Best-Reviewed TV Movies/Miniseries 2017

It’s been Canadian writer Margaret Atwood’s year between the Netflix adaptation of her novel Alias Grace, which tops both this category and Best New TV Show, and Hulu’s Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale, which turns up in the top five of both the New Shows and Drama categories and is based on another of the celebrated author’s works.

The order of the rank below reflects the Adjusted Score as of December 31, 2017. Scores might change over time.

Alias Grace: Miniseries (2017)
99%

#1

Adjusted Score: 103.464%

Critics Consensus: Biting social commentary and Sarah Gadon's hypnotic performance make Alias Grace a worthy addition to the Margaret Atwood adaptation catalog.

Synopsis: Based on the award-winning novel by Margaret Atwood and inspired by true events, Alias Grace tells the story of Grace... [More]

Starring: Sarah Gadon, Kerr Logan, Paul Gross, Anna Paquin

#2

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2017)
100%

#2

Adjusted Score: 101.611%

Critics Consensus: Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds is a touching, bittersweet, and ultimately charming love story that serves as a poignantly effective tribute to the strangely complicated, uniquely resilient mother/daughter duo.

Synopsis: The story of a family's complicated love, this hilarious and heart-rending film is an intimate portrait of a unique mother/daughter... [More]

Starring: Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher

Directed By: Alexis Bloom

Planet Earth II: Miniseries (2017)
100%

#3

Adjusted Score: 100.937%

Critics Consensus: Planet Earth II offers a spectacular, moving, unprecedented account of the natural world.

Synopsis: Series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.... [More]

Starring:

Directed By: Ed Charles, Emma Napper

The Defiant Ones: Miniseries (2017)
100%

#4

Adjusted Score: 100.729%

Critics Consensus: The Defiant Ones is a compelling, comprehensive portrait of two visionaries that illuminates both their colorful pasts and their historic influence on the music industry.

Synopsis: Set amid many of the defining events of the past four decades, this four-part documentary event tells the stories of... [More]

Starring: Dr. Dre

The Vietnam War: Miniseries (2017)
98%

#5

Adjusted Score: 100.112%

Critics Consensus: The Vietnam War revisits a dark chapter in American history with patience, grace, and a refreshing -- and sobering -- perspective informed by those who fought.

Synopsis: A history of the Vietnam War that features insights from U.S. soldiers, Americans who opposed the war, Vietnamese combatants and... [More]

Starring:

Directed By: Ken Burns