TAGGED AS: ABC, Amazon, AMC, BBC America, CBS, Comedy, DC Universe, Drama, E!, FOX, Freeform, FX, HBO, Horror, Hulu, Lifetime, miniseries, NBC, Netflix, Showtime, Starz, streaming, The CW, TV, USA, Winter TV
(Photo by The CW/YouTube Premium/Amazon Prime)
Every Certified Fresh TV Show of 2018
In 2018, nearly 500 scripted series premiered in the U.S. — and Rotten Tomatoes has compiled a list of the very best. Below, find every season of television that was Certified Fresh in 2018. The shows come from a wide-ranging field, from first-season streaming sensations (Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House, Amazon’s Homecoming, YouTube Premium’s Cobra Kai) to premium cable miniseries (HBO’s Sharp Objects, Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora); from critically acclaimed broadcast debuts (The CW’s Black Lightning, NBC’s Making It) to shows that avoided the sophomore slump (the second season of Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the second season of CBS All Access’ The Good Fight).
TV seasons are considered for Certified Fresh status if their Tomatometer score remains steady at 75% or higher after receiving 20 reviews, including five reviews from Top Critics. Certified Fresh seasons that drop below 60% lose their Certified Fresh designation. To determine the ranking among seasons with the same score, the number of reviews were taken into account. Where two seasons had the same score and the same number of reviews, the titles are listed alphabetically with the title that comes first in the alphabet getting the higher positioning (for example, as of this publication, season 1 of both Cobra Kai and Vida both have the same score with the same number of reviews, so Cobra Kai is positioned higher).
Check out the full list below (and make sure to add some shows you missed to your streaming and DVR queues).
Adjusted Score: 74571%
Critics Consensus: Roseanne's return finds the show's classic format, original cast, and timely humor intact, even if the latest batch of episodes suffers from sporadically uneven execution.
Adjusted Score: 51908%
Critics Consensus: Ryan Murphy and his murderers' row of witchy performers literally save the world -- and franchise -- in Apocalypse, the series most ambitious crossover swing yet.
Adjusted Score: 73367%
Critics Consensus: Making a Murderer's return may not yield closure for this maddening saga of crime and punishment, but the series' exploration of the U.S. justice system remains riveting.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 74133%
Critics Consensus: Unsolved's prestige aspirations don't always work in its procedural structure, but strong performances and an ambitious spirit to find truth in this real-world mystery create an engaging exploration of two of pop culture's most notorious influences.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 81450%
Critics Consensus: Collateral's social commentary is sometimes overbearing, but strong performances cut through an overcrowded script to suggest that good intentions can count for something.
Directed By: S.J. Clarkson
Adjusted Score: 69580%
Critics Consensus: House of Cards folds slightly under the weight of its labyrinthian ending -- thankfully Robin Wright's commanding performance is more than enough to keep it standing strong.
Adjusted Score: 73447%
Critics Consensus: Toni Collette creates comedy between the sheets in this unlikely sex-drama from acclaimed playwright Nick Payne for the BBC.
Adjusted Score: 73954%
Critics Consensus: The Fourth Estate immerses viewers in the day-to-day world of working journalists with a breathless, engaging, mildly infuriating portrait of the modern newsroom.
Starring: Liz Garbus
Adjusted Score: 80899%
Critics Consensus: Though not as thematically rich as some of its geopolitical predecessors, Jack Ryan is a satisfying addition to the genre buoyed by exceptional action sequences and a likable cast.
Adjusted Score: 82406%
Critics Consensus: Fans of Jim Carrey's slapstick may be disappointed, but other viewers may find a surprisingly poignant examination of life and grief in Kidding.
Adjusted Score: 71971%
Critics Consensus: Safe boasts a superb cast -- albeit with some questionable accents -- who carry its soapy, mystery-laden drama just well enough to offer an entertaining diversion.
Adjusted Score: 80693%
Critics Consensus: Seven Seconds is undermined by unlikable characters with somewhat predictable arcs, but its grim reflections of societal and racial division are brought to life by able performers and a fearless overall narrative.
Directed By: Veena Sud
Adjusted Score: 81464%
Critics Consensus: Evil Genius makes up for a lack of conviction and nuance with an intriguing sense of discovery and plenty of entertaining insanity.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 82693%
Critics Consensus: Full of humor and heart, The Kominsky Method paints a surprisingly poignant -- if a little paint-by-numbers -- portrait of life and aging, elevated by two top-notch performances by legends Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas.
Adjusted Score: 81447%
Critics Consensus: Mosaic has enough moving parts -- and fine performances -- to deliver a gratifying murder-mystery plot, though its jumbled structure and heavy-handed narrative may still leave viewers slightly wanting.
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Adjusted Score: 82353%
Critics Consensus: Natalie Dormer charms in Picnic at Hanging Rock, a stylish retelling of an Australian classic -- though convoluted sub-plots at times distract from its otherwise tantalizing delights.
Adjusted Score: 81928%
Critics Consensus: Donald Sutherland delivers a powerful turn as the titular Getty in Trust, yet another telling of the affluent family's saga.
Adjusted Score: 39424%
Critics Consensus: Fear the Walking Dead shuffles onward confidently in its fourth season with a bevy of horrifying set-pieces and heartbreaking twists, but some viewers may be dispirited by the series' constant reshuffling of its characters.
Adjusted Score: 83710%
Critics Consensus: The Rain starts out slow, but develops into a thrilling addition to the dystopia television genre.
Adjusted Score: 87203%
Critics Consensus: Brutality and humor continue to mesh effectively in a season of Orange Is the New Black that stands as a marked improvement from its predecessor, even if some arcs are more inspired than others.
Directed By: Jenji Kohan
Adjusted Score: 83793%
Critics Consensus: Despite uneven writing, The Last O.G. succeeds on the strength of Tracy Morgan's inspired performance and Tiffany Haddish's comic instincts.
Adjusted Score: 92542%
Critics Consensus: Maniac enthralls with its dazzling visuals, adventurous narrative, and striking performances from both Emma Stone and Jonah Hill.
Directed By: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Adjusted Score: 80776%
Critics Consensus: Despite a few tonal growing pains, Titans does justice to its source material and truly shines when its titular ensemble finally assembles.
Adjusted Score: 84353%
Critics Consensus: The well-acted Dietland delivers timely and engaging social commentary with enough humor and scathing wit to make up for an occasionally scattered narrative approach.
Adjusted Score: 88310%
Critics Consensus: While Jessica Jones is a slower burn with less focus than its inaugural season, its enticing new character arc more fully details the most charismatic Defender.
Adjusted Score: 89089%
Critics Consensus: In its second season, Marvel's Luke Cage delivers a satisfyingly complex narrative and a solid ensemble cast led by Alfre Woodard's standout performance as the archvillainess Black Mariah.
Adjusted Score: 85642%
Critics Consensus: Citizen Rose serves as a vehicle for #MeToo archivism through the bold reclaiming and rebuilding of one of the movement's complex characters -- Rose McGowan.
Starring: Rose McGowan
Adjusted Score: 90899%
Critics Consensus: Westworld builds on its experimental first season, diving deeper into the human side of AI without losing any of its stylish, bloody glory.
Adjusted Score: 86725%
Critics Consensus: The crafty addition of minor sci-fi elements and a terrific William Forsythe to the show's already engrossing narrative make The Man in the High Castle's third season another worthy binge.
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Adjusted Score: 92200%
Critics Consensus: Dangerous, thrilling, and highly addictive, Narcos: Mexico's first season expertly expands the franchise by exploring new territory in the drug war's grim history and showcasing electric performances from Diego Luna and Michael Peña.
Adjusted Score: 90872%
Critics Consensus: Lodge 49 takes a surreal journey into the television dreamscape that can prove quite rewarding for viewers who stick with it.
Adjusted Score: 88532%
Critics Consensus: A sincere -- if a little simple -- supernatural love story, The Innocents' moody meandering leaves a satisfying first impression.
Adjusted Score: 89860%
Critics Consensus: Like an optimistic companion to The Wire, The Chi explores the complexities of life in the South Side of Chicago, with a tender touch and a clear affection for its captivating characters.
Adjusted Score: 95310%
Critics Consensus: Peppering its pathos with acid wit, Succession is a divine comedy of absolute power and dysfunction -- brought to vivid life by a ferocious ensemble.
Adjusted Score: 41395%
Critics Consensus: Suspend your disbelief and hold on to your beanie: Season 3 of Riverdale is off the rails, and delightfully so.
Adjusted Score: 92242%
Critics Consensus: A meticulously crafted mystery brimming with allusions, Castle Rock is bound to please even the pickiest of Stephen King fans -- though mileage may vary for casual viewers.
Adjusted Score: 88464%
Critics Consensus: Earnest and endearing, Queer Eye's tear-inducing reality wiles continue to challenge social norms -- and, in its best moments, the Fab Five themselves.
Adjusted Score: 91121%
Critics Consensus: Olivia Cooke's brilliant portrayal of the feisty and scheming Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair makes this adaptation of Thackeray's classic novel more relatable for a 21st century audience.
Adjusted Score: 92431%
Critics Consensus: Cloak & Dagger blends soapy drama with superhero grit to create an exciting, surprisingly thoughtful addition to the genre -- even if it falls prey to a certain amount of narrative bloat.
Adjusted Score: 91928%
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and powerfully written, The Looming Tower delivers gripping counter-terrorism drama rendered even more soberingly effective through its roots in real-life events.
Adjusted Score: 95040%
Critics Consensus: The Assassination of Versace starts with a bang and unfurls slowly, moving backward through an intricate (and occasionally convoluted) murder mystery anchored by a career-defining performance from Darren Criss.
Adjusted Score: 90300%
Critics Consensus: Five seasons in, Silicon Valley finds a new way to up the ante with tighter, less predictable plots, while still maintaining its clever brand of comedic commentary.
Adjusted Score: 98092%
Critics Consensus: You pairs thrilling drama with trashy fun to create an addictive social media horror story that works its way under the skin -- and stays there
Adjusted Score: 94585%
Critics Consensus: Patrick Melrose is a scathing indictment of British high society's inherited dysfunction, cruelty, and the wealth that enables them. The Crown this ain't.
Adjusted Score: 72277%
Critics Consensus: Outlander's epic romance settles into a violent fourth season, planting its flag on the American frontier while treading on darker themes.
Adjusted Score: 57822%
Critics Consensus: Though it's a little tonally inconsistent, Supergirl's fourth season still soars thanks to strong, relevant writing brought to life by its charming cast.
Adjusted Score: 93039%
Critics Consensus: Legion returns with a smart, strange second season that settles into a straighter narrative without sacrificing its unique sensibilities.
Adjusted Score: 89053%
Critics Consensus: Hayley Atwell shines in Howards End, a beautiful, if borderline superficial, adaptation of a much-revered book.
Adjusted Score: 91928%
Critics Consensus: Escape at Dannemora's slow pace demands patience, but those willing to wait will be rewarded with a chilling mystery that provides the perfect showcase for its talented cast -- especially so for the incredible Patricia Arquette.
Directed By: Ben Stiller
Adjusted Score: 99706%
Critics Consensus: Bewitchingly beautiful and wickedly macabre, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina casts an intoxicating spell and provides a perfect showcase for Kiernan Shipka's magical talents.
Adjusted Score: 91887%
Critics Consensus: The Affair's captivating character study returns with fewer kinks than its previous outing, resulting in a more emotionally grounded season that regains much of the show's initial allure.
Adjusted Score: 93135%
Critics Consensus: Gorgeous, grim, and unexpected, Sacred Games is saved from its procedural premise by its dense plotting and superb cast.
Adjusted Score: 93053%
Critics Consensus: All American's ambitious attempts to tackle class struggles and classroom drama largely play thanks to its winning cast -- an auspicious start to a promising new series.
Adjusted Score: 96914%
Critics Consensus: Like Midge herself, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel charges full speed ahead in a second season brimming with warmth, empowerment, and a whole lot of laughs.
Adjusted Score: 96378%
Critics Consensus: Beautifully shot but dishearteningly relevant, The Handmaid's Tale centers its sophomore season tightly around its compelling cast of characters, making room for broader social commentary through more intimate lenses.
Adjusted Score: 96517%
Critics Consensus: The Conners offers the comforts of its source show, but more focus on the family's ever-evolving dynamics adds a welcome layer of working-class empathy without losing any of the laughs.
Adjusted Score: 97831%
Critics Consensus: Bodyguard maintains a palpable tension throughout its pulpy proceedings to create an absorbing and addicting psychological thriller.
Adjusted Score: 100542%
Critics Consensus: The Haunting of Hill House is an effective ghost story whose steadily mounting anticipation is just as satisfying as its chilling payoff.
Adjusted Score: 101595%
Critics Consensus: A nearly unbearable slow burn, Sharp Objects maintains its grip with an unshakably grim atmosphere and an outstanding cast led by a superb Amy Adams.
Adjusted Score: 84925%
Critics Consensus: The Flash's fifth season maintains the show's high standard for compelling visuals, chilling villains, and well-scripted moments of humor, but also turns a more focused gaze on the role of family dynamics amongst the increasingly complex characters.
Adjusted Score: 89889%
Critics Consensus: Nine seasons in, The Walking Dead feels more alive than ever, with heightened tension and a refreshed pace that rejuvenates this long-running franchise.
Adjusted Score: 93300%
Critics Consensus: Insecure returns for a third season as authentic and exuberant as the star who made it, but with an added layer of growth that keeps it moving forward.
Adjusted Score: 92628%
Critics Consensus: Carried by Desiree Akhavan's dry wit, The Bisexual explores identity politics with humor and heart.
Adjusted Score: 94218%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by the performances of Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, the third season of Billions continues a convincing fable of greed, power and competition.
Adjusted Score: 95626%
Critics Consensus: Thoroughly honest and insightful, Sorry For Your Loss tackles a sensitive theme, but with a witty touch.
Adjusted Score: 77205%
Critics Consensus: With a lot of love, hugs, and tears, season three of This is Us continues to please fans with new intense storylines.
Adjusted Score: 95793%
Critics Consensus: A classic British period piece that takes its time, Ordeal by Innocence will satisfy Agatha Christie fans and novices alike.
Adjusted Score: 97200%
Critics Consensus: grown-ish quickly works through its growing pains to establish itself as its own socially aware show with a fresh perspective on the college experience, driven by the charming and capable Yara Shahidi.
Adjusted Score: 97121%
Critics Consensus: Forever is a gently harrowing and mirthful dive into the ennui of matrimony, elevated by Maya Rudolph's dazzling turn of not-so-quiet desperation.
Adjusted Score: 92450%
Critics Consensus: Carried by Jodie Whittaker's boundless energy and charm, Doctor Who's latest regeneration manages to feel fresh well into the show's 55-year tenure.
Adjusted Score: 96674%
Critics Consensus: My Brilliant Friend is an expansive epic that gleans rapturous beauty from the most desolate of circumstances, but it is the intimacy between the central duo -- and the remarkable performances that bring them to life -- that audiences will remember most vividly.
Adjusted Score: 99585%
Critics Consensus: The Little Drummer Girl marches to a steady beat of assured plotting, extraordinary art direction, and a uniformly terrific cast that makes the show's smolderingly slow burn pace bearable.
Adjusted Score: 95643%
Critics Consensus: Flint Town dives deep into an essential subject matter with admirable objectivity while presenting candid -- and hard-hitting -- personal testimonials.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 95805%
Critics Consensus: Timely and unapologetic, UnREAL continues its satirical skewering with newfound fervor.
Adjusted Score: 95709%
Critics Consensus: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ends with a final season that's as topical as it is cheerily irreverent.
Adjusted Score: 95725%
Critics Consensus: Bobby Kennedy for President crafts a poignant, nuanced view of a political process and a human being.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 95807%
Critics Consensus: Charming, realistic, and focused on underrepresented communities, On My Block is the respite from stylized teen dramas you didn't know you needed.
Adjusted Score: 98749%
Critics Consensus: A thriller wrapped in a prestige drama package, The Terror makes for gripping, atmospheric supernatural horror.
Adjusted Score: 97297%
Critics Consensus: Angry but still fun, The Good Fight confidently elaborates on current political events with its deftly fictionalized plots.
Adjusted Score: 99189%
Critics Consensus: Black Lightning doesn't reinvent superhero TV, but it does give the genre a necessary jolt with real-world plots, scary new villains, and a star-making performance from Cress Williams.
Adjusted Score: 101339%
Critics Consensus: The Man with No Fear returns to top form with a third season that begins tediously slow but gradually generates comic book thrills, immeasurably helped by the welcome return of Vincent D'Onofrio's menacing Kingpin.
Adjusted Score: 98793%
Critics Consensus: In its second season, The Sinner establishes itself as an engrossing why-dunnit thriller series with staying power.
Adjusted Score: 98628%
Critics Consensus: The outrageously singular Julia Davis delivers yet another impeccable performance in Sally4Ever, masterfully walking the line between side-splitting and cringe-worthy comedy.
Directed By: Julia Davis
Adjusted Score: 98628%
Critics Consensus: Queer Eye adapts for a different era without losing its style, charm, or sense of fun, proving that the show's formula remains just as sweetly addictive even after a change in location and a new group of hosts.
Adjusted Score: 101750%
Critics Consensus: Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw impress in A Very English Scandal, an equally absorbing and appalling look at British politics and society.
Adjusted Score: 101817%
Critics Consensus: Charged with energy, poise, and confidence, Pose pirouettes between artistic opulence and deliciously soapy drama to create a fresh new addition to Ryan Murphy's lexicon.
Adjusted Score: 104064%
Critics Consensus: Fearlessly led by its excellent ensemble, GLOW's second season adds a new layer of drama without sacrificing its self-effacing, delightfully silly humor.
Adjusted Score: 103542%
Critics Consensus: Seductive and surprising, Killing Eves' twist on the spy vs. spy conceit rewards viewers with an audaciously entertaining show that finally makes good use of Sandra Oh's talents.
Adjusted Score: 100778%
Critics Consensus: Wild Wild Country succeeds as an intriguing examination of a forgotten piece of American history that must be seen to be believed.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 100942%
Critics Consensus: BoJack Horseman continues confidently down the thematic rabbit hole with a fresh and poignant season that's as devastating as it is hilarious.
Adjusted Score: 101107%
Critics Consensus: American Vandal trades one type of potty humor for another in an ambitious second season that manages to double down on the explicit gags while subtly addressing serious social issues.
Adjusted Score: 98451%
Critics Consensus: Misanthropy and humor pair perfectly in this romantically nihilistic show that proves that falling in love can feel like The End of the F***ing World.
Directed By: Jonathan Entwistle
Adjusted Score: 102503%
Critics Consensus: Donald Glover continues to subvert expectations with a sophomore season of Atlanta that proves as excellent as it is eccentric.
Adjusted Score: 105213%
Critics Consensus: An impressive small-screen debut for Julia Roberts, Homecoming balances its haunting mystery with a frenetic sensibility that grips and doesn't let go.
Adjusted Score: 101039%
Critics Consensus: The Americans' powerful final season pumps up the volume on an already intense show, concluding the complex series arc with epic familial conflict... and a high body count.
Adjusted Score: 100957%
Critics Consensus: Well-crafted and compelling as ever, Better Call Saul's fourth season deftly balances the show it was and the one it will inevitably become.
Adjusted Score: 101121%
Critics Consensus: The Deuce's excellent character-driven drama returns with even more immersive world-building and a welcome focus on its leading ladies, carried by a tour de force performance from Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Adjusted Score: 103735%
Critics Consensus: PTSD and comedy make strangely endearing bedfellows in Barry, which proves more poignant than its sketch show premise.
Adjusted Score: 100808%
Critics Consensus: Ugly Delicious injects new life into the food documentary by dispensing with culinary pretensions and celebrating a vibrant spectrum of dishes that are sure to whet audience appetites.
Adjusted Score: 100807%
Critics Consensus: Making It puts a whimsical, refreshing new spin on reality TV -- one made even more fun by well-matched hosts Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman.
Adjusted Score: 100807%
Critics Consensus: High Maintenance's silly premise turns surprisingly insightful in its second season, offering a hopeful, generous view tinged with bittersweet melancholy that consistently avoids stumbling into sentimentality.
Adjusted Score: 101052%
Critics Consensus: Random Acts of Flyness' poignant political poetry plays in harmony with its frenetic absurdist humor to create a singular musical television experience.
Starring: Terence Nance
Adjusted Score: 101300%
Critics Consensus: America to Me confronts hard questions through candid moments in a Chicago high school, crafting an exploration of race and class relations in America that is as insightful as it is inspiring.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 101382%
Critics Consensus: One Day at a Time continues its ascent into classic sitcom territory without losing sight of its modern identity.
Adjusted Score: 101793%
Critics Consensus: The Bold Type presents an aspirational yet refreshingly realistic portrait of young women's careers, friendships and love lives in a big city.
Adjusted Score: 101709%
Critics Consensus: Poignantly repulsive, Big Mouth continues to confront the awkwardness of adolescence with foul-mouthed glee and an added layer of maturity.
Adjusted Score: 101625%
Critics Consensus: Dear White People's endearing excellence returns, but with an added layer of emotional maturity that enhances the show's powerful, relevant meditations on race relations in America.
Adjusted Score: 102450%
Critics Consensus: Vida explores familiar familial ground from a fresh perspective to create an earnest and heartfelt take on identity and what it means to belong.
Adjusted Score: 100860%
Critics Consensus: Charming and curious as ever, The Good Place remains a delightfully insightful bright spot on the television landscape.
Adjusted Score: 103107%
Critics Consensus: Cobra Kai continues the Karate Kid franchise with a blend of pleasantly corny nostalgia and teen angst, elevated by a cast of well-written characters.
Movie & TV News
Top Headlines
- MGM: 100 Years, 100 Essential Movies
– - 25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming
– - 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming
– - Nicolas Cage Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer
– - Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch
– - Best TV Shows of 2024: Best New Series to Watch Now
–