For us, TV is a blessing and a curse. For years, we were mainly a film website, having evolved beyond the original remit of just doing film-related soundtracks (too small of a thing, ultimately). And while yes, people like David Lynch did TV in the ’90s (“Twin Peaks“) and various filmmakers dabbled in the medium throughout the years, it wasn’t until the early 2010s and the advent of streaming that filmmakers started heavily working in television and really up-ended the game. David Fincher helped Netflix get off the ground, and gave them critical acclaim, buzz and awards for “House Of Cards” in 2013. HBO wasn’t far behind the curve with Cary Fukunaga‘s “True Detective” in 2014, which was impressive enough to nab Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in the starring roles (a major coup for television). The Nic Pizzolatto-written series was such a phenomenon and seemingly awoke many creators to the possibilities and idea of long-form storytelling, that suddenly, every network, cable channel, and streamer wanted more. To be fair, some A-list filmmakers had already seen the tea leaves turning very early on: Jane Campion (2013’s “Top Of The Lake“) and Steven Soderbergh (2014’s “The Knick”). Suddenly, many other auteurs were diving headfirst into television and bringing along top-notch acting talent that would normally avoid television (Lynch would return in 2017 with “Twin Peaks: The Return,” aka season 3). The stigma of television (that it was beneath film, something that was felt by actors and creatives for decades), was slowly eroding.
READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2021
Cut to today and that stigma is long gone and out the window. So, that’s a very longwinded way of saying, television — which admittedly already had some superstars long before this golden age of TV era like David Simon, David Chase, and Terence Winter & Martin Scorsese that brought “Boardwalk Empire” to TV back in 2010! — is now impossible to ignore. It doesn’t help that the mid-budget film has disappeared and essentially migrated to television where now you see stars like Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts, Chris Pine, Kate Winslet appearing on television routinely like it’s not even a thing (to give extra credit to forerunners, like Scorsese, something was already percolating, see Todd Haynes‘ “Mildred Pierce” excellent mini-series in 2011 with Kate Winslet, which no one seemingly watched).
Suffice to say, to ignore TV at this point, is to do so at your own peril and risk cultural relevancy. If Twitter is our watercolor of cultural currency, well, “Succession,” and things like “Mare Of Easttown” make as much noise as a big blockbuster these days. And speaking of, we’re even entering a new age of TV. With Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Hulu, Peacock, Netflix, Amazon Prime and more trying players trying to enter the game like Roku and a potential second attempt by Facebook, the hyper-accelerated age of streaming is still on the way. Oh, let’s not forget Marvel, Lucasfilm, and the upcoming “Lord Of The Rings”: the blockbuster has invaded television, too. In short, if you thought there was too much to watch now, you just wait. So, with all that rambling done, there’s a lot to watch on television, and there will be much more. But for now, here are the best things we saw on TV in 2021, both series and mini-series. Enjoy. – Rodrigo Perez
25. “Invincible” (Amazon Prime Video)
The plot of Amazon’s animated series, “Invincible,” might not be all that innovative, as it just tells the story of a teen boy, Mark Grayson, who develops superpowers and has to deal with all that it entails including hiding his secret identity from his girlfriend, ditching school to save the world, and proving to his parents that he is a responsible young adult. The big difference between this story and others before it is that Mark isn’t just a teen superhero named Invincible, but he’s also the son of this universe’s Superman, known as Omni-Man, the world’s greatest hero. And, as the season progresses, you begin to learn that maybe there’s more to Mark and his family’s heritage than he was led to believe. However, where this series truly separates itself from the likes of DC and Marvel is that the world of “Invincible” has real consequences. Heroes die, civilians get injured, and even though he’s called Invincible, it’s very clear that Mark Grayson is always one step away from tragedy. It’s not only a great superhero series, it’s one of the best TV shows today, period. – Charles Barfield
24. “Evil” (Paramount+)
Robert and Michelle King’s masterful drama moved from CBS to Paramount+ and the freedom allowed by streaming over network turned it into an even richer, darker examination of, well, evil. Katja Herbers plays Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a forensic psychologist set up in the first season as the Scully to Mike Colter’s Mulder–in this case, David Acosta, a journalist who is studying to be a Catholic priest. The dynamic of skeptic vs. believer grew more complex when Kristen committed what could be called an act of evil at the end of the first season. What does a higher power allow to protect a family? How do systems like the church impact both forces for good and evil? Colter and Herbers were fantastic this season (as were Michael Emerson, Aasif Mandvi, and the cleverly cast Andrea Martin), but the key here is the King’s sharp writing that balances episodic storytelling with an increasingly unsettling vision of what lies just through the shadows. – Brian Tallerico
23. “Swagger” (AppleTV+)
“Ted Lasso” isn’t the only sports show worth watching on Apple TV+. Loosely based on the actual upbringing of Kevin Durant, this drama is almost more remarkable for what it’s not than what it is. It’s not the kind of afterschool special about the perils of youth athletics that it could have been in the hands of lesser writers and producers. Instead, it’s a character-driven ensemble piece led by the young Isaiah Hill as Jace Carson, the next potential K.D. As his mother Jenna (the great Shinelle Azoroh) tries to navigate the choppy waters of a child who might be a prodigy, creator Reggie Rock Bythewood (“Get on the Bus”) expands the narrative to include the people around them like Jace’s best friend Crystal (a powerful Quvenzhané Wallis, Oscar nominee for “Beasts of the Southern Wild”) and his new coach Ike “Icon” Edwards, played charismatically by O’Shea Jackson Jr. It’s a smart, empathetic drama. – BT
22. “We Are Lady Parts” (Peacock)
Nida Manzoor created this clever, funny comedy about an eponymous punk rock band that just happens to be made up of Muslim women. A pilot for the show originally aired on Channel 4 way back in 2018, but the full six-episode series didn’t make it to air until May of this year when it also premiered on Peacock stateside. Anjana Vasan is a charmer as Amina, the awkward new guitarist of We Are Lady Parts, but Manzoor is careful to give each of the members of the band their time in the spotlight and Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole, and Lucie Shorthouse all deliver. It’s a show that’s culturally rich while also being incredibly relatable in its universal themes of connection and creative expression. It took way too long but Channel 4 finally renewed the show for an encore in November 2021. – BT
21. “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
In theory, it sounds like a TV executive’s dream. Pair two legendary comedic actors (in this case, Steve Martin and Martin Short), with one of the most recognizable pop stars in the world (Selena Gomez) in a comedic mystery and you’ll have a program that will appeal to all demos. In Hulu’s case, it’s a dream that not only became a monster hit but one of their most critically acclaimed series as well. The reason why isn’t necessarily the comedy (although it has its moments) but the whodunnit itself. A mystery so impressively plotted that kept viewers guessing who killed who until the very end. Throw in a jackpot of Broadway stars conveniently available thanks to COVID (Nathan Lane, Jackie Hoffman, Jayne Houdyshell, Ali Stroker), some unexpected cameos (Tina Fey, Sting), and an impressive change in direction (the show’s almost completely non-verbal episode is exemplary) and you’ve got something almost unheard of, water cooler TV in the streaming era. – Gregory Ellwood
