'The Boys', 'Euphoria' And 5 Series Ending In 2026
Several TV shows are ending this year, like The Boys (2019) and Euphoria (2019). The clarification that these shows are ending rather than being canceled matters. Some endings are more definitive, with final season plans being in the works for a while. That timing gives fans more time to prepare, but it’s hard to watch any beloved show end.
Still, it’s a far better situation than a series ending unceremoniously with an unexpected cancellation with no final season in the works. Here are seven shows ending in 2026. Catch up before their series finales by watching them on HBO Max, Prime Video, and more.
After four seasons, it all comes down to the fight between Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Homelander (Antony Starr) in The Boys’ fifth and final season. The satirical superhero dramedy’s creator, Eric Kripke, has always had a five-season arc in mind. In that sense, it’s a lot like Kripke’s original plan for Supernatural (2005-2020). While The CW show went on to air for 15 seasons and 327 episodes, The Boys will wrap its story after just five seasons and 40 episodes.
Similar to Game of Thrones (2011), The Boys’ level of gore and violence won’t be for everyone, but it is for a wide-ranging audience. Both shows have launched franchises in a shared universe. If you want The Boys through a coming-of-age lens, there’s Gen V (2023). If you’re interested in more from supporting characters, there’s the upcoming Vought Rising. Then again, any further interest in those shows may depend on whether The Boys, its larger-than-life characters, and increasingly timely storylines can stick its superhero landing in the end.
Euphoria always winds up at the forefront of conversations when a new season airs. HBO shows are no strangers to that, though; the same is happening with The Pitt’s current season. While there has been no formal announcement from HBO, its third season appears to be its last. Zendaya, the show’s Emmy Award-winning star, has said that “closure is coming.” What that looks like for the stylized series that appears to be taking a turn away from any sort of coming-of-age drama and toward a Western vibe, remains to be seen.
However, with four years between this season and the last, it may be best for the stories of Rue (Zendaya), Jules (Hunter Schafer), Maddy (Alexa Demie), Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Nate (Jacob Elordi), and Lexi (Maude Apatow) to end with Season 3. Given all the hype and excitement around Euphoria, there will certainly be many conversations about how this season plays out. Hopefully, as Zendaya says, there is some sense of closure.
Netflix’s Outer Banks is another show that creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke envisioned would last a specific number of seasons. The adventure YA series, which at its core carries the same vibes as The Goonies (1985), will end with its upcoming fifth season. However, it will look a lot different than how it started, as the Pogues, a friend group from the titular location in North Carolina, lost a member in Season 4.
JJ (Rudy Pankow)’s death sets the show on a different trajectory for its final season. Ideally, that will include a way for his friends John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) to avenge and honor him. Presumably, it will also continue the group’s quest for Black Beard’s treasure—more specifically, getting the Blue Crown back. It’ll also be interesting to see if Outer Banks sends the friends on one last adventure before bringing them home, where it all started. I hope that’s the case!
It’s difficult to imagine a TV season—or an award season—without Hacks or Hannah Einbender and Jean Smart, who play Ava Daniels and Deborah Vance, respectively. Ava and Deborah’s friendship is the load-bearing pillar of the comedy. It deconstructs the genre itself with a special spotlight on stand-up comedy. Rightfully so, Hacks has become an awards show darling, similar to Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017), which also starred a woman in stand-up comedy.
Like accolades and praise, this show has captured hearts throughout its run. Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky have created something truly special. The comedy is whip smart. Every character is specific and completely compelling to watch. W. Downs and Meg Stalter have become two of my most anticipated awards presenters because of their work on this show. I’m thrilled that Hacks gets to go out on its own terms, just like Deborah Vance would want.
Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie Cherish is returning for another chance in the spotlight in the third and final season of HBO’s The Comeback. Since I believe that she’s one of our best comedic talents, I’m thrilled that Kudrow is stepping back into Valerie’s shoes. It also feels like such a massive homecoming, knowing how long it’s taken to get to this point—20 years to be exact.
The Comeback debuted in 2005 as a mockumentary reality TV show. After its cancellation, it was revived in 2014, only to be ripped away again until 2026. Now, Valerie has another claim to fame in the sitcom How’s That?, but only time will tell if this show is the ladder to success that Valerie craves. Given the resurgence of mockumentary sitcoms with shows like NBC’s St. Denis Medical (2024) and the abundance of reality TV on right now, like The Traitors (2023), maybe now is Valerie Cherish’s time to shine. It’s certainly her last chance with The Comeback.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is a sequel series to Disney Channel’s highly successful teen sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place (2007). Selena Gomez, who starred on the original series as Alex Russo, returned as a guest star and executive producer. David Henrie reprised his role as her older brother, Justin, who must train three young wizards. Two of whom are his sons; the third, Billie, is revealed to be Alex’s daughter and an incredibly powerful wizard.
The show works for fans of the original series and newcomers. The catch is that its second season ended with a cliffhanger that leaves both sets of fans reeling. Alex sacrifices herself to protect her daughter and family, meaning her life hangs in the balance. This sequel series can’t kill off a Disney Channel icon, right?! Luckily, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place will return for a four-part final season in Summer 2026, and Gomez will be reprising her role as Alex. Hopefully, there’s a happy ending there because that Season 2 finale leaves everyone in a bleak spot.
All American is singular in a few ways as it heads into its final season later this year. This show, led by a predominantly Black cast, is one of the only long-running teen dramas left on TV. The early 2000s were filled with teen dramas, led by mostly white casts. One Tree Hill (2003), The O.C. (2003), and Gossip Girl (2007) are just a few that come to mind. For the most part, they were slice-of-life shows where teens dealt with real issues without a super heightened twist. All American is one of a dwindling number of shows like that on TV now.
It mixes sports and coming-of-age stories, something teen dramas like Make It or Break It (2009) also do. Impressively, it will wrap up its run with an eighth season. That kind of run for a teen drama is practically unheard of nowadays. Even those with supernatural twists end after one or two seasons. That longevity comes with shake-ups in the cast and at the network. Nevertheless, I look forward to how All American will wrap up its story after nearly a decade on the air—a truly special feat that shouldn’t go unnoticed amid other shows ending this year.
