The Best-Rated Shows On Rotten Tomatoes In 2021
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Right now, there are more new TV shows than ever before. Traditional networks, cable channels, and streaming services are pouring billions of dollars into creating content, in practically every genre, for practically every kind of viewer. New shows premiere each year to compete with the scores of shows already available. No single person could ever watch everything on TV in their lifetime. And with thousands of available titles to sift through, it can be difficult to find the few TV series that are genuinely captivating.
But we're here to help with this guide. March isn't even over yet, but 2021 has already seen several new TV series that are worth making time for. Some of them will be familiar, since they've already dominated the cultural conversation, but other titles might not have received as much attention as they deserved. Here are the 2021 TV series that belong on your viewing schedule, as ranked by their respective scores on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
It's A Sin - 98% Fresh (HBO Max)
So far, Rotten Tomatoes' highest-rated new TV series of 2021 is It's a Sin, a historical drama set in 1980's London amid the AIDS epidemic. The story follows three friends, Richie, Roscoe, and Colin, all gay men who move to London in 1981 and try to live their lives despite the deadly disease ravaging their community and the overall indifference of their government. It's heavy subject matter, to be sure, but it's balanced out by comedic moments and compelling performances by stars Olly Alexander, Omari Douglas, and Callum Scott Howells. It's already one of the best HBO shows of 2021, and USA Today called it the best overall show of 2021 so far.
It's a Sin originally aired in the UK on Channel 4, where it was a rating hit, and is available on HBO Max in the U.S. The five-episode limited series aired its finale on Feb. 19, so every episode is currently available. Fans hoping for more will be disappointed, as creator Russell T. Davies already told The Hollywood Reporter that there won't be a season 2.
Lupin - 98% Fresh (Netflix)
Sometimes, all you want out of a TV show is a classic genre story done to perfection, and Lupin is definitely that. While Lupin is ostensibly an adaptation of a series of early 20th century French novels about gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, it's really more like a reimagining. The TV series follows Assane Diop, the son of a Senegalese immigrant living in Paris. When Assane was a child, his father was framed for a diamond theft and took his own life. Twenty-five years later, Assane is inspired by a Lupin novel to get revenge on the wealthy family who wronged his father by pulling off a series of heists.
Critics praised the charismatic performance from star Omar Sy, as well as the masterfully executed plot. Best of all, Lupin breathes new life into the "gentleman thief" trope that had grown stale. The first five episodes aired on Netflix on Jan. 8, and the second batch of five episodes will air summer 2021.
Resident Alien - 93% Fresh (SyFy)
Other times you may want a TV show that's unlike anything you've seen before. If so, Resident Alien is for you. It's classified as a "sci-fi murder mystery doctor dramedy," but it's essentially a classic fish-out-of-water setup. Based on a graphic novel by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, Resident Alien stars Alan Tudyk as an alien sent to Earth to destroy the human race. First he kills a vacationing doctor, Harry Vanderspeigle and assumes his identity to blend into human society. Sure enough, he starts to sympathize with humanity and question his mission. The always reliable Tudyk delivers plenty of laughs as an alien who doesn't understand human customs or social cues.
Resident Alien airs on SyFy on Wednesday nights at 10 EST. It's also available for livestreaming with a subscription to fuboTV, Sling TV (Blue), or Hulu + Live TV. The season one finale is currently scheduled for March 31. SyFy has already renewed Resident Alien for a second season.
Wandavision - 91% Fresh (Disney+)
WandaVision was the show everyone was talking about for the first couple months of 2021 after its premiere on Jan. 15. On the surface, it's a superhero show that gives more screen time to a couple of the more minor characters from the Avengers movies. But it's much more than that.
WandaVision has something for everyone. For superhero fans, there's plenty of fan service. But folks who love comedies will enjoy how several episodes lovingly parody classic sitcoms. Folks who love a good mystery will get wrapped up in the enigma of what's really going on in Westview, New Jersey. Folks who love unconventional TV shows will enjoy the constant surprises. And folks who love Kathryn Hahn will be happiest of all. Bottom line, if you're not a Marvel fan, this is the show that your Marvel friends probably tried to hook you with and it probably worked.
All of season is now available on Disney+. As for whether WandaVision will get a season two, Marvel president Kevin Feige wouldn't say either way, (per TVLine) but did confirm that Elizabeth Olsen will be playing Wanda/Scarlet Witch in the next Doctor Strange film.
Young Rock - 88% Fresh (NBC/Peacock)
Betting on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's star power usually pays off, and Young Rock has paid off big for NBC. The freshman sitcom had NBC's biggest premiere of any comedy that has debuted on the network since 2017, according to The LA Times. The show is set in 2032, when The Rock runs for president, an idea that's not as crazy as it might have been a few years ago. In each episode, candidate The Rock tells a story about his childhood that made him into the person he is today. It's told across three time periods: 1982, 1987, and 1990, when The Rock was 10, 15, and 18 years old, respectively.
There are lots of other reasons to watch besides getting to know The Rock even better. Young Rock is a feel good kind of sitcom in which the characters are decent to each other, which is in vogue these days. It's a blast for fans of vintage professional wrestling — The Rock's father, Rocky Johnson, was a pro wrestler in the 70's and 80's, and many episodes feature depictions of his friends and real-life ring mates like Andre the Giant and The Iron Sheik. Finally, it's a bit of a reunion for Fresh Off The Boat since it reunites showrunner Nahnatchka Khan and star Randall Park, who plays a version of himself who's become a journalist.