Top 10 TV Shows of 2021
Television Overload
In 2021, you could feel television claiming the crown of entertainment’s top dog. Even movies were on our TV’s this year!!!!
And damn there were a lot of shows. The cultural conversation became fractured as people fall into their niches and the algorithms keep each person topped up with more of what they like. Yet every once in a while something breaks away from the pack and we have something to talk about at the water cooler again.
The MCU entered the fray and we have a bunch of incumbents trying to get that Game of Thrones mindshare before its many spin-offs hit our screens again.
On to the shows.
Honorable Mentions: Reservation Dogs, We Are Lady Parts, It’s a Sin
10 — How to with John Wilson
The most unique show on the list is often the most affecting. Each episode is a visual essay with John Wilson’s awkward voice-over describing his experience learning about a strange subject. The episodes usually often divert down side rabbit holes and are all overlaid with bizarre footage of New York that serve as hilarious site gags.
9 — Squid Game
This import from South Korea has story elements we recognize from Western franchises, but is created with with an artful and meticulous sheen. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk spent years working on this story and it shows with its tightly wound plot with deeply human characters. Squid Game was also a mega-smash that is becoming harder to find in our fractured TV landscape.
8–100 Foot Wave
This docuseries follows Garrett McNamara’s relentless quest to ride the world’s largest wave over a span of 40 years. McNamara’s obsession leads him to establish a community in Nazare, Portugal and connecting big wave riders from across the world. 100 Foot Wave is the story of a man on a mission where danger and adrenaline is the fuel that drives him. The story is beautiful and the cinematography of the ocean is entrancing.
7 — The Great
Criminally underrated, The Great continues to explore Catherine the Great’s story with wit and razor sharp language. Its two leads, Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, are amongst the most engaging and dynamic actors on the small screen. The production design and costuming continue to be a thing of beauty. Make this your next period piece to dive into.
6 — White Lotus
The product of Covid lockdown, Mike White locks people away in paradise to let their true selves lay bare. White explores race and privilege with sincerity and empathy to create a nuanced story where there is no right answer. You love and hate every character and only want to spend more time with them by the time it’s all over.
5—Mare of Easttown
On the outside, Easttown is a dark backwards place where dreams go to die. But throughout the course of a season, you learn the inner workings of the people that inhabit this world, who are all affected by tragedy. It’s a show that rises out of the darkness with hope. Mare of Easttown is surprisingly funny and features some of the best performances all year.
4 — Hacks
This dromedy pairs a canceled Millennial writer with a successful, yet washed up Joan Rivers-esque comedian. The mean-spirited dialogue masks the characters pain, and the friendship and bond that forms is touching. Hacks is the perfect formula of commenting on the generational divide and female empowerment while being incredibly funny.
3 — Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins is simply unmatched as a visual storyteller. Underground Railroad is an achievement that is among the most overwhelming pieces of media I’ve seen all year. The cinematography combined with Nicholas Britell’s score creates a vibe that is transporting. Each episode is a contained story in a new state as Cora makes her way North escaping slavery and her past. The episodes are mini-essays commenting on a different aspect of slavery and the black experience that runs from uplifting to extreme brutality and violence. Underground Railroad is an accomplishment not to be missed.
2 — Succession
The best ensemble cast on television returns with its pitch perfect marriage of high-intensity drama and sharp-tongued wit. Creator Jesse Armstrong’s outsider mentality somehow allows him to articulate American politics and business back to us. It’s fucking funny as hell and you learn to love each of these horrible people. Season 3 gives youngest son Roman a great arc, and leaves the audience on the edge of the seat for another year.
1 — The Beatles: Get Back
I thought I knew the Beatles until I was able to be a fly on the wall in the studio with them for these joyous eight hours. Peter Jackson embraces the philosophy that more is more, and serves up the Let it Be session in all its messy glory. The calendar as a framing device helps keep the chronology and pressure in mind for the viewer. The rest is pure Paul, John, George, and Ringo. There is so much to say, but it’s all there for you to view yourself. One thing I can’t get out of my head is a universe in which Billy Preston becomes the true fifth Beatle and goes on to help create more music with the lads. Get Back is a pure joy and I look forward to revisiting again.
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Thanks for reading :)
