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.)

4 of 16 photo by Warrick Page/HBO

87 Deadwood: The Movie (HBO)

(#4) David Milch's critically acclaimed HBO western series returned in May for a belated but satisfying finale that takes place a decade later. Much of the original cast returns, including Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, Molly Parker, Paula Malcomson, John Hawkes, Anna Gunn, Robin Weigert, Brad Dourif, William Sanderson, Kim Dickens, Dayton Callie, and Gerald McRaney.

“The highest compliment you can pay 'Deadwood: The Movie' is that it is the continuation and the conclusion that both the series and its fans deserved. It’s just that good. It’s powerful, at times profound, at times bittersweet.” —Mark Dawidziak, Cleveland Plain Dealer

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