It was not a great year for television with so many programs delayed due to the pandemic. However there were still some terrific shows out there, many of which had been on for awhile but I only recently discovered. I did not include in my top ten one of those shows, The Handmaid's Tale as I did not watch much beyond season one (which I thought was excellent). I also discovered Peaky Blinders this year but as it had no new offerings this year so did not qualify. I also restricted myself to "regular" shows so did not consider such brilliant offerings as Peter Jackson's three part The Beatles: Get Back nor the wonderful PBS documentary by Ken Burns on Muhammad Ali nor the delightful Baking It from Peacock. The coming twelve months promise to be a boom time for television with the returns of Better Call Saul, Ozark, Barry, After Life, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Righteous Gemstones.
1. Succession. Destined to become among my favorite television programs of all-time, this is yet another show, such as Breaking Bad and The Wire, that I came to late. I watched the first two seasons as the third one was beginning and I was immediately hooked. No, there isn't anyone to root for, they're all horrible people, but what compelling bastards they are. The writing, the acting, everything about Succession (including the opening credits) is compelling. I am continually amazed by Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy but the whole cast is magnificent.
2. Only Murders in the Building. Any show with Steve Martin and Martin Short as stars is going to be good. Add Selena Gomez who is a wonderful comic actress (love that dead pan delivery) and you've got the ingredients for a great comedy. Indeed, this is the best new comedy in many moons.
3. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. It was finally knocked off the number one spot but it is just as good as ever. LWT consistently delivers investigative news features that will infuriate but they manage to give us laughs aplenty in the bargain.
4. Late Night With Seth Myers. Seth Myers is a very fun man. His monologues are excellent and the Closer Look segments are comedy gold with a good dose of political commentary. Seth benefits from a top drawer writing team and graciously (and humorously) acknowledges them. The best of late night talk shows, by a long shot.
5. The Kominskey Method. A major complaint first: I wanted more! There were only six episodes in its third and final season. But how I loved those six episodes! Finally a show for us old geezers with Michael Douglas leading a cast of old-timers in an intelligent star-studded comedy. Sadly, this was its last season. And I just found it!
6. Ted Lasso. Everybody loves Ted Lasso. There were two particularly strong episodes in this past season. The first centered around Christmas and should become a staple of the holiday season for years to come. The other focused almost exclusively on Coach Beard who had theretofore been a background figure. It was inventive, funny and insightful into this most interesting character.
7. Mom. More in the mold of a traditional network sitcom, I came to Mom only this year and breezed through it all on Hulu. For me, especially in the latter years of the show, watching Mom was often like attending an AA meeting. Allison Janney is the Lucille Ball of her generation as she led a cast a wonderful cast supporting each other in sobriety. I appreciated how respectful and funny they were about AA. An honest show with mirth. I'll miss it.
8. The Great. One of the strangest shows on television and one of the most openly and unashamedly profane, it was one helluva spin on your typical historical or costume drama -- especially in that it was a comedy -- about an 18th century Czarina no less. Elle Fanning was weird and wonderful as Catherine The Great of Russia and she was surrounded by a wonderful cast led by Nicholas Hoult.
9. Kevin Can F**k Himself. Speaking of different... Annie Murphy, starred in this half very typical old school sitcom and half very dark drama in which the lead character plans on murdering her spouse. KCFM get's an A+ for inventiveness.
10. Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Very disappointed at the brevity of the final season (only ten episodes after a nearly two-year wait) but the quality was still there if not the quantity. Brooklyn, with its excellent ensemble cast led by Andy Samberg, will live on in reruns for decades.
Honorable Mention: The Last O.G., Nature on PBS, Chad and Hacks.
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