There are some critically acclaimed TV shows that I didn't watch this year, including Severance on Apple TV+. I did catch some of the most buzz-worthy shows like Abbott Elementary on ABC and The White Lotus on HBO. While those shows are entertaining and can be engaging at times with great and even Emmy-winning performances, they didn't make the cut for me.
On my personal blog, I crafted a list of 25 programs that I really enjoyed. The list is more reflective of my individual tastes and might not be for everyone. It's also one that is more concerned with representation and depicting a different and wider range of experiences. Others are just compelling pieces of comedy or drama.
10. BETTER CALL SAUL: SEASON 6 (AMC) / THIS IS US: SEASON 6 (NBC) - I wasn't on the Breaking Bad train, and as such, I resisted watching its prequel, but last year, I binge-watched the first, five seasons of Better Call Saul and fell in love with the series. As a result, I'm on the side of people proclaiming that this is the best prequel property to be created. It should be studied in schools. It's simply a shame that it has never won a Primetime Emmy Award. It's been up for Outstanding Drama Series every year it's been on the air but no wins. Thanks to production delays due to Bob Odenkirk's health issues, it'll have one more shot. Conversely, This Is Us was shut out of the Emmy race for its final season with the exception of the song "The Forever Now." It's another shame because this series could also be taught in film and TV school, as to how to craft heart-wrenching drama, hitting home-runs with its tear-jerking every episode.
9. A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY (Peacock) - This is based on the true-life story of a young girl who was kidnapped not once but twice by the same man. It was first detailed in the Netflix documentary Abducted in Plain Sight (2019). Both drew from the book Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story (2003). Jan Broberg was the kidnapped girl and we get her experience but also the experiences of her parents who had to battle a true sexual predator.
8. OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH (HBO Max) - It's a comedy about pirates in the 1700's, focusing on a particular pirate ship that is taken over by an English gentleman who tries to bring his genteel and high-class behaviors to a group who are the opposite and who look at him as nothing more than a fop or dandy. It literally is a comedy of manners. The spotlight comes when the crew of the pirate ship meet the infamous Blackbeard, played by Oscar-winner Taika Waititi.
7. THE ORVILLE: SEASON 3 (Hulu) - The first, two seasons aired on FOX. This third was re-titled "New Horizons" and streamed exclusively on Hulu and Disney +. The first season was rather hit-or-miss, but the second season was absolutely stellar and told some incredible stories. This season built upon those stories in compelling ways, delving deeper into the characters in interesting ways. Created and starring Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), this series began with what felt like a spoof of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) but MacFarlane molded it into what could be argued as a legitimate successor to that Gene Roddenberry series.
6. LOVE, VICTOR: SEASON 3 (Hulu) - Like with The Orville, the first season of this series was hit-or-miss but mostly miss. It's based on a series of books that was adapted into a feature film called Love, Simon (2018). It was supposed to be a look at a gay teenager and his experiences in a contemporary and modern setting, but it felt instead very far removed from what a gay teen would actually experience. The second season did a better job and moved things further along. This final season continues that tract and weaves a concluding story that was effective.
5. QUEER AS FOLK (Peacock) - This is the third iteration of the series created by Welsh writer and producer, Russell T. Davis. The first version premiered in the UK in 1999. The second version premiered in the USA on the cable channel Showtime in 2000. It ran for five years, mainly focusing on White, cisgendered, gay men on the east coast. This new version takes place in New Orleans and features a more diverse and inclusive cast of nonbinary and transgender characters, as well as more persons of color. It feels more fresh and of today. It also incorporates gun violence, such as what was seen at the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016. It felt very impactful.
4. ALASKA DAILY (ABC) - Hilary Swank is the latest Oscar-winning actress to make the jump to television after Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet. Here, she plays a New York City reporter who falls into scandal and has to relocate to Anchorage, Alaska. She gets a job at a small newspaper and has to reconnoiter. Her navigating the issues and politics of Alaska become her new focal point. She bumps heads with the local reporters who aren't used to the way she operates, but they have to learn to work together to uncover a bubbling government conspiracy.
3. THE BEAR (FX) - For fans of Showtime's Shameless (2011), which ran for over a decade and 11 seasons, Jeremy Allen White will be a familiar face. Here, he plays "Carmy," a top-notch chef in New York City who has to return to his hometown of Chicago to take over the beef sandwich shop, left to him by his brother who recently died. The kitchen has a lot of problems. His brother's best friend (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is an absolute loud-mouth, alpha male, tough guy who has been trying to keep things together and bumps head with Carmy who tries to run the place like a fancy NYC restaurant.
2. MO (Netflix) / THIS FOOL (Hulu) - There were several shows about the immigrant experience, particularly second or third-generation immigrant experience. This one comes in the wake of the series created by Ramy Youssef. In fact, Mo Amer who created Mo was on Youssef's series and is friends with Youssef. Here, Amer plays a Palestinian refugee who lives in Texas with his fellow immigrant family, as they struggle to get their legal status. In This Fool, Comedian Chris Estrada is playing a slightly older Millennial living with his Mexican immigrant family while his cousin Luis, played by Frankie Quiñones, a former thug tries to reform. Seeing the two bounce off each other is hilarious.
1. STRANGER THINGS 4 (Netflix) - In terms of viewership, this is one of the most-watched programs on any streaming service. It's well deserved because this season was one of the most powerful and influential seasons. It was also stuffed to the rim with extended episodes that ran longer than a lot of people liked. However, I was riveted for each episode from beginning to end. It's probably the best display of science-fiction and fantasy writing that has come along in a long while, given that I haven't seen Severance.
