Best TV Shows of 2020: An Explosive Year on the Small Screen

‘Well, here we are again. At the end of another year, taking time out of our days to reflect on the 365 days that made us, broke us, and taught us yet another lesson in life…..’

Well, that’s what I would’ve said last year! 2020 is whole different annual beast, don’t ya know? As we’re all aware of by now (hopefully), a ridiculous level of tragic action transpired this year (nearly comical). Since December of last year, we’ve entered into a post-pandemic era; a resurgence in the call for racial injustice made into the mainstream spotlight it always deserved; and the world just watched the historic end of the Trump administration, kicking and screaming (I mean, 11 months ago, the biggest thing happening in my life was geeking out over Parasite’s 5 Oscar wins. Well deserved *wipes a tear*). It’s the impossible task to understand, or condense the events of this year. But among the many themes of discord, change, and awareness brought to our homes in times of caution, quarantine would also spawn a life-raft to keep our heads above lava in fiery fog of 2020. Television (nothing new really). To the horror of movie nerds everywhere, theaters closed up in the great shutdown of the year. But in their places, any and all screens under 70 inches would become host to the most incredible arsenal of content, stretching across an endless row of streaming services (too many to keep track of, truly). This would help us escape from the saturated and sticky topic of death in the air.

Netlfix. Hulu. Disney+. Never in my life have I had so much time to watch stuff (or rather, this year just gave me a good excuse to laze around and tend to my “film studies”). Locking an addict in a room with his substance should be a clinical ‘no-no’, but for me it was a surprisingly productive time time to catch on my 2000+ watchlist.

I’ll be listing 12 of my top shows from a composite month of screen time. This is the 4th year I’ve reflected on the shows that made me laugh and think and cry. But much like the absence of any film festivals this year, I will not be writing about any 2020 movies. 3 months into my quarantine, I realized that TV shows would become my bite-sized brothers in entertainment. To a point, movies just had to go, they had to.

But now, let’s keep this piece nice and sweet and sassy. Top TV shows of 2020… go!

• • •

BEST TV SHOWS OF 2020.

(FX/Hulu)

Woke

Cartoonist Keith Knight’s semi-autobiographical series Woke really is a concise and in-depth look at the rocky social state of America. This hilarious show launches off when New Girl star Lamorne Davis’ nerdy character is racially profiled and tackled by police, a rough event that drastically changes his view on race and reality. And while that premise of this September-series comes not long after the tempest surrounding the murder of George Floyd in May (leading the nation to reckon with its flawed relationship to black Americans), the story really finds ways to use that newfound momentum racial injustice and great comedy to explore police brutality, morality, sexuality, and class in a way that feels intriguingly essential. This series truly reserves parts of itself for everyone, and really runs with so much more than I can write in this small space. And a talent-infested cast of comics (including Sasheer Zamata, Blake Anderson, and T. Murph) are an essential support for this show’s tone

.My view? With brilliant ‘dramedies’ like Atlanta, or Master of None, we are blessed with the opportunity to learn, and occasionally laugh at each others’ experiences. And for that. we’ll be a better, smarter, and more empathetic people. Read full review here.

Woke is currently streaming on Hulu.

(Lucasfilm/Disney)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 6

For anyone in the late oughts, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was a perfect exploration of the franchise's signature action-packed storylines, helping fans, new and old, to heal from several cringey years of semisweet prequels. This seventh and final season, streaming on Disney+, came as welcome surprise to fans following a strange conclusion/hiatus way back in 2014.

This animated treasure trove of stories exploring the Clone Wars-era of the franchise, drops viewers near the end of the Clone Wars, leading to what 'warsies' (Star Wars fans) know as the fall of the Republic, and the Jedi Order with it, as seen in Revenge of the Sith (geeking out hard bro!). The final adventures between Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex ensue, as deadly conspiracies begin surfacing from all corners of the galaxy, and tell of a newly awoken evil. 

The first episodes of the season begin by giving viewers a nostalgiac splash of campy, kiddish joy via classic character reveals, shootouts, and snark in the midst of battle. But as the series continues, the story really to starts to take charge of ending and preserving the legacy of this sub-mammoth of pop culture. Great writing and design continue to compliment the journeys, adding even more pieces to the puzzle of Darth Vader's and The Empire's origins (too much geek now?).

Pure emotion and reverence overwhelm at the finale episode, faithfully concluding the series' 7-season narrative, reluctantly laying way for a ridiculous number of Star Wars spinoffs in making (like 7 at least, right?). I'm beyond thankful that Disney gave this series of my childhood a splendid sendoff, closing another chapter of the war among the stars... but at what cost i think? 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is currently streaming on Disney+.

(Hulu)

High Fidelity

A bittersweet *slap* meets my cheek with this TV reboot of the classic 2000 John Cusack-led comedy High Fidelity. Though this same-name series was cancelled only after this pilot season (disappointing many fans), it’s 100% worthy of a celebration for this single chapter. This reincarnation is led by a fantastically-blah and charming Zöe Kravitz, who plays a sarcastic record shop owner from Brooklyn, Rob. Like the source material, Kravitz reaches through the 4th wall to take the audience on a fun, nostalgic waltz, walking down a list of her ‘Top 5 Ex’s’. While holding many similarities to the film, this show takes a broad leap to become its own charming showcase of timeless music (the soundtrack is supreme!), and the never-ending struggle that can be ‘relationship’

The series digs into a really heartfelt story about romantic crisis hitting someone pre-midlife, following Rob, who has built interior structures to prevent anymore heartbreak, often to her own loss. A mix of guilt and narcissism launch her on more than few cringey encounters, with whom she has her friends to aid on the way (example: buddy Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a light that shines in all shades of color and wit, and was definitely an appropriate highlight for any viewer).

Besides making the audience wanna own an old record store in Brooklyn (well…me), this nicely-paced series was among the most savory pieces of TV this year (I didn’t finish it until recently cause I was afraid to finish it!). Inspite of a weaker-rather-than-stronger finale, it did not deserve the chair. RIP...

High Fidelity is currently steaming on Hulu.

(HBO)

I May Destroy You

(Struggled to keep this one short) Objectively one of the most chatted-about shows of 2020, I May Destroy You is a world-shattering and inexplicably raw look at sexual exploitation in the modern world. A crucial watch if there ever was one. Through the lens of creator and star of the series, Michaela Coel, we follow as her alter-ego, Arabella, wastes her writing nights away at parties, only to finish one night by finding herself coming out of a blackout. She has barely a memory of what happened, but in the coming days, a series of flashbacks and deja vu’s quickly lead her to piece together that she was brutally drugged and raped. As the confusion and disbelief set in, her sibling-like friends start to form a ‘comfort campaign’, while and the police department begin the hunt for her attacker. But a mess of PTSD, anger, and pain cause Arabella to go on a desperate search for peace and meaning, most of where there is none.

Based on Coel’s own experience with rape, this is TV that puts away the textbook of what you hear about sexual crime on the news, and just sits and listens to the perspective of the survivor. More and more shows are starting to tackle this subject (Unbelievable, Sex Education, etc.). But perhaps none demystify sexual assault as impressively as this BBC/HBO production.

Coel is an absolutely brilliant character, whose humor, bright disposition, and trauma tether the audience to follow her story every single step of her way.

And while sexual crime is a main discussion here, the series is simultaneously a grand showcase of the gorgeous, fluid spectrum that is sexuality. By connecting viewers on the more familiar levels of straightness or queerness (among other identities), the spotlight then can move swiftly upon the audience’s world. This show really is a premier “education” on the scope of sex and consent, establishing the key boundaries by exposing minute predatory, objectifying, or manipulative behaviors in our own lives. And by being forced to reflect on our own conduct, we are made much more aware, and grateful lot.

I May Destroy You is many, many things (too great to summarize, really). But at its end, this show becomes a bold and delicate story of healing. What starts out as Arabella’s impossible hunt for her rapist, morphs into an interior journey of self-reckoning and resolution. Relationships become more important to asses than ever, and painting yourself in an irreversible process. And the fact that Michaela Coel can somehow manage to make this a comedy too (I promise, it’s very funny)? Wow. I’m done.

I May Destroy You is currently streaming on HBO Max and BBC One.

(FX/Hulu)

Ramy, Season 2

Last year, Ramy took audiences for an unprecedented dive into the life of a young Muslim-American man, as he struggled to evenly blend the world he loved with his true desire to be a “good Muslim”. Creator Ramy Youseff (like many of the shows on this list) draws inspiration from his own life to give an authenticity that makes this FX series especially visceral.

This second season finds Ramy at spiritual rock-bottom, after returning from a soul-search in Egypt that ended in a ‘not-so-hot’ manner. His sense of guilt feeds into his stress-eating, which feeds into laziness, clashing with his ambitions to act, thus giving way to (you guessed it) more guilt. Feeling like he’s not part of his Islamic community, nor the America outside the mosque, despite his best intentions, he awkwardly struggles with this absence of identity, which he attempts to fill with sex and porn, but to no avail. But when Ramy is told to meet with a sheikh, a scholar of the Islamic faith, he returns to his local mosque to meet with the soulful Sheikh Malik (played flawlessly by Mahershala Ali). And when the two opposites agree to make a spiritual bond of full trust, Ramy’s priority becomes remaining pure, committed, and proving the depth of his faith to his new mentor.

Personally, I formed an intimate connection to this show, in two vivid ways. One, is watching a part of my Muslim heritage (though Iranian, not Egyptian) on-screen. Seeing the hardships of an immigrant living in America, and connecting with familiar mannerisms from my life was fascinating, and I was just exposed to so many more. And the second is that of ‘faith’. Growing up Christian, I really identified with that sense of morality, accountability, and awareness you feel for yourself. (Without excessive details) Just the knowledge that there is a higher being does a whole swirl of good-bad __to your head (guilt, character, doubt, empathy, etc.). I had always wondered what it would be like to grow up Muslim. But now I realize there more similarities than I thought, and that drive to be a kind person is at the core of most religions around (really need to research more).

And for a hurting world 20 years past the trauma of 9/11, perhaps the type of blunt purity Ramy oozes for Muslims everywhere is just the sort of necessary “conversation” most of us never held. In the face of prejudice, this series demystifies many of the myths and legends thrown upon Islam because of its evil branch of Jihadism.

Anyway, Ramy Youseff’s venture to uncover the uncomfortable issues that society often steps over (people with PTSD, disabilities, mental health issues, and much more) continues at full speed with shows like Atlanta and Master of None. The show’s view at Islam is upped a whole new octave, as our underdog character must break out of his guilt trip to find peace and sufficiency within himself, and only himself (longwinded I am, there we go).

(Lucasfilm/Disney)

The Mandalorian, Season 2

Correct, this is the second Star Wars entry on this list (chill). I gave most of my huffing fan energy to the The Clone Wars earlier, but let’s give it a go.

Gaining worldwide attention with its pilot debut last year, Disney+’s The Mandalorian is back for epic seconds, as mysterious bounty hunter Mando continues traveling the universe to constantly fix his ship, cash in old favors, and protect his new son ‘Baby Yoda’. (I know it’s not Yoda. His name is Grogu. Chill). But the adorable green creature and internet meme is still sought after by what remains of then falling Empire, with a cunning Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) to lead the sinister charge.

I went in depth about the show’s incredible cinematic scale and level of design last season, and I’m glad to report that nothing has grown stale. Besides perhaps the ridiculous number of convenient, last minute rescues from doom, it’s an exciting spectacle to behold, and pure cute-fest whenever Baby Yoda enters the picture.

My feelings for the Star Wars franchise extend to all of its spinoff, sequel, and prequel offsprings. This is basically quality porn for Star Wars fans, with iconic character reveals, alien creatures, and galactic dogfights as real and thrilling as they come. Now to marathon-watch in chronological order…a 2nd time (That’s around 169 hours for all content)! Read the review of last season here.

The Mandalorian is currently streaming on Disney+.

.

(Amazon Studios)

Dave

A show about a white rapper in 2020 requires a lot more than just dropping a few beats and spittinn’ hot bars (I apologize in advance for the ‘whiteness’ of that statement). But Lil’ Dicky (yes, Lil’ Dicky) is up to the task of dismantling any prejudiced entitlement in the situation with his awkward, kiddish charm, and he thinks it’s time you knew him by his government name. FX’s Dave is a semi-autobiography written by the rhythmically talented, neurotic, mop-topped man of the hour, Dave Burd (aka Lil’ Dicky). We follow the 30-something Jewish rapper from Philly as he tries to launch a full-blown career off the massive success of his comic Youtube rhymes. But as he begins moving up the ladder, coming face-to-face with some of the biggest names in the music, Dave must remember to reign in his sizable ego some, to make room for the goofy band of friends and family who helped made him who he is (a talented group of wierdos including the likes of Andrew Santino, Travis “Taco” Bennet, and GaTa).

Unlike some of the very outgoing, socially-explorative comedies on this list, this show centers on Dave and his naive, Seinfeld-esque remarks on life, relationships, and carrots (the man does not like carrots!). It’s a riotous thing to watch this nerdy white dude enter rap culture (almost like watching the underdog try to make friends on the first day of school). But our empathetic laughter is balanced out when we see Dave has serious bars, and a vulnerable voice authentic enough to make a mark someplace sorta new.

The show exhibits great style, art, and music, and feels like a colorful intro to present American pop-culture (I sometimes feel like I’m not of the earth unless I’m constantly exploring or being immersed in my generation). Cringy moments, big mansions, back-acne, friendship, ambition, and (well) a ‘lil’ dicky’ are all part of the strange, alternate-universe deep dive into Dave Burd’s journey to reinvent himself as a defining hip-hop artist. A classically lame, but equally awesome origin story, Dave is an unconventional and hysterical twist on rap culture, that celebrates creativity and passion in a way that makes you wanna start rapping for a job (not as easy as it looks though).

Dave is currently streaming on FX and Hulu.

(Netflix)

Ozark, Season 3

Any show about drug dealing in the name of family almost definitely aims to be the next Breaking Bad (in fact, it sounds like a ripoff). However, the depressed bluey grays of Netflix’s acclaimed family, money-laundering drama Ozark return for a third season to erase that notion, and continue to carve out a glum, but thrilling corner for itself.

The messy spiderweb of greed and blood resume between The Byrde Family and their business partners as Marty and Wendy (played Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) struggle everyday to prove to their cartel head boss, Navarro, they’re worth keeping around. And for the first time, the couple begins hitting rock when their distorted marriage starts making them slow enemies. Throw in a cartel war, Kansas mob families, and the FBI into the mix, and your set for a heart-bursting tale of tension straight outta Missouri.

This season packs the gusto of the first, and continues on last's  track of immersive time and dialogue with our characters. The Emmy-winning Julia Garner has grown so much since season numero uno, and endures as an entrancing presence in the show. And among the many morally blurred issues the show manages to cover to a gritty point,we receive a new crushing look at mental illness in this chapter (an issue of growing importance to portray in TV and cinema).

And while this show classifies as true quality entertainment, maybe Ozark can count for some perspective on our situation this year. Sure, our lives are upside down, and we're all trying to get up from couches in time for New Year's, but at least lives don't hang at the mercy of a cartel boss. Yay, positivity...?

Ozark is currently streaming on Netflix.

(FX/Hulu)

The Boys, Season 2

We’re always down to see a good old fight between the forces of good and evil, right? Well, the moral compass becomes a little foggier (and bloodier) with Eric Kripke’s tele-adaptionThe Boys taking us for another gritty run around the block. In an explosive second season, we follow up with our oddball group of vigilantes, The Boys (obviously), whose sole quest is now taking down Vought International (a sinister, Avenger-esque superhero corporation), it’s unaccountable “heroes”, and a new product that poses a massive danger to the world the company claims to protect. The group’s suicide mission gets less chances by the second as ‘super terrorists’ are added to the laundry list of obstacles, not to mention an unpredictable Homelander (basically evil superman, played by Antony Starr) hot on their tail.

This series really goes above and beyond being any ‘parody of a Marvel movie’. The good-bad characters, a version of Earth hosting tri-daily bloodbaths, and sarcasm where it shouldn’t be; all of that digs the series’ claws even deeper into viewers, instating itself as a unique, funny, empathetic, and thrilling event in TV.

Starr’s ominous performance as the all-American psychopath super is so erratic and just feels truly scary (like when you’re father calls you into his study…and he’s wearing a fat, leather belt). It’s fascinating the human contrast the writers attempt to draw from celebrities with mental-illness/abuse problems. Thinking of stars like Britney Spears, or Johnny Depp, having the superpowers to fry/crush you in a heated moment becomes a frightening and invincible picture of villainy indeed.

The potent character development in this season is really delicious (good), and the fast-paced story will have you sitting on razor blades until the last second. Did I mention the show is friggin’ bloody (maybe don’t eat chili while watching this)!

The Boys is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

(Apple TV+)

Ted Lasso

In a year where so much has gone wrong, what’s wrong getting a little enjoyment out of watching someone else’s hardship (answer: none)? One of Apple TV+’s hottest originals, Ted Lasso is a down-to-earth comedy series about soccer, football, and the fact that those two things constantly get confused (keep reading, por favor). The show follows Ted Lasso (played by SNL alum Jason Sudeikis), an American college football coach, who is suddenly recruited to lead an Premier League football team in England (mind the national difference). The middle-aged, happy-go-lucky Southerner and his right-hand-man, Coach Beard fly blindly into a British city that straight up hates them. Even Lasso’s new team can be heard poking fun behind his back. But in spite of heavy doubt he receives from his players, the press, and even the team’s president, the giddy caricature of a man begins with the first step in his trademark style of leadership: kindness. And with Lasso’s sights set on victory, perseverance, and fun time, the messy football team starts to make an odd comeback to glory.

I was never a huge fan of sports films, or soccer for that matter, but I never heard of a non-doc show that centered around soccer. So upon checking the show, I was hit with a bombshell of upbeat hope that all felt realistic (proper leadership and encouragement can lead to such outcomes). Though it feels a little formulaic mid-season, it is a lovely, optimistic selection, perfect for such a downer, shit year as this. I’m smiling.

Ted Lasso is currently streaming on Apple TV+.

(FX/Hulu)

What We Do in the Shadows, Season 2

Vampires. Virgins. Virgin-vampire-wannabes. What We Do in the Shadows returns with all of the ancient wack for another comic bloodletting with Staten Island’s quirkiest group of (blood)suckers. We follow up with neurotic vamps Nandor, Nadja, Lazlo, Colin, and their familiar Guillermo, as ghosts and witches and anything under the sunlight keep annoying the routines of these immortals. But in the background, things start changing as Guillermo’s accidental Dracula-killing habits start to become a desperate secret to keep, in a house with thin, sticky walls. What shall he do?

A lovely spinoff of their 2014 indie mockumentary of the same name, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi continue to explore riveting ideas through TV, like “what happens when a vampire thinks its email is haunted?”, or “do vampires have a bucket list”. But no matter how big either of these Kiwis and/or their work gets, their acute dedication to animating the most absurd and peculiar ideas remains the same, and is how and how and why their work just sticks out. Watching immortal beasts of legend hilariously interact with the modern world is literally an endless comedy premise to mine, and is also my new pastime now.

For a show having joined the high ranks of FX, the tone and production quality still resemble that of a charming, low-budget festival film. Documentarian parody, deliciously-awkward rooms, and a delightful character appearance from the versatile Mark Hamill really make this a playfully surreal show, that only feels possible in the proportions of childlike imagination, via the genius of the Humourbeasts. Thanks guys!

What We Do in the Shadows is currently streaming on FX and Hulu.

(Hulu)

The Great

Have people wanted a hilarious, adult satire covering the history of one of Russia’s finest rulers? Well, I don’t know. But that’s what this is. From the co-writer of the Oscar-nommed period dramedy, The Favourite, Tony McNamara’s The Great is an “occasionally true” series based on the 18th-century empress, Catherine the Great.

Played by the ever-sweet commander of the screen, Elle Fanning, Catherine is a bubbly Disney princess type from Poland, fantasizing about true love en route to a blind marriage with a basic stranger, Russia’s emperor at the time, Peter III (Nicholas Hoult). Though the world still looks bright through her rose-colored glasses. That is until reality, quite literally, is shoved up her ‘cooch’. Catherine quickly discovers Peter to be an immature, sex-crazy, (hilariously) self-involved leader, of a petty and uneducated people. Catherine wishes to teach her new people of the art and literature that she brings from the West. But after a quick veto from Peter, Catherine must devise a more clever way to sway her husband and the Russian people with him.

From now on, any period drama without quirky costumes, awkward humor, and basic color are are shunned from my sight (*cough cough* Downton Abbey). This show feels like The Favorite before it died, and reminds me of the recent Emma., but with actual direction. Migrating from Poland, this story feels like a “first day of school” type, the royal entourages filling the room with sweet slander and ego. I’m kinda loving this new step into ‘historical flexibility’ (with recent films like Bridgerton), casting people of all colors and adding outlandish dialogue that creates a new area of richness I look forward to seeing more of (for those who whine about historical accuracy, we’re having fun now, go make your own movie. There are enough stale Victorian-era tales for another millennium.).

Though being part of an endearing sub-genre of ‘historical parodies’ that bend “the old days” at slightly peculiar angles (Death of Stalin, Jojo Rabbit, etc.), this show is a celebration of Catherine the Great’s noble dedication to educating and caring for her adopted people. This tongue-in-cheek hybrid of Hulu makes for a colorful bit of feminist joy

Besides the fact that the show is set in the midst of a small-pox epidemic (ok, familiar…), this tongue-in-cheek is creative exchange between past and present, and makes for a colorful bit of feminist joy this year on Hulu. Huzzah!

The Great is currently streaming on Hulu.

RUNNER UPS.

• The Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (Season 6)

• Dorohedoro

• The Good Place (Season 4)

• Scissor Seven 

• Hilda

• GLOW (Season 3)

• High Score 

• Homemade

• • •

CONCLUSION.

I have a lot more comedies here than I thought, ha (it sure is my lifeline tonic). Anyway, what a mouthful, huh? A lot of couch time went into this all, believe you me. Hopefully you found something you liked, or read something that connected? Something. Plenty more where this all came from.

In fact, sharing time: I have watched exactly 165 films and have been active with about 44 shows (either finishing, starting, or rewatching) just since lockdown started in March. I have had A LOT of time to watch things (so much so that my main decision now isn’t whether I’ll watch something at all, but when I’ll need to stop). And looking forward into the New Year, it’s more than safe to claim that 2021 will be one of the most exciting years for TV in a while. Loki, The Lord of the Rings, Wandavision, and The Boondocks are some of the new series dropping next year with critical await, while established shows like Barry, Atlanta, Stranger Things, Succession, Ozark, and Ted Lasso will returnto give audiences a range of emotions not even worth guessing (let’s wait and see).

So, it’s the last day of 2020….it’s the last day of 2020….it’s the last day of 2020!! I’m heroically fighting the urge to write a salty memorandum to 2020, like I do with the other years, and the 2010s. But all I really need to say is celebrate. Don’t throw a party to celebrate the end of corona, or the death of racism (these are still things we need to actively be engaged and aware of. But kick back with a root beer (that’s like every day), look back on an awful year of sickness, death, pestilence, murder, war, and political corruption, and recognize that you are alive! And you still have some people sticking around who care for you. After that drink though, be ready. There’s a whole bunch to do (or not do. That’s kinda what quarantine is). Anyway, I’ll make myself cry if I continue. Happy New Years’, hope you got some good Christmas presents. Talk later. Cheers! *CLINK*

And Fuck Tiger King !! Just had to say it (never watching that. Ever).