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.)

8 of 22 photo by Carlos Somonte/Netflix

80 #8: Narcos: Mexico

After streaming three seasons of its Colombian drug drama Narcos, Netflix opted to completely reboot the series. The result is Narcos: Mexico, which focuses on the illicit drug trade in—you guessed it—Mexico. The all-new cast is led by Diego Luna, Michael Peña, and Aaron Staton, while directors t include Alonso Ruizpalacios (Museum) and Amat Escalante (The Untamed).

“[It] makes enough of its fresh faces and characters to avoid boredom and yet is still resolutely and successfully Narcos in its DNA.” —Dan Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

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