THE BEST OF 2025 - The Best TV Of The Year

 

THE BEST OF 2025 - The Best TV Shows of The Year

- Sometimes, you've got to admit ... the old ways were better. There's a lot that feels sort of broken about TV as we close out 2025. Despite industry contraction, it still feels like too many series are lost amidst a glut of too-much-content. No one knows where to find anything, when things premiere, or what's worth actually devoting time to. The lack of a shared culture means that everyone stays in their own little internet and social media bubble, with all but the most devoted pop-culture consumers (i.e. me) hopelessly lost when it comes to finding the good stuff.

 

Perhaps that's why Pluribus felt so welcome this year. At least in part. Here was a new series from one of the most reliable TV creators of the last 30 years in Vince Gilligan. It was airing one new episode per week, as the TV gods intended. And its pacing felt truly episodic - each episode a contained story while also being part of a larger whole. And yet, people still seem to be struggling to grasp things here. Despite Apple TV+ becoming an HBO for the age of streaming (more so than HBO itself) - consistently home to the highest quality TV - a lot of people have yet to take the plunge on the service, because Netflix has become such a monolithic entity. And despite the show's pacing feeling like a balm for anyone who lived through the golden age of Peak Prestige TV, social media is rife with complaints of the show being "too slow." I sense this is a result of shrinking attention spans in the age of YouTube, TikTok, and certain not-to-be-named series that are produced so they can be easily watched while multitasking. 

 

Now, don't get me wrong - there's still plenty of great TV out there, more than any one person (even me!) could possibly watch. There are many series that come highly recommended that I've yet to carve out time for (ex: Death By Lightning, Slow Horses, etc.). But Pluribus was unique in that it was one of the few 2025 series that felt less like a "I might want to watch that" series, and more like an "I *need* to watch that series." Maybe it was the lack of any new episodes of stalwarts like House of the Dragon, Interview With the Vampire, and other delayed shows. Maybe it was the void that dearly departed series like What We Do In the Shadows have left us. Maybe it was that general sense of same-ness that a lot of the big shows have lately. Or maybe it was that certain tentpoles have just sort of worn out their welcome over time. But 2025 did, I think, feel a bit lacking in terms of absolute must-see barn-burners.

 

Of course, there are a lot of big picture issues at play in the TV industry that are worth keeping an eye on. The fate of numerous streamers and cable nets is tied to how things play out in the proposed WB-Netflix deal (with Paramount still potentially looking to play spoiler). But even aside from mergers, something will likely have to give when it comes to all these streamers - as the current volume may prove unsustainable, especially in an increasingly uncertain economy. We're also still in a place where series are delivering fewer episodes, even as the overall number of scripted series declines. This creates a very challenged environment for writers and others who perhaps once thought of TV as the steadiest career in entertainment. And while the conditions that helped prompt the most recent writer's strike haven't improved all that materially, there also remains the looming threat of AI - which just won't go away, despite consumers and viewers largely not seeming all that interested. Of course, another existential question is whether younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers even care about TV anymore. I mean, how can traditional TV, that demands your full attention for 30-60 minutes at a time (gasp!) compete with the allure of algorithmically-driven YouTube and TikTok brain-rot? 

 

I don't know. But what I do know is this: in 2025, that rush of excitement I felt as I looked forward to each new weekly episode of Pluribus? You can't beat that. Same goes for the frantic messages with friends as I watched each new episode of The Rehearsal. Or as the internet lost its collective mind for the evil eyeball monster on Alien: Earth. TV, at its best, is really awesome. And I was happy and grateful for the awesome moments it gave us in 2025.  

DANNY'S TOP TV SHOWS OF 2025:


1. PLURIBUS

-  In Vince Gilligan and team do we trust. From the minds behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul (aka arguably the two greatest TV series of the last twenty years), comes Pluribus - another absorbing, darkly-comedic saga that, in its first season, shows early signs that it, too, could end up as one of the greats. Pluribus blends elements of the aforementioned series with the truth-is-out-there sci-fi of another show that Gilligan worked on: The X-Files. But while the series has its share of mysteries, the real meat here is its characters, and the big-picture questions the show poses about what makes us human. Rhea Seehorn once again crushes it in the lead role, and the show has also quickly made me a huge fan of Karolina Wydra - who really gets to shine in S1's final few eps. Above all, Pluribus has that tangible love for good, old-fashioned *storytelling* that Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul also shared. This is a great yarn, and there's no TV I'm anticipating more than S2 of this show - because the seeds for great stories to come have been so expertly planted. If you're missing that old Peak TV feeling, Pluribus will cure what ails ya'.

2. THE REHEARSAL

-  Somehow, over the course of the last fifteen years or so, the televised journey of Nathan Fielder has become one of the craziest, funniest, and most jaw-dropping sagas we've ever seen play out on our screens. And that's the secret ingredient that makes all of Fielder's TV shows so incredible: at the end of the day, they're all about exploring his hang-ups, his issues, and his insecurities ... in the most darkly hilarious way possible. So yeah, The Rehearsal S2 was ostensibly about Nathan researching ways to make commercial aviation safer. But that was really just an excuse to delve into the deepest, darkest, weirdest parts of Nathan's one-of-a-kind, possibly-an-evil-genius brain. The result was a show like no other, one that left my jaw on the floor on multiple occasions. The Sully episode alone - I mean, holy lord. Iconic.

3. THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES

- Speaking of comedic geniuses ... in 2025 we bade farewell to one of the great comedies of the last several years in The Righteous Gemstones. In doing so, we also wrapped up a trilogy of all-time great TV comedies from Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, and Jody Hill (see also: Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals). The Righteous Gemstones was consistently funny as #%&# while also serving as a ruthless satire of big religion in America. And yet ... one of the keys here was that the Gemstones were never outright villains. As outlandish (and often despicable) as they were, they were multifaceted characters who you couldn't help but root for. This was helped by an all-timer cast of great comic actors, and some of the sharpest and funniest writing around. Let's hope that McBride/Green/Hill have something new up their sleeve for us soon.

4. THE LOWDOWN

-  The Lowdown had me at "hello." I mean, it was the new show from Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo. It had an absolutely stacked cast that included several of my all-time favorite actors - including Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Keith David, Tim Blake Nelson, Tracy Letts, and Peter Dinklage (plus Star Wars: Skeleton Crew standout Ryan Kiera Armstrong). It's a shaggy, noir-tinged mystery, that reminded me a bit of sorely-missed FX series Terriers and a bit of The Big Lebowski. Ethan Hawke did some of his best work ever here in the lead role. And the writing was sharp as a tack - with a spot-on mix of humor and darkness and an ongoing mystery that got me excited for each new episode. Please tell me this is coming back for a second season.

5. SQUID GAME

-  S2 of Squid Game released at the very end of 2024, but I kept considering retroactively adding it last year's list. But between the S2 eps from late last year and the S3 eps that dropped later in 2025, I was totally onboard with the follow-up to the show's masterful first season. I guess not everyone shared my enthusiasm? Well, screw 'em. The finale of Squid Game absolutely rocked, in my opinion. There were great character arcs, huge twists, edge-of-your-seat moments, and some of the most compelling television episodes I've ever seen. And hey, credit to Lee Jung-jae for an iconic lead performance, and to the great Lee Byung-hun as the villainous Frontman. 

6. THE WHITE LOTUS

-  People love to pick apart each new season of The White Lotus - but for my money, no one writes great characters and the conversations they share better than Mike White. I mean, did any other season of TV in 2025 produce more instantly-iconic quotes? White slowly but surely built up S3's momentum to a boiling point, giving us perhaps the most memorable cast of characters we've yet seen on the show. The season was filled with memorable performances from some of our best actors - from Walton Goggins to Parker Posey to Carrie Coon. And over time, the mystery of who our murderer would be and who would get murdered become perhaps the series' best potboiler yet. 

7. KING OF THE HILL

-  I was certainly skeptical when I heard that King of the Hill, the long-running animated 90's/00's series, was coming back in 2025. KoTH is one of my all-time personal favorites, but it seemed like a tough sell for the current era. Happy to be wrong on this one. Mike Judge and team made the brilliant decision to fully acknowledge both the passage of time and the ways in which the world has changed since the show went off the air in 2010. This made for some unexpectedly heartfelt storytelling, as we got to see the relationship between Hank and his now college-age son Bobby really evolve and take on new dimension. And we got to see how Hank's down-home brand of conservatism contrasted with the extremes of the Trump era. It all made for some top-notch TV, and this became one of the best and happiest surprises of 2025.

8. ADOLESCENCE

-  This Netflix miniseries was an absolute tour-de-force. Knowing little about it going in, I was immediately gripped by the central mystery - centered around a middle-school aged boy in the UK who may or may not have murdered his female classmate. But ultimately, the show is less of a mystery and more of a wrenching examination of how toxic masculinity influencers and "men's rights" movements have infected even younger kids - and created a dangerous, volatile environment in schools and a nightmare for parents. The acting here was phenomenal, as was the filmmaking. A total must-watch.

9. POKER FACE

-  I know there were some mixed reviews out there for S2 of Poker Face, but I really, really enjoyed the show's sophomore season (and was incredibly bummed to learn that it seems unlikely to return). Natasha Lyonne continues to be a delight in the lead role here, and so many S2 episodes featured incredible guest star turns - from the likes of Cynthia Erivo, John Mulaney, John Cho, and more. And the show continued to do mysteries better than anyone - with incredibly clever setups and satisfying payoffs and plenty of twists along the way. 

10. THE GREAT NORTH

-  I was heartbroken to hear the news that The Great North got canceled. It felt like the kind of show that could have gone on ad infinitum, because the engine that powered this amazing animated comedy was so strong. But at least we got five seasons of hilarity and heart from this perpetually underrated series. Five seasons of insanely lovable characters, imaginative plots, hilarious jokes, best-in-the-biz voice acting, and a warm look at cold-but-cozy life in Alaska. The Tobin family, to me, is up there with The Simpsons, The Hills, and other iconic animated families. Man, I am going to miss The Great North.

 

The Next Best:


11. THE HANDMAID'S TALE

-  It's amazing to look back at the run of The Handmaid's Tale, and see how things in real-life America, over that several-year-span, slowly and horrifyingly became closer and closer to the fictional world of Gilead. It made watching the final season of the show difficult, at times, because it hit so, so close to home. But the final season ultimately delivered a slam-bang, emotionally-wrenching, satisfying conclusion to the show's epic saga of revolution and revolt. Filled with amazing acting, big moments, and a desperate and resonant warning for all of us here in America.

 

 

12. ANDOR

- I will be somewhat contrarian, perhaps, and say that S2 of Andor didn't quite land for me in the same way as S1. But even so, there was a lot to like here, and this was another show that felt urgent and resonant and timely. Andor leaned in heavily to the politics of the Star Wars universe, creating a lot of poignant parallels with our own real-world situation. But it also featured some amazing drama and gripping action - and several fantastic turns from the likes of Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, and more.

 

 

13. THE STUDIO

- This Apple TV satire of the entertainment industry offered some of the most awkwardly funny cringe-humor this side of Curb Your Enthusiasm. At times, for me, it hit a bit too close to home. And yet, I was ultimately won over by the show, which had a pretty amazing comedic energy and a real sense of style to its filmmaking as well. Seth Rogen and co. really nail a lot about what makes the entertainment industry so maddening and yet so obsession-inducing.

 

14. ALIEN: EARTH

- As a big fan of the Alien franchise, I couldn't wait to see how TV auteur Noah Hawley handled a serialized TV take on this beloved sci-fi IP. And while there were some things that didn't 100% work for me here, overall I really enjoyed the way that Hawley and team captured the aesthetic and vibes of the original Ridley Scott film - while also boldly taking the franchise into uncharted territory. I mean, this show had everything: Xenomorphs, Timothy Olyphant as a badass android, and a gnarly alien eyeball monster. 

15. BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD

-  We all needed a good laugh in 2025, and once again, one of my favorite 90's series brought the hilarity here in 2025. Yep, Mike Judge is the king of the reboots. Because his revived Beavis & Butthead series is as stupidly funny as ever, if not even more so. Few things made me laugh harder this year - whether it was the continued adventures of B&B as teens, or their equally-funny exploits as even more pathetic middle-aged losers. 

16. INVINCIBLE 

 

- Invincible continued to impress with its latest season. I love that the show is so faithful to the original comic book series - particularly when it comes to tone. The series perfectly captures creator Robert Kirkman's unique voice, which is what makes Invincible such a unique blend of epic superhero soap opera and quirky comic book satire. 

 

 

17. BIG MOUTH 

-  Another favorite series that ended in 2025! Make it stop! Big Mouth, Netflix's crude, warts-and-all animated comedy about puberty, closed out its run with a really funny and entertaining final season (its 8th - in Netflix years that's like 17!). The show finally aged up its characters a bit and shook up the status quo, often to very funny comedic effect. And once again, some of the biggest laughs I had in 2025 were as a result of some of Lola's insane lines (as voiced by Nick Kroll).

18. SEVERANCE 

 

- Severance can be sort of an up-and-down show for me, and I thought S2 had some high highs and some, uh, less high lows. But I still greatly admire it for its audacity and ambition, and even though its sci-fi premise can sometimes stretch credibility for me, the show is filled with so many fantastic performances that it's easy to overlook. I mean, Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and so many more ... they all truly deliver and make this show the powerhouse that it is.

 

 

19. THE CHAIR COMPANY

-  Tim Robinson's new foray into scripted, serialized TV was a one-of-a-kind journey down one really insane, oftentimes hilarious rabbit hole. Fairly early on in S1, it became clear that the central mystery was somewhat beside the point. Mostly, The Chair Company was simply a vehicle for Robinson's patented absurdist humor. Although here, that humor was paired with a dark, at times almost Lynch-ian craziness. It mostly worked like gangbusters, and produced some of the year's most memorable and funny TV moments.

 

20. THE PAPER

- As with many of the great sitcoms, I think The Paper went through some growing pains in its first season - solidifying its characters, ironing out its comedic rhythms, figuring out the engine that powers the show. But man, there was so much raw potential here, and so much goodness already on display. The show is technically a spin-off of The Office - but the vibes feel more like Parks & Rec - a goofily optimistic show about bringing a diverse group of people together to do good work.

 

21. THE LAST OF US

 

- The Last of Us S2 was, like S1, incredibly gripping and compelling. It was in a tough position though, because the second game in the series doesn't exactly lend itself to easy adaptation for television - and you could tell that the show was struggling a bit to figure out how best to incorporate the game's parallel storylines. But again, the show delivered some excellent episodes, and I remain very curious as to how the rest of the game is adapted from here. 

22. BLACK MIRROR

 

-  Black Mirror is one of my favorite series of all time, and I ranked it as the #2 TV show of the entire decade back in 2019. So it does feel weird to rank the latest season at only the #22 spot on this year's list. But I did feel like S7 of the storied series was a decidedly mixed bag. I thought the season opener, "Common People," was a masterpiece. But other eps didn't quite work for me in the same way. Still, when this show is at its best, there's nothing else like it - and I will continue to look forward to new seasons, as long as Charlie Brooker wants to make them. 

 

23. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

-  Only Murders in the Building has been one of the most consistently great shows on TV for the last few years. And I still love it. But S5 did feel like a slight drop from the other seasons. It just didn't feel quite as sharp as I've come to expect. Still, the one-of-a-kind chemistry between the three leads (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) remained as great as ever, the show still made me laugh quite a bit, and the overall comfort-food vibes were still very much there. 

24. PEACEMAKER

-  Coming off the high that was 2025's Superman, it felt a bit strange that Peacemaker - a remnant of the old DC Movie Universe - was now positioned as the second act of James Gunn's new, rebooted DCU. But somehow, Gunn made it work - cleverly maneuvering around continuity issues and making S2 of Peacemaker into a ridiculously fun, funny over-the-top experience that, in typical Gunn fashion, somehow also mined a lot of heart and pathos from its gloriously deranged cast of misfit characters. And that theme song and opening credits sequence. "Oh Lord" by Foxy Shazam. Sublime.

25. MURDERBOT

 

-  Murderbot was a really fun surprise in 2025, and the show feels like it has a ton of potential to get better and sharper in future seasons. The sci-fi premise - centered around a corporate security robot who re-programs himself and, for the first time, has free will - is a ton of fun. And the central performance from Alexander Skarsgård, as said robot, is one of my favorites of the year. This show was the darkly funny sci-fi satire I needed in 2025.

 

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:


The Best TV Heroes of 2025:

1.) Cassian Andor - Andor
2.) Seong Gi-hun - Squid Game
3.) Cho Hyun-ju - Squid Game

4.) Lee Raybon - The Lowdown
5.) June Osbourne - The Handmaid's Tale

 

The Best TV Villains of 2024:

1.) The Front Man - Squid Game

2.) High Commander Wharton - The Handmaid's Tale

3.) Donald Washberg - The Lowdown
4.) Aunt Lydia - The Handmaid's Tale
5.) Boy Kavalier - Alien: Earth

 

 

The Best TV Anti-Heroes of 2024:

 

1.) Charlie Cale - Poker Face

2.) Wendy - Alien: Earth

3.) Kirsh - Alien: Earth
4.) Murderbot - Murderbot
5.) Peacemaker - Peacemaker

THE BEST OF 2021 - The Best TV Of The Year

THE BEST OF 2021 - The Best TV Shows of The Year

- And we're back. But, wait - what year is it, again? Was 2021 really a thing, or did we just live 2020 again on repeat?

While there were some glimpses of hope in 2021 - moments where it seemed like we'd emerged from the proverbial muck of 2020 and that some degree of normalcy would soon resume ... this still felt like the slightly less-darkest-timeline spinoff of the hellscape that was last year. And nobody, it seemed, quite knew how to process that.

But if we're talking TV (and we are!), that weird murkiness about the state of the zeitgeist meant a constant discourse about what, exactly, the people demanded in these strange times. Was it feel-good fare like (well, on the surface, at least) Ted Lasso? Dark social satire like Squid Game? Or brain-dead reality TV to simply help tune out the noise? Turns out, the answer is all of the above. Not to worry though - there was content a-plenty in 2021, as production resumed and the floodgates of the post-golden-age age of "too much content" resumed. There was a seemingly infinite supply of television this past year, and there was absolutely no way most could keep up with even a fraction of it all. But hey, the good news is that there was something for every taste. And if your taste happened to be, say, Marvel superheroes - well, your plate in 2021 was likely overloaded *just* from the deluge of MCU content that hit Disney+ throughout the year. <Exhales>

There was more TV in 2021 than anyone knew what to do with. But the macro-level question here is: who, exactly, is all this for? With Gen Z's media time occupied by shortform social media videos, gaming, etc. - the whirlwind of content often felt like it was competing for the increasingly short attention spans of an ever-shrinking media marketplace. Actual on-air TV ratings were worse than ever, while the success of streaming series was kept close to the vest - frustrating the pundits used to Nielsen numbers to contextualize the marketplace. Something like Squid Game saw viral success seemingly out of nowhere - and to me, that's super cool. It allowed a Korean-language import - that, in past eras would have been relegated to, at best, cult classic status - to become one of the most watched series in America and around the world. Pretty awesome, right? At the same time, plenty of high-profile, big budget series bombed - a victim of the hard-to-navigate tsunami of content that is streaming-era TV, where a big-name cast is often less valuable than a novel premise that gets people talking on social media. And unfortunately, the Netflix's of the world are often quicker to swing the ol' cancellation axe than even network TV back in the day. How is all of this sustainable? Honestly, I have no idea. It speaks to the chaotic nature of TV now that so many streamers are going back to the tried and true "one episode per week" method of releasing - at least, there, you have a proven method to sustain a series' time in the conversation beyond just that first weekend of release.

Despite the chaos, I'm still heartened by the sheer variety of cool content out there right now. Not all of it is amazing, but we're seeing concepts thrive that *never* would have gotten past traditional network development back in the pre-streaming era. The doors that were opened by the likes of Lost, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Office, The Walking Dead, and Game of Thrones have led to a world where no genre or premise is off limits. And even still, there is room for something like Squid Game to surprise.

Caveats for my list: it goes without saying, but there is way too much TV for even me to watch. I've yet to catch up on Succession or Hacks, I'm behind on several shows like The Other Two, Locke & Key, and Doom Patrol, and just at the tail end of this month alone there's been new stuff dropping like MacGruber, The Witcher S2, and The Book of Boba Fett that I haven't yet seen. 

I also just want to give a shout-out to the programming that perhaps did the most to keep me sane during this crazy year: pro-wrestling. The rise of AEW as legit competition to WWE has been a joy to behold - and while my interest in WWE has waned, I'm positively pumped to tune in each Wednesday evening to AEW's flagship series Dynamite - especially now that heavy hitters like Bryan Danielson and CM Punk have joined the fray. High-quality wrestling, a stacked roster, and a refreshing sense of unpredictability have all helped to make AEW programming feel like can't-miss event TV. If you're a lapsed wrasslin' fan, check it out if you haven't already. Shout-out too to the documentary series Dark Side of the Ring on Vice TV, which is an ultra-compelling show chronicling some of the most sordid and tragic moments in the always-crazy pro-wrestling industry.

Oh. a shout-out too for a notable piece of content from the very beginning of 2021 - In and Of Itself, the remarkable Hulu special featuring Derek DelGaudio. The special - a filmed performance of DelGaudio's one man show in New York (well, an amalgam of various performances of the show) - is thought-provoking mind-#$&% of magic, mystery, and storytelling that ponders any number of deep questions. Another highly-recommended, slightly uncategorizable pop-culture thing I loved in 2021.

And finally, I've got to mention that 2021 brought the end of CONAN - Conan O'Brien's long-running TBS late-night talk show. In turn, this marks the likely end of Conan's storied career as a late-night talk show host. While he's set to return to TV with a new HBO Max variety show, his talk show ending is, truly, the end of an era. And of course, as a former intern for Late Night With Conan O'Brien, I have a special attachment to the show even beyond my longtime fandom. But man, there was so much hilarity on the TBS show over the years - some of the funniest stuff Conan ever did with the format. From the instant-classic Jordan Schlansky remote sketches to the "Conan Without Borders" travelogue specials, Conan's TBS show was an amazing run of late-night that was too often under-appreciated. During the pandemic, too, Conan was daily slice of comfort-food TV - an old-reliable that never failed to cheer me up in these crazy times. I'm sad to see the show end, but here's hoping that Conan's TV absence won't be long, and that whatever he does next will be something special.

And now, on to my picks ...


DANNY'S TOP TV SHOWS OF 2021:


1. SQUID GAME

- Squid Game, for me, was *the* series of 2021, no contest. I watched each episode hanging on every word and moment, on the edge of my seat. You can talk about the show's astute social commentary and capitalist critique - that's a big part, no doubt, of why it resonated so much. But ultimately, Squid Game is just an example of flat-out fantastic storytelling that transcended language or nationality: memorable characters, a jaw-dropping and increasingly insane premise, kick-ass world-building, and killer cliffhangers. More, please.

2. THE HANDMAID'S TALE

- The best acting I saw on TV this year was from the always-formidable Elizabeth Moss as June - the titular Handmaid who, over the course of four seasons, has gone from enslaved servant in the dystopian future of Gilead to mother of the coming revolution. I know, I know - many dropped off from the show in S2 or S3. But Season 4 was the series' best since its first - filled with drama of the highest order, and the sort of fight-the-power spirit that is still very much needed and appreciated.

3. RESERVATION DOGS

- Another out-of-nowhere surprise favorite was Hulu's Reservation Dogs - a new series about a bunch of Native American teens trying to escape their bleak lives on the reservation. I absolutely loved this series - it's hilarious, for one thing. And though it dabbles in some absurdist humor and magical realism, it's also an incredibly authentic-feeling show that actually taught me a lot about Native American culture. But yeah, it's funny as heck and filled with heart as well. It's hard not to love this one.

4. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

- With S3, it's safe to say that What We Do In the Shadows is, officially, one of the comedy greats. Put it right up there with modern classics like The Office, 30 Rock, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The show is at that glorious moment in a comedy's lifespan where it's just firing on all cylinders - the jokes are popping, the characters' chemistry is a well-oiled machine, and yet, the show still manages to surprise and delight at every turn. The quick pitch is that this is The Office but with vampires. The reality is that, whether that premise immediately appeals to you or not, this is arguably *the* must-see comedy on TV right now.

5. MARE OF EASTTOWN

- I was late to the Mare of Easttown party, but when I finally caught up late this year, I was sort of blown away. For one, this is a moody, gritty crime-noir that's a little bit Fargo, a little bit True Detective, and a lot Kate Winslet. Winslet delivers one of the finest performances of the year, making Mare - ever driven, often ornery, and always haunted - into an instant-classic character. The whodunnit mystery at the heart of the show was incredibly compelling - but it was Winslet's iconic performance that made this a must-see.

6. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

- Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez (along with a killer supporting cast) joined forces to bring us one of the best series of 2021. Only Murders is an absolute delight - a legit murder mystery that's also filled with hilarious comedy from two of the all-time greats (and a very game Gomez). Watching Steve Martin and Martin Short play off of each other was a real treat, and Gomez fit right in - bringing an almost Veronica Mars-esque vibe to her droll, sardonic character. Bring on Season 2.

7. MIDNIGHT MASS

- Mike Flanagan does it again - in what may be his best TV outing to date. Indeed, the creative force behind Netflix's Haunting of Hill House and Haunting of Bly Manor (not to mention kickass horror movies like Doctor Sleep) returned in 2021 with an absolute banger of a show that, for the sake of not spoiling its many twists and turns, will only say is a total must-watch. This series - gorgeously directed - is a Stephen King-esque slice of gothic small-town horror that's got a ton to say about religion, morality, prejudice, and conformity. It's got one of the best performances of the year in Hamish Linklater's turn as the mysterious Father Paul Hill (I mean, seriously - damn!). I can't wait for whatever Flanagan does next.


8. IMPEACHMENT: AMERICAN CRIME STORY

- I went into this one a bit weary (like many, I'm sure) - but my curiosity and interest in politics led me to give it a shot. And, wow, what a surprise this was - an absolutely riveting series that was just the right mix of high drama, astute political commentary, and winking Ryan Murphy camp. The cast was truly all-star, but let's take a moment to call out the all-timer performance of Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp - which was mind-blowingly good, and arguably a career highlight for the always-great Paulson. The series turned the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal into a story both fascinating for its intrigue and for the way it hits differently when viewed from a modern lens.


9. INVINCIBLE

- I was a huge fan of Robert Kirkman's Invincible comic book series, so was curious to see how Amazon would adapt it as an animated series. Turns out ... incredibly faithfully! Season 1 of Invincible not only captures the aesthetic of the comic book art from Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, but it also, thankfully, captures Kirkman's unique storytelling style, offbeat sense of humor, penchant for hyper-violent action, and his talent for epic cliffhangers. The show adds to that with a top-notch voice cast, including Steven Yeun as our lead hero. The result: a hugely entertaining, highly-binge-able season of TV. This is a bar-raiser for comic book adaptations.

10. TED LASSO

- I have a lot of complicated thoughts about Ted Lasso. To me, it's the most misunderstood show out there. So many hold it up as an example of light, feel-good TV - when in fact, it's a pretty dark series in a lot of ways. Yes, Ted's outward persona is that of an almost preternaturally cheerful and good-natured dude, but, as Season 2 explored with a lot of depth and nuance, that is in many ways a manufactured personality hiding a lot of pain and anxiety. In S2, the show explored that in ways both hilarious (Ted's evil persona "Led Tasso") and serious (Ted's panic attacks). And really, this is a show about broken people working out their issues - and so it is ultimately hopeful, but also not exactly "light." But when it's at its best, man, this show can be great. In fact, my absolute favorite TV episode of the year was the Coach Beard-centric S2, Ep 9 - an absolutely sublime long night's journey into day that was a total stunner.


The Next Best:


11. PEN15

- This one was tough to exclude from the Top 10, because the second and final season of PEN15 was so fantastic. And the truth is, I was a latecomer to the show, and throughout 2021 the series was one of my big comfort binges. Rarely has there been such a funny and poignant look at adolescence. I'm going to miss this one.

12. BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

- Speaking of shows I'm going to miss ... all hail Brooklyn Nine-Nine, aka one of the greatest TV comedies of all-time. The show's final season - airing two episodes per week in rapid succession, flew by - and I wish the series had had a more drawn-out send-off with a longer season and a lot more fanfare. But, man, the show was funny to the end. Special shout-out to Andre Braugher, who over the course of the series made Captain Holt one of the great comedy supporting characters ever. Nine-Nine!


13. SCHMIGADOON

- Another fun surprise, this Apple TV series was a comedic homage to old-timey musicals that was incredibly creative, stacked with an amazing cast, and legitimately funny af. The musical numbers were hilarious but also extremely well done, and Keegan Michael Key and Cecily Strong were fantastic as the leads.

14. SWEET TOOTH

- I'm a longtime fan of the Sweet Tooth comic book series and of its writer/artist Jeff Lemite, so I completely geeked-out for the first major adaptation of one of Lemire's works (and, in Sweet Tooth, arguably his magnum opus). The show made changes to the story, but I thought they largely worked - blending Lemire's quirk with Spielbergian awe and wonder to craft a unique and gripping adventure.

15. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

- The long-awaited return of Curb was a much-needed dose of familiarity during these uncertain times, as one thing is indeed certain about this long-running series: Larry David will never change. And thank god for that. This latest season of Curb was slightly uneven at times, but delivered a handful of classic episodes and great finale to boot. Pretty, pretty good.

16. HELLBOUND

- Squid Game wasn't the only buzzworthy, high-concept Korean series to make waves on Netflix this year. Hot on the heels of that series, Hellbound also gained traction with an insane yet thought-provoking premise: what happens when an otherworldly force appears, and decrees that various people are sinners who will be condemned to hell (and then massive demons come to drag them straight there)? Shocking and unpredictable, the show came from the director of Train to Busan - and that same grim, pulpy, anything-can-happen vibe was on full display here.

17. COBRA KAI

- Cobra Kai was maybe my number one pandemic binge this year - somehow, I'd yet to see a show despite it seemingly have been created specifically for me. I absolutely loved S1 of the series, dug S2, and enjoyed S3 as well. While the series gets progressively more cartoon-ish and over-the-top as it goes, S3 still delivers some fist-pumping moments that are among the series' best and most memorable. Cobra Kai, you really are the best around.

18. THE WHITE LOTUS

- From the razorsharp comedic mind of Mike White comes a show that's hard to like but easy to love. What I mean by that is: The White Lotus is filled with characters who are snobby, smarmy, obnoxious, and just plain unlikable - but the brilliance here is the way in which the show examines the lives of its privileged protagonists with a keenly satirical eye (not to mention the way the all-star cast makes each character uniquely unforgettable). 

19. LOKI

- My favorite of this year's many MCU series, Loki gave us Marvel's version of Dr. Who - and was the perfect platform for Tom Hiddleston as Loki (aka, in my view, the MCU's greatest character). This series was filled with witty banter, whimsical imagination, and memorable moments. And it was worth the price of admission alone for all the great Hiddleston / Owen Wilson back-and-forth. "Glorious purpose," indeed.

20. RESIDENT ALIEN

- One of my favorite TV performances of the year was Alan Tudyk playing an alien, stranded on earth, inhabiting an unfamiliar human body in the Syfy series Resident Alien. This show was so funny and weird and interesting - really, unlike anything else on TV. Go seek it out if you haven't seen it!

21. WANDAVISION

- The first Disney+ MCU series felt like a minor miracle in the very dark days of early 2021. Unable to go to the movies (or basically anywhere), Wandavision brought the Marvel movies to our homes in a compellingly serialized form that, smartly, let us savor one new episode per week. The series' trippy weekly homages to classic TV sitcoms were an awesome blast of the past, and the ultimate "Agatha All Along" reveal was one for the ages.

22. THE WHEEL OF TIME

- Amazon's new epic fantasy adaptation brings a brightly-colored, Lord of the Rings-esque adventure to life with plenty of awe, wonder, and cool world-building. While the initial season of eight episodes has its ups and downs, the series delivers some fantastic action and visual prowess. Rosamund Pike, meanwhile, slays as the series' Gandalf-esque magical guide.

23. BIG MOUTH

- As always, Big Mouth is gleefully profane in a way that I'm not sure any other show has ever been. While one might argue that the show is beginning to lose a little steam as it ages, it still delivers some of the biggest laughs of any series out there. The latest season managed to provide some stuff that will likely be endlessly referenced (that whole "edging" episode, for one) by fans.

24. I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE

- If you need a fix of weird sketch comedy, this is your show. Season 2 was all over the map, but there's no denying that it gave us some all-time classic bits of comedy. Dan Flashes, anyone? 

25. SHADOW & BONE

- Shadow & Bone gave us epic fantasy with a decidedly YA bent - and while this Netflix series took time to really ramp up, it went out with a bang and really amped things up in its final few episodes of S1. The show also gave us some of the coolest new characters of any show this year - like the trio of loveable yet deadly thieves known as The Crows.

Just Missed the Cut:

- Yellowjackets (caveat: by this time next year, the show could be much higher!)
- Stargirl
- Rick & Morty
- Hawkeye
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- The Great North

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:


The Best TV Heroes of 2021:

1.) Invincible - Invincible
2.) Kate Bishop / Hawkeye - Hawkeye
3.) Moiraine Damodred - The Wheel of Time
4.) Gus - Sweet Tooth
5.) Stargirl - Stargirl

The Best TV Villains of 2021:

1.) Father Paul Hill - Midnight Mass
2.) The Front Man - Squid Gam
3.) Omni-Man - Invincible
4.) Aunt Lydia -The Handmaid's Tal
5.) The Darkling - Shadow & Bone
 

The Best TV Anti-Heroes of 2021:

1.) Seong Gi-Hun - Squid Game
2.) Kaz Brekker - Shadow & Bone
3.) Loki - Loki
4.) Johnny Lawrence - Cobra Kai
5.) Mare Sheehan - Mare of Easttown