Here is a looked at the highest rated brand new scripted TV shows that debuted in 2020. The ratings are averaged from the scores on IMDb, and Rotten Tomatoes.
25 – Home Before Dark
Drama | Mystery
3 April 2020 – Ongoing | 2 Seasons so far
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.4 | RT Audience: 8.2 | RT Critics: 8.1
COMBINED SCORE:
7.90 /10
SYNOPSIS:
A young girl moves from Brooklyn to the small lakeside town her father left behind. While there, her dogged pursuit of the truth leads her to unearth a cold case that everyone in town, including her own father, tried hard to bury.
24 – Defending Jacob
Drama | Mystery | Crime
24 April 2020 (Ended) | Limited Series
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.8 | RT Audience: 8.9 | RT Critics: 7.2
COMBINED SCORE:
7.97 /10
SYNOPSIS:
A family’s lives are irreparably disrupted when the 14-year-old son is accused of murdering a fellow classmate.
23 – Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Drama | Comedy
5 January 2021 (Cancelled) | 2 seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.1 | RT Audience: 8.0 | RT Critics: 8.1
COMBINED SCORE:
8.07 /10
SYNOPSIS:
After an unusual event, Zoey Clarke, a whip-smart computer coder forging her way in San Francisco, suddenly starts to hear the innermost wants, thoughts and desires of the people around her through popular songs.
22 – High Fidelity
Comedy | Drama
14 February 2020 (Cancelled) | 1 season
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.7 | RT Audience: 8.0 | RT Critics: 8.6
COMBINED SCORE:
8.10 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Rob Brooks, a female record store owner in the rapidly gentrified neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn revisit past relationships through music and pop culture, while trying to get over her one true love.
21 – I Know This Much Is True
Drama
9 May 2020 (Ended) | Limited Series
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.1 | RT Audience: 8.8 | RT Critics: 7.4
COMBINED SCORE:
8.10 /10
SYNOPSIS:
The parallel lives of identical twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey in an epic story of betrayal, sacrifice and forgiveness set against the backdrop of 20th century America.
20 – The Wilds
Mystery | Drama
11 December 2020 (Cancelled) | 2 Seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.2 | RT Audience: 8.3 | RT Critics: 8.8
COMBINED SCORE:
8.10 /10
SYNOPSIS:
A group of teen girls from different backgrounds must fight for survival after a plane crash strands them on a deserted island. The castaways both clash and bond as they learn more about each other, the secrets they keep, and the traumas they’ve all endured. But there’s just one twist… these girls did not end up on this island by accident.
19 – Motherland: Fort Salem
Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Drama
18 March 2020 (Ended) | 3 Seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.2 | RT Audience: 9.2 | RT Critics: N/A
COMBINED SCORE:
8.20 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution over 300 years ago by cutting a deal with the government to fight for their country, the series follows three young women from basic training in combat magic into early deployment.
18 – I Am Not Okay with This
Drama | Comedy | Sci-Fi & Fantasy
26 February 2020 (Cancelled) | 1 Season
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.5 | RT Audience: 8.5 | RT Critics: 8.6
COMBINED SCORE:
8.20 /10
SYNOPSIS:
A teen navigates the complexities of high school, family and her sexuality while dealing with new superpowers. Based on Charles Forsman’s graphic novel.
17 – Alex Rider
Drama | Action & Adventure
4 June 2020 – Ongoing | 2 Seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.5 | RT Audience: 8.6 | RT Critics: 8.5
COMBINED SCORE:
8.20 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Everything changes when Alex Rider learns that his uncle Ian has actually been killed in the line of duty as a British spy. The normal teen is approached by the head of The Department and pressured to help investigate his uncle’s death. Alex reluctantly assumes a new identity and goes undercover in a remote boarding school called Point Blanc.
16 – The Outsider
Drama | Mystery | Crime
12 January 2020 (ended) | Limited Mini-Series
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.7 | RT Audience: 8.2 | RT Critics: 9.1
COMBINED SCORE:
8.33 /10
SYNOPSIS:
When an insidious supernatural force edges its way into a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy, it leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe in.
15 – Dave
Comedy
4 March 2020 – Ongoing | 2 Seasons so far
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.3 | RT Audience: 8.5 | RT Critics: 8.4
COMBINED SCORE:
8.40 /10
SYNOPSIS:
A suburban neurotic man in his late 20s has convinced himself that he’s destined to be one of the best rappers of all time. Now he must convince his closest friends, because with their help, he might actually convince the world.
14 – I May Destroy You
Drama
7 June 2020 (Ended) | Limited Mini Series
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.1 | RT Audience: 7.3 | RT Critics: 9.8
COMBINED SCORE:
8.40 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Set in London, where gratification is only an app away, the story centers on Arabella, a carefree, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when her drink is spiked, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.
13 – Love, Victor
Drama | Comedy
17 June 2020 (Ended) | 3 Seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.0 | RT Audience: 8.2 | RT Critics: 9.2
COMBINED SCORE:
8.47 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Victor is a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation. When it all seems too much, he reaches out to Simon to help him navigate the ups and downs of high school.
12 – Upload
Comedy | Sci-Fi & Fantasy
30 April 2020 (Ongoing) | 2 Seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.9 | RT Audience: 8.1 | RT Critics: 9.4
COMBINED SCORE:
8.47 /10
SYNOPSIS:
In 2033, people who are near death can be “uploaded” into virtual reality hotels run by 6 tech firms. Cash-strapped Nora lives in Brooklyn and works customer service for the luxurious “Lakeview” digital afterlife. When L.A. party-boy/coder Nathan’s self-driving car crashes, his high-maintenance girlfriend uploads him permanently into Nora’s VR world.
11 – All Creatures Great and Small
Drama | Comedy
1 September 2020 (Ongoing) | 3 Seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.5 | RT Audience: 8.5 | RT Critics: N/A
COMBINED SCORE:
8.50 /10
SYNOPSIS:
The heartwarming and humorous adventures of a young country vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s. A remake of the 1978 series.
10 – P-Valley
Drama | Crime
12 July 2020 (Ongoing) | 2 Seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.1 | RT Audience: 9.4 | RT Critics: 9.5
COMBINED SCORE:
8.67 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Down deep in the Mississippi Delta, Trap music meets film noir in this kaleidoscopic story of a little-strip-club-that-could and the big characters who come through its doors—the hopeful, the lost, the broken, the ballers, the beautiful, and the damned.
9 – Gangs of London
Drama | Crime
23 April 2020 (Ongoing) | 1 Season so far
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.1 | RT Audience: 8.8 | RT Critics: 9.1
COMBINED SCORE:
8.67 /10
SYNOPSIS:
When the head of a criminal organisation, Finn Wallace is assassinated, the sudden power vacuum his death creates threatens the fragile peace between the intricate web of gangs operating on the streets of the city. Now it’s up to the grieving, volatile and impulsive Sean Wallace to restore control and find those responsible for killing his father.
8 – Mythic Quest
Comedy
7 February 2020 (Ongoing) | 2 Seasons so far
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.7 | RT Audience: 8.7 | RT Critics: 9.7
COMBINED SCORE:
8.70 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Meet the team behind the biggest multiplayer video game of all time. But in a workplace focused on building worlds, molding heroes, and creating legends, the most hard-fought battles don’t occur in the game—they happen in the office.
7 – Never Have I Ever
Comedy
27 April 2020 (Ongoing) | 3 Seasons so far
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.9 | RT Audience: 8.8 | RT Critics: 9.4
COMBINED SCORE:
8.70 /10
SYNOPSIS:
After a traumatic year, all an Indian-American teen wants is to go from pariah to popular — but friends, family and feeling won’t make it easy on her.
6 – The Great
Drama | Comedy
15 May 2020 (Ongoing) | 2 Seasons so far
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.2 | RT Audience: 8.6 | RT Critics: 9.4
COMBINED SCORE:
8.73 /10
SYNOPSIS:
A genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th century Russia following the rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great and her explosive relationship with husband Peter, the emperor of Russia.
5 – Ted Lasso
Comedy | Drama
14 August 2020 (Ongoing) | 2 Seasons so far
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.8 | RT Audience: 8.0 | RT Critics: 9.5
COMBINED SCORE:
8.77 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Ted Lasso, an American football coach, moves to England when he’s hired to manage a soccer team—despite having no experience. With cynical players and a doubtful town, will he get them to see the Ted Lasso Way?
4 – Feel Good
Drama | Comedy
18 March 2020 (Ended) | 2 Seasons
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.5 | RT Audience: 8.9 | RT Critics: 10
COMBINED SCORE:
8.80 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Recovering addict and comedian Mae tries to control the addictive behaviors and intense romanticism that permeate every facet of her life. Life is further complicated by a new and all-consuming relationship with her new girlfriend George.
3 – Teenage Bounty Hunters
Action & Adventure | Comedy | Drama
14 August 2020 (Cancelled) | 1 Season
NETWORK:
IMDb: 7.6 | RT Audience: 9.6 | RT Critics: 9.4
COMBINED SCORE:
8.87 /10
SYNOPSIS:
After joining forces with a veteran bounty hunter, sixteen-year-old fraternal twin sisters Sterling and Blair dive into the world of bail skipping baddies while still navigating the high stakes of teenage love and sex.
2 – Julie and the Phantoms
Family | Comedy | Sci-Fi & Fantasy
10 September 2020 (Cancelled) | 1 Season
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.4 | RT Audience: 9.8 | RT Critics: 9.3
COMBINED SCORE:
9.17 /10
SYNOPSIS:
Teenage Julie finds her passion for music and life while helping the Phantoms — a trio of ghostly guys — become the band they were never able to be.
1 – The Queen’s Gambit
Drama
23 October 2020 (Ended) | Limited Mini-Series
NETWORK:
IMDb: 8.6 | RT Audience: 9.4 | RT Critics: 9.6
COMBINED SCORE:
9.20 /10
SYNOPSIS:
In a Kentucky orphanage in the 1950s, a young girl discovers an astonishing talent for chess while struggling with addiction.
SO WHICH NETWORKS DID THE BEST?
5
The Queen’s Gambit | Julie and the Phantoms | Teenage Bounty Hunters | Never Have I Ever | I Am Not Okay with This
4
Ted Lasso | Mythic Quest | Defending Jacob | Home Before Dark
3
Upload | Alex Rider | The Wilds
3
I Know This Much Is True | The Great | Love, Victor
