Top Ten TV Shows of 2021

Another year has flown by, and while we still remain in the clutches of a pandemic, 2021 brought with it a host of new, complex, and interesting television shows – a change from 2020, where the industry started running out of new content by year’s end. As is always the case, my list started out with a number of worthy entries, but over time I whittled it down to the ten shows (ok, technically eleven) that were the strongest of the lot – for great character arcs, smart writing, dark searing humor, and crushing dramatic tales of humanity at its best and worst. And, as I always say, if your favorite show of the year didn’t make this list, that certainly doesn’t mean it wasn’t worthy of inclusion. If you check of the lists of my TV critic colleagues around the internet, you’ll see that while a couple shows likely made most lists, they are all varied and unique – people like and respond to different things. But if you haven’t seen one or more of the shows on this list, perhaps give them a look over these waning weeks of 2021. There might be a gem or two that you fall in love with.

10. The Other Two (HBO Max)

The Other Two premiered its first season way back in 2019 on Comedy Central. It was a critical darling, but didn’t make a big dent in the zeitgeist. Flash forward to 2021. The show has been moved to the big leagues and finally finding an audience. With shades of the dearly departed Schitt’s Creek (in that it’s a series about a self-absorbed family that finds its way to become productive humans – well, at least they’re on that journey now), the series is a bit darker and definitely more adult (the move to HBO also meant the show could go places it wasn’t able to on basic cable). But what makes The Other Two special is the same recipe that worked so well for Schitt’s Creek: its central characters may make major mistakes, but they never stop loving and caring for each other. There’s a heart under the sass and self-absorption. And I’m excited to see where season three takes us.

9. White Lotus (HBO Max)

Without the pandemic, we likely never would have gotten White Lotus. Filmed in Hawaii, with the cast and crew quarantined in a resort, the series is a scathing look at the lives of the rich and clueless. A dark comedy that opened with a dead body and ended with the self-absorbed cast of horrible characters leaving chaos and shattered dreams in their wake as they flew back out to their everyday lives. Sure, I could have done with another episode or two to drill down a bit deeper with some of the characters, but wow, this smash hit mesmerized the nation for several weeks this summer. What is it about watching rich people behaving badly that gets people to stick around and see how things turn out (this won’t be the last HBO series with this as a central theme on this list)? Whatever it is, White Lotus was full of stellar performances, complex character relationships, and strong dialogue that took what appeared to be a one-off miniseries and got it a second season renewal. What’s in store with the next White Lotus resort we’ll visit? Time will tell – but we do know that the excellent Jennifer Coolidge will be reprising her role as Tanya McQuoid, which is enough to get me to sign on for another trip.

8. Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)

I already wrote far too much about season two of Ted Lasso (linked above – it’s full of spoilers, so don’t read it unless you’re cool with being spoiled on this delightful comedy), but while this wasn’t a perfect season of television, it was still pretty darn great. From taking the time to dive deeper into Ted’s past to the slow burn of Nate’s transition from kit man to something else, the season did an awful lot right. And I would argue its first six episodes were as good as anything else on TV this year. The show fell off a bit in the back half of the season, make some poor choices with the romantic arcs within the series, but it still never lost its optimistic heart and soul. I cannot wait to see what awaits AFC Richmond in season three – and considering the show was originally only meant to be a three season arc, if it’s the final go-round with these lovely characters, I’ll be sure to savor every minute.

7. Pose (FX)

After three groundbreaking seasons, the brilliant and emotionally resonate drama Pose took its final bow. Taking us on a journey through the lives of the show’s core cast of characters – a journey that saw this cast of queer BIPOC characters confronting the AIDS crisis as it reach its pinnacle in NYC in the early ’90s – we saw some characters thrive and survive while others were lost to the heinous virus that took so many. But, at the heart of the show – even amongst the pain, death, and sadness – was the theme of hope. Ballroom culture was the lifeline for so many queer and trans people of color who had lost so much in their lives by simply living authentically, and it was the hope that allowed them to make lives for themselves on their own with their found families. The hope ballroom represented – and the sense of deep love and community – was on display throughout this final season. While we lost a wonderful series – and some spectacular characters – Pose kicked the representation door down in the process. We need more roles for queer, trans, and BIPOC actors on television.

6. Yellowjackets (Showtime)/Station Eleven (HBO Max)

I’m cheating a bit with this one, but it’s with good reason: Both Yellowjackets and Station Eleven are mid-season when I’m writing this list and there’s a possibility that one or both might fall off a cliff before they are done. Hence the combo here. Considering Station Eleven is based on a great source novel, I’m less worried about its staying power (and it’s only a miniseries, which means we’re presumably getting a full-length story here – another reason to assume the best), but Yellowjackets has been a bit shaky over its last two episodes and has me a bit worried. Either way, these stories each explore the aftermath of a traumatic event and its impact on those who survived it (in Yellowjackets, it’s a plane crash in the remote Canadian Rockies, in Station Eleven, it’s a global flu pandemic – I know, timely topic, but I promise it’s worth the watch). The deep dive into what it takes to survive and move on when everything you know is gone is a topic that has been written about for centuries, but continues to be relevant for us today. With great characters, strong performances, and excellent direction, these two shows represent the best dramatic storytelling out there.

5. Squid Game (Netflix)

Squid Game took the world by storm this fall, becoming the most watched series in Netflix history – and doing so while also being a sensational drama that looked deep into the failings of late-stage capitalism. Oh, and also while being a Korean-language drama. Pretty impressive on all counts. But what made this series take the fifth spot on my list was its incredible combination of writing, direction, and performance, blending together to transcend the language barrier and tell a story that was both Korean (in that it was a commentary on the current socio-political and economic state of the nation) and one that could resonate around the world. While a second season may be on the horizon, this series works as a standalone story – one that may be incredibly violent, but one that is also deeply enmeshed in the human condition.

4. It’s a Sin (HBO Max)

Stories about the AIDS epidemic of the late ’80s and early ’90s often focus on individuals living in New York City. It’s a Sin moves the focus to a group of young friends in and around London, as they come out, grow up, and reckon with the arrival and devastation of AIDS on their circle and the queer community at large. The miniseries is at times hilariously funny and full of life as well as horrifically sad and heartbreaking. Each performance is pitch perfect, each arc is well-written, highlighting the humanity of the characters. The show’s overall impact is nothing short of stunning.

3. Hacks (HBO Max)

Jean Smart had a hell of a year professionally. In addition to her supporting role in Mare of Easttown (where she made the most of every scene she was in – despite being criminally underused), Smart starred in Hacks, the tale of a Joan Rivers-esque comic who confronts her own obsolescence while working alongside a young, up-and-coming comic who derailed her own rise through an ill-timed Tweet. This odd coupling turned out to not only be a bitingly funny show, but one with surprising heart, as the duo butt heads and struggle to understand each other and their seemingly conflicting world views. Smart rightly won an Emmy for her strong performance and I cannot wait to see what Deborah Vance gets up to in season two.

2. For All Mankind (AppleTV+)

Far and away, my #1 TV show recommendation of 2021 was AppleTV+’s For All Mankind. I was a late convert to the series, distracted by Apple’s host of flashy shows with flashy stars. But its best offering was the show without any real name recognition in the cast. From the brilliant mind of Ronald D. Moore (the man responsible for the Battlestar Galactica reboot that changed sci-fi television for the better), the series imagines a world wherein the Soviets won the space race to the moon, allowing the Cold War to continue to rage on – and prompting even more money and resources to be thrown at space exploration. The show’s first season was good, if a bit slow going. But its second season that premiered this year was a feat of brilliance, with every single narrative arc building to a two-part finale that was one of the greatest episodes of television in the last decade. Few shows have the ability to craft such a masterful piece of storytelling – and even fewer manage to pull it off as well as For All Mankind. If you snagged AppleTV+ for Ted Lasso, do yourself a favor and watch this one. It’s TV at its best.

1. Succession (HBO Max)

Until three weeks ago, Succession was set to slot in somewhere in the middle of this list. Then those final two episodes aired and it shot up to number one. When it comes to the best of the best in television, what sets a show apart from the pack is how it manages to marry writing, performance, and direction. When each of those elements weaves with the other two to form the perfect tapestry of storytelling, well, you get something like the final arc of Succession‘s third season. Yes, the show is about horrible people who do the unthinkable to one another week in and week out. And if you need to be able to root for your characters, this will never for the show for you. However, if you’re down to gasp, groan, and be in pure disbelief at the lengths the Roy family and those around them will go to in order to please Logan and try to secure the crown of Waystar Royco for themself, well, this is a can’t miss series. From the exceptional directorial framing of characters from scene to scene (often mirroring poses from season’s prior to call back to key moments in time) to the layered performances and incredible looks each actor gives that can convey a host of information in a moment, there wasn’t a better show on television in 2021 than Succession.