I realize this is really late, but even so, here it is. My top ten shows of 2021 were as follows:
1. DICKINSON Season 2 & Season 3 (Apple TV+)
I loved the short-lived, glorious Dickinson because it was like nothing else on TV- a totally unique tone captured its every moment and the celebration of an artist’s inner life and the small world she inhabited as meaningful and comedic was something you never see the focus of in any kind of media.
2. IT’S A SIN (HBO Max)
This five part miniseries left me in uncontrollable tears, as the raw emotional power of its joyous storytelling deserved a much bigger audience.
3. THE WHITE LOTUS Season 1 (HBO)
Mike White’s brilliant dissection of the upper classes and his nihilistic point of view made this limited series the talk of last summer- before it was announced that it was now going to be an anthology series. Let’s hope it can keep up the momentum.
4. SUPERMAN AND LOIS Season 1 (CW)
A new take on Superman that actually feels like one, showing him as a family man and mixing superhero and family drama, surprisingly successfully.
5. STATION ELEVEN (HBO Max)
One of the last shows of 2021 (it aired 7 of its 10 episodes in December, so I’m counting it), this miniseries had a dramatic, harrowing impact on me, as I think it would on anyone who watches it. Its portrayal of a deadly pandemic hit very close to home- too much so, but that made it all the more powerful.
6. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Season 1 (Hulu)
The delight of the year, as this show felt like instant comfort food- figures of the past meshed perfectly with a younger generation. Martin and Short still have it and more, while the pairing with Selena Gomez is surprisingly fun and makes the show feel fresh and familiar.
7. SEX EDUCATION Season 3 (Netflix)
Netflix’s teen sex comedy is still raunchy, funny, provocative and entertaining in its third year, always rollicking in its ongoing exploration of sexual mores and morays, its characters maintaining our rooting interest in all their poking and prodding.
8. MARE OF EASTTOWN (HBO)
Kate Winslet’s tour de force performance (along with the entire supporting cast) lifted what could have been a genre exercise into real suspense and intrigue.
9. SQUID GAME Season 1 (Netflix)
This show could have been very gimmicky (and still was at times), but the excitement and sheer stress of watching the gimmick unfold was undeniably effective. Don’t know where a second season could really go now, but the first more than stands on its own.
10. YELLOWJACKETS Season 1 (Showtime)
Another show that didn’t quite finish its run in 2021, but it started in November, so close enough. This debut was enthralling, intriguing, and sets up a hell of mystery it must now follow through on. The first season was gripping and fun to watch and dissect- let’s just hope it doesn’t turn into another Lost.
Honorable Mentions (in order they aired): Lupin S1; Hacks S1; Schmigadoon!; Ted Lasso S2; Maid; Succession S3; The Great S2
