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.)

21 of 22 photo by Guy D'Alema/FX

BONUS: Best Returning Shows

Of the returning series that received at least seven reviews this year (and keep in mind that only the most noteworthy of ongoing programs are reviewed in subsequent seasons), these were the highest-scoring:

1. Atlanta S2 (FX) 97 (pictured above)

2. The Americans S6 (Netflix) 92

3. Big Mouth S2 (Netflix) 90

4. Dear White People S2 (Netflix) 89

5. Better Call Saul S4 (AMC) 87

6. The Handmaid's Tale S2 (Hulu) 86

7. The Deuce S2 (HBO) 86

8. Legion S2 (FX) 85

9. GLOW S2 (Netflix) 85

10. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S2 (Prime Video) 85

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