The Best-Rated Shows On Metacritic In 2021

There's still a lot left in 2021, but dozens and dozens of TV series have already premiered or debuted new seasons. Some shows rode onto the scene on a wave of critical acclaim, while others have fizzled out after very little fanfare. Trying to figure out which ones to wade through and which ones to skip while couch-surfing next weekend? Metacritic, the site that curates reviews from the world's top critics and spits out an appropriate overall score, may be of help. Every year the site (which has been in existence since 1999) keeps a running list of the highest-rated shows along with lists of top TV shows by genre, those that have dropped in the last 90 days, and the best shows of all time.

If you're curious to see which shows have captured critical hearts this season, read on to see the series that are among the highest-rated shows on Metacritic so far in 2021.

Following a year of isolation, an unscripted TV show about a guy painting watercolors and reflecting on his life seems pretty on-brand for the world. This six-episode HBO series stars painter, musician, and actor John Lurie, who turned to the brush during his ongoing battle with Lyme disease. Each installment features Lurie living his best life at his remote home on a small Caribbean island. There he doles out gems in his gravelly voice while rolling tires down hills, knocking dead branches off trees, and painting intricate watercolors of his surroundings. His idiosyncrasies and weird musings are featured in full along the way. Decider admits that the show "does take some getting used to," but once you're "into the show's rhythms it feels like a relaxing way to end your day." The Los Angeles Times adds that "the mood is mostly meditative" but by the end, viewers may feel that they "have been told a story as much as having been shown a life."

PBS recruited host and professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Finding Your Roots) to present this four-hour series, from which he also wrote a bestselling novel of the same name. In the series, Gates explores the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America and how it has changed over the years. That includes a deeper look at the origins and purpose of the original Black Church, how it became a space of resilience and organization, and the autonomy and freedom that it provides. Along the way the show also explores the history of Black people bringing their faith traditions from Africa to the New World, making a form of Christianity their own. "The Black Church is a celebratory tour of American history, examining the regional contributions to the larger culture of worship, and the churches themselves," writes Salon. "Despite its traditional style, the series distinguishes itself through Gates' candid interactions with interviews who range from scholars and theologians to celebrities like Oprah and John Legend," adds Time.

This reboot of the 1970s series of the same name (which was based on the books by James Herriot) follows a veterinarian grad named James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph, making his TV debut) in 1930s Yorkshire. The seven-part Masterpiece on PBS series tracks his journey as he takes an assistant position with established but eclectic veterinary surgeon Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West). Along the way he brings his humor, compassion and love of life to everyone around him. The first season wrapped in February, but a second season is on the way following a renewal. Paste reveals that the show "Is not a series that requires much from you, but gives plenty in return... it is a wonderful treat and a balm for the soul." Indiewire adds, "What's remarkable is how much of that bouncy, vibrant spirit this series is able to retain [of the previous version] while also bucking some of the expectations shows of its kind are usually saddled with."

This quirky take on the story of Emily Dickinson (played by Hailee Steinfeld) has already had a full season to endear itself to viewers and critics alike. When the second season started streaming on Apple TV+ in early January, the lovefest for Emily in her fight against traditional societal and gender constraints continued. The coming-of-age story is about a woman fighting to be heard, but it's also about her trying to find herself during a time when women weren't actually supposed to do such things. In its new batch of episodes the show has perhaps further solidified its footing with critics, who note many improvements. Salon believes "Much about this new season feels more alive and humorous than its excellent first while maintaining the tension that makes its heroine real to us." The Hollywood Reporter adds, "No longer solely relying on dizzying tonal juxtapositions, the series flourishes thanks to this revamped balance between 21st-century absurdity and 19th-century poignancy."

Many production schedules around the world were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. And on the heels of high critical praise for this teen-and-addiction-exploring HBO show (not to mention series star Zendaya, who won a historic Best Actress Emmy for playing Rue Bennett), production on the second season has also been delayed well past its original start date in early 2021. In its place are two special episodes: one that debuted in late 2020, and this one, which dropped in January 2021. The installment revolves around Jules (Hunter Schafer) as she celebrates the holidays and reflects on everything that happened to her in the previous year. "Schafer is emotionally raw in a way that feels completely genuine. She nails all of the emotional backflips that she's still processing without sinking into melodrama," writes RogerEbert.com. "This special installment of Euphoria slows things down and presents a truly gutting character study and a breathtaking performance from Hunter Schafer," adds Decider.

This Marvel series started trending with fans immediately after its mid-January debut, throwing viewers into a frenzy over its twists, top-secret cameos, and homages to traditional sitcoms. The story revolves around Wanda Maximoff and Vision (Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, reprising their big-screen roles), who begin the series inexplicably living in an idyllic sitcom world — one that, viewers soon discover, isn't what it initially seems to be. Demand for new episodes has been strong from the beginning (Disney Plus even crashed briefly in February when too many people tried to watch the newly released Episode 7 at once), but critics have given it equal praise. TV Guide writes that the show is "impeccably and cleverly crafted as a mashup of the otherworldly and the nostalgic" and adds that "this insanely entertaining fantasia works on so many weird levels it doesn't matter if you're as confused as its principal players." Meanwhile The Independent declares WandaVision "the most purely intriguing thing the MCU has ever made."

Author and occasional actor Fran Lebowitz reunites with her friend Martin Scorsese for this seven-part limited Netflix docuseries. Through interviews and conversations, Lebowitz shares her opinions on the Big Apple, from her thoughts on the New York subway station and the terror of Times Square to the libraries and even the department of Sports & Health. Through it all, Scorsese attempts to paint a humorous picture of a woman with strong convictions who also just so happens to have a lot of stories about New York City. "Pretend It's a City is a tribute to two things Scorsese loves, Fran Lebowitz and New York City, and that affection is contagious for much, if not quite all, of its running time," praises The Hollywood Reporter. "Whether pointing out the irony of art auctions ("people applauded the price" but not the painting) or mocking her horrific luck with real estate, Fran Lebowitz's delivery is masterful. So, if the first episode hooks you, this is worth binge-watching," writes RogerEbert.com.

This four-part HBO documentary series is the latest effort from brothers/collaborators Mark and Jay Duplass. It tells the story of Elizabeth Carmichael, the automobile businesswoman who promised to revolutionize the car industry with a fuel-efficient, three-wheeled car dubbed the Dale in the 1970s. The car didn't work and Carmichael was charged with fraud — and that's when the story took its most interesting turns. She went on the run in 1975 and while trying to find her, investigators discovered she was a transgender woman. Eventually she was convicted of conspiracy, grand theft, and stock fraud. "Her trans-ness is explored with tender nuance; carefully extricated from the more complicated parts of her story and contextualized in trans history," writes Indiewire, which gives the series a perfect score and also calls it "essential viewing." The Hollywood Reporter adds that the show is "a rollicking and twist-filled bio-doc that doesn't shy from Carmichael's many flaws while supplying ample context for the transgender experience a half-century ago."