The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2019 (So Far)

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 2, 2019

Which newcomers on the small screen have impressed reviewers the most during the first half of the year? Above, find the highest-scoring first-year TV shows (and miniseries) debuting between January 1, 2019 and June 30, 2019. Only shows with at least 7 reviews from professional critics are included.

15 of 21 photo by Dan Reed/HBO

84 #6: Leaving Neverland

This two-part, four-hour HBO documentary by Dan Reed generated controversy from the moment it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Why? Because the devastating Neverland spends its entire running time examining the claims by two men—Wade Robson and James Safechuck—that they were raped by pop star Michael Jackson when they were young boys. It's not easy to get through, but it's an impressive and effective bit of filmmaking, according to critics.

“It’s a radically empathetic film about the resonating impact of sexual abuse, as well as the personal and social forces that conspire to keep people from talking about it in public. ... The documentary feels like a conversation-realigning milestone.” —Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture

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