The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2020

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 30, 2020

Above are the highest-scoring first-year TV series (including limited series) debuting in the United States between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. Shows are ranked by Metascore (an average of grades from top professional critics on a 0-100 scale) prior to rounding based on scores as of December 29, 2020, and any programs with fewer than 7 reviews are excluded.

9 of 21 photo by Apple

85 Little America (Apple TV+)

(#12) This Apple original is an anthology series from the husband-and-wife team behind The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, along with Master of None co-creator Alan Yang and The Office's Lee Eisenberg. In its first season (a second should arrive next year), Little America offers eight half-hour vignettes depicting the immigrant experience in present-day America, inspired by the true stories reported in the column of the same name at Epic Magazine.

“Although each finely crafted, beautifully filmed, well-photographed vignette naturally touches on hot-button social circumstances and issues, 'Little America' is hardly some overwrought piece of propaganda advocating extreme takes on either side of the political spectrum. It’s far too nuanced and complex and sophisticated for that. It’s also funny as hell at times, and filled with memorable portraits.” —Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

Watch it on Apple TV+ (8 episodes)

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