The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2018

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 28, 2018

Above are the highest-scoring first-year TV series debuting in the United States between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. Shows are ranked by Metascore (an average of grades from top professional critics on a 0-100 scale) prior to rounding, and any programs with fewer than 7 reviews are excluded. (Note that limited series, as well as TV movies and specials, will be ranked in a separate list arriving this weekend.)

10 of 22 photo by Bob Mahoney/The CW

79 #10: Black Lightning

Producer Greg Berlanti's newest DC Comics series for the CW stars Cress Williams (Heart of Dixie) as the superhero vigilante—DC's first African-American superhero with his own stand-alone comics—who comes out of retirement to battle crime once again in order to keep his daughters safe. The series comes from writer-director Salim Akil (The Game), and it was quickly renewed after an early 2018 launch, with season 2 now in progress.

“It’s positive, it’s victorious, it’s complicated, and it’s badass.” —Allison Keene, Collider

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