Boroughs (Season 1, Netflix)

May 22
Ladies First (Film, Netflix)
Mating Season (Season 1, Netflix)

May 25
Spider-Noir (Season 1, MGM+ and May 27, Prime Video)

May 28
Deli Boys (Season 2, Hulu)

May 29
Star City (Season 1, Apple TV)