The Top 10 TV Shows of 2021

 

The Top 10 TV Shows of 2021

 

We've finally made it through another year of "Peak TV"! Time to celebrate by reflecting on all the top shows we watched in 2021. It's not so easy now with the constant influx of content from Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, and other networks! But I still went ahead and created my top 10 list. (And yes, I watched them all!)

This year has seen Jean Smart shine in Hacks and The Mare of Easttown, both of which have been met with critical acclaim. Other noteworthy miniseries included High on the Hog and The White Lotus, while Ted Lasso was a brilliant reality show that provided an insightful look at our current world. Ultimately though, no single performance or show has taken the top spot.

TV of 2021 showed us something about ourselves as a society. Pop culture can act as a window into the past, present, and future of who we are. It might sound cliche or corny, but that's what Ted Lasso is all about.

 

Maid

Molly Smith Metzler created the American drama series "Maid" for Netflix, based on Stephanie Land's memoir of the same name. The show follows a mother who escapes an abusive relationship and works hard to support her daughter by becoming a house cleaner. It debuted exclusively on Netflix on October 1, 2021.

The show was critically acclaimed for its writing, tone, and performances, particularly Qualley's. It became Netflix's fourth most-watched show of the year and received several awards including three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, three Golden Globe nominations for Best Limited Series, Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film (Qualley) and Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film (MacDowell), as well as a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Qualley.

The miniseries stars Margaret Qualley as a woman who has experienced domestic abuse and is trying to find a way to make life better for her and her child. Andie Macdowell, Qualley's real-life mother, also appears in the series.

No other show in recent history has explored the economic problems and obstacles that many Americans face when trying to improve their lives as insightfully as this series.

 

What We Do in the Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows is a comedic horror TV show created by Jemaine Clement and premiering on FX in 2019. It is based on the 2014 New Zealand film of the same name written by Clement and Taika Waititi, following four vampires living together in Staten Island.

The TV series has been critically acclaimed and nominated for 17 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series in 2020 and 2022. It has aired four seasons so far and was recently renewed for fifth and sixth seasons.

What We Do in the Shadows is an excellent series, even if it isn't constantly talked about. It's not filled with violence or cults, but rather has three seasons of loveable characters, great writing and plenty of laughs. If you watch this show, you'll wish you had your own vampire housemates in New York.

 

Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is a comedic sports drama TV show created by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. It follows the story of Ted Lasso, an American college football coach hired by an English soccer club's owner to spite her ex-husband. Despite his lack of experience in the sport, Ted attempts to win over the cynical British fans with his cheerful attitude.

The first season of "For All Mankind" premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020 with three episodes, followed by a weekly installment. The series was renewed for a second season of 12 episodes which premiered on July 23, 2021. In October 2020, it was also renewed for a third season.

The first season of the acclaimed series received 20 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, making it the most nominated first-season comedy in Emmy Award history. Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, and Brett Goldstein won awards for their performances, while the series also earned the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Additionally, Sudeikis won both a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role.

Ted Lasso is an inspiring show that explores how positivity can be meaningful, even in a difficult world. Season One introduced us to the power of optimism, while Season Two explored deeper topics such as mental health and toxic masculinity. Although there has been debate about whether we can handle the optimism Ted Lasso offers, it's important to remember that this show provides an important look at how believing in yourself can make a difference.

 

The Top 10 TV Shows of 2021

High on the Hog

High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America is a 2021 docuseries released on Netflix in May 2021. It stars Stephen Satterfield, Gabrielle E.W. Carter and Jessica B. Harris and was renewed for a second season in August 2021. According to The New York Times, the series was 'sorely overdue.' It is based on the book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America.

Netflix's four-part docuseries is top-notch television. Stephen Satterfield, a food writer and host, takes viewers on a journey to explore the roots of American cuisine from West Africa to the US. He lets people who are knowledgeable about their culture share their stories, providing unique perspectives and insights through food.

 

The Chair

Prof. Ji-Yoon Kim is the first female to be appointed chair of the English department at Pembroke University, a fictional university located in New England. In the Netflix comedy drama series The Chair, she attempts to get tenure for a young black colleague, deal with her crush and friend Bill Dobson, and raise her adopted daughter. The series was released on August 20th 2021.

Sandra Oh stars in 'The Chair', a Netflix comedy about the first female chair of an English department at a low-tier Ivy League school. The series is both dark and humorous, poking fun at college administrators who are out of touch with their students. It also critiques this generation's tendency to turn to social media rather than factual research or action when expressing opinions.

 

The White Lotus

The White Lotus is an HBO series created by Mike White. It follows the people staying at a resort chain named 'White Lotus' whose visits are affected by their psychological and social issues.

The White Lotus, a six-part limited series, premiered on July 11, 2021 to great reviews and strong viewership. HBO subsequently renewed the show as an anthology series; its second season was released on October 30, 2022. It was then given a third season renewal in November 2022.

The American Film Institute named the TV show one of the 10 best programs for 2021 and 2022. In its first season, it was the most-awarded series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, with 10 awards including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Writing and Directing for White, The second season won two Golden Globe Awards: Best Limited or Anthology Series and Best Supporting Actress (Coolidge).

The HBO miniseries, starring Connie Britton, Steve Zahn, Natasha Rothwell and Jennifer Coolidge, is expertly crafted to be incredibly frustrating – and that's the point. Despite its excellence, it still stings.

Set in a Hawaiian resort, this satirical series follows a week of cringe-worthy and irreverent moments, culminating in an unexpected ending. Although justice isn't necessarily served, the finale makes an important statement that outweighs any sense of injustice.

 

The Top 10 TV Shows of 2021

We're Here

Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O'Hara, and Shangela star in the HBO reality series "We're Here". The show follows the trio around America as they recruit locals to take part in one-night drag shows. The series premiered on April 23, 2020, and was renewed for a second season which premiered on October 11, 2021. A third season is expected to air on November 25th, 2022.

The HBO docuseries, We're Here, hosted by three drag queens, has done an amazing job in its second season of making viewers look at a corner of the world they don't know about earnestly. Each episode follows three subjects as they try drag for the first time and gives viewers a colorful perspective of the LGBTQIA community that is rarely seen. This series has successfully sold the ideas of acceptance, self-love, and a (not) good French tuck, which was similar to what the rebooted Queer Eye had done.

 

Squid Game

Squid Game is a South Korean survival drama series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk and released on Netflix. It stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi and Kim Joo-ryoung.

The series is about a contest where 456 people in financial trouble take part in dangerous children's games for the chance to win ₩45.6 billion (roughly $35 million). It draws its name from a traditional Korean game. The writer, Hwang, was inspired by his own struggles with money as well as the inequality in South Korea and capitalism. He first wrote the idea down in 2009 but couldn't find anyone to turn it into a show until Netflix became interested around 2019 so they could increase their foreign programming options.

Released to critical acclaim worldwide on September 17, 2021, Squid Game quickly became Netflix's most-watched series, with it becoming the top-viewed program in 94 countries and attracting more than 142 million member households.

In its first four weeks since launch, it amassed 1.65 billion viewing hours and surpassed Bridgerton for the title of most watched show. It has also received numerous accolades including Golden Globe Awards for O Yeong-su's Best Supporting Actor performance and Screen Actors Guild Awards for Lee Jung-jae's Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and HoYeon Jung’s Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series - making history as the first Korean actors to win these categories.

Squid Game also earned fourteen Primetime Emmy Award nominations including one for Best Drama - making it the first non-English language work to be nominated in this category; Jung-jae ultimately won the Outstanding Lead Actor award which marked the first time an Asian actor had been awarded for a non-English work.

Netflix has renewed Squid Game for a second season, which is set to air sometime in late 2023 or early 2024. The streaming service is also creating a reality competition show based on the game, with 456 participants competing for a big monetary prize.

A young man enters an intense competition for a prize of $45.6 billion, and "Squid Game" has become one of the most popular shows ever. Its dark plot and graphic violence make it unforgettable, while also signifying the penetration of Korean culture into US media and pop culture.

 

Mare of Easttown

Mare of Easttown is an HBO crime drama series created by Brad Ingelsby and directed by Craig Zobel. It premiered in April 2021 and concluded in May 2021, with seven episodes. The show stars Kate Winslet as the main character, a detective who investigates a murder in a small town near Philadelphia. Supporting roles are played by Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, Evan Peters, Sosie Bacon, David Denman, Neal Huff, James McArdle, Guy Pearce, Cailee Spaeny John Douglas Thompson and Joe Tippett.

Critics praised Mare of Easttown for its storyline, characters, performances, and depiction of women. At the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, the show earned 16 nominations and won four awards: Outstanding Lead Actress (Winslet), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Peters), and Outstanding Supporting Actress (Nicholson).

Kate Winslet stars in the miniseries "Mare of Easttown", which takes place in a small Pennsylvania town dealing with a murder. Winslet's character, Mare, is trying to figure out the crime while also managing her own life struggles. This is one of Winslet's best performances in years as she captures the sadness and grief that Mare feels.

 

WandaVision

Following Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany in their roles as Wanda and Vision, Marvel's first made-for-TV outing WandaVision is the perfect encapsulation of the past year. It is a stunning reflection on grief and sadness.

WandaVision will offer a glimpse into a post-Endgame world, where people are still dealing with the grief and trauma of life's changes. The perfect performances of Bettany, Hahn, and Olsen remind us how we used to turn to TV for comfort instead of looking outside our windows. When TV can tell our stories better than ourselves, it is clear something special has happened.

 

This year had some great shows that topped the list! Jean Smart was amazing in Hacks and The Mare of Easttown, while High on the Hog and The White Lotus provided captivating miniseries. Ted Lasso was a standout reality show, giving us an inside look at our current world. Despite all this top-notch content, no single performance or show stands out above the rest - this year's television taught us something about ourselves as a society. Pop culture can act as a reflection of our past, present and future which is exactly what Ted Lasso showed us.