While much has gone wrong in 2020, at least there's been a lot of great television - and as a new phase of COVID-19 lockdowns starts for many New Zealanders, it may be time for a new binge-watch.
If you're looking for a new TV show to pig out on you're going to want the best of the best and we've got you covered.
Below is an ordered list of the top 10 highest-rated TV shows of the year so far, according to the critical consensus on review aggregator website Metacritic.
All of them are available to legally watch in Aotearoa via streaming providers.
1) Better Call Saul, season 5 (Neon)
"Better Call Saul is better at being a prequel than other prequels are: It understands that the tragedy of fate is baked into the story," writes Kelly Connolly of TV Guide.
"The more the world of Breaking Bad bears down on the characters, the more impossible it becomes for them to redefine themselves."
2) My Brilliant Friend, season 2 (TVNZ)
"The gorgeous Elena Ferrante adaptation... is absorbing, gripping television that demands that you sink into it completely, closing off all distractions," writes Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian.
3) BoJack Horseman, season 6.5 (Netflix)
"Delivers on all of the surreal contradictions that have made BoJack Horseman great. Despite some rushed pacing, each character's ending feels earned - and more importantly, the same can be said for the relationships they each choose to have with BoJack going forward," writes Laura Bradley of The Daily Beast.
4) The Last Dance, season 1 (Netflix)
"If you ever admired Jordan - is there anyone who didn't? - followed the Bulls, or just like basketball, it’s must-see television," writes Jen Chaney of Vulture.
5) Visible: Out On Television (Apple TV Plus)
"Intertwines politics and pop culture with intelligence and clarity. Like any good story, it has heroes, villains, triumphs, obstacles, conflict, and catharsis," writes Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya of The AV Club.
6) Lennox Hill, season 1 (Netflix)
"This American fly-on-the-wall hospital series... is a documentary, but you find yourself taking the characters to heart - patients and doctors alike - as if you were watching a drama," writes Anita Singh of The Telegraph.
7) The Baby-Sitters Club, season 1 (Netflix)
Decider's Meghan O'Keefe calls this "a squee-inducing dream of a show" that's a "joyous celebration of feminism and friendship".
8) Mrs America, season 1 (Neon)
"Tells a story about the numerous ways to be a woman - and how that lack of unity is what ultimately keeps us divided," writes Kristen Lopez of Indiewire.
9) Immigration Nation, season 1 (Netflix)
"As damning for the executive branch [of the US government] as it is illuminating for civilians, Immigration Nation is easily the most important TV show of the year," writes Judy Berman of Time.
10) I May Destroy You, season 1 (Neon)
"No TV show has ever shown the complexities of sexual assault and how it affects survivors, their friends and their communities quite like this difficult, harrowing and hilarious drama," writes Isobel Lewis of The Independent.
