2021 TV Awards
I spent a lot of 2021 watching TV, perhaps more than any other year I can remember. However a lot of it was old stuff, so it didn't qualify for this list! I watched the entirety of The Clone Wars, Doctor Who, and the majority of the U.S Office, as well as various other things I've been meaning to get around to for ages. But as for what the best shows of the year were, well I almost didn't have enough for this list. But with some last minute cramming I watched almost everything I wanted to and had a couple of series that didn't make the cut. So with that in mind, here's my Top 10 TV Series of 2021. Before I get started keep in mind that I am only considering shows that finished their current season by the end of the year, so the likes of AMC's The Walking Dead will be judged alongside next year's shows once their finale's have aired.
#10 The Morning Show Season 2 (Apple TV+)
I watched both seasons of The Morning Show back to back this year and whilst Season Two wasn't as strong as the first, it was still some excellent TV. Picking up several months after Season One's epic cliff-hanger, The Morning Show and the UBA network are slowly picking up the pieces of their fallen empire. But as always, conflict of interests lead to heated arguments, walkouts, unexpected deaths, and with a virus starting to sweep its way across the globe the network must decide how to prepare for the worst. Truly captivating TV and incredible performances from leads Jennifer Aniston & Reese Witherspoon.
#9 Dickinson Season 3 (Apple TV+)
#9 Dickinson Season 3 (Apple TV+)
The trials and tribulations of young poet Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld) continued this year, and we lucky people were treated to two seasons! Season Two took everything that worked from the first season and just kept it going as Emily fights the patriarchy, contends with her love for Sue (Ella Hunt), and does everything she possibly can to get her poems published. But Season Three shone as the best season of the show yet with the Dickinson family torn apart by the arrival of a new baby, and civil war breaking out across the country. Despite having a less than conclusive ending, Dickinson still pulled out all its stops for a tremendous final season. A period comedy that's refreshingly modern, and a shame to see it end.
#8 Love, Death & Robots Season 2 (Netflix)
#8 Love, Death & Robots Season 2 (Netflix)
Love, Death, and Robots was such a cool and quirky selection of animated shorts and I was over the moon to see Netflix bring it back for a second season. With even more cautionary tales, hilarious gags, and awe inspiring artistic design; Love, Death, and Robots Season Two was every bit as great as Season One with something for everyone all in bitesize portions.
#7 Hawkeye (Disney+)
#7 Hawkeye (Disney+)
Invasion tells the tale of six individuals around the world who are witnessing the planet be invaded by a seemingly unstoppable alien race. Witnessing being the key word there as Invasion doesn't tell the typical story of the heroes who save the day, instead it shows us what random nobodies like us would be likely to do in such a situation. A gripping thriller that had me hooked, eagerly awaiting each new episode.
#6 Invasion (Apple TV+)
#6 Invasion (Apple TV+)
Hawkeye was everything the Black Widow film should have been and a long overdue solo outing for the often overlooked Avengers hero. When Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) gets caught up in the hunt for the vigilante Ronin, Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) jumps into action to save her, and Christmas for all of New York.
A fun Christmas series regardless of your opinion on Marvel, and a great exploration of a character that for so long has gone ignored.
#5 What If...? (Disney+)
A fun Christmas series regardless of your opinion on Marvel, and a great exploration of a character that for so long has gone ignored.
#5 What If...? (Disney+)
What If...? was not even on my radar of things I cared about this year, but I decided to sit down and binge it all in a couple of days and I'm so happy I did. Taking the stories we know and love from the MCU but changing some minor details to provide something completely different, What If...? is a great indication of where Marvel intends to take the MCU going forward with its multi-verse idea. With highlights such as Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) and the return of Ultron (James Spader), What If...? truly was the gift that kept on giving.
#4 Squid Game (Netflix)
#4 Squid Game (Netflix)
The show that took the world by storm. Squid Game sees playground games get deadly as hundreds compete to be the sole survivor and win a huge cash prize. With truly fantastic performances, a striking visual style, and an intriguing mystery at its core, Squid Game is must watch TV through and through...which is probably why you've likely already seen it.
#3 It's A Sin (Channel 4)
#3 It's A Sin (Channel 4)
Who'd have thunk that a terrestrial TV channel would have cracked my top ten this year?! Certainly not me, that's for sure. But Russell T Davies struck gold once again and crafted one of the most heart-breaking and joyful shows of the year with It's A Sin. Set in the 1980's, It's A Sin chronicles Ritchie (Olly Alexander) and his friends who are all discovering their sexuality at the height of the HIV AIDS epidemic. A touching tale of love and loss that was inspired by countless real life stories. Both brutal and beautiful, It's A Sin will have you laughing with joy one minute and having an emotional breakdown the next.
#2 WandaVision (Disney+)
#2 WandaVision (Disney+)
After a whole year away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel were brave to kick off Phase Four with their first officially cannon TV series, especially one as unique as WandaVision. Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are happily married in suburban USA circa 1950, or so it seems. Vision begins to question the reality around him, especially as the decade seems to change rapidly, moving forward through the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and modern day. Meanwhile following the events of Avengers: Endgame, S.H.I.E.L.D. begin to investigate an anomaly that's holding a small town hostage.
It's difficult to explain without giving it all away, but WandaVision is both an excellent mystery thriller for hardcore MCU fans, and a genre bending tribute to sitcoms past and present that will appeal to even those unfamiliar with the dense MCU lore. Whilst the finale was somewhat underwhelming, the journey along the way was one of the most enjoyable TV experiences I've had in years. A truly spectacular show.
#1 Midnight Mass (Netflix)
It's difficult to explain without giving it all away, but WandaVision is both an excellent mystery thriller for hardcore MCU fans, and a genre bending tribute to sitcoms past and present that will appeal to even those unfamiliar with the dense MCU lore. Whilst the finale was somewhat underwhelming, the journey along the way was one of the most enjoyable TV experiences I've had in years. A truly spectacular show.
#1 Midnight Mass (Netflix)
It's rare that something scares me quite the way Midnight Mass did, but Mike Flanagan's new Netflix series is among the best the service has to offer. Following Riley (Zach Gilford), a recovering alcoholic who moves back to his family home on an isolated island community. When the arrival of a strange new priest begins to create tensions among the locals, and so called miracles begin to be witnessed, Riley and a number of the islands religious sceptics must investigate the new priest and uncover his secrets.
Putting religion under the microscope and dissecting it is nothing new, but the way Midnight Mass approaches the subject, and the kinds of questions it asks from both sides of the argument make it a deeply philosophical venture, and one that doesn't pull its punches when it wants to leave you utterly petrified. This is a show that I will remember for a very long time, and one that will haunt my dreams for years to come.
Putting religion under the microscope and dissecting it is nothing new, but the way Midnight Mass approaches the subject, and the kinds of questions it asks from both sides of the argument make it a deeply philosophical venture, and one that doesn't pull its punches when it wants to leave you utterly petrified. This is a show that I will remember for a very long time, and one that will haunt my dreams for years to come.