The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2016
Below are the highest-scoring first-year TV series debuting in the United States between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. 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.)
A brand new series from Louis C.K. appeared out of nowhere in January, with fans and industry observers unaware that he was even working on the project. Self-financed and sold individually by the comedian through his website (and just recently added to Hulu), the 10 episodes of Horace and Pete turned out to be much more drama than comedy, with Louis C.K. and Steve Buscemi starring as the owners of a run-down Brooklyn dive bar. Also appearing in the theatrical, talk-heavy series (which was shot within days of each episode's release, allowing for references to current events) are Alan Alda, Edie Falco, Steven Wright, Jessica Lange, and Kurt Metzger. The experiment paid off creatively; many critics ranked Horace and Pete among the year's best shows.