My Top 5 TV Shows of 2020

In the year 2020 when it seemed like movie theatres were going to be a thing of the past, I and many others shifted much of our viewing time to the small screen. Whether that’s live tv or on one of the many streaming services including Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, or another, there was no shortage of new or existing shows to watch. Some shows that did not quite make my top 5, though were still excellent, include the second season of The Boys on Prime Video and the eighth and final season of Arrow, a show I watched since day one. On the animated front, I’d like to give a shout out to the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars which surpassed my high expectations and succeeded in delivering a four part finale stronger than nearly any Star Wars movie.

5. Better Call Saul Season 5

When Better Call Saul began I never thought it could match the top tier television that Breaking Bad delivered, but I was soon proven wrong as Saul consistently matches or even surpasses the high-quality bar it set. By season 5 this prequel’s story has gotten so interesting with many episodes keeping me guessing until the end as well as many tense or even hilarious scenes. Any fan of Breaking Bad would also love this series.

4. Westworld Season 3

Anyone who talks to me about tv knows I’ve loved HBO’s Westworld ever since I binge watched season 1 after it finished. While season 1 was easily one of the best seasons of television I have ever seen, season 2 surpassed it for me with so many intriguing plots in multiple timelines that many people had trouble following but when it all came together it was glorious. Season 3, while in my opinion not as strong as those previous seasons, was still top tier tv despite it changing up its format from science fiction/western, to a more futuristic and Blade Runner-like Science Fiction. The recurring characters continued along their character arcs in continuously intriguing ways and the new characters, namely Aaron Paul’s Caleb, were also great additions to what was already one of the best casts on tv.

3. Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet Season 1

On the one streaming service I didn’t expect much from until I got a free year of it, Apple TV+ so far has had two shows I’d easily call some of the best of 2020. From some of the people who brought one of my favorite shows, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet told the hilarious and often deep and tear-inducing story of the developers of a fictional video game that was so much better and so much more than I expected based on knowing their work on It’s Always Sunny. This show is one of the best written that I’d recommend it even if you know nothing about video games.

2. Ted Lasso Season 1

Similar to Mythic Quest, Ted Lasso is a show about sports that I would recommend to anyone even if you do not like sports, as I also do not. Ted Lasso is a comedy which combined British humor, sports humor, American humor, all wrapped together with an air of relentless positivity. This show is hysterical while also showing a lot of humanity in both its titular character and the rest of the cast. I’ll echo the many other online who recommended this show which got me to watch it and just say watch Ted Lasso if you want to have a good time. Also, like Mythic Quest, Ted Lasso aired on Apple TV+.

1. The Mandalorian Season 2

I was initially going to put this one lower on my list, but who am I kidding, I’m always biased towards Star Wars and The Mandalorian season in not an exception. After I was thoroughly disappointed with the finale to the sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker, Mando season 2 showed me and many other fans that this saga won’t go quietly into the night any time soon and still has many tricks up its sleeve. While I will admit this season could have used more solo time with its leads like season one, and have less obvious set-up for spin-offs, this season had enough of everything for any type of fan. This season brought in characters and references from throughout the Star Wars galaxy from animated Clone Wars and Rebels to each movie trilogy as well as the old expanded universe (now called Legends) all the way to an obscure minor characters from a few canon books. This season had a little of everything and is a great branching off point for what looks to be an exciting new Star Wars saga of shows only on Disney+.