The Best Miniseries, TV Movies, and Specials of 2019

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – December 27, 2019

Above are the 15 highest-scoring special TV programs—including "limited" series, made-for-TV-movies, and one-off specials—debuting in the United States between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019. 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 most Netflix and Amazon original films (such as The Irishman and Marriage Story) 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 2019 list instead.) But any streaming movies that bypass theatrical distribution are eligible here.

(Looking for the best regular TV series of 2019? Those will be ranked in a separate list coming in a few days.)

1 of 16 photo by Courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment

Metacritic's Best TV Special of 2019.

(#1) Airing in April, this Netflix concert documentary film blends footage from Beyoncé's legendary 2018 Coachella performance with a look at her creative process and preparations for the show. Beyoncé co-directed the film with her frequent collaborator Ed Burke.

“Homecoming is an incredible concert film, but it’s also a testament to the totality of Beyoncé’s vision, the fact that she gave us a groundbreaking performance and then, a year later, showed us how to watch it. The real beauty of Homecoming isn’t the performance footage or the flashes of Beyoncé’s inner life; it’s the latest opportunity to see her mind at work.” —Amy Zimmerman, The Daily Beast

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