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.)

6 of 22 photo by Joe Lederer/Netflix

81 A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix)

(#6) Hollywood's first attempt at adapting the darkly humorous Lemony Snicket children's books was a mixed success at best. But this Netflix series proved to be a much better match in terms of medium (series, rather than film) and filmmaker (Barry Sonnenfeld)—and it doesn't hurt that author Daniel Handler himself penned the adaptation. The visuals are never less than imaginative, the story (in its first season, spanning the first four books) doesn't shy away from its darker aspects, and the cast (including Patrick Warburton and Neil Patrick Harris) is perfect. The result is a series that works for adults as well as (somewhat) younger audiences.

“What’s best of all about A Series of Unfortunate Events is how every element of it--from the performances and set pieces to the detailed production design and steady pacing--come together to form a complete, considered vision.” —Sonia Saraiya, Variety

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