The 20 Best New TV Shows of 2021 So Far
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.
One of at least two Netflix children's shows from the Obamas due in 2021 (along with the forthcoming We the People), Waffles and Mochi even stars former first lady Michelle Obama, who joins a pair of puppets (who have never held public office) to teach kids about healthy eating. (Presumably, they eat neither waffles nor mochi because that would be ... weird.) Guests include Lionel Richie, celebrity chef Jose Andres, Sia, Gaten Matarazzo, and Tan France.
“An instant classic of children’s television; the magic is all in the imaginative, endlessly flexible premise and its outstanding execution. ... Engaging, illuminating, curious and effortlessly inclusive, light but not glib or cloying, educational without being pedantic, made for tots yet clever and stimulating enough for adults to enjoy alongside them, Waffles + Mochi might be the first great kids’ show of the decade.” —Judy Berman, Time