The Masterminds Behind the Biggest Shows of 2026

The powerhouses steering some of television's most captivating shows of the past year are worth getting to know. Veteran "Top Chef" showrunner Arquines orchestrated Season 23, set in the Carolinas, featuring clever challenges that delved into local culture, history, and cuisine — including a NASCAR-themed Quickfire Challenge. The result was one of the most diverse shows on television, earning four Primetime Emmy nominations, including top reality competition program and best host for Kristen Kish. Aniello, Downs, and Statsky of HBO Max's "Hacks" demonstrated an Emmy-winning trifecta. As creators and showrunners, they crafted a five-season arc that was successfully executed, culminating in the most Emmy-nominated season of a comedy in history. The series about a washed-up comic revived by a Millennial writer snagged 24 nominations this year, with Aniello, Downs (who also stars on the show and landed an acting nom) and Statsky now among the most sought-after creatives in television. Quinta Brunson, Justin Halpern, and Patrick Schumacker have been instrumental in the success of "Abbott Elementary," which has been a mainstay at the Emmys since its beloved first season. Most recently, it earned seven nominations, including outstanding comedy series. For its fifth season, the ABC-WBTV sitcom collaborated with the Philadelphia Phillies for an episode set at a ball game. Brunson continues to star as part of the ensemble while working alongside fellow showrunners Halpern and Schumacker, proving that traditional network TV can thrive in the streaming age. When it comes to political thrillers, Cahn knows best — having created Netflix's "The Diplomat," the critically acclaimed Keri Russell starrer that has been renewed for a fourth season. With credits including "The West Wing," "Grey's Anatomy," "Fosse/Verdon," and "Homeland," Cahn earned seven Emmy nominations this year, including outstanding drama, lead actress and actor (for Russell and Rufus Sewell), and a writing nod for herself and Peter Ackerman. Season 18 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" continues to break viewership records, with the latest season becoming the highest-rated ever. Myki Meeks was crowned as the winner, taking home a $200,000 grand prize. Between the flagship series and its after show, "Untucked," the franchise landed 11 Emmy nominations, with RuPaul becoming the most-nominated reality host in history. Among the Emmy surprises was the recognition for "DTF St. Louis," which landed in the limited series field and also picked up nods for five of its actors, as well as writing and directing mentions for Conrad. Created by Conrad, working with actor David Harbour, "DTF St. Louis" is a modern noir based on a New Yorker story about infidelity in the suburbs. The result is a standout series that shines among some of the network's broader franchise fare. Dippold made her debut as showrunner with "Widow's Bay," earning 19 nominations for its freshman season. The Apple TV series combines a small-town Pawnee, Ind., sense of place with a giddy eagerness to scare, making it a genuine breakthrough moment for the platform. A prestige drama that's been gathering accolades and audiences for three seasons, "Industry" saw its latest season explode into the zeitgeist. The HBO drama introduced new characters as the old ones reinvented themselves; viewers couldn't get enough, rewarding the series with its best numbers yet: Season 4 debuted with a 20% audience increase over Season 3, retaining its best viewership numbers ever. The Duffer brothers wrapped up their Netflix run on "Stranger Things" with its fifth and final season. Now under a four-year deal at Paramount, they are directing a feature set for a 2028 release. They also got to embrace their love of the theatrical experience by bringing the "Stranger Things" finale to theaters on Dec. 31, marking the first time a Netflix series was exhibited theatrically. The fifth season became Netflix's biggest English-language TV debut ever. Besides painting vivid portraits of middle- and upper-class Black America, "The Gilded Age" also delved into 19th century billionaires' lives. The show's finale offered a ravishing look at Black and white high society. Fellowes and Warfield saw the latest season hit new viewership highs, with its Season 3 finale clearing five million viewers after three days. The series also earned eight Emmy nominations, including drama series, lead actress (Carrie Coon), and guest actress (Merritt Wever). Fogelman's "Paradise" continued to captivate audiences in its second season, with the finale reaching 4.3 million viewers in its first three days of streaming, marking a 35% increase in viewership compared to the premiere. The Hulu series landed seven Emmy nominations this year. Fogelman is also an executive producer on the streamer's "Only Murders in the Building," which earned five nods. And the producer is showing no sign of slowing down, currently working on the upcoming NFL family drama for Hulu, casting the likes of Mandy Moore, Christopher Meloni, and Chloe Bennet. Gadd rocketed onto the scene with "Baby Reindeer" as creator, writer, and star — and won three Emmys for that drama. He's done it again this year with HBO's "Half Man," a chilling exploration of toxic masculinity through a tumultuous relationship between two men over three decades. Gadd landed an Emmy nomination for his supporting role and believes the dark content may have pushed people away, but stands by the strength of the storytelling and the powerful performances by Jamie Bell, as well as Stuart Campbell (who plays the young version of Gadd's character) and Mitchell Robertson (as the young version of Bell’s). The Sarah Snook-led thriller "All Her Fault" became Peacock's biggest launch ever for an original series. Gallagher, who has previous credits on "Lazarus" and "Wolf," worked closely with Emmy-nominated actors Snook and Dakota Fanning; "All Her Fault" earned seven nominations in total. After the show's breakout success on streaming, Gallagher inked an overall deal with Universal Global Television and a first-look pact with Carnival Films. Next up, she will adapt books "The Break-In" by Katherine Faulkner and "Such a Nice Girl" by Andrea Mara. Executive producers Gaskins and Gold have a lot to celebrate after "Summer House" nabbed its first Emmy nomination in the unstructured reality category against staple shows. The Bravo series has run for 10 seasons and, after this explosive season, saw its three-part reunion draw the largest audience in the show's history. Production is currently underway for Season 11, and Bravo already debuted a spinoff series, "In the City," starring Kyle Cooke, Amanda Batula, and Danielle Olivera. Gauches has made a name for himself as a reality TV veteran, working with some of the busiest production companies and networks in the early 2000s. Early shows he worked on included "G’s to Gents," "True Beauty," "Jerseylicious," "Secret Millionaire," and more. For the last five years, he's been an executive producer at Kinetic Content, keeping busy with shows including the company's Netflix flagship, "Love Is Blind," which consistently hits the Top 10 charts upon release. The team behind "Off Campus" continued to soar this year, bringing in big names for the fourth season, including Donna Kelce, Kristen Kish, and Lisa Rinna. With Alan Cumming as host once again, the Peacock series had a massive opening with 3.2 billion minutes viewed within less than a month. Overall, the format's reach has also extended across six continents, and past TV, with a London-based live experience and a stage production confirmed for 2027. And this fall, an all-civilian version of "The Traitors" will be coming to NBC. Robinson and Kanin proved they could work on a bigger canvas with "The Chair Company," using its eight episodes to tell a single, unified story of one man descending into something like madness as he uncovers a conspiracy. It's the most substantial work of Robinson and Kanin's careers, and is, at least for now, the culmination of their loopy vision.