This year was a mess in almost every area of our lives, but TV shows flourished in 2020. Yes, we home more to watch more TV, but the kinds of shows that came out were on top of their game. Even series that had originally come out in previous years churned out some of their best ratings in 2020.
Rotten Tomatoes compiled a list of the 122 best television series of the year, and we've ranked the top 20 for our readers. For anyone who hasn't gotten around to watching these, start now.
There's something for everyone on this list, as it features dark dramas, fun YA series, gripping docuseries, comedic rom-coms, and more. So far the beginning of 2021 is poised to be just as frustrating as 2020 was, so we may need some good TV to get us through at the least.
20. 'Ozark' Season 3
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
The gritty crime drama has been around since 2017, but many critics felt its best season was its most recent one. "Season 3 is a marked improvement over Season 2, dialing up the pressure and tossing in just enough surprises to keep the audience on their toes," wrote one critic. Usually shows get slightly worse as they go on, but not this one.
19. 'Sex Education' Season 2
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
On the surface, this sounds like a raunchy series because it begins with the teenage son of a sex therapist starting a sex therapy clinic for his classmates. But at the heart and soul of the series is an exploration of what it means to be a teenager and to go through all those adolescent struggles. As one critic from the Boston Globe noted, "The Netflix series … is an extraordinarily wise comedy-drama, one that is about sex, yes, but more insistently about honesty, compassion, and self-awareness."
18. 'The Good Lord Bird'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
This period drama stars Ethan Hawke as the famous abolitionist John Brown and is told from the point of view of a young slave. It's (unfortunately) as timely as ever, and critics were particularly impressed with Ethan's take on the role. "Hawke brings it alive with the performance of his career," raved one reporter.
17. 'I May Destroy You'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
At many points, this series is hard to watch, as it follows a young woman who is sexually assaulted. The series dives into the aftermath of the assault and how it reframes everything in the main character's life. "I May Destroy You isn't just powerful television, it's a groundbreaking model of how to honor the complexities of sexual trauma on TV without succumbing to lecture or exploitation," Matthew Gilbert wrote for the Globe.
16. 'The Crown' Season 4
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
We have finally arrived at the time period many fans of The Crown were waiting for — the Princess Diana years. Season 4 of the series explored the beginnings of her doomed marriage to Prince Charles. And Emma Corrin's masterful performance as the young princess helped reignite public furor over how Diana was treated by Charles and the royal family as a whole.
15. 'The Boys' Season 2
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
This Amazon Prime series tells the story of a group of vigilantes who take on corrupt superheroes. It's a fun twist on the superhero genre, and while Season 1 was good, many felt that Season 2 was even better. One NPR critic lauded it for being "a wonderfully subversive, cynically entertaining piece of work."
14. 'Better Call Saul' Season 5
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
The Breaking Bad spinoff is five years in and better than ever. "This season is perfect," one critic said of the 2020 episodes, adding, "Better Call Saul equals Breaking Bad." That's high praise considering that Breaking Bad is considered one of the greatest shows ever. But now Better Call Saul is right up there.
13. 'One Day at a Time' Season 4
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Despite its perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, One Day at a Time was recently canceled — for the second time. It was originally canceled by Netflix after season three only to be saved by Pop TV. But after the fourth season aired, Pop pulled the plug. It's such a shame to see a great show with great representation be axed.
12. 'Immigration Nation'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
The only documentary series to land on this list is the Netflix miniseries Immigration Nation. Over six episodes, it explored how the Trump administration has dealt with immigration, often to devastating effect. It's incredibly hard to watch at moments, but at the same time, so very necessary.
11. 'Giri/Haji'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
In this Netflix series, a Japanese detective begins a search for his missing brother that lands him in London. Critics lauded the show's fresh take on multiple TV genres, from crime show to love story, even mixing in anime themes every once in a while. There's nothing else quite like Giri/Haji out there.
10. The 'Parks and Recreation' Special
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
At the beginning of lockdown, when we were all losing our minds from boredom, NBC came to the rescue with a Parks and Recreation special. The reunion episode was filmed virtually, keeping the cast safe as they dipped back into their characters for the first time since the series ended in 2015. It was welcomed by fans and critics alike.
9. 'Dash & Lily'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Just in time for the holiday season, Netflix dropped this Christmassy series about a cynic named Dash falling in love with the ever-optimistic Lily while in New York City for the holidays. Most critics were pleasantly surprised by the show's feel-good nature and charming holiday cheer. In 2020 especiallly, we needed this.
8. 'P-Valley'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
This new Starz series follows several strip club employees in Mississippi. It's not a series for everyone (there's a lot of nudity), but it is a critically acclaimed hit one season in. As an NPR critic described it, "P-Valley is a drama that uses sex and titillation to spice a deeper story, presenting the kinds of characters rarely seen in an hourlong high-quality drama."
7. 'What We Do in the Shadows' Season 2
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Since 2019, this mockumentary about vampires has charmed its way into viewers hearts one laugh at a time. With the new season coming in 2021, now is the perfect time to catch up on this hilarious comedy. Take it from one critic who said, "It may well be the funniest show on TV." High praise, and not wrong.
6. 'The Virtues'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
In just four episodes, this British series about a man whose ex takes his son to Australia, tells a story that is both captivating and heartbreaking. "It's tough viewing at times and somehow deeply rewarding," TV critic Anne Brodie said. For viewers who like haunting, rich, complex stories, this is the perfect fare.
5. 'Feel Good'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Netflix's Feel Good isn't all feel-good moments, but that's what makes the story so compelling. It follows a recovering addict who is struggling to handle her addictions while falling in love. Also Friends star Lisa Kudrow is in it, which is always fun. As one Common Sense Media critic said, it's overall a "funny, edgy, heartfelt" series.
4. 'Schitt's Creek' Season 4
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Schitt's Creek truly went out with a bang, with its final season as one of its best. If a show has to go, this is the way to do it. "It's exactly the kind of optimistic, feel-good storytelling the world needs more of right now, which is why it's such a bittersweet — but ultimately satisfying — goodbye," said Laura Prudom of IGN Movies.
3. 'PEN15' Season 2
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
For those who liked Sex Education, here's another series about the awkward stage of growing up. But, this time it's set during junior high years, not the high school ones. It follows two seventh grade girls as they deal with all the usual teenage problems, and it makes us feel so much less alone with regards to our own teenage years. One critic raved, "PEN15's uncanny ability to make connections between our adult and teenage selves and portray middle school in a way that feels honest sets it apart from anything else airing today."
2. 'The Baby-Sitters Club'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
The Netflix reboot of the classic book series managed to both update the stories for a new generation of viewers while also being every bit as nostalgic as possible for '80s and '90s kids who grew up reading the novels. It's no surprise then, that Netflix is bringing it back for a second season. There's no canceling that type of magic.
1. 'The Queen's Gambit'
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
On the surface, it's a bit surprising that the best series of 2020 is a show about a woman who likes to play chess — but The Queen's Gambit is so much more than that. For anyone who hasn't yet given it a chance, because perhaps the chess aspect sounds boring, it's anything but. Trust us on this one. It's a must-watch.
