It's not summer without Love Island USA. The daily reality hit is back to keep you in a state of stupor for the next several weeks. It premiered six years ago, but this season is its biggest one yet, finally reaching a point where it's popular enough that memes from it are crossing over into the broader culture. It's at the top of our list of the best shows to watch on Peacock right now, along with supernatural mystery Revival, the cult favorite sci-fi comedy Resident Alien, and case-of-the-week mystery series Poker Face, which wraps up its second season on July 10. Peacock also has classics like 30 Rock and Homicide: Life on the Street and originals like The Traitors and Long Bright River. There's no shortage of stuff to watch on the Bird (that's the affectionate nickname for Peacock we just made up). 

An important note about how this list was made: In order to keep the list as relevant as possible, we're emphasizing recent releases, Peacock originals, and critics' favorites. But we're also putting our own personal spin on the list, with underrated gems we're recommending to our friends, classic favorites, and important selections that highlight diverse voices. We'll be updating the list regularly. 

The best movies on Peacock

Last updated July 3, 2025; newer additions are at the top

Watching TV while you simultaneously look at your phone

I got a text! Love Island USA is Peacock's reality romance sensation, where people trapped in a villa together have no choice but to fall in and out of love at warp speed. During the season, new episodes drop every day for about a month, and at the end, a winning couple is crowned. They win $100,000 and about a year's supply of nightclub appearances. Love Island USA is hosted by Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix and based on a British format that's even more popular than the American version. -Liam Mathews

Quirky small towns, zombies

Wynonna Earp star Melanie Scrofano returns to SYFY for this funny, genre-bending sci-fi/horror mystery drama. She plays a cop in a small Wisconsin town where the recently deceased residents have mysteriously come back to life like nothing happened. She's investigating a murder, while her "revived" sister (Romy Weltman) investigates why the revival happened. "Despite its morbid underpinnings, Revival has a light touch, with a quirky ensemble cast who feel closer to Schitt's Creek than The Last of Us," Gavia Baker-Whitelaw writes in her review. -Liam Mathews

Fish-out-of-water comedies, Alan Tudyk's range

Time to whip up a t-shirt that says "Alan Tudyk was one of TV Guide's favorite performers of 2021 — find out why!" on the back. Tudyk stars in SYFY's underrated Resident Alien as the titular alien himself, an extraterrestrial in disguise as small-town doctor Harry Vanderspeigle, whose disgust with all things human makes for some of the best physical comedy on TV. But his quest to destroy the world hits a roadblock as he starts to warm up to (some of) the people around him. Horrifying! Watch this show already. -Kelly Connolly

 Columbo, cases of the week, great guest stars

Knives Out writer-director Rian Johnson loves a good mystery, but do you know what he loves even more? A new mystery every week. Johnson went old school with Poker Face, a case-of-the-week series starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a woman whose innate ability to tell when someone is lying makes her a pretty nifty amateur detective. Each episode, Charlie cruises to a new town in her classic car, trouble finds her, and she tackles the case like a modern-day Columbo. Poker Face is also noteworthy for its impressive cast of guest actors. Season 1 featured Adrien Brody, Hong Chau, Judith Light (who won an Emmy for her performance), and many others, while Season 2 goes even bigger with, John Mulaney an as FBI agent, Katie Holmes in her best role in years, and Cynthia Erivo playing quintuplets. -Tim Surette

 Smart comedy, saying "they wouldn't be allowed to make a show this funny today" 

There's never a bad time to watch 30 Rock, Tina Fey's acidic, Emmy-winning sitcom. The rewatch value is high because there are so many jokes in it that you surely missed a few of them the first time. If you haven't watched it, you will be amazed at how funny it was. They literally don't make sitcoms with this many clever jokes in them anymore. It's incredible. Fey stars as Liz Lemon, the put-upon head writer of a sketch comedy show, with Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, an NBC executive who becomes her mentor. What's your favorite 30 Rock line? Mine's "Where are the french fries I did not ask for? You people need to anticipate me!" -Liam Mathews

 Amanda Seyfried's range, gloomy mysteries

Amanda Seyfried stars in this crime drama as a Philadelphia cop looking for her missing sister (Ashleigh Cummings) while a killer preys on vulnerable women in the neighborhood. It's an empathetic, well-acted limited series about a woman trying to do the right thing for her family, and it's one of the best performances of Seyfried's impressively diverse career. "Her performance feels authentic and lived in, and she so beautifully reveals what Mickey is thinking every step of the way," writes Maggie Fremont in her review of the limited series. -Liam Mathews

 TV institutions, crimes that are considered especially heinous

Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) investigates sex crimes in New York City. TV's most perfect procedural has an irresistible rhythm that's comforting to experience even though the subject matter is so dark. That's its secret for enduring as long as it has. If you watch one episode a day, it would take you over a year and a half to make it through the whole series. It's been going since 1999 and will until it can't be anymore. Ice-T will be chasing down perps using a walker. New episodes stream weekly in season, and the entire archive is on Peacock. -Liam Mathews

 The Office, British humor

This British mockumentary that features cringe comedy in the vein of the original The Office is now streaming on Peacock. It stars creator Jamie Demetriou (Fleabag) as Stath, a bumbling Londoner who works for his father's real estate leasing office. The cast includes Demetriou's real-life sister, Natasia Demetriou (What We Do in the Shadows), as Stath's sister Sophie. The series ran for three seasons from 2018 to 2021 and won four BAFTA TV awards, the British equivalent of an Emmy, for best comedy series and best actor. It's a beloved cult hit, and hopefully its cult grows now that it's easier than ever to stream. -Liam Mathews

 Bravo shows, family game night, double-crosses

Look, I'll be first to scream about how much I do not need a show featuring reality stars I don't know competing in elaborate games, forming alliances and then stabbing each other in the back, and eliminating each other one by one. But Peacock's The Traitors takes that formula and molds it for one person and one person only: the viewer. The game is essentially Mafia, with 20 players vying for a cash prize. A few of them are secretly working in cahoots to eliminate the others while also being targets themselves. The producers keep things spicy with twists meant to psychologically torture the participants, and the most fun part is seeing souls crushed through broken trust and knowing that you'd be a better player than anyone else. Plus, it takes place in a Scottish castle, and host Alan Cumming struts around in fabulous Highland costumes. And if you burn through the American version of The Traitors, Peacock also has the U.K. and Australian versions, which are arguably even better. -Tim Surette 

 Somber historical dramas, Colin Firth 

Academy Award winner Colin Firth stars in this five-episode British limited series. He plays Jim Swire, a doctor who devoted his life to finding out the truth about what happened to Pan Am Flight 103, which was blown up by terrorists in 1988, killing everyone onboard, including his daughter, and crashed into a residential area of Lockerbie, Scotland. Reviews for the series have been mixed-to-positive, with praise going to Firth's performance as a man whose grief spurs him to action. -Liam Mathews

Great acting, classic television 

After years of not being available on streaming, this classic 1990s police drama was recently added to Peacock. The series follows homicide detectives in gritty Baltimore, Maryland, as they try to solve cases and deal with problems in their messy personal lives. It's a standard police procedural format, but it's elevated by what is still some of the best writing and acting ever seen on television. The characters are brilliantly observed and brought to life by incredible performers like Melissa Leo and the late, great Andre Braugher. It's based on a nonfiction book by David Simon, who served on the show's writing staff and went on to create The Wire. -Liam Mathews

 Assassins, cool guns, beautiful scenery 

Eddie Redmayne stars as the titular canid, an extremely high-performing and well-paid European solo professional. He's basically Roger Federer, if Federer killed people for a living. He's trying to keep from getting caught by Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch), an MI6 firearms expert, and also by his wife Nuria (Úrsula Corberó), who is starting to ask questions about what he really does for a living. It's a polished thriller that's a contemporary update on the popular 1973 novel of the same name. -Liam Mathews

 The 1970s, crime thrillers, Kevin Hart as a serious actor 

This limited series is based on a podcast that tells the true story of an incident where thieves robbed a party attended by powerful gangsters the night of Muhammad Ali's comeback fight in 1970 Atlanta. And while it is an exciting, twisty tale populated by larger-than-life characters in funky Nixon-era outfits, it's really a perceptive history lesson about how Atlanta became a "Black Mecca" that's not only the most important city in the South, but one of the most important cities in America. Fight Night's all-star cast includes Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard, and Samuel L. Jackson, but it's led by Kevin Hart, who gives the best dramatic performance of his career to date. -Liam Mathews

 Veep, creative cursing

Before he cracked open the inner workings of the White House in Veep, Armando Iannucci satirized the British government in this highly acclaimed comedy that ran for four seasons. If you loved Veep, there is literally no way you won't love this, too, unless you have an unreasonable hatred of British accents. Shot in faux-documentary style, it features the same penchant for destructive insults as the HBO comedy, but perhaps with even more sting. Leading the cast is Peter Capaldi, who plays the director of communications for the British government who will go to any lengths to make sure the party line is followed. The series was followed by a feature film, In the Loop, in 2009. -Tim Surette 

 Nuns, Betty Gilpin, The Leftovers, Lost, Looney Tunes, magicians, Grail quests, Schrödinger's cat

Watching Mrs. Davis felt like running my brain through a car wash. The series, which stars the great Betty Gilpin as a nun fighting an AI algorithm, is a bonkers, intoxicating joyride through tech and religion, marrying the comedic and dramatic sensibilities of its creators, Tara Hernandez (The Big Bang Theory) and Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers), into one audacious and totally singular package. Everything about this show — its colorful filmmaking, cleverly batty writing, and totally committed cast, Gilpin in particular — works together to sell the exact blend of silliness and sincerity required of a series that involves both mid-tier Reno magicians and a quest for the Holy Grail. Mrs. Davis is one riotous surprise after the next, and it all builds up to one of the best jokes on TV in years, a finale gag so good it could make a devotee out of anyone. -Kelly Connolly

 The Rehearsal, Jury Duty, megalomania, show business

The meta reality of Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal was a high point of 2022, but Jason Woliner's Paul T. Goldman technically beat Fielder to the punch despite coming out months later. Woliner, the director of 2020's Borat sequel (and showrunner of the amazing Eagleheart), worked on Paul T. Goldman starting in 2012 after an online encounter with the title character (real name Paul Finkelman), who was looking for a director to tell his story of love, deception, and revenge, based on events that "actually" happened in his life. Goldman wrote a book, then wrote a screenplay, and agreed to play himself in the film, the making of which became this surreal meta-comedy six-episode series that blends truth and fiction before settling and becoming a personal portrait of a man with a vivid imagination. If you enjoyed the creeping madness of The Rehearsal, you'll love Paul T. Goldman. –Tim Surette 

 The little-watched crime thriller Jett, sexy times

We wouldn't be at all surprised if this is the first time you're hearing about Leopard Skin — the 2022 crime drama had such a quiet run that it doesn't even have a Wikipedia page, despite featuring Carla Gugino, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Philip Winchester. Leopard Skin was created by Sebastian Gutierrez, whose sexy, sultry style, which he exhibited in the similarly underwatched but enjoyable Starz series Jett, is on full display here when jewel thieves take a pair of women hostage in a beautiful mansion while they wait for the heat to die down. What follows is devious double crossing, flirtatious fun, and crooked comedy. It's great to look at, enjoyable to be around, and dangerous to be close to, just like every character in it. -Tim Surette 

 Kevin Costner, Westerns, soap operas

One of TV's biggest shows, Yellowstone is a neo-Western by way of Dynasty (we swear that's a compliment). The series follows the ins and outs of the wealthy Dutton family, the owners of the largest contiguous ranch in the country and one of the few families who could possibly give the Roys of Succession a run for their money in terms of infighting and complicated family dynamics. The series, co-created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, features a major power struggle as outside forces — land developers, rival ranchers, and more — attempt to encroach on the Dutton family's land. It's a thrilling, dramatic watch and a wonderful showcase for both the wide-open vistas of the American West and star Kevin Costner's ability to growl through each and every one of his lines. Though Yellowstone is a Paramount Network series, NBCUniversal lucked out by buying the streaming rights before it became a massive hit, which is why it streams on Peacock and nowhere else. -Tim Surette 

Comedy that's simultaneously dark and absurd

There are a billion new shows coming out every day, and the only real way one can separate itself from the pack is with a unique setting and tone. Bust Down is as fresh as can be, following a quartet of employees at an Indiana casino who find themselves in all sorts of dark absurdity. It's like if It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia were put through the filter of Atlanta, hitting on topics like sexual assault, lesbian in vitro fertilization, and babies eating uncut steak in the sun. Yep, that all happens in its first and only season! The cast is excellent, led by stars and co-creators Sam Jay, Chris Redd, Langston Kerman, and Jak Knight. Sadly, this was some of Knight's final work before he died in 2022. -Tim Surette 

British thrillers, military police mysteries, claustrophobia

Two things I love — a submarine murder mystery and Scottish accents — collide in this well-reviewed six-episode U.K. thriller from the producers of Bodyguard. Suranne Jones plays a detective asked to investigate a fatal drug overdose on a nuclear submarine — literally on the submarine; she does her work on the sub while it's on its patrols — who believes foul play is involved. It's loaded with familiar faces, including Rose Leslie, Daniel Portman, and Stephen Dillane (Ygritte, Pod, and Stannis from Game of Thrones, respectively), as well as Martin Compston (Line of Duty), Paterson Joseph (Timeless), and Connor Swindells (Sex Education). It's tense right from the start, and it maintains that tension thanks to the claustrophobic conflict of jurisdiction between Jones' detective and the military that runs the sub. -Tim Surette

Real American heroes, ripping throats out, SNL alums

There seems to be a little misunderstanding with the MacGruber franchise, because reviews of the film, and the Peacock original series, aren't glowing with praise. Some of you out there — probably those of you who are stoned — do get it, though, and realize that Will Forte's Saturday Night Live sketch-turned-movie-turned-TV series is ridiculously funny in that "let's make a stupid movie" way and not in that "Saturday Night Live sketch goes on too long" way. A lot of that has to do with the show's relentless commitment to being silly and saying "penis," a lot of it has to do with the cast (led by Forte and Kristen Wiig), and a lot of that has to do with being in on the joke. Just watch it, already. -Tim Surette 

Quirky comedies, Indigenous representation, white people being stupid

Co-created by Michael Schur, Ed Helms, and showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas, Rutherford Falls separates itself from the crowded TV landscape by putting the complex issues facing Indigenous peoples at the forefront of a sweet and charming narrative. With one of the largest Indigenous writing rooms in the industry and a cast that features several Native actors, the Peacock Original follows two best friends, Nathan Rutherford (Helms), the last descendent of the town's founder to still live within the city limits, and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), a member of the Minishonka Nation, a fictional local tribal community. When the town mayor decides to remove a statue of Nathan's ancestor in the name of safety, the decision sets off a chain of events that test Nathan and Reagan's lifelong friendship while also putting Native American culture and history in the spotlight. –Elizabeth Morgan 

 90s music, 2gether, musical comedies

Musical comedies don't always connect with viewers, but Meredith Scardino's Girls5eva — about a '90s girl group that reunites after 20 years for another shot at success — has something those other shows did not: executive producers Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, and Jeff Richmond (who also composed the music for the series). A brilliant series with shades of MTV's iconic boy band-themed movie-turned-series 2gether, Girls5eva stars Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps, and Paula Pell. It's the type of show that is so good it gets stuck in your head, and you can't get it out no matter how hard you try. Despite being canceled by Peacock, the series was revived by Netflix, where the first two seasons — and a new third season — are now streaming, but you can still catch Seasons 1 and 2 on Peacock. –Elizabeth Morgan

 The original show, satirical comedies, Mario Lopez

No one needs another revival or reboot. But sometimes they're actually good, and then you have to suck it up and admit they're good. That is the case with Peacock's Saved by the Bell. What could have been a cringe-fest turned out to be a pleasant surprise. A well-crafted satire from Tracey Wigfield, the show follows a new generation of teens at Bayside High while poking fun at the original series by (affectionately) underscoring its many flaws. With supporting turns from original series stars Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley and some pop-up appearances from Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen, the show manages to appeal to audiences new and old. –Elizabeth Morgan 

 Muslim representation, punk music, jokes about vomiting

It's probably safe to say you've never seen the likes of We Are Lady Parts before. The acclaimed British comedy (streaming as a Peacock Original in the States) navigates cultural differences and new friendships when an all-female Muslim punk band — the titular Lady Parts — recruits a new lead guitarist (Anjana Vasan) into its ranks. In between the band's catchy originals and cover songs is a sharply funny show that excels by poking fun at and subverting stereotypes, building a more complete picture of what it means to be a modern Muslim woman. –Elizabeth Morgan [Trailer]

For fans of: Wacky small towns, small horses, jokes about the Midwest

When it comes to heartwarming comedies about small towns and the people who call those towns home, Michael Schur simply does not miss. He co-created Parks and Recreation with Greg Daniels (The Office), and although the Amy Poehler-led series about the employees of the Pawnee Parks Department had some growing pains in its first season, it smartly reinvented itself in Season 2, becoming a shining example of how hard work, competence, and human kindness can lead to a better and happier existence. There's no place quite like Pawnee (and maybe that's a good thing, given the out-of-control raccoon population), but there's also no place we'd rather visit more. –Elizabeth Morgan [Trailer]

For fans of: Southland, cop shows that refuse to be glossy

Intense. That's the best way to describe this heat-seeking missile of a crime drama from England. Created by Jed Mercurio, who gave us the equally ventricle-bursting Bodyguard, Line of Duty follows officers in the anti-corruption unit as they sniff out bad cops inside the police force. Using handheld cams and a pulsing score, Line of Duty never lets its audience rest easy and frequently pulls the rug out from under them with big twists and cliffhangers. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

For fans of: Amateur detectives, Dame Angela Lansbury, murder

Look, anyone can solve a murder these days, but only Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) can solve murders as an amateur detective and have a thriving career as a mystery writer. (OK, some other television characters might have done this too, but we know who the best one is.) Murder, She Wrote is a TV classic; the series ran for 12 seasons, from 1984 to 1996, and earned its leading lady 12 consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. While she might not be as popular these days, Jessica Fletcher never goes out of style, much like how Cabot Cove, Maine, the small town in which she lives, never runs out of dead bodies. –Elizabeth Morgan [Trailer]

For fans of: Shenanigans, murder mysteries, buddy comedies

When Psych premiered on USA Network in 2006, no one could have predicted the staying power of a buddy comedy about a fake psychic detective (James Roday Rodriguez) solving murders with his best friend and reluctant business partner (Dulé Hill). But the show continues to delight all these years later because creator Steve Franks long ago perfected a formula that mixed laughter and murder. Now he keeps the fire burning with a series of made-for-TV movies that prove the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." While Shawn (Rodriguez) and Gus (Hill) mature just enough to keep the narrative from growing stale, everything fans love about the show and these characters — wacky adventures, weird murders, well-placed digs at The Mentalist — is still present in each new chapter of the Psych Extended Universe. It's really no surprise, then, that the gang continues to reunite every few years. Multiple movies have already been released and are also available on Peacock. –Elizabeth Morgan [Trailer]

For fans of: Paintball, Eartha Kitt, jokes that take three seasons

Dan Harmon's community college comedy was more than your typical sitcom, going that extra step to turn a simple 22-minute format into a treasure trove of running gags, thematic parodies, Easter eggs, and more. (A bit about Beetlejuice took three seasons to pull off.) The story of too-cool-for-school lawyer Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) who needed to return to college to make up school credits became more of a workplace comedy surrounding a Spanish class study group of misfits, and went onto to become a cult legend thanks to its pop culture-soaked experimentation. Though the series was riddled with off-camera drama and some seasons were very forgettable (let's all agree that Season 4 never existed), many episodes remain some of the best half-hours of broadcast TV ever, and after six seasons, the show's rabid cult following is still waiting for that long-promised movie. –Tim Surette [Trailer] 

For fans of: The killer doll from the movies

You may not expect Chucky, a series continuation of the Child's Play horror film franchise, to be a sterling example of how to turn a movie into a streaming-era TV show, but it works extraordinarily well. The Syfy/USA Network series hails from franchise creator Don Mancini and brings back the great Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky, the doll possessed by the evil spirit of serial killer Charles Lee Ray. In the series, fate brings Chucky into the life of Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), a bullied gay teen whom he tries to persuade to give in to his rage and become a killer like him. It's topically relevant without being heavy-handed or didactic, it's gory enough to satisfy slasher movie fans, it has a surprising amount of heart, and it's wickedly funny. It was canceled in 2024 after three seasons. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

For fans of: Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica

The workplace comedy that raised the bar so high it basically broke the ceiling, NBC's The Office needs no blurb that extolls its many virtues. But we'll do it anyway. Set in the bustling metropolis of Scranton, Pennsylvania, the mockumentary series from Greg Daniels is an adaptation of the U.K. comedy of the same name and digs into the mundanity of corporate America by following the everyday lives of the employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, under the tutelage of World's Best Boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell). While the earlier seasons are better than the later ones, the show features one of the best comedic ensembles in recent memory, remains one of the funniest shows to come out of the 2000s, and has left a legacy that will live on after we've all crumbled to dust. –Elizabeth Morgan [Trailer]