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.)

18 of 22 photo by Tyler Golden/Netflix

75 American Vandal (Netflix)

(#18) It may be one of the most accurate portrayals of high school life in TV history. It just so happens that it is packaged in the form of a true crime spoof—filled with dick jokes—from Funny or Die. Effective on multiple levels (including as a parody, where it nails the true crime format, and as an engrossing mystery) and superbly cast, this Netflix series is one of 2017's most pleasant surprises, and it was recently renewed for a second season.

“Few shows I've seen catch high school society, with its self-contained seriousness, as well as American Vandal does, as well as the mix of innocence and experience, confusion and certitude that mark that age. It’s as engrossing as the series it set out to satirize and moving in ways you would not expect.” —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times

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