Before we start the list - as always a quick run down of those that didn't make it in 2020 - sadly this time a lot due to not airing in 2020.
Didn't Air in 2020 - show ended/was a mini-series:
#20 - Big Little Lies (series ended... one would hope)
#14 - Surviving R. Kelly (mini-series)
#12 - Veronica Mars (series ended... one would think)
#11 - When They See Us (mini-series)
#10 - Mindhunter (series ended)
#9 - The Deuce (series ended)
#8 - Veep (series ended)
#3 - Watchmen (mini-series)
#2 - The Loudest Voice (mini-series)
#1 - Chernobyl (mini-series)
Didn't Air in 2020 - production slowed due to COVID-19
#19 - Alternatino
#16 - The Righteous Gemstones
#13 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
#7 - Stranger Things (probably wasn't airing in 2020 anyway)
#6 - Pose
#4 - Succession
Wasn't as good in 2020
#18 - The Good Place
#15 - Big Mouth (to be fair, didn't finish it)
If you're playing along, thats a full 18 of our shows from 2019 that won't show up in 2020. The two that do were ranked #17 and #5 last year. That said, there are a few returnees from earlier years that didn't air in 2019, ranked #20, #15, #13, #8, #7 and #5, along with a couple shows that started before 2020 but I didn't watch or have ranked before. Basically, this isn't just a list full of shows that have only aired in 2020 - though I will say despite the pandemic there was a lot of very good TV this year.
I don't know if this was the last season of Narcos - be it in Mexico or otherwise. It provided closure on an important story, with teh break-up of the Guadalajara Cartel only leading to far more cartel violence. What the show still had was excellent cinematography, and great set pieces being able to showcase incredibly tesnse moments. What it didn't have - or at least at the same level as the Colombia seasons - was the joy and verve. Diego Luna was fantastic, as was a whole cadre of Latin actors, but in the end it was hard for them to elevate a staid story beyond anything but very good.
19.) The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
I've rarely given these daily news shows a spotlight, but I think with these shows having to hard pivot to remote working, changing up so much of what make them fun, none of them did it with the perfect tenor of joy and meaning as Trevor Noah's Daily Show. They leaned heavy into being in that setting, with more visual cut jokes, and the type of stuff that it is so much harder to do in a studio. What also helped was his ability to talk to the racial and social unrest that enveloped the middle of the year. Noah did so well to speak truth to power, but still do so in a way that balanced levity and introspection. Ive long felt Noah is better at the show than people give him credit for, but the setting of 2020 allowed Noah a larger spotlight and a strangely perfect opportunity to shine.
18.) The Mandalorian, S2 (Disney+)
I get it, there's gonna be a lot of people who would have this way further up their respective lists. And yes, I'll admit even I was turned mad by the sight of de-aged Luke Skywalker showing up in the finale. The show though to me is still not perfectly finding its place between fan service and actionable plot. The characters they've created are mostly great, but one issue I often find myself having is loving the action scenes from a technical brilliance perspective, but not as much from a captivating one. The show will remain a must watch just because every few episodes they are able to turn over a rock and provide something absolutely brilliant
17.) I May Destroy You (HBO)
In terms of shining a light on such a serious topic, I don't know if I've ever seen a show as creative as I May Destroy You. Michaela Coel's show was so good at attacking sexual assault head-on, both from the everlasting trauma, the ways people cope, to the atual act - especially the episode around Coel realizing that her partner that took off his condom without her consent did too rape her. The show was fairly optimistic through it all, and was able to mix a story of female empowerment with such a great dose of life. The show was far funnier that it really had any right to be, and while I didn't pick up all the British-isms (ultimately what hurts the ranking, in my mind), it was so clear this was a show with such clarity and precision.
16.) Perry Mason, S1 (HBO)
I wish this show was better. Now, it was very, very good. Something of a true prequel / origin story for Perry Mason, seeing this bloated, hyper PI turn into something of a trail lawyer, all while fighting 1920s organized religion and crime, was a sight. There is a show with similar inputs in a different language well up the list, but Perry Mason for itself showed itself well. Michael Rhys is just a fantastic actor, and the Lithgow was great as his mentor/boss. The tone was appropriately dark for a more adult look at Perry Mason, and while the show can easily overstay its welcome, I am excited to see where a Season 2 would take it. Not going case of the week style was interesting, but I like the idea of a season being a full novel a whole lot better.
