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.)

13 of 22 photo by Colleen Hayes/Amazon Studios

77 #13: Forever

This mysterious, eight-episode Prime Video serialized comedy series comes from Master of None co-creator Alan Yang and 30 Rock's Matt Hubbard (both were also Parks and Recreation writers) and stars Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, and Catherine Keener. We don't want to give away too many details—the narrative takes many surprising turns and doesn't even reveal the nature of what you're watching until several episodes in—but let's just say the bulk of it revolves around a married couple living in what amounts to The Medium Place.

The finale does wrap up the story fairly conclusively, but the creators do have ideas for a second season should Amazon order one. (It should also be said that the critics' favorite episode was a stand-alone half hour centering on completely different characters who did not appear in any other episodes, so perhaps there is room for additional stories to be told in this universe.)

“The series does not completely remake the rules of the genre to which viewers will ultimately discover it belongs, but it leaves its own mark on them in ways that are lovely, touching, strange and liable to stay with you after the curtain--hopefully just a first act--rings down.” —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times

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