Best-Reviewed TV Comedies 2018

Cable and streaming dominate our top-five TV comedy shortlist, with one lone broadcast series sneaking in. While these top humor series tackle very serious topics — morality, PTSD, racism, sexism — they all manage to highlight the funny side of life’s hardest challenges.

The order of the rank below reflects the Adjusted Score as of December 31, 2018. Scores might change over time.

Barry: Season 1

#1

Adjusted Score: 103755%

Critics Consensus: PTSD and comedy make strangely endearing bedfellows in Barry, which proves more poignant than its sketch show premise.

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Starring: Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Henry Winkler, Sarah Goldberg

Directed By: Alec Berg, Bill Hader, Hiro Murai, Alec Berg

Atlanta: Robbin' Season

#2

Adjusted Score: 102520%

Critics Consensus: Donald Glover continues to subvert expectations with a sophomore season of Atlanta that proves as excellent as it is eccentric.

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Starring: R. J. Walker, Adriyan Rae, Khris Davis, Danielle Deadwyler

Directed By: Dianne McGunigle, Donald Glover, Paul Simms, Stephen Glover

GLOW: Season 2

#3

Adjusted Score: 104086%

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.

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Starring: Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Marc Maron, Sydelle Noel

Directed By: Jenji Kohan, Tara Herrmann, Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch

The Good Place: Season 3

#4

Adjusted Score: 100871%

Critics Consensus: Charming and curious as ever, The Good Place remains a delightfully insightful bright spot on the television landscape.

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Starring: Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil

Directed By: David Miner, Beth McCarthy-Miller, Jude Weng, Ken Olin

Dear White People: Season 2

#5

Adjusted Score: 101635%

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.

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Starring: Logan Browning, Brandon P Bell, Antoinette Robertson, DeRon Horton

Directed By: Justin Simien, Yvette Lee Bowser, Stephanie Allain, Julia Lebedev