10 Best New TV Shows Of 2018

4. Barry

Barry Bill Hader
HBO

At last, a full showcase for ALL of Bill Hader's talents, and not just his comedic sensibilities, hilarious as they are. Hader stars in this series as the titular Barry, a low-rent, Mid-west hitman who moves out to LA for a contract, but ends up finding genuine acceptance and friendship within the local theatre circuit.

Created by Hader alongside Alec Berg (Seinfeld, Silicon Valley), it succeeds in being one of the funniest series of the year thanks to their combined talents, plus those of the rest of the cast (including a stellar return for Henry Winkler). There are moments when it works as a dark comedy, especially given the nature of Barry's job, but then there are some more absurd, laugh-out-loud gags within the theatre scenes.

The show works best, however, when bringing both of these strands together. The two very distinct worlds colliding not only generates laughs, but is where the series finds a genuine sense of tragedy too, and where Hader delivers his strongest, most riveting work.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.