- Many TV shows made their debut in 2019, and some are much better than others.
- Critics loved comedies like "Sherman's Showcase" and "Tuca & Bertie."
- New shows like "Undone,""South Side," and "A Black Lady Sketch Show" have already received perfect scores from critics.
- Many crime dramas like "L.A.'s Finest,""Bluff City Law," and "The Code" have received low marks from reviewers across the board.
- Visit Insider homepage for more stories.
Many new television series debut each year, but not all of them are created equally.
Here are some of the best and worst TV shows that came out in 2019, based on critic scores from Rotten Tomatoes.
Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change.
"Undone" is an animated series that won the hearts of critics.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
This adult comedy-drama aired in mid-August as Amazon's first original animated series and it follows a protagonist named Alma whose relationship with time is altered after a near-fatal car accident. Alma uses this new relationship in order to seek out the truth about her father's death.
Critics have raved about this show, with Judy Berman for Time magazine writing, "Undone embraces a form of speculative storytelling that's closer to mythology. Its rotoscoped world might be merely a fun-house mirror of reality, but if you're brave enough to gaze into it, a mind-expanding adventure awaits."
Critics loved "South Side," a scripted comedy about life in Chicago.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
The Chicago-centric series "South Side" aired on Comedy Central in July.
On the show, friends and recent graduates Simon James and Kareem "K" Odom (portrayed by Sultan Salahuddin and Kareme Young, respectively), are stuck working at a Rent-T-Own until they can move on to bigger and better things.
As critic Tambay Obenson wrote in his review for IndieWire,"Brought to life by local Chicagoans, both in front of and behind the camera, 'South Side' succeeds in what it sets out to do: give viewers a more complete, if humorous depiction of life on Chicago's south side."
"A Black Lady Sketch Show" kept critics laughing.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
This HBO comedy aired in August, and it is full of sketches that mainly focus on topical issues.
It stars creator Robin Thede and comedians Ashley Nicole Black, Quinta Brunson, and Gabrielle Dennis.
As Critic Eric Deggans wrote for NPR,"'A Black Lady Sketch Show' is a shining example of the great work you get when equality comes to comedy. The only criticism I have is that it took so long for us to get here," said
"David Makes Man" stood out to critics with its heart-wrenching plotline.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
This gripping coming-of-age drama created by Tarell Alvin McCraney aired on OWN in August.
It follows a young man named David (portrayed by Akili McDowell) as he attempts to move up in the world by attending a school for young prodigies.
"The surrealism of 'David Makes Man' channels McCraney's out-of-body experiences to wrenching, lyrical: Even when the show ends, the quiet grace of its protagonist hovers over the viewer," wrote critic Hannah Giorgis for The Atlantic.
"Tuca & Bertie" blew critics away, but it was cut short.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Debuting in May, Netflix's animated adult comedy focused on two birds who live in the same apartment building.
Despite receiving high marks and a perfect score, the series was canceled earlier this year.
As critic Dave Nemetz wrote for TV Line, "[It's] a vibrantly colorful, delightfully surreal animated comedy that mashes up the best bits of those two shows with a playful, psychedelic edge."
Critics wrote that "Sherman's Showcase" is a nostalgic and wonderful sketch show.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
"Sherman's Showcase" aired on IFC in July and each episode is hosted by Sherman McDaniel. On the series, music and comedy are utilized to take viewers through time.
As Mike Hale wrote in his review for The New York Times, "'Sherman's Showcase,' meanwhile, is a pure jolt of stylized nostalgia, from its affectionate sendups of soul, R&B and hip-hop to its candy-colored sets with their abstract cutouts, traversed by roller-skating dancers."
Critics were blown away by the compelling story of "Unbelievable."
"Unbelievable" aired on Netflix in September and it recounts the true story of a teen named Marie and two female detectives — Detective Grace Rasmussen and Detective Karen Duvall.
After Marie was accused of lying about being raped, Rasmussen and Duvall take it upon themselves to find the truth within the situation.
"'Unbelievable' isn't just a gripping story, it's an incredibly compelling argument for why we need to take a frank look at the way victims of sexual assault are treated and how seriously we take them," wrote critic Amy Jones for The Telegraph.
"State of the Union" left critics wanting more.
In this British comedy series that originally aired on SundanceTV, Rosamund Pike and Chris O'Dowd play Louise and Tom, a couple with a crumbling marriage.
Each episode dives into both what brought the couple together and what is causing them to pull apart from each other.
"It's so good, in fact, you're left wishing there was more; more time, more settings, more to the story than just the simple structure these professionals excel within," wrote critic Ben Travers for IndieWire.
"Watchmen" was a hit with critics.
HBO's "Watchmen" series is based on the graphic novel by the same name which is set in an alternate history where heroes are treated as outlaws.
It stars Academy Award-winning actress Regina King, and critics can't get enough of it.
"There's the persistent sense of narrative freefall you get when almost anything implausible can happen, and usually does, but Regina King anchors it all with passion and purpose," wrote Suzi Feay in her review for the Financial Times.
On the other hand, "Chambers" was a critical flop.
Netflix's "Chambers," which premiered in April and was canceled in June, is a supernatural drama that follows teenager Sasha Yazzie (portrayed by Sivan Alyra Rose).
Yazzie receives a heart transplant and is haunted by unexplained visions of the terrible circumstances that led to her donor's death.
Although the show features powerhouse actors such as Uma Thurman and Tony Goldwyn, it still didn't resonate with critics.
"The ingredients are there for a loopy body-horror freakout, but this series' pulse stays damnably faint, even when it should be sending yours through the roof," wrote Isaac Feldberg in his review for the Boston Globe.
Highly anticipated Apple TV Plus show "See" left critics disappointed.
A drama on Apple's new streaming service, "See" takes place in a dystopian future where humans have lost the sense of sight. The world is thrown for a loop when twins are miraculously born being able to see.
Even though "Game of Thrones" star Jason Momoa is at the head of this series, it still fell a bit flat with critics.
"Cool idea. But the story doesn't gel well, and the video-game-like combat sequences can be exhausting," wrote Matthew Gilbert for the Boston Globe.
The comedy series "Fam" was a flop with critics.
Starring Nina Dobrev, comedy series "Fam" aired on CBS in January and was canceled after just one season.
The show centers around Dobrev's character, Clem, an event planner, who is living with her new fiancé Nick (portrayed by Tone Bell), as well as her 16-year-old half-sister, Shannon.
"'Fam' boasts an almost outrageously good case, one plugged into the most hollow and familiar of premises and then fed with a broad assortment of reheated multi-generational punchlines," wrote Dan Fienberg for The Hollywood Reporter.
Critics felt NBC legal drama "Bluff City Law" was just another cliché.
NBC's American legal drama "Bluff City Law" aired in September, and the critics were less than impressed.
As Daniel D'Addario wrote in his review for Variety, "What works tepidly well here is a family dynamic that at least feels unusual; what does not are heard-them-all-before cliches about the power and responsibilities of attorneys."
"The Code" fell flat with critics.
"The Code" is a military-centric legal drama that aired on CBS this April — but the network canceled the series just four months later in July.
"It's hard to really get too deep into The Code when there's really nothing to dive into. It's a truly by the numbers CBS series to the point where if you were playing a game of network procedural Mad Libs, The Code is what you would end up with," wrote critic Merrill Barr for Forbes.
Critics weren't feeling the love for "The Village."
This NBC drama that aired in March is about the familial bonds between the residents of an apartment building in Brooklyn.
And although audiences enjoyed "The Village," critics weren't sold on the emotional series.
"The writers of 'Village' make the mistake of confusing emotion with quality. It's not enough just to feel; you have to do something with those feelings, too," wrote Kelly Lawler for USA Today.
"Proven Innocent" wasn't enjoyed by critics.
Fox's "Proven Innocent" follows the trials and tribulations of a wrongful-convictions firm.
The legal drama stars Rachelle Lefevre as Madeleine Scott, a woman who was driven to work in law after spending 10 years in jail for a crime she didn't commit.
"[T]he dialogue, weighted with explicit statements of thought and feeling rather than their sidelong evocation, is often too heavy for even these fine actors to successfully lift," wrote Robert Lloyd in his review for the Los Angeles Times.
"Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club" was a reality-show flop.
This MTV reality series centers around actress Lindsay Lohan and her staff as they run a high-end beach club in Greece.
And although the show was rife with dramatics, it fell flat with most viewers.
As Emily Yahr wrote for The Washington Post, "As easy as it would be to write off 'Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club' as yet another ridiculous show, when you consider everything that led the once-celebrated actress to this place, it actually just feels tragic."
"L.A.'s Finest" couldn't be saved by an impressive cast.
The Spectrum original "L.A.'s Finest" made its big debut in May — and critics were not impressed even though audiences seemed to enjoy the show.
It stars big-name actresses like Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba and is about a former DEA agent and a police officer who are paired together on the force.
As critic Danette Chaves wrote for AV Club, "'L.A.'s Finest' quickly sinks into mediocrity, unable to offer the same kind of big-screen thrills in a weekly format, or find much of anything new to say about odd couples and pasts that won't stay hidden."
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