These 18 series now streaming on (or coming soon to) Showmax have been ranked by Rotten Tomatoes as the best of the year so far.
Look out for brand-new shows from the likes of the creators, directors and producers of Downton Abbey, The Wire and Succession.
Stream the Rotten Tomatoes Best of the Year collection on Showmax.
Number 2: Barry Season 3 – binge now
Barry S3 finds our title character desperate to leave his violent past as a contract killer behind in favour of his newfound passion for acting.
But getting out is messy. While Barry has eliminated many of the external factors that pushed him towards violence, he soon discovers they weren’t the only forces at play.
Critics’ consensus for Season 3: Bill Hader and company can take a well-deserved bow – Barry makes its belated return to the screen without missing a step, retaining its edge as one of television’s funniest and most unsettling offerings.
Number 4: Hacks Season 2 – coming soon; binge Season 1 now
The first season of HBO’s comedy-drama earned the incomparable Jean Smart her fourth Emmy – this time for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – for her role as legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance, who takes on an entitled, down-on-her-luck Gen Z comedy writer, Ava (Hannah Einbinder), in a bid to find fresh material and remain relevant as her performance dates start to dwindle.
Critics’ consensus for Season 2: Hacks hits the road, but Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder remain very much at home with each other in a sterling sophomore season that finds novel ways to deepen the central pair’s lovable friendship.
Number 12: Somebody Somewhere – binge now
Somebody Somewhere centres on Sam, a 40-something woman grappling with loss and acceptance as she fields a mid-life crisis following her sister’s death.
Sam returns to her hometown but struggles to fit into its mould, until she finds her saving grace in singing, and a community of outsiders who don’t fit in, and don’t give up.
Critics’ consensus: Led by a captivating Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere explores the human condition with tenderness, grace, and warmth.
Number 14: What We Do in the Shadows – binge now
Based on the 2014 cult movie from the batty brains of nine-time Emmy nominee Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Oscar winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), the fiendishly funny vampire mock-doc What We Do in the Shadows delivers laugh after laugh.
Season 4 has just been released, and in the meantime binge the first hilarious three seasons on Showmax.
Critics’ consensus: What We Do in the Shadows doubles down on what it does best without drastically changing the formula – and remains fang-tastic all the same.
Number 15: The Responder – binge now
A captivating British crime drama starring Martin Freeman.
An embattled first-responder tackles a series of night shifts in Liverpool while trying to keep his head above water personally and professionally.
Critics’ consensus: The Responder is unrelentingly dark and inescapably absorbing, with Martin Freeman’s hangdog performance carrying the drama.
Number 17: George Carlin’s American Dream – Binge from 1 Sept
Directed by Emmy winners Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, the epic two-part HBO documentary George Carlin’s American Dream was nominated for five Emmys this year, including Best Documentary Special and Directing.
The documentary opens an intimate window into Carlin’s personal life, and includes both material from his stand-up specials and footage from his personal archive, as well as interviews with George Carlin’s family, friends, and the people he inspired – legends like Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Colbert, Bill Burr, Bette Midler, W. Kamau Bell, Sam Jay, Judy Gold and Jon Stewart.
Critics’ consensus: Spanning an epic runtime, George Carlin’s American Dream is an exhaustive and revealing retrospective on the beloved comedian’s career that ought to be mandatory viewing for standup fans.
Number 37: This Is Going To Hurt – binge now
Ben Whishaw drives this cheeky, witty UK dramedy.
It is an honest depiction of life as a junior doctor on the labour wards, from the hilarity and heart-lifting highs to the gut-wrenching lows.
Critics’ consensus: Ben Whishaw’s live-wire performance of an exhausted doctor powers This is Going to Hurt, a smart drama full of humour and pain.
Number 39: Gentleman Jack Season 2 – coming soon; binge Season 1 now
Yorkshire, England, 1832.
Landowner Anne Lister will do whatever it takes to save her ancestral home, and that includes marrying well – but not to a man.
Based on the story of the real-life Anne and her search for a wife.
Critics’ consensus for Season 2: Blessed with Suranne Jones’ exquisite performance and some of the crispest dialogue on television, Gentleman Jack remains a total ace.
Number 41: Peacemaker – binge now
In this superhero series that takes us back into the DC Universe, patriotic assassin Peacemaker and his ragtag A.R.G.U.S black ops squad must eliminate parasitic creatures that threaten the future of humanity. Starring John Cena.
Critics’ consensus: John Cena’s still in solid form in Peacemaker, leading a bloody good time that gives writer-director James Gunn full permission to let his freak flag fly.
Number 43: The Staircase – binge from 1 September
The Staircase explores the real-life story of Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette).
Critics’ consensus: The Staircase doesn’t hold many surprises for those already intimate with the original documentary, but this dramatisation brings a fresh perspective and texture to the mystery — along with a terrific performance by Colin Firth.
Number 44: We Own This City – binge from 1 September
The Wire‘s producers George Pelecanos and David Simon are back in Baltimore for the HBO Original limited series We Own This City.
The cast and crew explore Baltimore as a character, touching on the real people and locations portrayed in the series.
Critics’ consensus: A spiritual successor to The Wire with an even more pessimistic outlook on law enforcement, We Own This City deftly explores compromised individuals to paint an overall picture of systemic corruption.
Number 53: Women of the Movement – binge now
When her son is murdered in the Jim Crow South, a mother embarks on a crusade for justice. Based on the true story of Emmett Till and his fearless mother, whose actions helped spawn the Civil Rights Movement.
Critics’ consensus: Women of the Movement enlivens the tragedy of Emmett Till with solid storytelling and a deeply moving pair of performances by Adrienne Warren and Cedric Joe.
Number 56: The Girl From Plainville – binge now
Inspired by real events, The Girl From Plainville sees multiple Critics Choice nominee Elle Fanning take on the role of Michelle Carter, the teenager at the centre of the unprecedented “texting suicide case” following the death of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy, in 2014.
Critics’ consensus: Grounded by a disturbingly powerful performance by Elle Fanning, The Girl from Plainville dramatises a sordid true story with tasteful restraint.
Number 74: The Flight Attendant Season 2 – coming soon; binge Season 1 now
When a flight attendant meets a handsome passenger, she decides to spend a very drunk night with him. But she wakes up in the morning next to a dead body. 2021 Emmy Award Winner.
Critics’ consensus for Season 2: While there’s some turbulence as The Flight Attendant charters a new course, passengers are in safe hands with Kaley Cuoco’s zestful turn and the writers’ knack for satisfying twists.
Number 77: Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty – binge now
Adam McKay (Succession) produces this captivating and controversial HBO series based on the 80’s Los Angeles Lakers becoming the most successful basketball team, and their legacy on and off the court.
Critics’ consensus: Gleefully excessive in both form and function, Winning Time pairs a larger-than-life roster of characters with whiplash style to deliver an absolute slam dunk.
Number 81: Euphoria Season 2 – binge now
Zendaya stars in a dynamic new HBO series that follows a group of high school students as they navigate a minefield of drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship in today’s increasingly unstable world.
Critics’ consensus: As willfully provocative as ever in its second season, Euphoria still isn’t for all tastes – but when its addictive ingredients are mixed just right, the results remain intoxicating.
Number 86: The Gilded Age – binge from 1 August
Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, delivers a mesmerising HBO drama.
Set 1882, a rural girl moves to New York after her father’s death. There, she finds herself entangled in a social war.
Critics’ consensus: Julian Fellowes’ brand of upstairs, downstairs intrigue makes a seamless transatlantic transition in The Gilded Age, with an outstanding cast making the travails of the rich a compelling watch.
Number 93: The Baby – binge from 1 August
In this British comedy-horror from HBO, Natasha is 38 – all her friends have babies, and she’d like one, too.
But when a baby appears on her doorstep, her life is turned upside down.
Where does the baby come from? What does it want?
Critics’ consensus: The Baby’s tone can be as wobbly as a rocking crib, but its audacious nature of comedy and horror deserves to be nurtured.
