It is time to celebrate the excellent shows we got to see this whole year. With the rise of many new streaming services and healthy competition between the existing ones, there was no shortage of good shows even during the global pandemic.
These reasons made the ranking difficult and just like last year there is stiff competition for the top stops. That said this is only my list, not the right one so feel free to share yours down below in the comment section.
* You should note that I have not included "The Good Place" in this list as there were only four episodes this year (not even a half of the season). But it surely is a top-five content this year.
25. Mythic Quest: S01 [Apple TV+]
The new comedy show from the people who brought us "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
did live up to its expectation. A solid first season for this videogame based show was made better by the special episode. The fresh setting overcame the sitcom cliches the show had. Eagerly looking forward to the next season.
Best Episode: A Dark Quiet Death and Quarantine
Season Rating: B+
24. Betty: S01 [HBO]
Though not there yet but the show about a few teenagers who likes to skate can be the perfect replacement for "Broad City". Only having six episodes in its first season didn't hold them back to deal with some very important topical issues. The relatability factor offers us to connect with those characters easily. There are lots of areas for improvement in its second season.
Best Episode: Ladies on Fire
Season Rating: B+
23. AP Bio: S03 [Peacock TV]
The former NBC show didn't waste its resurrection and definitely didn't lose its edge. The show had only 8 episodes this season instead of the intended 10. This didn't stop them from making innovative episodes as ever like the "Wednesday Morning, 8 AM" episode in its second season. The show's younger cast members should be properly lauded for their tremendous work. Very, very happy to hear that this show got a fourth season renewal.
Best Episode: Gary Meets Dave
Season Rating: B+
* Please comment below if you too thought that you have missed an episode while watching Gary Meets Dave.
22. Ozark: S03 [Netflix]
The third season did overcome the flaws of the first two seasons by reducing the number of sub-plots. This tightened the screenplay and helped them make a more thrilling season. Tom Pelphrey should be recognized for his brilliant performance as Ben in this season. This season was filled with perfect acting and twists as ever. Eagerly waiting for the very dark turn of the Byrdes promised by the showrunner in the next season.
Best Episode: Fire Pink
Season Rating: B+
21. Curb Your Enthusiasm: S10 [HBO]
This season is not definitely without its fair share of flaws but when they had it right they did amazingly well. This is one of the reasons for this long-running show to have a higher position. There is no shortage of huge Larry David kinda payoffs in an episode. Take episodes 8 and 9 as examples for that in this season. This season was also bolstered by the infinite celebrity cameos from Jon Hamm to Abbi Jacobson to Timothy Olyphant to the return of Kaitlin Olson. Another reason for its big success is the Mocha Joe plotline running through the whole season.
Best Episode: Elizabeth, Margaret and Larry
Season Rating: B+
We came closer to the stories of the current generation of the Royals. The important supporting characters like Prince Philip and Princess Margaret took backstage in this season while the troubled relationship of Princess Diana and Prince Charles took the centerstage. Even though Gillian Anderson's dialogue delivery was criticized by some her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher was top notch. A small nitpick as a fan is that we could have seen more of Olivia Coleman in her final season as the Queen.
Best Episode: Terra Nullius
Season Rating: A-
19. Superstore: S05 and S06 [NBC]
This often-overlooked show had a pretty good set of episodes on either side of 2020. The show bid an emotional farewell to its star America Ferrara in its sixth season but I am sure that the other wonderful characters will make those upcoming seasons worthwhile.
Best Episode: Essential
Season Rating: A-
18. Queen's Gambit: S01 [Netflix]
The show which broke many Netflix records is one of their best offerings this year without a doubt. This period piece was backed by some incredible performances starting from the star Anya Taylor-Joy to all other supporting actors. Though a bit slow at times it managed to show the events as interesting as possible. It surely is one of the early contenders to make it big on the awards night.
Best Episode: Exchanges
Season Rating: A-
17. I May Destroy You: S01 [HBO]
Not an easy watch for sure but those who have completed the show knows how wonderful and powerful it is. This HBO show made Michaela Coel a force to be reckoned with. I hope that the show ends with the first season as a renewal might undermine the end we got to see in the finale, which is so perfect.
Best Episode: The Cause the Cure
Season Rating: A-
16. Mandalorian: S02 [Disney+]
This is the Star Wars content that every fan needs right now. Started exactly where they left off in the previous season without leaving anything that worked. The overloaded cuteness of Baby Yoda (oh sorry Grogu), neatly choreographed fight sequences, and a bunch of emotional scenes was all present. Those surprise cameos not only made fans go crazy but also added extra depth to the story. But this show also had the problem of setting up a multitude of spin-offs in its second outing, so this season felt like a filler season at times.
The modern re-imaging of the classical 1950s show was made wonderful by their acting department especially Juliet Rylance and Matthew Rhys. Like Curb, this show too had its flaws but its execution has covered those flaws. Looking forward to Matthew Rhys as a full-time lawyer in its second season, in which I would like to see a slight improvement in the story department.
Best Episode: Chapter Five
Season Rating: A-
14. Devs: S01 [FX]
There is no shortage of shows where our future is controlled by the technology we create. Heck, even this year Westworld talked about the same topic once's free will. Here apart from those usual existential and sci-fi mumbo jumbos we are treated with some fast-paced episodes which connect deeply.
Best Episode: Episode #1.8
Season Rating: A-
13. Plot Against America: S01 [HBO]
The basic plot reads, "What if the US opted out of participating in World War II ?" but it so much more than that. This show from the creator David Simon took the perfect period and setting to tell its story. Seeing the world through the eyes of a middle-class Jew family in those times was a good touch. This setup was good to catch the emotions of the people affected by those political changes. As usual like any other show from him David Simon's dialogue adds an extra layer to this period piece.
Best Episode: Chapter Five
Season Rating: A-
12. Baby-sitters Club: S01 [Netflix]
A beautifully made heartwarming show made us look through some important issues through the eyes of twelve years olds. This worked perfectly well. As each episode explored the world through a single character, we got different and interesting views. The last two episodes which served as the epilogues dragged the show. But the first eight episodes are sufficient enough for this show to find its place in this list.
Best Episode: The Truth About Stacey
Season Rating: A-
11. What We Do in the Shadows: S02 [FXX]
This absurd vampire comedy is going to reach heights for sure. Building upon where they left off in the previous season they stayed close to their strengths. Their way of structuring the show playfully has reaped rewards. They had some really interesting concepts to make us entertain. They also have started to expand their universe by including Zombies, Ghosts, and Witches. The eight Emmy nods are just the beginning for this wonderful show.
Best Episode: On the Run
Season Rating: A-
10. Ramy: S02 [Hulu]
The addition of Mahershala Ali did wonders as it brought a very good vibe within the walls of ever doubting Ramy. This season churned out one good episode after another. Be it Dena's fear of Alopecia or Maysa's confusion with sexual identity or Frank's tension of managing a family without a job all were perfectly handled.
Best Episode: Frank and 3riana grande
Season Rating: A-
09. Lovecraft Country: S01 [HBO]
This bizarre wild show is one of the new offerings from HBO. The basic plot is a little tough to explain in a single sentence. But hear me this horror show's method of telling stories episodically worked wonders. Each episode has a different genre and except for the adventure episode, all the other episodes worked perfectly well. As each episode has its own narrative structure and self-contained plot, one can easily remember the episodes.
Best Episode: Rewind 1921
Season Rating: A-
08. The Boys: S02 [Prime Video]
This is the show with which I had the most fun in 2020. The first season was good but it lacked consistency. In the second go, they made the show consistent enough to make it stronger. Aya Cash as Stormfront was a good addition as the main antagonist for this season. Not singling out but Karl Urban as Billy and Anthony Starr as Homelander elevated this season with their performances. All those digs at Disney, Marvel, and all the other big IPs supplemented this action packed season well.
Best Episode: What I Know
Season Rating: A-
07. Feel Good: S01 [Netflix]
There is a soil of the show "Love" on this Feel Good's first season. But brushing past that comparison one can enjoy this beautifully made heart-warming show. This is definitely one of the freshest shows that were released in 2020. This show divulges into the various addictions of a person really well. Every character had a good arc and it surely deserves the second season renewal.
Best Episode: Ep05
Season Rating: A-
06. Unorthodox: S01 [Netflix]
This miniseries is another one of the hard-hitting shows this year. Deals with what one considers to be freedom. It is inspired by a book by Deborah Feldman. In just four episodes they dealt some serious issues. The problems faced by the lead were wonderfully portrayed by Shira Hass. The plus point to this show is that it has a very uplifting tone unlike the other shows of this type.
Best Episode: Part Four
Season Rating: A-
05. Brockmire: S04 [IFC]
Generally, I am not a big fan of dystopian shows/movies but this baseball comedy won me over in the very first episode of its final season. We didn't get to see Gabby and Jim announcing together. But the alternate relationship of Jim as a father was good. This season nicely handled both Jim's character growth and his shift in addiction. This show will be loved by many sports show lovers.
Best Episode: The Hall
Season Rating: A
04. Mrs. America: S01 [FX]
This show is so so amazing and if anyone hasn't watched it already please give it a try. It is based on the real events that took place in the 70s focusing on the "Equal Rights Amendment" act. This show brilliantly included many leaders who played an important role in that moment. We got to see both liberal and conservative perspectives which were ably supported by the star-studded cast. A nice surprise was that a fictional character played by Sarah Paulson (Alice) had a wonderful arc throughout and killed it in her standalone episode.
Best Episode: Houston
Season Rating: A
03. Schitt's Creek: S06 [Pop TV]
The unidentified gem suddenly became so popular thanks to Netflix. It not only won the hearts of the fans but also the Academy members which lead to a clean sweep at the Emmys. While many long-running shows struggle to be consistent, this show just made it look easy (at least after the first season). The final season also gave a perfect end to each of its characters.
Best Episode: Happy Ending
Season Rating: A
02. Better Call Saul: S05 [AMC]
The show's penultimate episode just re-iterates the fact that BCS is one of the best scripted dramas out there at present. I will say it again this show is better than Breaking Bad. Each and every acting performance is so good and noteworthy. But especially Rhea Seahorn in the ninth episode and Tony Dalton in the final one needs a special appreciation. It doesn't matter that the Emmy count remains zero as long as each season is this good.
Best Episode: Bad Choice Road
Season Rating: A+
01. BoJack Horseman: S06 - Part: B [Netflix]
It is great to see a show which started off with animal puns, close out with six remarkable seasons. As I have said in the last year's list even a good season of BoJack Horseman would be as great. But when a show has an episode like "The View from Halfway Down" one simply has no choice but to declare that show as a masterpiece of that year at least. It is indeed almost a year since its last episodes aired. The questions it asked are still lingering on everyone's mind since then which adds credit to the brilliant writers involved. Hats off to the show for having the perfect finale for all the characters.
Best Episode: The View from Halfway Down
Season Rating: A+
Nice Little Surprises:
The below shows though not in the main list had something special
Ted Lasso [B+]: The heartwarming and every optimistic titular character was what we needed in 2020.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine [B+]: We had some really funny moments including the year-long heist and also we got to see Captain Holt in action
Upload [B+]: The new afterlife show had a solid first season backed by its good performances. it was grim at times
Dead To Me [B+]: A very solid second season further the character arcs nicely
Dark [B+]: Though not the best ending but it had a satisfying one
Quiz [B]: The three episode mini-series can be both quick and nice watch
Fargo [B]: It had a good outing but it pales in comparison to the first three seasons
Never Have I Ever [B]: Though being riddled with so many stereotypical scenes it had good heart warming season
Avenue5 [B]: A better start could have helped this show a lot. But once through the initial episodes, we can thoroughly enjoy the show
Giri/Haji [B]: The last dance sequence was so profound
Winner for Network/Streaming Service:
The winner for the streaming/ network category would be a shoo-in for HBO any other year but this is 2020 and they didn't have their heavyweights for their support. So it is a three-way tie between HBO, FX, and Netflix for providing us the wonderful titles. I'm slightly inclining towards FX only because we can see the gang's shenanigans for four more seasons.
Good to see these many new shows making a mark for themselves. It will be a healthier competition once the shows like Succession, Barry, and Atlanta returns next year. Check us for the other year-end posts such as Looking back at 2020, A Glimpse of 2021, and the Rankings of Documentaries and Specials soon.
Don't forget to share your list down below in the comments and follow our page for more content like this. You can also find episodic wise breakdowns for a few shows in the Review Bytes section, I hope that will be helpful.
Check out this space for more updates and year-end lists. Take care and have a nice holiday...
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