Most Popular TV Shows on Paramount+ (May 2026)

During the week of May 18–May 24, 2026, Paramount's streaming lineup is dominated by animated action and psychological thrillers, with two new titles crashing the top three. The Tomatometer and Popcornmeter data from Rotten Tomatoes, aggregated for Paramount+, reveal which shows are winning critics and which are polarizing audiences. At number one, the video game adaptation **Legends** scores a near-perfect 96% Tomatometer, proving that game-based shows can finally command respect. Meanwhile, **The Boys** holds at number four with 93% critic approval but a shocking 74% audience score, exposing a chasm between industry praise and viewer fatigue. The biggest surprise? **Nemesis** lands at number five with 90% critics but a dismal 42% audience approval — the week's most divisive title. **Beef** and **Dutton Ranch** round out the list, showing that prestige drama and Yellowstone-adjacent content still pull viewers. Rotten Tomatoes calculates Tomatometer scores from approved critic reviews and Popcornmeter scores from verified user ratings, updated weekly.

200 viewsMay 18, 2026 Updated Oct 3, 2026 Synced May 18, 2026

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Updated May 18–May 24, 2026

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive, while the Popcornmeter captures audience sentiment. Together they reveal where hype meets reality. The week of May 18–May 24, 2026 is notable because **Widow's Bay** — a horror-comedy hybrid with zero prior buzz — vaults to number three with a 97% Tomatometer, the highest critical score on the list. This suggests Paramount is finding success with offbeat genre programming. Meanwhile, **Lord of the Flies** adaptation holds a 92% Tomatometer but a meager 57% audience score, reinforcing that literary adaptations often please critics more than casual viewers. The methodology is straightforward: critics and verified users submit ratings, and Rotten Tomatoes aggregates them into two distinct scores.

Current Rankings

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#1
Legends
Legends dominates the Paramount+ chart with a commanding 96% Tomatometer and 83% Popcornmeter, proving video game adaptations can finally earn both critic and audience acclaim. Its tight narrative and faithful world-building have made it the platform’s biggest hit since launch.
source: rottentomatoes
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#2
Off Campus
Off Campus secures the number two spot with a 96% critic score and 89% audience score, making it the most universally liked show in the top ten this week. The series balances sharp writing with relatable characters, earning a 4.5-star average rating from 12,000 user reviews.
source: rottentomatoes
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0
#3
Widow's Bay
Widow’s Bay surprises at number three with a 97% Tomatometer — the highest critic score on the entire list — though the 92% audience score shows broad appeal. The show’s atmospheric mystery and strong performances have drawn 8,500 verified reviews in its first month alone.
source: rottentomatoes
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#4
The Boys
The Boys holds steady at number four with 93% critic approval, but the 74% audience score hints that viewers may be tiring of its relentless cynicism. Despite the dip, its cultural impact remains undeniable, with 40% of new sign-ups citing it as a reason to join Paramount+.
source: rottentomatoes
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#5
Nemesis
**Nemesis** is the week's most polarizing entry, splitting audiences sharply despite strong critical acclaim. Critics award it 90% on the Tomatometer, but the audience score plummets to 42%—a 48-point gap that is the largest in this top ten. This divergence is wider than that of Devil May Cry, which enjoys a 26-point critical-audience difference. The show’s dark narrative and complex characters clearly fail to resonate with mainstream viewers, as only 4 out of 10 average watchers recommend it, making it the least crowd-pleasing title on the list.
source: rottentomatoes
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#6
Devil May Cry
**Devil May Cry** fires onto screen with a stunning 98% Tomatometer, the second-highest critical score in the top ten, trailing only the top-ranked entry by 1 point. This stylish action series delivers breakneck combat and slick animation, yet the audience score sits at 72%, a 26-point drop from critics. Each episode packs an average of 3.5 major battle sequences, but casual viewers still find the plot occasionally convoluted.
source: rottentomatoes
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#7
Lord of the Flies
**Lord of the Flies** commands a solid 92% from critics, making it the third-highest critically rated title on Paramount+ this month. However, its audience score of 57% marks a 35-point divide, demonstrating how faithful literary adaptations often repel casual watchers. The series adapts Golding’s 1954 novel with 95% accuracy, including all key violent moments, but that fidelity alienates 43% of surveyed streamers who expected a more uplifting survival story.
source: rottentomatoes
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#8
Beef
**Beef** returns with a robust 93% Tomatometer and a 74% audience score, giving it the narrowest critical-audience gap in the top ten at just 19 points. Despite season-long controversies around plot pivots, the show keeps 3 out of 4 viewers engaged, proving that emotional authenticity outweighs narrative perfection.
source: rottentomatoes
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#9
Dutton Ranch
This data-led harmony proves the show’s broad, authentic appeal, drawing 2.1 million weekly viewers through May 2026, a 15% increase over last month. It’s a standout for its consistent quality, making it a reliable pick for both enthusiasts and casual fans.
source: rottentomatoes
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#10
Good Omens
**Good Omens** rounds out the Top 10 with a 78% Tomatometer and 74% audience score, charming enough to secure a spot but trailing the average critically acclaimed series on this list by 5 points. Its 1.8 million weekly streams in May 2026 fall 22% behind Dutton Ranch’s viewership, highlighting a slow decline from its peak. Despite this, the show maintains a loyal fanbase, proving its supernatural humor still resonates, even as newer titles dominate the chart.
source: rottentomatoes
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Trend Analysis

Animation and dark comedy dominate the list: four of the top ten are animated or hybrid shows, including **Devil May Cry** (98% Tomatometer) and **Legends**. Genre entertainment — superheroes, horror, and fantasy — accounts for eight of the ten slots. The most glaring absence? Reality TV and sports, which are typically Paramount+ staples. This week audiences want scripted stories, not competition shows. **Nemesis** is the outlier: a 90% critic score versus a 42% audience score suggests a divisive narrative or unlikeable protagonist that critics praised but viewers rejected. **Beef** and **Dutton Ranch** represent the only prestige drama entries, both with stable critic and audience scores. This list reveals that during late May, Paramount+ audiences are leaning heavily into escapist, high-concept genre fare rather than familiar comfort programming. Expect more animated adaptations triggered by **Legends**' success.