Like many people I spent a lot of time watching TV in 2020. As such, I wanted to start a new tradition by documenting my top shows of the year to go along with my best albums list. Like with music, there was so much TV to consume that I couldn't get through it all (so don't @me fans of Lovecraft Country, Normal People and The Mandalorian...I'm getting to those, I promise). But of the many that I did manage to finish, below are my favorites. Enjoy.
1. The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)
The Queen's Gambit is a flat out masterpiece. Cinematic, engrossing and stunning to look at. Never has chess seemed so intense, a great testimony to the performance by Anya Taylor-Joy, who spends a lot of time by herself - commanding the screen in every moment in every way.
This docuseries was a meme-generating life saver that came near the start of the pandemic lockdown. It was also a source of many entertaining text exchanges among my friends. Filled with juicy details we never knew, it provided a rewarding trip down memory lane and was every bit as good as advertised.
I thought this might be a bit too silly after seeing the promos. Boy was I wrong. Ted Lasso is a sneaky good comedy that gets all the details right (including several endearing hip hop references). Jason Sudeikis gives a comedic masterclass here, embodying Coach Lasso with heart, humanity and boundless hilarity.
The subject matter is dark but I May Destroy you never comes off as such. The writing, filmmaking style and effortless chemistry between the actors at the heart of this dramedy gives it a feeling of warmth and intimacy that makes it seem like you are always in the room with them. I expect nothing but more greatness to come from Michaela Coel.
There was never a dull moment on Ozark season 3 (the most intense one yet) as Marty Byrde and clan burrowed even deeper into the world of drug cartels and dirty money, all while somehow managing to elude both the law and meeting an untimely demise.
The plot is somewhat hard to follow on Industry since there’s probably too much going on for anybody to keep up with (including insane amounts of sex and illicit drug use). But each scene is riveting and expertly designed to draw you into the wild lives of these ambitious young investment bankers.
High Fidelity is one of my all-time favorite books and movies. So no one was more surprised than me that the TV series, powered by a charismatic performance from Zoe Kravitz, was able to live up to, and maybe even surpass, the source material.
No television conventions were broken on Love Life, it's just a funny, well-acted, well-told story about a young woman in New York searching for true love and failing in many creative ways. If you are into that type of thing, then you will find a lot to enjoy about Love Life.
Betty is a beautiful little series where not much happens. Just a quiet, meandering glimpse into the lives of an impossibly cool crew of city kids with skate boards and a lot of time on their hands.
- A. P. Bio (Peacock) - Not your average bad teacher show
- Cheer (Netflix) - Better than it has any right to be
- Briarpatch (USA) - Rosario Dawson is in this (and some stuff happens)
- The Undoing (HBO) - Checks all the boxes for a classic crime thriller
- Dave (FX) - Cringe worthy comedy at its finest
