The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2021 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 1, 2021

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 (including limited series and specials) debuting between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021. Only shows with at least 7 reviews from professional critics are included.

2 of 21 photo by Playground Television

82 #15 (tie): All Creatures Great and Small (2021): Season 1

A difficult year turns out to be the perfect time to revive a cozy, feel-good drama. The beloved books by James Herriot about his life as a country veterinary surgeon in England's Yorkshire Dales in the mid-20th century were previously adapted to the small screen by the BBC in the 1970s and '80s. This well-reviewed second adaptation, a co-production between PBS and Britain's Channel 5, stars Nicolas Ralph, Samuel West, and Callum Woodhouse, and also features the late Diana Rigg in one of her final roles. A second season should air next year.

“All Creatures Great and Small is not a series that requires much from you, but gives plenty in return. It’s not fluff—there are real emotions here, and an underlying sense of changing times as modernity creeps in to the practices of the rural counties. ... It is a wonderful treat and a balm for the soul.” —Allison Keene, Paste Magazine

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