And here we have it, another year is almost in the books, which means I’ve spent just about 365 days watching new TV and rewatching old favorites. With a seemingly endless amount of new content out there, I feel like I’ve sampled even less than I would have liked to in the last year, but seeing as how I don’t have a time machine, it is what it is. With that said, the below picks are based on my TV intake for 2019 and therefore completely arbitrary. But hey, they’re still my best of the best so enjoy!
Best Show: HBO’s Chernobyl
Will I ever rewatch this miniseries? Eh, maybe not, it was harrowing! Of course I mean that as a compliment, but that also doesn’t mean a rewatch would be any easier. That being said, HBO’s Chernobyl was a success on every level from acting and cinematography to pacing and score. It’s official podcast with series creator, writer and executive producer Craig Mazin was also a welcomed companion piece for additional insight into the real events and the production process. It might be bleak, but it was also my favorite thing I consumed this year from start to finish.
Best New Show(s): Netflix’s Russian Doll & Hulu’s PEN15
I loved both of these shows and for vastly different reasons, so I decided to give them both a shoutout.
Starring Natasha Lyonne and Charlie Barnett, Netflix’s Russian Doll puts a clever spin on the “groundhog day” storytelling structure and makes it feel fresh and new over the course of its 8-episode run. The series also boasts a heavy dose of dark humor but a surprisingly uplifting thesis statement. The show has been renewed for a second season, but a release date has yet to be announced so you’ve got plenty of time to check it out and catch up.
Not nearly as dark, but equally funny is Hulu’s PEN15. If you were in your early teens during the early 2000s then this show is for you. PEN15 revolves around two best friends entering middle school and trying to navigate all that entails. The series not only accurately captures the awkwardness of that chunk of one’s life, but also nails every last detail of the early 2000s. It’s a wonderful time capsule into the fashion, language, and music of the era, most of which is super cringe-worthy.
Best Show That Was Cancelled: E!’s Busy Tonight
I never watched this show live, so maybe I was part of the problem, but I regularly viewed clips of the show on its YouTube channel. Either way, cancellation for Busy Philipps late night show came less than a year after it’s debut. Which was really a bummer because the late night television landscape is still really male dominated and Busy Tonight had a really cool hangout vibe thanks to many of her guests like Courtney Cox and Linda Cardellini being longtime friends. Plus, the show was less rigid than the late night shows found on broadcast. Instead of a formal interview and a host desk, Busy Philipps had a comfy couch for everyone to sit on and plenty of cocktails to go around. It was a nice departure from the norm and I wish it had the opportunity to last longer.
Runner Up: Angie Tribeca
This show’s third and final season was technically burned off in the waning days of 2018, which is why it wasn’t included in last year’s “best of” rundown, but I still wanted to mention it since it deserved better and could always be counted on for a good laugh.
Best Binge Watch: NBC’s Chicago P.D.
Look, I was really busy this year and sometimes you just need a good crime procedural to put on in the background and Chicago P.D. was that show for me. I’ve seen episodes during crossovers with Chicago Fire and a few others in passing, but with no fewer than three channels airing Chicago P.D. marathons at various times during the day it seemed like the perfect opportunity to catch up with the past seasons. After watching a few episodes at random I quickly decided I needed to see the series from the start, in chronological order. However, Chicago P.D. isn’t streaming anywhere in its entirety, so I actually had to rely on these broadcast marathons to find all the past episodes. So the fun challenge was DVRing giant blocks of “new” episodes in sequence and then binge watching them before the next set of episodes aired. Took a handful of weeks and a lot of DVR space, but I got it done!
Best Musical Moment: Hulu’s The Orville & TV Land’s Younger
This one’s a tie, but actually for the same song – Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”. Hey, it’s a good song and I applaud The Orville and Younger for both recognizing it as such:
Runner Up: Netflix’s Fuller House
If you are a fan of the original Full House than you’ve probably been rooting for DJ and Steve to get together for a couple of decades now, so this song and dance number is the culmination of one hell of a slow burn. What can I say, it’s cute and sometimes I hate my taste in TV:
Best Joke: TBS’s Miracle Workers
I found God’s explanation in TBS’s Miracle Workers for how different animals came to be completely hilarious:
Good news! The TBS miniseries is now an anthology series, the same cast will take on the medieval times in Miracle Workers: Dark Ages, which is set to premiere January 28, 2020 at 10:30pm.
Runner Up: Showtime’s Black Monday
I apologize for not being able to find the exact quote or a clip, but in Black Monday’s episode “122” (1×6), Tiff (played by Casey Wilson) explains that Tosh Osh Kosh B’Gosh is actually really insecure about overalls because they don’t have the shoulders for it. Not only is that joke super amusing to me, but it also reminded me of the short lived but much beloved comedy Happy Endings (RIP).
Best Time Jump: ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Most shows jump forward; however, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. went back in time at the end of season six and I am very pleased with this development. I wasn’t jazzed about this past season, the show just felt stuck, so this change in scenery ought to do it good. Plus, the period-drama Agent Carter was excellent so it should be fun to see Coulson, Daisy, Mack, and the rest of the gang take on the 1930s (or any other era) in its upcoming final season. Just look at this photo!
Best Gimmick Episode: USA Network’s Mr. Robot
There are just two lines of spoken dialogue in Mr. Robot’s episode “Method Not Allowed” (4×05), and I didn’t even realize that until almost the halfway point. But beyond it’s auditory similarities to Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s infamous episode, “Hush” (4×10), it’s also a well executed heist episode. What a double whammy! In a season full of standout episodes, this one was my favorite. Although I do have to give Sam Esmail and company credit for a well-crafted series finale too.
Best Visuals: Amazon’s Undone
A lot of current TV shows are visually stunning, but Amazon’s new series Undone is something else, it was created using a technique called rotoscoping, which resulted in a cool blend between animation and real life. Basically it looks like a real pretty dream. (Read more about how this Amazon original was designed here.) In addition its eye catching appeal, Undone is also just a really great show – one that deals with mental illness, family, and relationships. I don’t think any other show this year made me feel so many things while watching. Undone has been renewed for a second season, although I almost wish it hadn’t been. I appreciated its first season finale, if you’ve seen it you’ll know what I mean. Despite my feelings on the renewal, I’ll be sure to hit play the moment new episodes drop.
Best Live Sports Moment: FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019
Throughout the entire tournament the U.S. Women’s National Team took care of business and did it with both dominance and swagger. Every game was entertaining as hell. Even after winning the cup, they partied like queens, they spoke out, and they continue to inspire! Hats off to all the women for not only winning back-to-back championships, but more importantly for continuing to fight for equal pay. Watch the U.S Women’s National Team in action again this summer during the 2020 Olympics.
Best Renewal: NBC’s Blindspot
NBC really made us sweat during May Sweeps over the fate of Blindspot, but thankfully the series received a shortened fourth season order to wrap it all up. Which is much appreciated since we still need to know Patterson’s first name and the third season ended with zero closure to any of its many storylines. So thanks again NBC, and I’m looking forward to the final solve in 2020.
Other Shows I Loved in 2019: The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, American Ninja Warrior, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Stranger Things, and GLOW.
What were your favorite series and TV-related moments of 2019? Sound off in the comments section below.
