Boy, have we seen a ton of television over the past 12 months. In the age of peak TV, where streaming, cable and regular broadcast networks are vying for our eyeballs with a deluge of quality shows – it’s getting harder to find time to watch them all, let alone narrow down these year-end lists. With that being said, these 50 series were the absolute cream of the crop.
Honorable metions:
Cobra Kai, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Boys, Veronica Mars, Good Omens, Counterpart, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Kim’s Convenience, Stranger Things 3, Catch-22, Brockmire, Killing Eve, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Mr. Robot, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, Rhythm & Flow, YOU, Sorry For Your Loss, My Hero Academia, Dark
50) The Mandalorian
Disney Plus’ first live-action series is a gun-slinging exploration of the seedier, grittier and morally questionable side of Star Wars’ outlaw frontier, set after the fall of the Empire. Owing a lot to dusty Westerns like Man WIth No Name, The Mandalorian follows the adventures of an unnamed bounty hunter as he traverses the galaxy’s criminal fringes. Directed by visionaries like Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and Taika Waititi; and starring Pedro Pascal, Giancarlo Esposito and Werner Herzog (among others) – this gorgeous series is a brisk and action-packed watch.
Watch on: Disney Plus
49) Baskets
When Jonathan Krisel and Zach Galifianakis’ show first began, it focused on the foibles of a failed professional clown named Chip Baskets. But as the series evolved, Baskets grew to become an earnest ensemble dramedy – finding nuanced depth by exploring the hopes and heartbreaks of the entire Baskets family (Louie Anderson’s sweetly gentle portrayal of Chip’s mother Christine remains marvelous). While past seasons have mined pathos from personal failures, this fourth finds the family growing beyond their insecurities with humour and sincerity.
48) Aggretsuko
Based on Sanrio’s adorable red panda character, this adaptation of Aggretsuko transcended it’s cutesy roots to become a subversive feminist gem in season one. Back for season two, this kawaii meets metalcore series now balances it’s focus between Retsuko’s workplace troubles (sparked by an over-sensitive colleague) with pressure from her mother to marry and settle down. In dealing with complex millennial anxieties, Retsuko rages against a different societal machine as she grapples with “maturity” and how that means different things to different people.
47) State of the Union
With only ten 10-minute episodes, State of the Union proves to be a breezy and satisfying binge. Created and written by Nick Hornby, this compact series takes place in a pub where estranged spouses meet to pregame their weekly marriage counseling. Expertly acted by Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd, this dialogue-driven relationship dramedy thrives purely on witty and wry conversation. Whether discussing politics and pop culture, or arguing about their marital troubles, every inch of dialogue fills us in on their complex chemistry and difficult history.
46) Rick and Morty
The long two year wait is over for Rick and Morty fans, because season four is here! And it’s still the most insane, hilarious and inventive show in this or any other universe. Within minutes, this series continues to blast through enough sci-fi concepts (going from a galactic adventure, to an alternate reality of fascist squids, to riff on Akira) that could fuel whole seasons more standard shows. But even with those time-bending, multiversal, space-faring hijinks – Rick and Morty’s greatest strength remains it’s refusal to rely on old tricks, and it’s insistence on subverting itself.
45) Pose
Ryan Murphy’s engaging series about New York’s underground drag ball scene is back – and it’s more political and fabulous than ever! Pose jumps from the 80s’ to 1990 in season two, juxtaposing the subculture’s spotlight in the mainstream thanks to Madonna’s “Vogue”, with the height of the AIDS/HIV epidemic that’s decimating the community that built it. Naturally, real-world history impacts its cast of LGBTQ characters immensely, but amidst the death and despair, Pose clings to hope as the House of Evangelista faces a dark era with love and grace.
44) What We Do In The Shadows
Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement’s vampire mockumentary movie makes a seamless transition to TV. What We Do In The Shadows continues the duo’s uniquely offbeat and charmingly deadpan humour into a longer format, and brilliantly expands its quirky mythology (look out for the introduction of “energy vampires”) into the New World – specifically Staten Island. This show delights in finding the goofy tone between the macabre and the mundane, with a new cast that quickly establishes a great comedic chemistry. Think The Office with a bloodier bite.
43) The Tick
Superhero spoof The Tick has reached its fullest potential during this second season of it’s latest live-action incarnation. And that’s largely because this era of mainstream superhero saturation has armed creator Ben Edlund with plenty to unack through comedy. Yes, season two parodies the phenomenon in ways will leave you in stitches. But what makes it stand apart is that it doesn’t just poke fun at the popular – it’s also insightful enough to probe the reasons why. All while telling a thrilling, surprising and emotionally fulfilling story that can stand on its own.
42) Euphoria
Based on the epynomous Istraeli series, Euphoria is a boundary-pushing and brutally honest look at harrowing world of sex, drugs and violence in modern teenage culture. This gorgeously shot series is buoyed by a career-defining performance from Zendaya, who is a revelation as 17-year-old drug addict Rue. Her exceptional performance grounds Euphoria’s shocking content in raw emotional authenticity. Although often unflinchingly real and obscenely graphic, it’s distressing stories feel earned because they’re based in empathy rather than exploitation.
Watch on: HBO
41) Mob Psycho 100
Season two of Mob Pyscho 100 is a pure joy! This continues to be the rare anime that rewards empathy and kindness over strength and power. Fights are a deplorable last resort, and villains are rehabilitated instead of destroyed. The mundane is deftly balanced with the fantastical, treating small emotionally complex moments with as much importance as its hugely epic psychic battles (the animation here is wildly colourful). Shiego’s personal journey is richly compelling, the show’s quirky sense of humour shines, and its action is as impressive as its forgiving ethos.
40) GLOW
As the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling take the colourful camp of their 80s’ pro wrestling production from the TV studios of L.A. to the live stage of Las Vegas, the series itself undergoes a dramatic narrative departure from previous seasons. No longer as focused on the athletic artistry of in-ring action and an overarching plot, GLOW’s third season utilizes it’s amazing ensemble to explore poignant character studies. Themes of identity and acceptance permeate as delicate issues of race, sexuality and gender are grappled with through layered storytelling.
39) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
With Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt reaching its end end point, we think it’s safe to say that the comedy team of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock have created something as indelible, hilarious and genius as 30 Rock ever was. These last six episodes of season four offer a side-splitting and warm-hearted farewell to the wacky world of Kimmy, Titus, Jacqueline and Lilian. For a show about dealing with abuse, trauma and toxic men – it remains goofy and sincere till the very end, plying you with dozen-layered punchlines, clever running gags and surreal non sequiturs.
38) Harley Quinn
This new animated series about Harley Quinn is an utter triumph, and one of the best new comedies of the year! It’s a gloriously foul-mouthed, action-packed, and blood-spattered adult cartoon that plays like a dementedly irreverent mix between Animaniacs and Deadpool. Equally gory, gut-bustingly funny and fearlessly feminist, we follow Harley Quinn as she breaks free from her toxic relationship with Joker to find her own way as a supervillain. With the help of her sardonic best friend Poison Ivy and a motley new crew, Harley’s growth is something to behold.
37) Chernobyl
This miniseries is a riveting account of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. But even beyond the unsparing terror of the initial reactor meltdown, and the stomach-churning effects radiation poisoning – the true horror lies in the Soviet cover-up. In it’s all-too believable depiction of government corruption and systemic incompetence, Chernobyl reminds us that no cataclysm can’t be made worse through bureaucratic pettiness. In contrast, this show takes care to capture the sacrifices made by selfless citizens in their efforts to clean-up a state-run tragedy.
36) The Deuce
Like all David Simon shows, The Deuce has been immersive and transportive, delving deep into the sex trade ecosystem and capitalist decay of New York City between the 1970s to the 1980s. It’s a deft balance of fascinating anthropology and gripping character study that never loses sight of human disenfranchisement amidst sweeping socioeconomic changes. This magnificent third season concludes this urban saga by looking at how gentrification eliminated street prostitution in Times Square, the evolution of pornography, and the people caught up in it all.
35) Steven Universe Future
After ending the Diamonds’ authoritarian during the climactic “Change Your Mind” arc, and growing up with a fantastic movie musical – Steven Universe enters a new era. Future finds Steven committed to rehabilitating Gems and helping them live peacefully on Earth. But as utopian as that sounds – finding new purpose and moving on from trauma isn’t easy. Rebecca Sugar’s kind series has always rewarded positivity, but this epilogue season painfully illustrates that true healing can only come when negative emotions and past mistakes are confronted.
34) Mindhunter
David Fincher’s riveting drama about serial killer psychology takes us to the infancy of the FBI’s understanding of behavioral science. While the agents and researchers who pioneered this field of profiling were once looked upon as law enforcement outcasts, this second season sees their unit’s methods finding acceptance. Now called to consult on infamous cases like the BTK strangler and the Atlanta child murders – alongside their interviews with figures like Son of Sam and Charles Manson – Mindhunter continues to be a riveting dive into the heart of darkness.
33) The Magicians
From wild tangents involving time travel, alternate dimensions, and incorrigible gods; to dealing with one character’s trauma from a harrowing sexual assault – The Magicians deftly balances the crazy silly and emotionally serious. This fourth season upends the show’s status quo (once again) by mind-wiping our main characters, who now have to overthrow an authoritarian magical government and stop a god-killing monster, without knowing who they are, or that magic even exists. This is definitely one of TV’s weirdest, funniest, and most audaciously creative shows.
32) Fosse/Verdon
Following the five decade long partnership between legendary choreographer/director Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell) and iconic Broadway dancer/actress Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams) – Fosse/Verdon is an exhilarating depiction of a dazzling artistic collaboration, but also a sobering exploration of their toxic domestic relationship (the pair were also married). Everything from the acting and directing to the music and writing in this biographical miniseries is phenomenal, but it’s the magnificent musical dance numbers that really embody the couple’s genius and anguish.
31) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
It bears repeating that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has grown into the best superhero show ever made, and it’s hot streak continues into its sixth season. Despite the finality of season five’s climax, S.H.I.E.L.D. impressively pivots into a new adventure driven by it’s fresh status quo. As the team splits it’s focus between recovering a cryogenically frozen Fitz in deep space, and new threats, S.H.I.E.L.D. is shaken an evil alt-version of their dearly departed leader Coulson. With great pacing, compelling emotional arcs, and amazing action, S.H.I.E.L.D. continues to impress.
30) Sex Education
While most teen shows use sex as fodder for it’s thrashiest elements, Sex Education approaches the subject matter with refreshing nuance, humour and maturity. The series follows Otis Milburn, and awkward 16-year-old who forms a sex therapy clinic with “bad girl” Maeve after it is revealed his mother is a sex therapist. This is a smart and sensitive look at teens sorting the through the messiness of sexuality to find their place and figure out their bodies.
29) The Expanse
One year after its cancellation, The Expanse is revived for a fourth season thanks to Amazon. Thankfully, it remains one of the densest and most rewarding sci-fi series on air. After the opening of the Ring Gate, this season sees a land rush for the newfound worlds on the other side. The Rocinante crew land on a planet called Ilus, where they’re embroiled in a conflict between the downtrodden Belters and a mining company from Earth over the rights to the land. This morally grey anti-colonialism allegory in the galactic Wild West is both tense and thrilling.
28) The Good Place
The fourth and final season of Mike Schur’s The Good Place continues to be television’s most divine comedy. While an exploration of moral philosophy doesn’t exactly sound hilarious – this show brilliantly tackles it’s heady existentialist questions with charm, wit, empathy, a multitude of inventive twists, and lots of pop culture zingers. This climactic chapter flips The Good Place dynamic as our crew are now in charge, tasked with carrying out a grand experiment to redefine the afterlife’s archaic judgements of good and bad – by proving humanity’s capacity for change.
27) The Crown
Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter lead a majestic new ensemble for season three that proves every bit the equal of Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby’s cast from the first two seasons. Now set between 1964 and 1977, this season finds the monarchy struggling with change – represented by counterculture, the Apollo 11 moon landing, the death of Churchill, and more. By juxtaposing the sovereigns’ turbulent inner lives with huge socio-political upheaval, The Crown‘s austere portraiture of power continues to be a compelling look into Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
26) Documentary Now!
Hosted by Helen Mirren and written by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers – Documentary Now! is a mockumentary that parodies a wide variety of iconic non-fiction films. Currently in its third season, this geeky series is both a satirical send-up, and a painstaking love letter to the art of documentary filmmaking. Sure, it subversively pokes fun at the tropes and hallmarks of everything from The Artist Is Present to Chef’s Table, but it also smartly explores the grey ethics and persuasive power of the medium through compelling imitation. Read our full review here.
25) Legends of Tomorrow
While the rest of CW’s Arrowverse shows suffocate under the weight of self-seriousness, Legends of Tomorrow flies with self-aware silliness and a dedication to fun over all else. Always playful and frequently bonkers, this season augments the usual time-travel escapades with magic as monsters, demons and John Constantine join the show. Whether they’re hunting a rampaging unicorn at Woodstock, being turned into felt puppets in alternate timelines, or fighting spirits with lucha libre wrestlers in 1960s’ Mexico – the Legends’ adventures are joyous delights.
24) When They See Us
Ava DuVernay’s powerful miniseries tells the harrowing true stories of five African-American and Hispanic teenagers who were falsely accused and wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in 1989 – only to be exonerated 13 years later. While the details of the “Central Park Five” case are widely known, When They See Us makes us confront the overlooked physical and emotional ordeal these children (and their families) were made to suffer. Although emotionally draining and excruciating, this urgent cautionary tale is a crucially empathetic look at the victims of injustice.
23) Shrill
Loosely based on Lindy West’s memoir Shrill: Notes From A Loud Woman, this tender and funny new dramedy is a beautiful slice-of-life story about a plus-sized woman struggling to find confidence in her body. SNL’s Aidy Bryant absolutely shines as Shrill’s effervescent lead, trying to fight off fat shamers, workplace drama, relationship disasters and familial resentment with a smile. Besides it’s sharp commentary on cruel beauty standards, Shrill evolves it’s drama to investigate the fine line between self-confidence and selfishness. Read our full review here.
22) Big Mouth
Big Mouth is back for more gross self-discovery and obscenely hilarious coming-of-age humor in its third season. And if you thought the show has done all it can in capturing the awkward embarrassments of sexual awakening through anthropomorphic genitals and love triangles with pillows, think again. This season mines fresh territory by moving beyond it’s boy-centric puberty focus to explore queer romance, bisexuality, pansexuality, female masturbation, and the confusion of growing up online in the age of #MeToo, neo-Nazism and non-binary identities.
21) The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
Age of Resistance is a sweeping production, a grand and gorgeous epic that doesn’t just stay faithful to the original’s practical look and complex lore – it enriches Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s vision with heart and wonder. This awe-inspiring Dark Crystal prequel makes spellbinding use of puppet artistry and masterful performers (voice actors and puppeteers) to render textured and tactile characters. By combining astounding technical wizardry with a profoundly emotional tale and urgent environmental themes, this fantasy series is a bold triumph. Read our full review.
20) Infinity Train
Created by Owen Dennis (Regular Show), Infinity Train follows a 12-year-old girl named Tulip who runs away from home to attend a video game design camp. On the way, she finds herself aboard a seemingly endless train, where each car contains a separate universe! Her quest to escape takes her through imaginatively surreal worlds – each a familiar yet warped dreamland of astounding characters and bizarre landscapes, filled with both joy and danger. Infinity Train is a fun ride, anchored by surprisingly mature themes, making this one of 2019’s best new cartoons.
19) Vida
Thanks to it’s all Latinx writers room, and all-women directing team, Vida’s thoughtful exploration of race, gentrification, class, and sexual identity in East L.A. continues to be as vibrant and vital as ever. Now back with an expanded season two, the show dives deeper into the complex lives of estranged sisters Emma and Lyn Hernandez through poignant stories of love, loss and family – providing a lens into a myriad of diverse perspectives and socio-political issues within the LGBTQ and Mexican-American communities in their neighbourhood. Read our full review here.
18) Doom Patrol
If you think Guardians of the Galaxy or The Umbrella Academy has prepared you for weird superhero teams, you haven’t met Doom Patrol yet. This live-action adaptation of DC’s most outrageously oddball crew is just as bananas and bizarrely inventive as it’s source material (drawing particular inspiration from Grant Morrison’s run). Taking us from their horrific yet absurd origin stories, all the way to travelling across dimensions via a flatulent donkey, Doom Patrol is endlessly entertaining – employing a similar self-ware silliness that Legends of Tomorrow enjoys.
17) Broad City
As bittersweet as it is, Broad City’s final season finds it’s creative team of Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer at their best and most inspired, both behind and in front of the camera. This fifth season finds Abbi and Ilana leaving their 20s behind and forging through life milestones – without sacrificing the carefree spirit, hilarious millennial commentary, and joyous misadventure they’ve come to be known for. We could hang out with these broads forever, but alas, this love letter to female friendship and New York City has come to a beautifully satisfying conclusion.
16) Tuca & Bertie
Like the lovechild of BoJack Horseman and Broad City, this comedy about two birds named Tuca & Bertie (voiced by Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong respectively) mixes a surreal world of anthropomorphic animals with millennial misadventure. Buoyed by its wildly frenetic art style and a love of puns, this show’s focus on female friendship, existential anxieties, and complicated relationships is simultaneously relatable and absurdist. From whimsical non-sequiturs to serious issues (ranging from sexual harassment to sobriety), Tuca & Bertie handles it all splendidly.
15) Veep
Amidst it’s constant stream of hilariously offensive rapid-fire wit and creative profanity, Veep has slowly morphed from an absurdist comedy of powerless pettiness to a strangely realistic satire of flippant power. This final season finds former President Selina Meyer and her sharp-tongued staff on the comeback campaign trail, as she bumbles her way through another election rife with hypocritical lies, vicious betrayals and countless scandals. Through jokes about race, abortions and mass shootings, this jaundiced mockery of toxic American politics remains gleefully cutting.
14) Unbelievable
Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning article (and a This American Life radio episode), this Netflix miniseries follows an 18-year-old girl named Marie Adler (Kaitlyn Dever) who reports that she was assaulted at knifepoint by a serial rapist. Sadly, she is discredited by investigators and her own foster mother, who deem her story “unbelievable.” Years later, female detectives (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) notice similarities between two other rape cases, evenutually linking them to Adler’s case. This depiction of trauma and survivors fighting for self-worth is wrenching.
13) I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
After the untimely cancellation of his brilliant sitcom Detroiters, comedian Tim Robinson has thankfully found a new home for his brand of outlandish and outrageous humour. His new sketch comedy show I Think You Should Leave is a refreshing riot – devoid of context, reason or social messaging. It exists solely to flesh some truly bizarre skits, and make you laugh hard. With only six 15-minute episodes, this series is an easy binge brimming with boundlessly creative concepts, and fast-paced sketches that take many dizzyingly hilarious hard left turns.
12) The Other Two
2019’s first great new comedy is here and it’s The Other Two – a scathing yet sweet satire of Gen Z celebrity culture. When a 13-year-old kid calling himself ChaseDreams becomes an overnight pop star thanks to a viral music video, his 29-year-old brother (a struggling actor) and 30-year-old sister (a directionless ex-dancer) are more than envious. So while this could have easily been a purely mocking take on resentment and showbiz vapidity, this show proves itself itself to be deeper and more sincere in its depiction of sibling love. Read our full review here.
11) Russian Doll
Netflix’s multi-layered Russian Doll premiered in January but it remains fresh in our minds. Acerbic, affecting and so richly rewarding, this show avoids the tropes of time loop narratives to offer the warmest, freshest take on the Groundhog Day concept. It’s funny and addictive, but it’s also an existential character study of how people get stuck in self-defeating patterns, repeatedly making the same mistakes. Co-creator and star Natasha Lyonne is an absolute revelation here, playing Nadia with a caustic mix of vulgar bravado and tender intelligence that makes her totally magnetic.
10) Primal
Created by Genndry Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack), Primal is a compelling look at harsh cost of survival and the cruelty of nature, set during prehistoric times. This five-part animated miniseries tells the story of a caveman and his dinosaur companion after a shared tragedy unites them. Completely devoid of dialogue and gorgeously scored and hand-drawn, this is an elemental tale that finds real emotional depth in its protagonists through expressive body language, wordless compassion and unsparing savagery. Both beautiful and brutal, Primal is a roaring achievement.
9) Better Things
Hilariously candid, emotionally unvarnished, and messily authentic – Better Things returns better than ever in season three. Pamela Adlon’s semi-autobiographical dramedy continues to mine the heartbreaking indignities and joyful rewards of motherhood for episodic catharsis, keeping its place as television’s most empathetic show. This season explores themes of family, aging, and responsibility in experimental and truthful ways – but through Sam Fox’s Sisyphean struggles, the value of simply showing up is rewarded in beautifully subtle human moments.
8) Succession
Brimming with acidic wit and wicked power plays, Succession centers around the dysfunctional Roy family, who control a multibillion dollar media conglomerate. This series about monstrous rich people back-stabbing each other returns in darkly funny form for a hugely entertaining second season. Blessed with sharp writing, grandiose plotting and an exceptional ensemble, the show’s dissection of the ultra wealthy is a delightful treat. But even amidst the despicable behaviour, Succession still manages to mine genuine pathos from its least likeable characters.
7) PEN15
Created by and starring Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, these two 31-year-old actresses play 13-year-old versions of themselves amidst a cast of actual middle schoolers. This dorky comedy about adolescent female friendship is leans into awkward hilarity and universal uncoolness to deliver one of the most authentic, sincere, and painfully relatable coming-of-age shows on television. This cringe comedy mines pubescent indignities and millennial nostalgia to explore both wonderful and humiliating new territory within a saturated genre. Read our full review here.
6) Los Espookys
Fred Armisen’s new Spanish-language horror-comedy is wonderfully weird, exceedingly bizarre and inventively off-kilter. Los Espookys revolves around a group of friends who embrace their passion for all things macabre and decide to make a business out of scares. It’s sort of a reverse Scooby Doo where you root for the people setting up the haunts instead of the ones solving the mysteries. These oddballs follow their endeavor from one absurd scenario to the next leading to some of the heartiest and most unconventional humour you’ll find on television.
5) BoJack Horseman
The first half of BoJack Horseman’s sixth and final season is a powerful journey of recovery that once again illustrates why this smart, funny, and devastating show about washed-up sitcom star is undoubtedly the greatest series of the streaming era. After hitting rock bottom last season, BoJack grapples with his past mistakes and self-destructive tendencies in rehab. Likewise, every major character is on a difficult path towards addressing their perennial anxieties and mental health issues. These maturing arcs are raw and sobering, but also silly and inspiring.
4) Barry
After it’s remarkable debut season, Bill Hader’s pitch black dramedy about a cold-blooded hitman turned inept thespian returns for an equally hilarious and harrowing season two. While Barry’s the new episodes maintain the show’s satirical view of self-absorbed Hollywood, this season is a much darker and more introspective character study. As Barry attempts to reconcile with past trauma and evil deeds in search of redemption through art and love, the show dives into the reflexive lies people tell themselves, and the myriad of masks we present to the world.
3) Undone
Created by the BoJack Horseman writing team, Undone is a transcendent experience and a magnificent artistic feat. This rotoscoped animation series (starring Rosa Salazar and Bob Odenkirk) is a genre-bending, time-breaking and mind-expanding visual marvel set in the celestial landscape of one damaged girl’s consciousness. The way Undone inventively blends and drifts from reality to memory to delusion is such a sensory trip – but it’s all emotionally grounded by a very powerful human story of mental illness, self-loathing and existential malaise.
2) Ramy
RAMY is one of 2019’s most richly drawn, sharply observed and radically brave dramedies. Based loosely on the life of comedian Ramy Youssef and his family (immigrant parents from Palestine and Egypt), this A24 series is a artful and complex depiction of a young Muslim man struggling to reconcile Islam and his culture, with more contemporary millennial anxieties in Western society. RAMY’s thoughtful portrait of Muslim-Americans is nuanced, compassionate and bracingly specific – offering a depth and diversity of perspectives rarely seen on screen.
1) Watchmen (tie)
Damon Lindelof’s sequel to Watchmen is audacious, dense, super weird and utterly exhilarating. This series extrapolates an alternate present from the graphic novel’s alternate history to deconstruct police accountability, racism, and superhero TV tropes – while exploring difficult questions about modern day America. It’s a world where a white supremacist group is inspired by Rorschach, and cops are allowed to hide their identities under masks. By taking inspired liberties, this show beautifully captures the comic’s disruptive spirit and bold sociological insight.
1) Fleabag (tie)
Written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge (who also created Killing Eve), Fleabag returns stronger than ever for a bravura second (and sadly, final) season. This caustic dramedy centering around a selfish and cynical café owner is a terrific mix of raunchy humour and aching drama. Continuing from a myriad of sexual and familial disasters, this season elegantly mines unsettling topics for farcical comedy. Fleabag’s uproariously self-aware and self-destructive journey through irreconcilable guilt and grief only gets funnier as it gets darker.