2021: The Year in Television

With COVID-19 and its many increasingly sci-fi-sounding variants again curtailing group activities, trips to the theater were few and far between in 2021. (Read: I went once and was so paranoid and uncomfortable the entire time that I haven’t gone since.) Fortunately, between same-day streaming releases of theatrical films and the insanely high caliber of original television programming pouring out of our Smart TVs, we were at no loss for quality home viewing experiences in 2021.

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

2021: The Year in Music

With the global pandemic that defined 2020 continuing on largely unabated in 2021 with surges and variants throwing monkey wrenches into the entertainment industry once again despite the availability of vaccines, music artists resumed a steadier release schedule than the year prior. Even as some artists resumed playing live dates while others postponed shows yet again over fears of rising infection rates, most resigned themselves to releasing their new music even if supporting it with a tour wasn’t a guaranteed source of income in 2021.

This was welcome news for music fans who lamented over slimmer pickings in 2020. Heck, 2021 even saw the long-awaited return of vocal juggernaut Adele with her first album of new material in six years. In last year’s recap, I noted that escapism was the prevailing theme—understandable considering the unprecedented circumstances we found ourselves in with lockdowns and mass casualties numbering in the hundreds of thousands. This year, artists found themselves more reflective—even those who surrounded themselves in uptempo beats—with songwriting taking center stage. Some musical veterans went back in time on their 2021 releases—from Shirley Manson and her Garbage bandmates who returned to the rebellious rage of earlier releases to Duran Duran who took a stroll down memory lane on their 15th album while managing to sound fresh and relevant. Some focused on the emotionality of stepping out of darkness and into the light, like Yebba on her exquisite debut and Adele on her cathartic fourth album. Yola and Valerie June each delivered gorgeous collections of folky Memphis soul songs about love and loss and the acceptance of bygones. Surprisingly, Billie Eilish found some bliss on her sophomore set, while—less surprisingly—Lana Del Rey picked up right where she left off on last year’s Norman Fucking Rockwell! and continued to musically chronicle the death of the American dream on her piercingly perceptive 7th studio album. Even when artists like Saint Motel and Laura Mvula expanded their music into gloriously bombastic walls of sound, it’s the lyrics that stood out over the beats.

In any event, this year’s annual Top 10 list again held steadfast to past trends and personal penchants: Heavily female artist skewed (7 out of 10, plus a female-fronted band) and at least one new discovery (Yebba). Less Brits than previous years, although I still managed to include four—Adele, Laura Mvula, Duran Duran, and Yola. Three bands make the list; no male solo singers managed the same this year.

All that said, down to the countdown. My favorite albums of 2021:

#10 THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK / Saint Motel

#9 DAWN / Yebba

#8 THE MOON AND STARS: PRESCRIPTIONS FOR DREAMERS / Valerie June

#7 HAPPIER THAN EVER / Billie Eilish

#6 CHEMTRAILS OVER THE COUNTRY CLUB / Lana Del Rey

#5 STAND FOR MYSELF / Yola

#4 FUTURE PAST / Duran Duran

#3 30 / Adele

#2 PINK NOISE / Laura Mvula

#1 NO GODS NO MASTERS / Garbage

Honorable Mentions: No formal ranking, but worthy of a listen or two.

·         Not Your Muse / Celeste

·         COLLAPSED IN SUNBEAMS / Arlo Parks

·         CALIFORNIAN SOIL / London Grammar

·         JOURNEY TO YOU / The Blow Monkeys

·         ONE WAY OUT / Melissa Etheridge

·         YOUNG HEART / Birdy

·         HI / Texas

·         WELCOME TO THE MADHOUSE / Tones and I

·         PRESSURE MACHINE / The Killers

·         THE BODY REMEMBERS / Debbie Gibson

·         BLUE BANISTERS / Lana Del Rey

·         HUNTER AND THE DOG STAR / Edie Brickell & New Bohemians