(Photo by Netflix, NBC, The CW, AMC)
It’s the most wonderful — and stressful! — time of year for TV fans: fall TV season, a.k.a. “try to keep track of all the new shows you want to see until you hopelessly fall behind and just watch Friends again” season.
We kid, but know that we feel you: It’s overwhelming! In less than two months, more than 50 shows and TV movies have debuted already. From NBC’s Lost-esque missing-plane drama Manifest to CBS’ latest classic reboot (Magnum P.I.) and philosophical afterlife comedies (The Good Place season 3 and Forever) to critically acclaimed animation for adults (BoJack Horseman and Big Mouth), there is abundant programming to choose from.
That’s why Rotten Tomatoes has created this list ranking every fall TV premiere for 2018 by Tomatometer (both new and returning shows, along with TV and streaming movies that did not get a big-screen release).
We’ll continue updating the scorecard for the rest of the year, registering every new season and TV or streaming movie (starting September 1) that got at least 10 critic reviews. (So if you’re wondering why your favorite isn’t on here, it likely just didn’t have enough season reviews to make it.)
Final Update (12/21): With Fall officially over, our Fall TV Scorecard is officially done. The final update saw the addition of the new Australian Netflix series Tidelands, Certified Fresh Amazon miniseries Vanity Fair, and the second season of Hulu’s Runaways.
Drumroll please: The top spot on the 2018 Rotten Tomatoes Fall TV Scorecard goes to The Good Place. For the second year in a row, the latest Certified Fresh season of NBC’s morality comedy landed in first place with a 100% score, beating out the seven other series or streaming movies with the same score (two of which were also Certified Fresh) thanks to the number of reviews it received.
Also of note: While Amazon’s Certified Fresh Homecoming has a 98% score, its Adjusted Tomatometer score, which takes into account the number of reviews that make up the final score, would push it ahead of The Good Place to take the No. 1 spot.
Adjusted Score: 24401%
Critics Consensus: While the show's likable cast has potential, poor attempts at cultural commentary and weak characterizations leave The Neighborhood stuck in a creative dead end.
Adjusted Score: 31319%
Critics Consensus: Despite its promising pedigree, I Feel Bad simply isn't very funny.
Adjusted Score: 30895%
Critics Consensus: Despite promising performers, Heathers' aspirational angst is let down by its blunt, misguided attempts at social commentary.
Adjusted Score: 35638%
Critics Consensus: Overcrowded, overwrought, and overly familiar, New Amsterdam plays more like an exquisite corpse of pre-existing shows than a breakthrough for the genre -- though that may be enough for medical drama devotees.
Adjusted Score: 30204%
Critics Consensus: The first season of Camping makes it difficult to determine who the least happy campers are: those on the screen or those watching it.
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus:
Adjusted Score: 50020%
Critics Consensus: This just in: while the nostalgia and wit are welcome, Murphy Brown's dated messaging tactics feel heavy-handed and smug, leaving this formerly formidably timely series feeling like a reboot reaching for the headlines.
Starring:
Directed By:
Adjusted Score: 44318%
Critics Consensus: Rel has a talented star supported by a solid ensemble, but none of it's enough to disguise an ordinary sitcom that hits a series of generic beats.
Adjusted Score: 44132%
Critics Consensus: Bloated and boring, The Purge kills its own fleetingly fun premise and proves that not all stories work better on the small screen.
Adjusted Score: 53194%
Critics Consensus: Matthew Weiner's return to television is as handsomely made as it is ambitious and sprawling -- unfortunately, it's also fatally indulgent, asking for the utmost patience from audiences without a compelling incentive.
Adjusted Score: 51143%
Critics Consensus: Despite a pair of likable leads, The Good Cop's reliance on procedural cliches sucks out much of the fun -- though those looking for an easy watch may find comfort in its familiarity.
Adjusted Score: 54638%
Critics Consensus: Despite a decent ensemble and a few intriguing elements, A MillIon Little Things breaks under the weight of its own emotionally lofty ambitions.
Adjusted Score: 60236%
Critics Consensus: Despite an enticing cast and promising premise, Tell Me a Story's overly plotted, grim take on Grimm's Fairy Tales fails to enchant.
Adjusted Score: 57730%
Critics Consensus: The rebooted Magnum P.I. may not be quite distinctive enough to hold up to comparisons with its source material, but a charismatic star, slickly staged action, and a handful of modern twists hint at greater potential.
Adjusted Score: 57874%
Critics Consensus: Better action scenes and tighter pacing elevate Iron Fist's second season, but it remains a lesser light among MCU shows.
Adjusted Score: 57347%
Critics Consensus: Last Man Standing isn't the most realistic sitcom on the dial, but its idealistic representation of opposites living in harmony offers sorely needed hope during divided times.
Adjusted Score: 58215%
Critics Consensus: Manifest's attempts to balance supernatural mystery and melodrama largely work thanks to its well-chosen cast -- though it could use a few more distinguishing characteristics.
Adjusted Score: 63975%
Critics Consensus: Dick Wolf's new series sports a compelling cast and adrenaline-spiking spectacle, although some viewers may find this retread of the mega-producer's previous procedural formulas overly familiar.
Adjusted Score: 60388%
Critics Consensus: A sincere and thoughtful handling of spiritual themes helps God Friended Me overcome -- and even benefit from -- its earnest approach to a potentially off-putting premise.
Adjusted Score: 53565%
Critics Consensus: Happy Together's premise won't win may points for originality, but the show still earns laughs thanks to a winning trio of central performances.
#76
Adjusted Score: 73179%
Critics Consensus: Bird Box never quite reaches its intriguing potential, but strong acting and an effectively chilly mood offer intermittently creepy compensation.
Synopsis: When a mysterious force decimates the population, only one thing is certain -- if you see it, you die. The...
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#75
Adjusted Score: 71120%
Critics Consensus: Muddy and bloody to a fault, Outlaw King doesn't skimp on the medieval battle scenes, but tends to lose track of the fact-based legend at the heart of its story.
Synopsis: After being crowned King of Scotland, legendary warrior Robert the Bruce is forced into exile by the English and leads...
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#74
Adjusted Score: 59355%
Critics Consensus: Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, but her movie's okay - largely thanks to Shannon Purser's work in the title role, which is strong enough to counter an uneven narrative.
Synopsis: A case of mistaken identity leads to an unexpected romance when a teen joins forces with a popular student to...
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Adjusted Score: 74896%
Critics Consensus: The Innocent Man will satisfy true crime aficionados looking for a slickly packaged mystery, but viewers seeking a more probing deconstruction of the justice system may come away disappointed.
Adjusted Score: 65401%
Critics Consensus: Though the cheesy jokes and cliches are old hat, an all-too-uncommon focus on older characters makes it easier to forgive The Cool Kids' lack of fresh wrinkles.
Adjusted Score: 72555%
Critics Consensus: Charmed's updates are as fun as they are surprisingly feminist -- and with a sharper focus, it could conjure up an even stronger show than the one that came before it.
#70
Adjusted Score: 58482%
Critics Consensus: Smart and socially conscious, Nappily Ever After depicts black female empowerment in a fresh way, but the film relies too heavily on romantic comedy tropes.
Synopsis: A soulful barber helps a woman piece her life back together after an accident at her hair salon makes her...
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Adjusted Score: 51187%
Critics Consensus: Into the Dark is a worthy horror anthology, offering viewers a selection of frightening and witty gothic tales like a tray of cobwebbed bonbons, making for a spooky Halloween treat.
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Adjusted Score: 68968%
Critics Consensus: Dirty John might not live up to the thrills of its source material, but Connie Britton puts on a clinic with her interpretation of true crime treachery.
Adjusted Score: 70110%
Critics Consensus: Sean Penn gives an intensely poignant performance as the driven but conflicted Tom Hagerty in The First's rather slow-moving first season.
#65
Adjusted Score: 72884%
Critics Consensus: Hold the Dark's unsettling aesthetic offers more of what filmgoers expect from director Jeremy Saulnier - and is often enough to prop up shaky narrative underpinnings.
Synopsis: Summoned to a remote Alaskan village to search for the wolves that killed three children, a wolf expert soon finds...
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Adjusted Score: 68814%
Critics Consensus: Nathan Fillion's reliably likable presence makes The Rookie worth tuning in, even if the show around him isn't particularly memorable.
#63
Adjusted Score: 69591%
Critics Consensus: Viewers seeking a fresh holiday viewing option -- or those simply in the mood for Santa Kurt Russell -- should find The Christmas Chronicles well worth a yuletide stream.
Synopsis: Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry,...
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Adjusted Score: 73967%
Critics Consensus: Mayans M.C. is a thrilling drama with compelling characters, but it struggles to find its pace and the Tellers are hard to forget.
Adjusted Score: 73380%
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: 69606%
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: 75318%
Critics Consensus: While the jokes can be a little juvenile, Single Parents earns brownie points for a likable cast and a funny focus on parental struggles.
#58
Adjusted Score: 75236%
Critics Consensus: As unsettling as it is entertaining, El ángel takes an absorbingly stylish look at the horrific exploits of a real-life serial killer.
Synopsis: A teenager embarks on a murderous crime spree with a friend he hopes to impress....
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Adjusted Score: 73462%
Critics Consensus: Toni Collette creates comedy between the sheets in this unlikely sex-drama from acclaimed playwright Nick Payne for the BBC.
Adjusted Score: 82424%
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: -1%
Critics Consensus:
#54
Adjusted Score: 82943%
Critics Consensus: Quincy presents an undeniably entertaining overview of its subject's remarkable life and career, albeit one that may leave some viewers wishing it had dug a little deeper.
Synopsis: An intimate look at the life of Quincy Jones, a music industry giant and winner of 27 Grammys....
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Adjusted Score: 80647%
Critics Consensus: The Woman in White's campy convolutions can't quite sustain the intrigue it aspires to, but a game cast and pounding pace will satisfy those looking for a stylish -- if somewhat demanding -- whodunit.
Adjusted Score: 77072%
Critics Consensus: Moody, murky, and full of mermaids, Tidelands spins an appropriately sexy and violent tale of siren lore.
Adjusted Score: 82709%
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: 81319%
Critics Consensus: Though cynics may struggle to see it, Poldark's fourth season pairs a surprisingly multilayered side of social commentary with its soapy romantic delights.
Adjusted Score: 82098%
Critics Consensus: The Gifted continues to explore shades of grey, but with a more streamlined story that sets the show up for a stronger -- if slightly more simplistic -- sophomore season.
Adjusted Score: -1%
Critics Consensus:
Adjusted Score: 80792%
Critics Consensus: Despite a few tonal growing pains, Titans does justice to its source material and truly shines when its titular ensemble finally assembles.
#46
Adjusted Score: 86707%
Critics Consensus: A satisfying must-watch for diehard cineastes, The Other Side of the Wind offers the opportunity to witness a long-lost chapter in a brilliant filmmaker's career.
Synopsis: After years of exile in Europe, a maverick director returns to Hollywood to finish his comeback movie, "The Other Side...
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Adjusted Score: 92572%
Critics Consensus: Maniac enthralls with its dazzling visuals, adventurous narrative, and striking performances from both Emma Stone and Jonah Hill.
#44
Adjusted Score: 83354%
Critics Consensus: My Dinner with Hervé offers a standard narrative on celebrity and infamy, but formidable performances by Peter Dinklage and Jamie Dornan find the dimensionality and pathos of Hervé Villechaize the man.
Synopsis: Over the course of one wild night in Los Angeles, a struggling journalist befriends Hervé Villechaize, one of the world's...
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Adjusted Score: 86731%
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.
Adjusted Score: 92215%
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.
#41
Adjusted Score: 90177%
Critics Consensus: An energetic Sandler jumps back into the spotlight with fresh songs, stories, and spoofs in Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh, a wonderful return to form for a beloved comedian.
Adjusted Score: 90649%
Critics Consensus: Mr Inbetween's familiar setup is quickly forgiven thanks to its expertly built tension and a mesmerizing performance from Scott Ryan.
#39
Adjusted Score: 91294%
Critics Consensus: Led by dual mesmerizing performances from Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson and rounded out by a solidly stocked ensemble, this King Lear is a highly watchable adaptation.
Synopsis: King Lear divides his kingdom among his three daughters -- Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. The kingdom and family soon collapse...
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Adjusted Score: 99605%
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: 73972%
Critics Consensus: Brutal battles and epic quests help Vikings' fifth season remain an engaging, exciting journey.
Adjusted Score: 85060%
Critics Consensus: Runaways hits the ground running in its sophomore season, but though it deepens the connections between its expansive cast, formulaic stories and an over-dependence on plot devices holds it back from fully maturing into a compelling character study.
#35
Adjusted Score: 94119%
Critics Consensus: The Price of Everything will be of immediate interest to art lovers - but this look at the relationship between creativity and commodification has something for all audiences.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn delves into the contemporary art world, where everything can be bought and sold....
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Adjusted Score: 98110%
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: 93028%
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.
Adjusted Score: 99737%
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: 93061%
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: 96935%
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: 91133%
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: 92071%
Critics Consensus: Star Wars: Resistance's streamlined story sets the stage for exciting adventures -- and seems poised to explore a canvas stocked with immediately relatable characters and plenty of potential.
Directed By:
Adjusted Score: 92638%
Critics Consensus: Carried by Desiree Akhavan's dry wit, The Bisexual explores identity politics with humor and heart.
Adjusted Score: 96534%
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: 97853%
Critics Consensus: Bodyguard maintains a palpable tension throughout its pulpy proceedings to create an absorbing and addicting psychological thriller.
Adjusted Score: 100574%
Critics Consensus: The Haunting of Hill House is an effective ghost story whose steadily mounting anticipation is just as satisfying as its chilling payoff.
#23
Adjusted Score: 101830%
Critics Consensus: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs avoids anthology pitfalls with a consistent collection tied together by the Coen brothers' signature blend of dark drama and black humor.
Synopsis: An anthology of six short films that take place in 19th-century post-Civil War era during the settling of the Old...
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Adjusted Score: 89896%
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: 94484%
Critics Consensus: It's Always Sunny's winning formula keeps the laughs rolling and the stomachs turning in a thirteenth season that's topical, triumphant, and toxic in the best way.
#20
Adjusted Score: 96412%
Critics Consensus: The Boss holds court with arresting charisma and storytelling skill in this one-man show, delivering a rollicking rumination on America's past, present, and future.
Adjusted Score: 97133%
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: 92463%
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: 96696%
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.
#16
Adjusted Score: 99238%
Critics Consensus: Private Life uses one couple's bumpy journey to take an affecting look at an easily identifiable - and too rarely dramatized - rite of adult passage.
Synopsis: A couple coping with infertility struggle to keep their marriage going as they navigate through the world of adoption and...
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#15
Adjusted Score: 95179%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Over the last two decades, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen more than 5 million conflict-related deaths, multiple...
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Adjusted Score: 101358%
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: 98638%
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.
Adjusted Score: 100957%
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: 101122%
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: 105243%
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: 101133%
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.
#8
Adjusted Score: 64953%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: During a night on the town, a dedicated single mother meets a charming yet troubled stranger....
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Adjusted Score: 100235%
Critics Consensus: Patriot Act stands apart from other like-minded comedy shows thanks to Hasan Minhaj's masterful blending of thought and feeling, catharsis and criticism.
Adjusted Score: 100896%
Critics Consensus: Double the J.K. Simmons brings double the aplomb in the second season of Counterpart, which finds time to deliver relevant societal critiques while deepening its labyrinthine lore.
Adjusted Score: 101143%
Critics Consensus: By the grace of Grayskull, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power packs a powerful visual punch that hits even harder thanks to layered writing and multidimensional characters -- the perfect show for seasoned fans and little ones alike.
Adjusted Score: 101720%
Critics Consensus: Poignantly repulsive, Big Mouth continues to confront the awkwardness of adolescence with foul-mouthed glee and an added layer of maturity.
#2
Adjusted Score: 102295%
Critics Consensus: Shirkers uses one woman's interrogation of a pivotal personal disappointment to offer affecting observations on creativity, lost opportunity, and coming to terms with the past.
Synopsis: In 1992 teenager Sandi Tan shoots Singapore's first road movie with her enigmatic American mentor, Georges, who then absconded with...
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Starring:
Adjusted Score: 100874%
Critics Consensus: Charming and curious as ever, The Good Place remains a delightfully insightful bright spot on the television landscape.
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