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.)

14 of 22 photo by Mark Rogers/FX

75 #14: Mr. Inbetween

This under-the-radar, six-episode FX series is a half-hour Australian dramedy created by Scott Ryan. He also stars as a father, ex-husband, boyfriend, and friend. Unremarkable, you say? We forgot to mention his day job: criminal for hire. Critics found the series a pleasant surprise, mining new insights from what in other hands could have been familiar territory.

“The balance between dread and deadpan laughs is adroitly maintained, and there’s an appealingly casual, improvisatory vibe.” —Mike Hale, The New York Times

Where To Buy