The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2017

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 27, 2017

Above are the highest-scoring first-year TV series debuting in the United States between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017. 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, are ranked in a separate list.)

77 American Gods (Starz)

(#13) Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller and Michael Green (co-writer of the well-reviewed Logan) team for a complex and strange but entertaining adaptation of Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel that's set in a contemporary world populated by various new and old gods, who are in conflict. The strong cast includes Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning, Pablo Schreiber, Orlando Jones, and Crispin Glover, who are joined by guests including Gillian Anderson, Dane Cook, Kristin Chenoweth, Cloris Leachman, Peter Stormare, and Corbin Bernsen.

“American Gods will be an overload of personality for some people. And yet there’s more powerful, memorable ideas and images in these first four episodes than most shows contain in their entire runs. It’s a series that defies traditional description or viewing.” —Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Where To Buy