@font-face {
font-family: ‘Guardian Headline Full’;
src: url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff’) format(‘woff’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.ttf’) format(‘truetype’);
font-weight: 300;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: ‘Guardian Headline Full’;
src: url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff’) format(‘woff’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.ttf’) format(‘truetype’);
font-weight: 300;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: ‘Guardian Headline Full’;
src: url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff’) format(‘woff’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.ttf’) format(‘truetype’);
font-weight: 400;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: ‘Guardian Headline Full’;
src: url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff’) format(‘woff’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.ttf’) format(‘truetype’);
font-weight: 400;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: ‘Guardian Headline Full’;
src: url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff’) format(‘woff’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.ttf’) format(‘truetype’);
font-weight: 500;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: ‘Guardian Headline Full’;
src: url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff’) format(‘woff’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.ttf’) format(‘truetype’);
font-weight: 500;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: ‘Guardian Headline Full’;
src: url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff’) format(‘woff’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.ttf’) format(‘truetype’);
font-weight: 600;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: ‘Guardian Headline Full’;
src: url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff’) format(‘woff’),
url(‘https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.ttf’) format(‘truetype’);
font-weight: 600;
font-style: italic;
}Here’s the rewritten text in fluent, natural English:
“`css
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Titlepiece;
src: url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@media (scripting: enabled) {
:root article.content–interactive > div,
:root .article {
opacity: 0;
}
:root.interactive-loaded article.content–interactive > div,
:root.interactive-loaded .article {
opacity: 1;
transition: 0.25s opacity 0.25s ease;
}
}
@media (scripting: enabled) and (prefers-reduced-motion) {
:root.interactive-loaded article.content–interactive > div,
:root.interactive-loaded .article {
transition: 0.25s opacity 0.1s ease;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive {
margin-left: 160px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive {
margin-left: 240px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
max-width: 620px;
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
max-width: 100%;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
margin-left: 0;
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
max-width: 620px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
max-width: 860px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
max-width: 1100px;
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
width: calc(100vw – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px));
position: relative;
left: 50%;
right: 50%;
margin-left: calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width, 0px)) !important;
margin-right: calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width, 0px)) !important;
}
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
transform: translate(-20px);
width: calc(100% + 60px);
}
}
@media (max-width: 71.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
transform: translate(0);
width: auto;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
max-width: 1260px;
}
}
.content__main-column-
“`Here’s the rewritten version in fluent, natural English:
– For interactive content, the main column uses a maximum width of 620 pixels for lists. A vertical line appears on the left side of the main column, starting from the top and extending the full height plus 15 pixels, with a minimum height of 100 pixels. On wider screens (over 71.25em), this line is a light gray border positioned slightly to the left. On even wider screens (over 81.25em), it shifts a bit more to the left.
– Interactive elements like atoms have no top or bottom margin, but include 12 pixels of padding above and below. When a paragraph is followed by an atom, the padding is removed and replaced with a 12-pixel margin on both sides. Inline elements are also limited to 620 pixels in width.
– For media sections containing looping videos, the caption sits above other elements. The loop button is 32 pixels wide, aligned to the bottom right of the video, with some extra space below. The caption button is placed above everything else. On medium screens (over 46.25em), cinemagraph videos can expand to their full height.
– In the body section, self-hosted videos are displayed as block elements, up to 620 pixels wide, with 12 pixels of margin above and below. Looping videos and their controls take the full width and auto-adjust height, centered on the page. If a looping video is set to immersive mode, it stretches across the full width without margins. On larger screens (over 71.25em), immersive videos expand to 1140 pixels wide and shift left. On even larger screens (over 81.25em), they reach 1300 pixels and shift further left.
– The design uses specific colors for different elements: dateline text is a medium gray, header borders are light gray, captions are a lighter gray with a dark semi-transparent background, and featured content uses a red accent. These colors can change based on the user’s preferred color scheme (light or dark mode).
– Blockquotes and pull quotes use accent colors for their text and icons, while subheadings also follow the same color scheme. In dark mode, these colors adjust automatically unless the user has chosen a light mode.
– Interactive elements and atoms have no padding. The first paragraph after an atom or a horizontal rule doesn’t need extra spacing, as the layout handles it naturally.Here’s the rewritten version in fluent, natural English:
The first paragraph after certain elementsâlike an atom, a sign-in gate, or a horizontal ruleâgets a 14-pixel top padding. This applies in several areas, including the body, feature body, and comment sections.
The first letter of that paragraph is styled as a drop cap. It uses the Guardian Headline font, is bold, 111 pixels tall, and 92 pixels in line height. It floats to the left, is uppercase, has an 8-pixel right margin, and is vertically aligned to the top. Its color comes from a custom property called `–drop-cap`, or falls back to the pillar color.
If a paragraph comes right after a horizontal rule, it doesn’t get any top padding.
Pull quotes are limited to a maximum width of 620 pixels.
For showcase images, their captions are normally static and full width (up to 620 pixels). On wider screens (71.25em and above), the caption becomes absolutely positioned and narrowerâup to 140 pixels. On even wider screens (81.25em and above), it can be up to 220 pixels wide.
Immersive elements take up the full viewport width, minus the scrollbar. On smaller screens (below 71.24em), they are capped at 978 pixels wide, and their captions get 10 pixels of padding on each side.@media (max-width: 71.24em) and (min-width: 30em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive figcaption {
padding-inline: 20px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) and (max-width: 61.24em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
max-width: 738px;
}
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
margin-left: -10px !important;
margin-right: 0 !important;
left: 0;
}
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) and (min-width: 30em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
margin-left: -20px !important;
}
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive figcaption {
padding-inline: 20px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
[data-gu-name=”body”] figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase,
[data-gu-name=”body”] .content__main-column–interactive figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase {
margin-left: -160px !important;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
[data-gu-name=”body”] figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase,
[data-gu-name=”body”] .content__main-column–interactive figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase {
margin-left: -240px !important;
}
}
.furniture-wrapper {
position: relative;
}
@media (min-width: 61.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper {
display: grid;
grid-column-gap: 20px;
grid-row-gap: 0px;
grid-template-columns: [title-start headline-start meta-start standfirst-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [title-end headline-end meta-end standfirst-end portrait-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [portrait-end];
grid-template-rows: [title-start portrait-start] 0.25fr [title-end headline-start] 1fr [headline-end standfirst-start] 0.75fr [standfirst-end meta-start] auto [meta-end portrait-end];
}
.furniture-wrapper #headline > div:first-child,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”headline”] > div:first-child,
.furniture-wrapper .headline > div:first-child {
border-top: 1px solid var(–headerBorder);
}
.furniture-wrapper #meta,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”meta”] {
position: relative;
padding-top: 2px;
margin-right: 0;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst .content__standfirst,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst .content__standfirst,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] .content__standfirst {
margin-bottom: 4px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst ul li,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst ul li,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] ul li {
font-size: 20px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst li a,
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst a,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst li a,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst a,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] li a,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] a {
border-bottom: none;
background-image: none !important;
text-decoration: underline;
text-underline-offset: 6px;
text-decoration-color: var(–headerBorder, #dcdcdc);
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] a:hover {
text-decoration-color: var(–new-pillar-colour);
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] p:first-of-type {
border-top: 1px solid var(–headerBorder);
padding-bottom: 0;
}
}
@media (min-width: 61.25em) and (min-width: 71.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] p:first-of-type {
border-top: unset;
}
}
@media (min-width: 61.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper figure {
margin: 0 0 0 -10px;
}
.furniture-wrapper figure[data-spacefinder-role=”inline”].element {
max-width: 630px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper {
grid-template-columns: [title-start headline-start meta-start] repeat(2, 1fr) [meta-end standfirst-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [title-end headline-end standfirst-end portrait-start] repeat(7, 1fr) [portrait-end];
grid-template-rows: [title-start portrait-start] 80px [title-end headline-start] auto [headline-end standfirst-start meta-start] auto [standfirst-end meta-end portrait-end];
}
.furniture-wrapper #meta:before,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”meta”]:before {
content: “”;
width: 540px;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
background-color: var(–headerBorder);
height: 1px;
}
}Here’s the rewritten version in fluent, natural English:
The standfirst section has no top border. The vertical line before the standfirst is removed, and a thin line appears on the left side instead.
On larger screens (over 81.25em), the layout uses a grid with multiple columns. The meta section has a width of 620px, and the standfirst line is positioned slightly to the left.
In the article header, the labels have a small amount of padding at the top. The headline uses a bold font, with a maximum width of 620px and a font size of 32px. On screens wider than 71.25em, the headline width is reduced to 540px and the font size increases to 50px.
On medium screens (over 46.25em), the keyline and lines section have no right margin. On larger screens (over 61.25em), this section is hidden. The lines use a stroke color that matches the header border.
The meta section also has no right margin on medium screens. The social and comment elements within meta use the same border color as the header border. Some content inside the meta container is hidden.
The standfirst is positioned with a small left margin and padding, and a relative position. On medium screens, it gets a bit of top padding. The text inside the standfirst is regular weight, 20px in size, with some bottom padding.
The main media section is placed in the portrait area of the grid. It has no top margin and a small bottom margin. On larger screens, the bottom margin is removed. On smaller screens (under 46.24em), the media section stretches across the full width of the screen, with a slight left offset.
The caption sits at the bottom of the media, with padding and a background color that matches the caption style. The caption text color is set, and it spans the full width. Some caption elements are hidden, while others are shown with a maximum width. On smaller screens, the caption padding adjusts slightly.Here’s the rewritten text in fluent, natural English:
The `.furniture-wrapper figcaption.hidden` class sets opacity to 0. The `#caption-button` inside `.furniture-wrapper` is displayed as a block, positioned absolutely at the bottom right (10px from bottom, 8px from right), with a z-index of 30. It has a background color set by `–captionBackground`, no border, rounded corners (50%), and padding of 6px top/bottom and 5px left/right. The SVG inside it is scaled down to 85%.
On screens wider than 30em, the `#caption-button` moves 10px from the right. On screens wider than 71.25em, the `:before` pseudo-element of `.content__main-column–interactive` is positioned 12px higher and its height is increased by 24px. The `h2` inside `.content__main-column–interactive` has a max width of 620px, and its `:before` has a z-index of 1.
The first letter of the first paragraph inside `.content__main-column–interactive` inherits font family, size, weight, line height, and color from its parent, with no margin, float, or vertical alignment. In `#maincontent`, the `.figure-caption–desktop` is hidden by default with no top padding. On screens wider than 71.25em, it becomes a positioned block with a max width of 140px, and on screens wider than 81.25em, the max width increases to 220px.
The `.furniture-wrapper:before` pseudo-element creates a background area with a color of `#fbf6ef`. It’s positioned absolutely at the top left (offset by -10px horizontally), spans the full viewport width, and has a height set by `–furniture-bg-height` (default 100%). On screens wider than 30em, the left offset becomes -20px. On screens wider than 46.25em, it’s calculated as `(100vw – 720px) / -2 – 10px`. On screens wider than 61.25em, it becomes `(100vw – 980px) / -2 – 20px` and the height is 100%. On screens wider than 71.25em, it’s `(100vw – 1140px) / -2 – 20px`, and on screens wider than 81.25em, it’s `(100vw – 1300px) / -2 – 20px`.
On screens narrower than 46.24em, figures inside `.furniture-wrapper` have a max width of 100vw and a left margin of 10px. On screens narrower than 61.24em, the `.meta__social` element has bottom padding of 10px. On screens narrower than 46.24em, figures inside `[data-gu-name=media]` have no left margin. On screens between 61.25em and 71.24em, `[data-gu-name=standfirst]` uses flexbox with a column layout and space-between justification.
List items inside `[data-gu-name=standfirst]` have no left padding. Their `:before` pseudo-elements are 4px wide and tall, with a left margin of 10px, a bottom margin of 3px, and a background color of `#866d50`. Paragraphs, links, and spans inside list items, as well as links in paragraphs, use the same color (`#866d50`). Links inside list items have a left margin of -3px, and on hover, they get a bottom border of 1px solid `#866d50`. Spans with `[data-dcr-style=bullet]` inside paragraphs have a left margin of 10px and a background color of `#866d50`. The first link or span in a paragraph has a top margin of 18px.
The `.figure-caption–mobile` inside `[data-gu-name=standfirst]` is displayed as a block, positioned relatively, with a transparent background, no left padding, and a color of `#707070`. Its spans also have the same color and are displayed inline-block. The SVG inside those spans has a fill of `#707070`. When `.figure-caption–mobile` has the class `.figure-caption–two-lines`, its minimum height is unset and its height fits its content. The spans inside it have full width and no max width, and the SVG is 15px wide, 14px tall, positioned relatively, with a right margin of 3px. On screens wider than 71.25em, `.figure-caption–mobile` is hidden.
In dark mode (when `prefers-color-scheme: dark`), for apps that are not `.is-eoy`, the background color of `.furniture-wrapper:before` changes to `#121212`.Here’s the rewritten version in fluent, natural English:
For elements that are not part of the end-of-year layout, the standfirst text and links in the furniture wrapper use a gold color (#a1845c). The standfirst paragraph text is light gray (#dcdcdc), and any bullet points inside it are also gold. Mobile figure captions and their text and icons are a medium gray (#999).
The list wrapper has a small negative left margin to make it slightly wider than its container. Section headings inside it are dark brown (#574835) and bold. The main heading is 34px, with padding and a small bottom margin. Each list item starts hidden and 100px lower than its final position, then fades and slides up into view. If the user prefers reduced motion, the items appear immediately without animation.
The number at the start of each list item is large (80px), light weight, and uses a serif font in dark brown. Any heading that contains an emphasized word is black and normal size, with the emphasis rendered in normal style. Immersive images sit above other content, and their captions have a specific line height.
Every second list item has a full-width background color (a light cream, #fbf6ef) that extends beyond the container. The left offset of this background adjusts at different screen sizes, from flush left on small screens to shifting left on larger ones.
In the app rendering, the large number styling is repeated. Ad placeholders inside list items have extra bottom padding to make room for the ad, and the ad’s last child element is pulled up to close the gap. In reduced motion mode, this padding and offset are removed.
In dark mode, the heading color changes to gold, the alternating background becomes dark brown, the large numbers turn gold, and any emphasized heading text becomes light gray.
For the end-of-year layout, the header border and comment count fill have specific colors. The article container has no border. A vertical line appears to the left of the title, matching the header border color.Here is the rewritten text in fluent, natural English:
“`css
#4f6280);
display: none;
}
html.is-eoy [data-gu-name=”title”]::after {
content: “”;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
right: -20px;
width: 1px;
height: var(–furniture-bg-height, 100%);
background-color: var(–headerBorder, #4f6280);
display: none;
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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Now/HBO Max
Moving away from the dark and gloomy tone of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, this lighter, funnier Westeros spin-off was much more enjoyable from the start. Ser Dunk and Egg are a duo you can really root for as they get ready for the tournament, with Dunk chasing his dream of becoming a knight. Of course, the series still has its bloody momentsâand the Targaryen twist sent things into a violent spiral. But its simpler storytelling and mostly sweet characters made us excited to return to George R.R. Martinâs world.
What we said: âMaybe the fact that itâs not going to set the world on fireâeither literally in the show or metaphorically outside itâis the point. The real world is already too Westeros-like for us to handle any more.â Read the full review.
Amandaland
View image in fullscreen Photograph: BBC/Merman
BBC iPlayer
Lucy Punch has created one of the best TV antiheroes in years. Insufferable? Yes. But the divorced middle-class mum, influencer, and kitchen shop worker Amanda cracks us up so much that, by this second season, we just want her dream of moving into a bigger house in SoHa to come true. With Philippa Dunne as her long-suffering friend and helper Anne, and Joanna Lumley on board as Amandaâs overbearing mother, this is a real celebration of some of the best women in comedy.
What we said: âAmanda fits neatly into a line of British comedy icons; put her next to the delusional, narcissistic, and unstoppable likes of Alan Partridge and David Brent.â Read the full review.
Bait
View image in fullscreen Photograph: Amazon
Prime Video
Patrick Stewart voices a dead pigâs head. Guz Khan plays an entrepreneur trying…Here’s the rewritten version:
Muber â the Muslim Uber tries to shake up the taxi market. Then there’s the chase of a thief in a London pedicab blasting UK garage classics. Riz Ahmed’s semi-autobiographical story about an actor trying to become the next James Bond sounds like a straightforward comedy. But it actually plays out as a hazy tale of a near-breakdown, caused by the pressure of fitting into the mainstream while staying true to your roots. After all, how can a British actor of Pakistani heritage justify playing a white neocolonialist icon? “If I played Bond, he wouldn’t be white!” Ahmed argues. “Yeah, but you would be,” comes the reply. This is surely the most clever, witty, and brilliant look at cultural identity we’ll see this year.
What we said: “Bait wins over any skeptical viewers by grounding the silly fun of scenes like the Bond fight parody in an emotionally honest family drama.” Read the full review.
Children of the Blitz
Given that anyone who actually remembers the Blitz is now at least 90, this kind of TV goes beyond simple documentary-making and becomes historical record-building. This 90-minute film spoke to Blitz survivors from all over the British Isles and was both enlightening and deeply moving. There were stories that reminded viewers that childhood trauma often lasts a lifetime, but also tales of resilience and recovery. The death of the wonderful Patsy Moneypenny between filming and broadcast was a sad reminder that time is running out to preserve these memories. Essential viewing.
What we said: “A huge story is told through dozens of small, heartbreaking personal memories. Ted Bush in Cardiff remembers going to the movies with his dad. When they came home, they found a pile of rubble. Ted’s father’s first reaction was to rescue his son’s Hornby toy train from the remains of their house.” Read the full review.
Heated Rivalry
“I’m coming to the cottage.” That’s the sexy, squeal-worthy hockey romance that has taken the world by storm and shown the star power of Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. Based on Rachel Reid’s novels, the story follows pro hockey players Ilya and Shane, who pretend to hate each other but have secret hookups and then fall deeply in love. It’s a gorgeous queer love story set in the tough world of hockey gear and padding. Yes, it’s full of sex, but it’s also packed with beautiful moments, from Storrie’s heartfelt monologue in Russian to their blissful days together at that lake house. It’s such a global hit that there are now Heated Rivalry dance parties. Sing it with me: “All the things she said, all the things she said!”
What we said: “In any romance, opposites attract â and soon Shane and Ilya are going at it like knives. Knives with fancy hotel rooms and perfect bodies and legs.” Read the full review.
Industry
Industry is no longer the show it started as; the shouting matches on the brutal Pierpoint trading floor are long gone. But that’s not a bad thing: the fourth season was outrageously scandalous. Harper (Myha’la) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) are the only original finance graduates left, trying to balance friendship with rivalry. But this is about much more than big money. Overdosing journalists! Bloody fights! Claims of incest at a Marie Antoinette party! Heck, the writers even sent Yasmin down a Ghislaine Maxwell-like path. The next season has been confirmed as the last, and while that feels right, the nightmares we’ve seen suggest it will end with the biggest bang of all.
What we said: “By digging deeper than ever before into the tortured minds of its main characters, it manages to be more unsettling and more relatable than ever.” Read the full review.
Last One Laughing UKThe lineup for this brilliantly silly game showâs first season was so strong that it was easy to assume it couldnât be matched. Thankfully, that wasnât the case. Another star-studded group of comedians was wonderfully ridiculous as they tried to last six hours without smiling. Sam Campbell dressed up as a giant cockatoo! David Mitchell gave the most committedâand off-keyâmusical theater performance ever seen on TV! Alan Carr tried to operate a sausage-making machine live on stage! Hereâs to another 1,000 episodes.
What we said: âIt leaves me helpless with laughter at least once an episode.â Read the full review.
Making Life on Earth: Attenboroughâs Greatest Adventure
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: BBC Studios/PABBC iPlayer.
Who would have guessed that the 100th year of this broadcasting legendâs life would bring some of his best work? Anyone who has ever watched his shows. Alongside Wild Londonâs charming look at nature in the UK capitalâheâs thrilled about pigeons!âand Secret Gardenâs take on wildlife near suburban homes, he also marked his centenary with stunning retrospectives. The standout was this wildly entertaining story of how he created his first masterpiece, Life on Earth. From tales of donkey allergies and dodging political coups to being scared by giant tortoises, itâs a hugely enjoyable watch. It also, naturally, covers his encounter with Rwandan gorillas, whom he reunited with this year in Netflixâs A Gorilla Story. But itâs this BBC showâs nonstop flow of fantastic stories that makes it the highlight of a year full of phenomenal Attenborough shows.
What we said: âThey changed TV history. The joy now is in learning that along the way, they had the time of their lives.â Read the full review.
Malcolm in the Middle: Lifeâs Still Unfair
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: David Bukach/Disney Disney+.
It really shouldnât have worked. Some of the cast hadnât acted in decades. Even the showâs creator was skeptical about reviving the 2000s family sitcom. Yet, this four-episode special, catching up with the title character Malcolm as an adult trying to get out of his parentsâ 40th wedding anniversary, is absolutely brilliant TV. The castâs chemistry is as lively as ever, the jokes are just as sharp, and it remains the best TV portrayal of how you can both love your family and find them infuriating. Itâs all driven by Bryan Cranstonâs hilariously committed performance as dad Hal, where he takes dangerous amounts of hallucinogens and has a reckless fling with glitter. His over-the-top makeup in the final scene has to be seen to be believed. Itâs one of the funniest moments of the yearâif not the funniest.
What we said: âSurely everyone involved will have seen the magic they have created here and get to work on a full new series.â Read the full review.
Margoâs Got Money Troubles
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: Allyson Riggs/Courtesy of Apple Apple TV.
This clever, charming comedy-drama stars Elle Fanning as Margo, a bright, working-class teen whose English tutor is convinced sheâs Harvard material. Sadly, he uses this to flatter her into bedâand when she becomes pregnant, he leaves her to raise the baby alone. Thatâs the end of Margoâs Harvard dreams, but the start of a new kind of creativity involving an OnlyFans account. It could easily turn into bleak drama, but instead, itâs a heartfelt journey about found family and female solidarity. The performances are excellent, especially Michelle Pfeiffer as Margoâs tough-as-nails mother, Shyanne.
What we said: âThe show is as bold about taboos as it is nuanced about womenâs choices. And who doesnât love that titleâdeliciously dry, while the show is anything but. Iâm a fan. I wonât be the only one.â Read more.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: Zach Dilgard/Apple TV Apple TV.
The title is certainly click-worthy.Itâs a bit of a gimmick, but thankfully this thrillerâabout a divorced mom caught up in a blackmail scheme (or is she?) involving a gorgeous cam boy named Trevor (seriously, who named this poor guy?)âactually lives up to the hype. Tatiana Maslany is fantastic as Paula, the hockey stick-wielding mom who sees Trevor get attacked during one of their steamy sessions and decides to take matters into her own hands when the police wonât help. The cast is great, from Jake Johnson (Nick to New Girl fans) as Paulaâs scheming ex, to the always-welcome Murray Bartlett as the showâs main villain. Every episode ends with a killer cliffhanger, and it features some of the wildest injury and death scenes on TV in recent memory (tins of tuna! Expanding foam in the mouth!). Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed grabs you right away and never lets go. Buckle up.
What we said: âItâs a confident, totally bingeable thriller with an unpredictable edge that keeps you glued to your seat.â Read the full review.
Rivals
View image in fullscreen
Photograph: Robert Viglasky Photography/Disney+
Disney+
Jilly Cooperâs 80s bonkbuster was ridiculously fun when it first hit screens in 2024, and the second season holds up even better than a can of Elnett hairspray. As the rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham heats up, there are endless love affairs and even a few beautiful, tear-jerking moments. Pool sex! Helicopter chases! The Great Storm of â87! A Tory MP still winning his seat after being publicly shamed? Okay, so itâs not all pure escapism, but every scene feels like sipping chilled chardonnay on a scorching hot day. Naughty, dizzying⊠and absolutely essential. Plus, the longing between Lizzie and Freddie alone is enough to keep us hooked.
What we said: âHow do you reward such perfectly knowing escapism? Ten stars? Ten thousand stars? Rivals is beyond earthly praise.â Read the full review.
Saturday Night Live UK
View image in fullscreen
Photograph: Sky UK Limited
Now
Itâs probably fair to say expectations werenât high for this UK spin-off of the classic US comedy show. But we should have had more faith: the mix of sketches, banter, and music turned out really well. Highlights included George Fouracresâ consistently funny impressions, the dangerously UndĂ©rage skincare treatment, and the spot-on Traitors parody. This show definitely has legsâwhich is more than you can say for several visitors to the terrifying immersive Paddington Bear experience with an actual hungry bear.
What we said: âHonestly, it felt refreshing to see someone even attempt the ambitionâor madnessâof retooling a legacy US brand for this septic isle.â Read the full review.
Scrubs
View image in fullscreen
Photograph: Jeff Weddell/Disney
Disney+
This revival of the hit medical sitcom could easily have flatlined. Luckily, the series came to life right away by simply doing everything it used to do so well. Wacky daydreams, silly jokes, brutal putdowns⊠Ah yes, it was good to be back at Sacred Heart. And most of the original cast returned, including John C. McGinley as the unforgettableânow retiredâDr. Cox. Is it a little weird that they all look exactly the same as they did 20 years ago? Sure. But thatâs the only thing that distracts from this brilliant reboot.
What we said: âThe Scrubs revival is as Scrubsy as it gets⊠If you were a fan, the new series will feel like the safest pair of hands imaginable.â Read the full review.
Small Prophets
View image in fullscreen
Photograph: BBC/PA
BBC iPlayer
The long-awaited new sitcom from Detectorists creator Mackenzie Crook was never going to be big, brash, or in-your-face. But itâs still remarkable how quietly joyful it is to watch this melancholy tale of Michael, a retail worker in Manchester searching for his missing girlfriendâand his unexpected dive into the supernatural. Gentle, charming, funnyâand featuring a long-overdue return to TV comedy for Michael Palin as the leadâs father. It doesnât get much more lovable than this.
What we said: âThat British teItâs still possible to create impossible marvels like this â and that alone is reason to keep believing in magic.â Read the full review.
Star City
Photograph: Apple
Apple TV
This alternate-history spin-off from For All Mankind gives us a Soviet take on the space race. Itâs much darker than the original show, but just as gripping. The focus is on the glory of Mother Russia â and the extreme danger for anyone who fails to serve her. Rhys Ifans plays the frustrated but dutiful Chief Designer (we never learn his name, which feels intentional), the man carrying the weight of progress. Anna Maxwell Martin is brilliantly chilling as KGB officer Lyudmilla. Itâs a fierce look at the crushing pressure â and the absurdity â of totalitarianism, and it might best be compared to HBOâs masterpiece Chernobyl.
What we said: âBy moving the story to the USSR, the stakes are immediately higher and impossible to escape. The fear and tension of living that Marxist-Leninist life are clear in every scene. After all, everyone is trapped.â Read the full review.
The Assembly
Photograph: ITV
ITVX
Since it first aired in 2024, this celebrity interview show has never missed our annual best-of list â and for good reason. Itâs easily the most revealing interview with a famous person on TV. When they sit down with a room full of neurodivergent interviewers, something opens up that no friendly chat show sofa ever could. Guests often look genuinely nervous (Lenny Henry, Stephen Fry), get stunned by the emotional weight of the questions (Nicola Sturgeon), or become delighted by the interviewersâ honesty (Anna Maxwell Martin). Itâs a total joy â and thatâs before you get to the tear-jerking singalong that ends every episode.
What we said: âEvery question is something no regular interviewer would ever think to ask, and something weâre immediately curious to see the guest respond to.â Read the full review.
The Cage
Photograph: BBC/Element Pictures
BBC iPlayer
Another TV triumph from Tony Schumacher, whose first show was The Responder. No one writes unforgettable stories about desperate characters and the state of the nation quite like him â and this proves heâs no one-trick pony. Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha are extraordinary and intense as Leanne and Matty, two stressed casino workers who discover theyâve both been skimming money to get out of a tight spot. (The moment Leanneâs ex breaks into her house and steals the shoebox with all ÂŁ34,000 of her savings is one of the most heartbreaking moments of the year.) Five relentlessly tense and thrilling hours lead to Mattyâs heroic act of selflessness for his best â and honestly, only â friend. And letâs not forget that devastating 80s soundtrack, which gives the show a wonderful payoff. What a writer.
What we said: âAn astonishing, deeply angry, deeply moving state-of-the-nation piece that only pretends to be a gripping, perfectly paced thriller.â Read the full review.
The Other Bennet Sister
Photograph: BBC/Bad Wolf
BBC iPlayer
Another Pride and Prejudice drama? Even the biggest Jane Austen fan might be skeptical by now. But this gorgeous, funny show offered a fresh take: the overlooked sister, Mary, tells the classic story from her point of view. Ella Bruccoleri was perfectly cast as the misunderstood âspinsterâ who goes on to forge her own path and fall into a love triangle of her own. A perfect period drama.
What we said: âBut the growing charm and depth â not to mention Bruccoleriâs lovely central performance â make it one worth sticking with. Sorry, Mary â one with which it is worth sticking.â Read the full review.
The Pitt
Photograph: Warrick Page/AP
HBO Max
Itâs no small achievement to deliver two seasons of flawless TV that makes you feel like someoneâs applied superglue to your eyes.Youâre glued to your sofa. The hit medical drama starring Noah Wyle, from the creators of ER, has yet to make an hour of TV that isnât completely captivating. Itâs an excellent, flawlessly realistic story of life in a Pittsburgh hospitalâs emergency department, with the emotional range to make viewers laugh, cry, or seethe with righteous angerâsometimes all in one episode. As its brilliantly acted characters fight through mass shootings, cyber-attacks, and nuns with gonorrhea, itâs hard not to be amazed all over again by the incredible humanity of doctors and nurses. No wonder so many medical professionals love itâalong with everyone else lucky enough to watch. What we said: âThere are no heroes or villains, just sorrows, impossibilities, and medical staff having to decide how much they can give to one patient when theyâre responsible for so many others.â Read the full review.
The Testaments
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: Disney. Disney+
Despite becoming way too bleak to watch in parts, last yearâs powerful final season of The Handmaidâs Tale proved it was a truly fine adaptation of Margaret Atwoodâs novel. That same quality is found here in the sequel, which picks up the story years later in Gilead. Life seems a little more relaxed for the next generation of womenâincluding Juneâs biological daughter Agnes/Hannah, who is still there and celebrating her first period. But donât be fooled! As the true horrors of this world are revealed, the showâs pastel colors, soft filters, and catchy covers of pop hits only make everything feel more sinister. When June sends an undercover teenage girl to befriend Agnesâand Aunt Lydiaâitâs tense, edge-of-your-seat stuff at every turn. And even if youâve read the book, there are still shocking twistsâplus a cameo from Atwood herself. What we said: âA YA version that still includes bloody punishments, rotting corpses swinging from gibbets, and indoctrination and abuseâwith the youth of the protagonists making it even harder to watch.â Read the full review.
The Traitors
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: Paul Chappells/Studio Lambert/BBC. BBC iPlayer
What an absolute rollercoaster. At times, this yearâs hooded assassins were so brutal it threatened to tip into the kind of high-drama reality TV it had always defined itself against. But throughout the run, this show revealed it had far more going for it than the fights Fiona started, Harrietâs weirdly aggressive breakfast antics, or Rachelâs Machiavellian ways. It became a story of the trust and loyalty between Rachel and Stephen. And in the end, it really didnât disappoint. After that finale, consider our faith in humanity restored. What we said: âIts rapid, punchy reveals leave us and the players with plenty of threads to pull onâand show the producersâ confidence in the coming payoff.â Read the full review.
This Is a Gardening Show
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: Radical Media/Netflix. Netflix
Each episode of Zach Galifianakisâs offbeat look at horticulture is only 15 minutes, but they pack in more smiles and laugh-out-loud moments than some sitcoms deliver in an entire season. As he visits farms and sings the praises of the agrarian lifestyle, he never fails to goof aroundâfrom using watering equipment to fake urinate, to nearly crashing a corn farmerâs tractor. The highlight, though, is probably the interviews with kids about vegetables: each one is totally unpredictable. They might sit silently and glare, crack ludicrously surreal jokes, orâas one kid doesâclaim to have fathered an entire family. Absolutely joyful. What we said: âThis Is a Gardening Show is perfect. Itâs funny, looks beautiful, and brims with such pure enthusiasm that you canât help but fall in line.â Read the full review.
Waiting for the Out
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: BBC/Sister Pictures/Kerry Spicer. BBC iPlayer
We knew he was great in The Responder, but Josh Finan is absolutely staggering in this.In this brilliant BBC drama, we follow Dan, a philosophy teacher working in a prison while struggling with his own personal demons. Based on Andy Westâs memoir The Life Inside, creator Dennis Kelly brings Dan to life as a man haunted by the fact that both his father and brother have been in prisonâand terrified that he might be destined to follow the same path. Watching Dan try to keep his life together as he spirals into a full-blown OCD nightmare, taking endless photos of his gas stove to make sure itâs off, is truly painful. Weâll never look at a stovetop the same way again. What we said: âIn the end, this is a gripping, moving study in vulnerability and acceptance. The prisoners open up, and eventually, so does Dan. In doing so, they admit the capacity for change. Are we helpless victims of the circumstances we inherit? With a mix of exquisite lightness and overwhelming heaviness, Waiting for the Out suggests that itâs never too late. We can still write our own stories.â Read the full review.
Widowâs Bay
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: Robert Clark/Apple TV. Apple TV.
This oddball, off-the-wall horror comedy has us totally hooked. The exceptional castâfrom Matthew Rhys as the put-upon mayor of the cursed island, Tom Loftis, to a revelatory Kate OâFlynn and Somebody Somewhereâs Jeff Hillerâbrings the eccentric setting to life beautifully, keeping it firmly on the right side of weird. There are plenty of laughs and jump scares too, plus itâs been compared to Twin Peaks. If that doesnât make you watch, nothing will. What we said: âThere are many ways, Widowâs Bay suggests, to be hauntedâand many ways for evil to creep through a community. Like the best horror, it suggests that the supernatural may be the least of it. In short, Widowâs Bay is rich and wonderful. Grownup, funny, scary, true.â Read the full review.
Wonder Man
View image in fullscreen. Photograph: Marvel Television. Disney+.
For anyone suffering from MCU fatigue (thatâs most of us, right?), Wonder Man is the Marvel TV show that actually feels nothing like a Marvel TV show. Instead, itâs set in a world that looks down on superhero powers, and gives us a story about the unlikely friendship between enigmatic aspiring actor Simon (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and eccentric has-been actor Trevor (Ben Kingsley). Except! Trevor has actually been tasked with secretly investigating Simonâs unusual strength⊠Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley are fantastic as this chalk-and-cheese pairing, and alongside some genuinely poignant moments, there are loads of laugh-out-loud scenes to enjoy. What we said: âItâs a rather clever, tender, and altogether wonder-ful thing.â Read the full review.
The Zero Line
BBC iPlayer.
Ben Steeleâs chilling documentary about life inside Putinâs war is the kind of TV that will always stick with you. He gained remarkable access to men who reluctantly joined the Russian army or showed resistance, and their accounts of what that was really like are harrowing. They talk about military torture, âmeat stormsâ (a tactic of sending a swarm of soldiers at points across the line), and summary executionsâor âzeroingââthat they regularly witnessed. You canât help but still fear for the men, who have escaped and speak on camera, which makes it all the more powerful and terrifying to watch. What we said: âThe war will eventually end, but for the people in this film, it will never truly be over.â Read the full review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the best TV shows of 2026 so far written in a natural helpful tone
General Questions
Q What are the best TV shows of 2026 so far
A While best is subjective early critical and audience favorites include the scifi mystery Echo Station the gritty crime drama Cold Harbor the fantasy epic The Last Cartographer and the hilarious workplace comedy Office of the Dead
Q How are you deciding whats best
A Were looking at a mix of critic reviews audience ratings and overall cultural impact These shows are the ones everyone is talking about
Q Are there any new shows in 2026 that are better than returning favorites like Stranger Things or The Crown
A Its early but several new shows are generating that level of hype Echo Station is being compared to Lost for its mystery and The Last Cartographer has the visual spectacle of Game of Thrones Its a strong year for fresh content
BeginnerLevel Questions
Q I havent watched any new TV in 2026 Where should I start
A Start with Office of the Dead Its a light funny workplace comedy about a zombie apocalypseeasy to watch and very entertaining If you prefer drama try the first episode of Cold Harbor it hooks you immediately
Q Are any of these shows suitable for kids or family viewing
A Most of the top shows are for mature audiences The Last Cartographer is a fantasy adventure that older teens might enjoy but it has some intense violence For a family show look at the animated series Puddle Lane which is a hidden gem for all ages
Q Do I need to watch any previous seasons or movies before starting these shows
A No All of these are brand new series that debuted in 2026 You can jump right in with no prior knowledge
Advanced InDepth Questions
Q Which 2026 show is the most innovative in terms of storytelling or cinematography
A
