Small Prophets Leads Metacritic's Best-Reviewed TV of 2026 With 87
In Metacritic's 2026 assessment of top-rated television, BBC Two's Small Prophets secures the leading position with an impressive Metascore of 87, standing alone above the 85 mark. The series features Pearce Quigley as Michael Sleep, who creates homunculi to foresee the return of his lost partner Clea, portrayed by Michael Palin as his father. It premiered on BBC Two on February 9, 2026, and became available to U.S. audiences via Apple TV on October 7. Three shows share a score of 85: Cupertino (October 8), Bait (March 25), and Tip Toe (May 31, Starz October 2). The Mel Brooks documentary received an 84, while Lord of the Flies, Riot Women, and Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi all scored 83. Sharon Horgan's Youth achieved a score of 82.
Key facts
- Small Prophets holds an 87 on Metacritic's 2026 ranking, the only title above 85.
- Pearce Quigley plays Michael Sleep and Michael Palin plays Brian in Small Prophets, which aired on BBC Two on Feb. 9, 2026, and on Apple TV on Oct. 7.
- Cupertino, Bait, and Tip Toe are tied at 85; Bait premiered March 25, 2026, while Cupertino and Tip Toe reached U.S. audiences in October.
- Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio's two-part Mel Brooks documentary scored 84, the only nonfiction title in the top 10.
- Lord of the Flies, Riot Women, and The Ninth Jedi each hold 83.
- Sharon Horgan created and stars in Youth, which scored 82 after its Sept. 20, 2026 release.
- Avatar: Seven Havens, with Saheli Khan voicing Pavi, closed the top 10 at 82 following its Oct. 9, 2026 debut.
- Metacritic converts published critic reviews to a 100-point scale, weighting outlets by influence, and excludes audience ratings.
Entities
Artists
- Pearce Quigley
- Michael Palin
- Robert King
- Michelle King
- Mike Colter
- Rachel Keller
- Riz Ahmed
- Russell T Davies
- Alan Cumming
- David Morrissey
- Judd Apatow
- Michael Bonfiglio
- Mel Brooks
- Jack Thorne
- William Golding
- Sally Wainwright
- Lorraine Ashbourne
- Amelia Bullmore
- Rosalie Craig
- Tamsin Greig
- Joanna Scanlan
- Sharon Horgan
- Aran Murphy
- Saheli Khan
- Michael DiMartino
- Bryan Konietzko
Institutions
- Metacritic
- BBC
- BBC Two
- BBC One
- Apple TV
- Channel 4
- Starz
- Netflix
- BritBox
- Quartz
- Star Wars: Visions
- Lucasfilm
Locations
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Silicon Valley
- Cupertino
Sources
- Quartz —