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| Ozark |
1. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. For the second year in a row this top's the list. I'll repeat what I wrote last year: "It has won a slew of Emmys and has deserved every one of them. Oliver is a perfect host as he is personable, witty, clever and he keeps his ego in check (he never boasts about the Emmys and he is never self indulgent). LWT always touches upon a few of the bigger stories in the news and then delves deeply into one main issue. Many of the subjects are heavy but Oliver is a master at injecting humor when and wherever appropriate. LWT is educational and hilarious and in my opinion the best thing on television."
2. Ozark. A recent discovery of mine, Ozark will for me join the pantheon of great TV dramas along with Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Sopranos and the original Twilight Zone. Jason Bateman, Laura Linney and Julia Garner head the cast and all three are superb. Ozark recalls the best in Breaking Bad in it’s constant ability to shock and surprise, it’s masterclass use of suspense and its inventiveness. Of course, we again find ourselves rooting for “good” people who’ve “gone bad” and my goodness it’s odd how relatable the experiences of someone laundering money for a Mexican drug cartel can seem.
3. Schitt’s Creek. I’ve been a fan from the beginning and I’m so happy that in its final season Daniel Levy’s creation has received all the honors and recognition it so richly deserves. In addition to Levy, the cast is topped by his father, the great Eugene Levy and his frequent acting partner Catherine O’Hara -- one of the best comic actresses of all time. SC is hilarious, charming, warm and wise.
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| Better Call Saul |
5. Late Night With Seth Myers. I switched from Stephen Colbert to Seth for my late show viewing over the Summer and only wish I’d made the change much sooner. Seth is extremely bright (a trademark of good comedians) very funny and his show pulls no punches. The “Closer Look” segments often combine biting political commentary with large, loud guffaws. Seth is also an excellent interviewer. He has not one-tenth of the massive ego that burden Colbert and his show.
6. After Life. Ricky Gervais has long been able to make us roar with laughter, often with the outrageous (see his Golden Globe hosting performances). But in After Life, which aired its second season last spring, he also touches the heart in this story of man dealing with the death of his wife. It’s no mean feat to combine comedy and tragedy and still make us laugh but Gervais pulls it off. Evidently the show has been important to many, many people dealing with loss and depression.
7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Is this the last of the great network TV prime time comedies? I see no others so perhaps it is. Brooklyn is still going strong after seven full seasons, owing to a terrific ensemble cast backed by excellent writers. The show manages to tickle our funny bones and occasionally add a hint of social commentary without ever appearing preachy.
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| Brockmire |
9. Perry Mason. This is not your grandmother’s Perry Mason. This is a hard- drinking, brawling, cussing, tortured Mason in an unfiltered LA of the early thirties. The HBO version of Mason is exquisite to look at with impeccable period costuming and set designs. But it’s not all glitz. There are engaging story lines and a wonderful cast led by Matthew Rhys in the title role. I can’t wait for season two.
10. Fargo. This was the fourth iteration of Noah Hawley’s looks at various parts of the midwest in various eras with the emphasis on crimes and the criminals who commit them. This time the setting was Kansas City in 1950 and the focus was on a war between Italian and African- American gangs, the latter group led by a gangster portrayed by Chris Rock. He provided another example of a comic ably handling a dramatic role. I had issues with some of Hawley’s choices, but the show was always fascinating, rarely predictable and often inventive. He’s four-for-four.
11.World On Fire. A British production from PBS, the WOF covered several stories, many interlocking, from throughout Europe during the days before, the outbreak of and the beginning of World War II. The drama is heavy, as is appropriate for the topic, and even for a student of the era such as myself, it was illuminating. WOF was also exciting and included romance and strong characters, some of whom one heartily roots for. More seasons are forthcoming.
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| The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel |
13. The Great. Among the things I would not have predicted about 2020 is that I would have enjoyed a TV show in which Elle Fanning portrayed Catherine the Great of Russia. Anyway, I did. The Great is…I’m going to say, weird. It is historically accurate at times, it is farcical at others, it is always irreverent and it is occasionally dramatic. The emphasis, I suppose, is on fun and of that there is plenty. The young Ms. Fanning is the centerpiece of the show and in my mind, at least has established herself as a big star. The supporting players were good too although I struggled with the color blind casting. It was initially confusing to see a Black and Indian descent actors playing Russians and Swedes. I suppose it’s the wave of the future and I’d better get used to it. The show is easy to get used to as it’s a joy.
14. The Last OG. The show took some strong dramatic turns in later episodes of this last season, particularly in the final episode which was downright dark. But it still mostly held to its comic roots and any program led by Tracy Morgan is bound to be good as was The Last O.G.
15. The Plot Against America. HBO’s mini-series telling of the Phillip Roth novel was presented in six parts. It’s deviations from the source material were mostly so that the series could serve as a warning for modern times and I’m okay with that. I was, in fact okay with the series as a whole, though not gaga. Comparing books and films is not only tricky business but often a waste of time because novels are usually inspirations for the films which are not trying to replicate them. PAA was just fine on its own terms.
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