2020 In Hindsight; The Top Ten TV Shows That Kept Us Sane And Inside This Year

At a quick glance, it’s easy to underestimate Canadian comedy series Schitt’s Creek. Its name alone suggests it might just be another easy-going-yet-instantly-forgettable sitcom, but the show, headed by acting legend Eugene Levy and his now widely acclaimed son, Dan, has this year cemented itself as one of the all-time greats.

At the start of 2020, Schitt’s Creek, which was just about to enter its sixth and final season, had a cult following, but its notoriety was nothing compared to the global phenomenon that it is today.

In mid-May, when Australia was in the midst of lockdown, the sixth and final season of Schitt’s Creek hit Netflix and it delivered everything fans were hoping for in its ending, and then some.

For those unfamiliar with the show (we envy the fact you have six whole seasons to binge), it follows the wealthy Rose family (portrayed by Dan and Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara and Annie Murphy), who “suddenly find themselves broke” and are “forced to leave their pampered lives to regroup in Schitt's Creek”, the only remaining asset in their portfolio.

It’s somewhat of a slow-burner and a series that some fans will preface with ‘you have to get through the first season’ when recommending, but it doesn’t take long to fall in love with every aspect of the show, and it’s one of few that can elicit almost every human emotion from its viewer in only a 22-minute period. Seriously, there will be tears.

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It’s the perfect show for lockdown, not only in terms of binge-watching, but because of its storyline/setting. It’s literally about a group of people who feel trapped and are trying to make the best of a bad situation. And for those in self-isolation or hotel quarantine, half of the show is set in a motel room! Added to that, it’s a poignant reminder about the importance of family.

The show has also been praised by the LGBTQ community, as evident below (warning: more tears).

Topping our 2020 Writers’ Poll is just a drop in the ocean for the wealth of praise the show has received this year, and back in September it absolute cleaned up at the Emmys, making history as it swept up nine awards on the night, including Outstanding Comedy Series and more as Dan and Eugene Levy, O'Hara and Murphy claimed gongs for their on-screen performances.

Before we continue with the other TV entries in our 2020 Writers’ Poll, we thought it important to bring this to your attention:

It’s probably no surprise that live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian (aka ‘Baby Yoda Hour’) is second on this list after returning to Disney+ in October with its second season. It’s positioned itself in such a way that it appeals to almost everyone, regardless of age or level of Star Wars fandom.

It’s a testament to its writing that it doesn’t rely on the wider Star Wars universe to sell itself, instead, it uses bits and pieces from the beloved franchise to tip the hat to die-hard fans and ease in newcomers. You don’t need to know anything about Star Wars or even really be a fan of the pop culture juggernaut to really, really enjoy The Mandalorian. With that said, the second season is diving deeper into Star Wars canon and introducing characters and storylines that are making die-hard fans giddy.

As long as Baby Yoda keeps getting up to toddler-like antics, everyone will be happy, especially Disney. And yes, we know that Baby Yoda has a name now, but we’d prefer to avoid spoilers.

With a dizzying amount of Star Wars live-action series announced earlier this month, The Mandalorian is soon likely to have some serious competition when it comes to end-of-year lists.

The 2020 remake of High Fidelity, starring Zoe Kravitz as a record store owner, might have been unceremoniously cancelled after only one season, but its stint on ABC iView this year saw it garner enough votes to take out #3.

Widely regarded as one of the year’s best dramas, the powerful 12-episode HBO series that is Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You explores how “the question of sexual consent in contemporary life and how, in the new landscape of dating and relationships, we make the distinction between liberation and exploitation”. It’s addictive, compelling and lands at #4 on our list. You can check it out via Foxtel now!

While Netflix dominated in 2019, Stan took hold in 2020, with four series in our top 10 found on the local streaming service, including Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul (#5), Normal People (#6), Search Party (#8) and The Great (#9), the last of which ties with ABC’s Killing Eve.

Both Better Call Saul and Search Party return in 2021 with their final seasons, and given the rise of the latter this year, it wouldn’t be surprising if it ends up topping the majority of end-of-year lists in 12 months’ time.

Back over to Netflix and two of the year’s biggest documentaries make an appearance, with Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls hit The Last Dance and, of course, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem And Madness, tying at #7.

Trying to narrow down TV Show Of The Year is never an easy task, especially in a year that saw many binge-watching more than they thought humanly possible, and so this list only scratches the surface of what was on offer in 2020, and we’d be remiss if we didn't mention The Boys and What We Do In The Shadows, which were just shy of the top 10.