Best TV of 2020
TLDR
Update on the Series
It’s taking me too long to write, so it’s going to get shorter. It’s also tough to make sure I’m picking shows from the correct year, as I categorize them by year based on the year I watch them, not when they’re released, so I’m trying to make sure that it’s at least close to the correct year.
Mrs. America
Drama / 9 Episodes / < 30 minutes each
Hulu (as of October, 2023)
This mini-series really dives into the 1970s, and particularly around events and political icons around the Equal Rights Amendment. Dives deep into the history of impactful Americans like Phyllis Schlafly and Gloria Steinem. It’s well acted, intriguing, explores feminism and intersectionality. It has an anthology vibe to it, where some episodes diverge and focus on a secondary or tertiary character, before returning to some of the main characters. Definitely do your follow up research, there are definitely some liberties they’ve taken for the sake of story, but it’s fascinating and a great education kickstart, particularly for men like myself who don’t know as much about feminisim.
You’ll like it if… you wanted to like shows like The Crown or Mad Men. Or if you did like Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It has a lot of political operations intrigue. If you lived through the 70s and recall this era, I’m sure it would also be very interesting for you to see this depicted.
The Great (s1)
Historical Comedy / 10 Episodes / < 30 minutes each
The comedy is dry and ridiculous. Nicholas Hoult stealing the show with his absolutely obscene take on Peter III (which is not Peter the Great), and just is royal chaos and decadence personified. Fact check and do research if you care about the actual history, as events and characters are just haphazardly sewn together for the sake of this “real house”-esque format show. But in an era where often times it feels like plots are boringly regurgitated over and over again, fresh takes based on stranger than fiction history are ripe for content.
You’ll like it if… you like Dickinson and The Favourite (period pieces with very modern and slangy speech) filled with humor and drama, very loosely based on history, more just inspired by characters and events.
After Life (s1)
Comedy Drama / 6 Episodes / < 30 minutes each
Ricky Gervais created, wrote, directed, and is the lead in this black comedy that is full of heart. His wife has passed, and it’s about how he continues living in a small town in England. Wide cast of eccentric townies, as he mopes and tries to find a path forward. Very emotion first, with comedy second. He is pretty excellent in it and the realistic portayal of grief is quite good.
You’ll like it if… you don’t hate Ricky Gervais. I’d say it’s a departure, from his typical dry cheeky comedy, but you still have to like him as a protagonist. It has similar energy to Fleabag, but significantly less punchy, funny, and problematic. This is a more wholesome slower paced community, than the insanity of London.
Mythic Quest (s1)
Comedy / 9-11 Episodes / < 30 minutes each
Following an egomaniac video game creator played by Rob McElhenney, we have a very well written workplace sitcom. With plenty of references for the internet / video game crowd, coupled with criticisms and promotions for modern woke culture, and fantastic cast members like Charlotte Nicdao, Jessie Ennis, Danny Pudi, Caitlin McGee, and F. Murray Abraham. It also has some incredible standalone spin off episodes. And premiering during the pandemic, they added in two brilliant episodes about it that are heartwarming and optimistic.
You’ll like it if… you are obsessed with McElhenney like myself (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia / Welcome to Wrexham). Full of cameos from their usual suspects like David Hornsby (Cricket) and Humphrey Ker. Otherwise you’ll like it if you like shows like Silicon Valley, Community, or Better Off Ted.
The Good Place (s4)
Philosophical Comedy / 14 Episodes / < 30 minutes each
I think it’s amazing that Michael Schur actually used philosophy classes he’s taken and secretly fed them to us in the course of this show. And it is an incredible discussion over the afterlife, heaven and hell, morality, society, etc. Philosophy runs at the core of this show, and I thoroughly enjoyed the final season, even if the final solution for a new afterlife system doesn’t make a lot of sense. But it wrapped up an absolute rollercoaster ride, that was greatly amusing and thought provoking.
You’ll like it if… you like other Schur shows like Parks and Recreation, The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Rutherford Falls. Though this is much less sit-com-y since the situation is constantly changing and characters are not nearly as consistent as the others. It has Community and Rick and Morty vibes too, getting extremely meta, and dealing with much grander things than a half hour comedy show should be tackling. It’s also perfect for the Daily Show or Last Week Tonight crowds. Those are getting news via comedy, this is philosophy via comedy.
Honorable Mentions
Upload (s1), a long form expansion of a Black Mirror episode (San Junipero, one of the highest rated episodes), where your consciousness can be put into the (Amazon) Cloud. Great sci-fi with humor and thought provoking questions for the near future.
Little America (s1), hit or miss episodes, but a few of them are incredible. Sort of has similar vibes of Modern Love or other episodic anthology shows loosely based on real life stories.
Fosse/Verdon, a biopic behind the scenes of Broadway / musicals. It helps if you think Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams are incredible.