Those of us old enough to
remember when choices were limited to the big three (ABC/NBC/CBS) on network
television thought that the addition of premium cable outlets like HBO and Showtime
and Cinemax was monumental in and of itself. Then, basic cable expanded into
original programming, and previously surfed-right-by filler channels like AMC
and FX became destination viewing. Now, with the proliferation of streaming
services (Netflix and Amazon Prime and Hulu and Paramount+ and HBO Max and
Disney+ and Peacock and Apple+) our choices are myriad. Even the most diehard,
dedicated TV aficionado has trouble keeping track and keeping up. We are truly
living in another golden age of television.
The creative opportunities these
streaming services have opened up for content creators have been unparalleled
and have brought an exceptional diversity and quality of shows into our living
rooms. Instead of three networks having to choose between hundreds of hopeful
pilots for a limited number of primetime slots, television’s expansion into
premium cable, basic cable, and (now) streamers has created an insatiable
demand for new content that will attract new subscriber-viewers. That
competition for must-see content has attracted high-end writers, directors, and
actors to the medium. That’s especially great news for pandemic-weary audiences
who desperately need the escapism right now.
2021 brought another exceptional
slate of offerings into our homes. There were revivals of old favorites and
murder mysteries and a historical drama chronicling the AIDS crisis. From notable
literary adaptations to originals that explored weighty themes like ageism,
racism, the cyclical nature of life and poverty in small towns, the concepts of
agnosticism and atheism in religious faith, and man’s eternal, tail-chasing quest
to discover happiness, television gave us much to enjoy and chew on this year. It
was a year that brought career resurgence to comedic veterans Steve Martin and
Martin Short, newfound respect for the versatility of perennial scene-stealer
Jennifer Coolidge, and well-deserved accolades for the inestimable Jean Smart,
who played the hell out of not one, but two, career-best roles in 2021. It was
a year that saw adaptations of books by Ann Cleeves, Emily St. John Mandel, Philipp
Meyer, and Liane Moriarty. It was a year that gave us two unforgettable limited
series written and directed by guys named Mike that had everyone taking: The White Lotus from Mike White and Midnight Mass from Mike Flanagan.
Without further comment, these
are my ten top television picks of 2021:
#10 Dexter: New Blood
#9 Station Eleven
#8 Only Murders in the Building
#7 It’s A Sin
#6 The Long Call
#5 Yellowjackets
#4 The White Lotus
#3 Mare of Easttown
#2 Hacks
#1 Midnight Mass
A few honorable mentions, in no
particular order:
The Chair (the first season)
Halston
YOU (the third season)
American Rust
Nine Perfect Strangers
WandaVision
Yellowstone (the fourth season)
And Just Like That
Chucky (the first season)
Pose (the third and final season)
Them
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