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| 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.