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The Ten Best TV Shows of 2023

2023 was a weird one. On the one hand, the TV industry had finally started to shake off the dust of the pandemic production halts to deliver a full year of small screen entertainment, though there were lingering effects and aftershocks felt throughout the industry. And then came the strikes. First the WGA and then SAG, strikes that lasted, in totality, from May to November. Or, a good half of the year. While necessary, the strikes impacted the release schedule of many a film and series and so kind of left viewers with yet another lopsided, half-formed year. But it certainly wasn’t still without its highlights. Read More

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The Best TV Shows of 2021

As the wide world of film shook and shuttered, trying to get its feet back under it while navigating the constant challenge of the pandemic, television entered a new golden age. The silver screen may have faded but the small screen burned brighter than ever. Last year, I listed my 25 favorite television series of the year and while many greats remain amongst my favorite, the amount of new amazing series in 2021 was blistering. Rather than diving in again on why something was a favorite in 2021, I mostly focused on newer shows, limited series, and series that made a triumphant return in 2021. So while I love comedies like What We Do in the Shadows (brilliant, still), Curb Your Enthusiasm (incredible, again), Ted Lasso (which proved slightly more dour in its second season, though hopeful and kind to its core), and Pen15 (creative and cringe as ever), they won’t appear on this list because I already said my piece on them last year. Read More

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The 25 Best TV Shows of 2020

What can be said about 2020 that hasn’t already been said? It has been a nightmare year where routines were upended, social outings curbed, vacations put on indefinite hold. And with movie theaters around the country shuttered to slow the spread of COVID-19, the only sense of adventure for many was on the small screen. At home. On the couch. And thank god that the year in television was as good as it was.  Read More