Television Reviewers & the Publications That Cover the Medium
The writers and outlets who watch everything, argue about all of it, and tell you what’s actually worth your time.
Journalists and critics whose bylines to seek out — from daily reviewers at the big papers to independent voices with newsletters and personal sites.
One of TV’s most widely read critics. Was chief TV critic at Rolling Stone from 2018 to 2025 and built a devoted following through years of in-depth episode recaps at HitFix and previously NJ.com. Now writes independently. Co-author with Matt Zoller Seitz of TV (The Book).
Visit site →Senior TV critic at Vulture and editor-in-chief of RogerEbert.com. One of the most literary voices in American criticism, equally at home with long-form essays and sharp daily reviews. Co-author of TV (The Book) with Alan Sepinwall.
Visit Vulture →Critic at large at Vox, where she has written about television with exceptional range and rigour. A prolific presence across prestige drama, genre TV, and animation. Formerly known as Emily VanDerWerff; also a TV writer and author.
Visit Vox →TV critic at The New Yorker from 2011 to 2019 and now a staff writer there. Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism — the first time the prize was awarded primarily for television criticism. Author of I Like to Watch.
Visit site →Chief TV critic at The Hollywood Reporter since 2015 and former president of the Television Critics Association. Also hosts THR’s weekly TV podcast, TV’s Top 5, with Lesley Goldberg. Known for measured, in-depth analysis of prestige and genre series.
Visit profile →Chief TV critic at The New York Times. Brings a sharp cultural and political lens to television coverage, tracking how the medium reflects — and shapes — American life. Author of Audience of One, about Donald Trump and television.
Visit NYT →TV critic at The New York Times, known for writing with wit and warmth about everything from peak prestige cable dramas to reality television and comedies. A perceptive and approachable voice for readers figuring out what to watch next.
Visit NYT →Veteran TV critic formerly at The Hollywood Reporter and the San Francisco Chronicle. Now writes independently via his Bastard Machine Substack newsletter, with thousands of subscribers. Known for contrarian takes and a deep knowledge of TV history.
Visit Substack →TV critic for NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross for decades, and one of the most experienced voices in American television journalism. Also founder of TVWorthWatching.com and author of multiple books on TV history. A tireless champion of the medium’s best work.
Visit NPR →Staff TV critic at Vulture with an academic background in television studies. Writes with unusual rigour about how TV storytelling works and what it means culturally. One of the most thoughtful analytical voices currently writing about the medium.
Visit Vulture →TV critic at Vulture covering a wide range of drama, comedy, and limited series. Formerly with the Washington Post. Known for sharp, readable criticism that takes popular entertainment seriously without losing sight of what makes it fun.
Visit Vulture →TV and culture critic at the Washington Post. Brings a rich intellectual perspective to the paper’s TV coverage, writing with particular insight about the relationship between narrative television and the broader cultural moment.
Visit Washington Post →Longtime TV critic at the Washington Post who retired from the beat in 2020. Known for his wry, humanistic style and ability to find deep meaning in middlebrow television. His holiday TV reviews were an annual institution. A generous and idiosyncratic critic.
Visit archive →Former chief TV critic at Variety, previously at the Chicago Tribune and HitFix. Author of Burn It Down (2023), a book about Hollywood’s workplace culture that won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2024. A passionate advocate for better TV and better industry conditions.
Visit Variety →TV and film critic at RogerEbert.com, where he writes prolific and thoughtful reviews spanning prestige streaming, broadcast network dramas, and limited series. A reliable daily voice covering far more of the TV landscape than most individual critics.
Visit RogerEbert.com →The essential destinations for TV criticism — from trade publications and newspapers to independent review sites and culture verticals.
New York Magazine’s entertainment arm. Home to some of the best TV criticism being written today, with multiple dedicated TV critics and rapid coverage of prestige and streaming television.
vulture.com →Essential trade publication for the film and TV industry. TV reviews by Daniel Fienberg carry significant awards-season weight. Covers every major new show at press-screening time.
hollywoodreporter.com →The other indispensable trade. Variety’s TV reviews are authoritative reads ahead of new seasons and serve as primary references in the awards-season conversation.
variety.com →TV coverage from James Poniewozik and Margaret Lyons, among others. The Times’ TV reviews carry wide cultural authority, especially for broadcast and mainstream streaming hits.
nytimes.com →Strong TV criticism tradition, including years of work by Hank Stuever and now Lili Loofbourow. The Post’s TV section covers everything from network staples to prestige streaming.
washingtonpost.com →Strong focus on prestige, independent, and international television. IndieWire’s TV criticism covers the awards-contending end of the dial with seriousness and depth.
indiewire.com →Long-running pop culture criticism site that pioneered the episodic TV recap format. Covers a wide range of TV from mainstream to niche with a knowledgeable and irreverent voice.
avclub.com →Founded to continue Roger Ebert’s critical legacy, now a full-scale review site covering TV extensively. Edited by Matt Zoller Seitz; Brian Tallerico is the primary TV critic.
rogerebert.com →Home of Emily Nussbaum’s landmark TV column for nearly a decade. Long-form, essay-driven television criticism in the grand literary tradition. The standard for thoughtful engagement with the medium.
newyorker.com →David Bianculli’s platform on Fresh Air and NPR’s arts section. Accessible, intelligent TV coverage for a mainstream public-radio audience. Bianculli’s year-end lists are widely cited.
npr.org →Independent music, film, and TV outlet with a strong roster of TV critics and a reputation for championing overlooked shows. Publishes ranked lists and in-depth seasonal roundups.
pastemagazine.com →Essential trade news site for the TV industry. Less known for criticism than for breaking news, but its awards-season coverage and pilot reviews are closely watched by industry insiders.
deadline.com →The TCA is the professional organisation for North American TV critics — newspaper, magazine, and web writers who cover television full-time. It organises the annual TCA Press Tour, where networks present upcoming programming, and presents the TCA Awards each year. Membership is a recognised mark of professional TV criticism.