5 TV shows with the biggest impact on pop culture this year
Hi, {{first_name | friend}}! Somehow, we're halfway through 2026, which feels like the perfect time to take stock of the year in television. My verdict? We've been spoiled. Returning favorites like Bridgerton, The Pitt, Shrinking, and Industry all delivered, while Hacks, The Bear, and Outlander reminded us how bittersweet a great final season can be. We also got a standout new series, Widow's Bay, which seemingly came out of nowhere and became mine and many others’ top pick for the best show of the year so far.
But being the best show and having the biggest impact aren't always the same thing.
When thinking about 2026’s biggest TV moments, I think of the shows that completely hijacked the internet, added new entries to the pop culture lexicon, sparked endless discourse, and even changed the way people dress. These are the five shows that did just that.
5 shows with the biggest impact on culture this year
5. Love Island USA
Season 8 now streaming on Peacock
With six episodes a week, Love Island USA has become impossible to ignore. But in case you’ve somehow missed it, the premise combines Bachelor in Paradise and The Truman Show, as this reality dating show is filmed in real time as it airs.
This season feels less like a dating show and more like a public humiliation ritual: It's hornier than ever, the gaslighting is at an all-time high, and somehow everyone keeps coming back for more. I want to scream at my TV in most episodes, but I simply can’t look away.
One thing I’m not mad at: this season has given us the greatest addition to the pop culture lexicon so far this year: clam slam. Thanks to Kissin' Kenzie and her signature move, we’ve seen the internet-coined term all over the villa, rain or shine.
If you’re enjoying this season, I am once again begging you to watch Love Island UK. The current season is just as entertaining and about 100 times classier. Plus, the accents!