The Best Miniseries, TV Movies, and Specials of 2017

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 26, 2017

Above are the highest-scoring special TV programs—including "limited" series, made-for-TV-movies, and one-off specials—debuting in the United States between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017. Titles 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 regular TV series will be ranked in a separate list coming later this week.)

7 of 16 photo by Sabrina Lantos

82 Alias Grace (Netflix)

(#7) The second well-reviewed Margaret Atwood adaptation to hit the small screen in 2017 (following Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale), this six-episode miniseries is inspired by the true story of a shocking double murder in a remote Canadian town in 1843. The series is written by Sarah Polley (Away From Her) and directed by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol), and features a terrific performance from Sarah Gadon in the lead role. Anna Paquin, Kerr Logan, Zachary Levi, and David Cronenberg (yes, the one you're thinking of) also star.

“Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Alias Grace accomplishes something 'The Handmaid’s Tale' did, but in an even more effective manner: it tells a story of one woman that’s also a story about women as a whole, and about the roles, fictional and otherwise, they’re forced to play.” —Allison Shoemaker, RogerEbert.com

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