The Best Miniseries, TV Movies, and Specials of 2018

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 29, 2018

Above are the 20 highest-scoring special TV programs—including "limited" series, made-for-TV-movies, and one-off specials—debuting in the United States between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. 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. (Looking for the best regular TV series of 2018? Those are ranked in a separate list.)

Note that Netflix original films (such as Roma and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) generally open in at least a few theaters prior to (or in conjunction with) their streaming debuts, and are excluded here. (They will be eligible for our Best Movies of 2018 list instead.)

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The subject matter (a 1970s scandal involving Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe, who became the first British politician charged with conspiracy to commit murder after he was accused of attempting to kill a man with whom he had an affair) may not be familiar to American viewers, but this zippy BBC three-parter earned acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. (It's available on Prime Video in the United States.) That's not surprising given the talent involved. Stephen Frears directs from a screenplay by Doctor Who's Russell T Davies (adapting a book by John Preston), and the cast is led by Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, who both deliver widely praised performances. Scandal is up for three Golden Globes, and Emmy nominations could follow next year.

“Full of sly humor, poignant commentary and bizarre twists, it's almost like the perfect marriage of 'The Crown' and a Coen brothers movie.” —Brian Lowry, CNN

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