The Best Miniseries, TV Movies, and Specials of 2016
Below 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, 2016 and December 31, 2016. 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.)
A passion project for James Gandolfini, who actually starred in the original first episode before his death (with his part eventually taken by a Golden Globe-nominated John Turturro), this gripping eight-hour drama is an adaptation of a British series by noted crime novelist (and The Wire alum) Richard Price and Oscar-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian. Though it didn't end quite as strongly as it began, The Night Of earned praise for its universally excellent performances.