The 20 Best TV Shows of 2020

Because of the COVID-19 shutdown, everything (aside from your nearest drive-in theater) that's available for your viewing pleasure can only be found on the small screen. And nobody does the small screen better than television -- it's created specifically for that format. Now that this nightmare of a year is more than halfway over, we've had enough time to look back at the best of what the tv side of Hollywood had to offer in 2020. Here it is:





Bonus: The Golden Arm (Michigan)

"The Golden Arm" is the debut episode of horror anthology series 50 States of Fright, which presents a different tale set in each section of the U.S. 50 States executive producer Sam Raimi even directed and co-wrote this inaugural installment set in Michigan. 

The story centers on humble lumberjack David and his narcissistic wife Heather. After Heather loses an arm due to an accident, she falls into a deep depression. This, in turn, prompts David to purchase her an expensive prosthetic. The missus, ever consumed with status and looks, begs him to cover the new arm in gold -- which has dire consequences.

Almost There (Iowa)

"Almost There", part of Sam Raimi's 50 States of Horror series, centers on an Iowa engineer tasked with repairing a wind turbine in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, she suffers from a severe case of acrophobia and the damaged part of the extremely tall tower is near the top. The engineer's fear of heights stems from a childhood incident in which her mother attempted to kill her by hanging her from an overpass as part of a murder-suicide ritual. To make matters worse, she keeps seeing visions from the night at the worst possible moments. 

"Iron River, MI" (Monsterland)

The penultimate episode of Monsterland is basically a gender-swapped The Talented Mr. Ripley with an added supernatural element.

Saturday Night Live (Episode 2, Season 46)

"Plainfield, IL" (Monsterland)

Monsterland's fifth episode features a rocky marriage that ends in suicide. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that the victim's wife discovered her in the bathtub before she actually died but refrained from calling an ambulance. To make that worse, the deceased shows back up after her funeral. And quickly begins to decay and rot into a zombie.

20. "New Orleans, LA" (Monsterland)

19. "Palacios, TX" (Monsterland)

The sixth installment of Monsterland presents the historic depiction of mermaids, much more in line with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides than Splash or Ariel.  When a down-on-his-luck fisherman, Sharko, discovers one of the infamous sea creatures washed up on the beach following a devastating oil spill, he takes her to his home so that she can recuperate. And despite the fact that she bites a chunk out of him almost immediately after regaining consciousness, Sharko feeds her and has a water tank built for her. After the odd couple "bonds", the mermaid disappears from her tank just before a beautiful woman shows up at the front door. Following the revelation that she's, in fact, the mermaid -- with legs instead of a fish tail -- the pair make love. Eventually, the unnamed siren returns to the tank and convinces Sharko to join her. But when he does, she repays his kindness and affection by biting his face off. 

18. "Eugene, OR" (Monsterland)

The second installment of horror-anthology series Monsterland is a brilliant examination of how homegrown white supremacist terrorist are sometimes recruited and indoctrinated online.  

17. The Last Narc

The Last Narc picks up where Narcos: Mexico left off, detailing the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camerena by the Guadalajara Cartel in 1985.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video









16. Black Narcissus

15. The Hardy Boys

If "Stranger Things" hiatus has you jonesing for a supernatural-tinged thriller set in the 1980s, then "The Hardy Boys" is for you. Following the suspicious death of his wife, former cop Fenton Hardy's search for answers takes him out of town. Unwilling to remain on the sidelines, his sons, Frank and Joe, chase their own set of clues and discover that there's much more than meets the eye when it comes to both their new city -- and their family. 

14. Kobe Bryant: The Death of a Legend

13. Chadwick Boseman - A Tribute for a King

Though the fact that the producers made a point to shoutout T-Mobile during the broadcast -- as opposed to acknowledging them during commercials -- was a bit crass, honoring the late Chadwick Boseman in a 40-minute special (following a commercial-free airing of Black Panther) was a surprisingly respectful gesture by ABC and parent-company Disney. Highlighting his life and acting career in front of the quarantined viewing public two days after his death, Hollywood colleagues and politicians alike spoke about how they were affected by the man.









12. Baghdad Central

Set in 2003, following the fall of Saddam Hussein, "Baghdad Central" is a definite rarity in American television: a mystery headlined by an Iraqi detective. After his daughter goes missing, former police officer Muhsin al-Khafaji must contend with local goons, mercenaries and U.S. troops in the infamous Green Zone in order to discover the whereabouts of his baby girl.

11. The Ruff Ryders Chronicles

BET's latest docuseries follows in the footsteps of previous subjects Deathrow and No Limit Records, this time focusing on Ruff Ryders Entertainment. The show covers the exploits of the vaunted record label from inception to disbandment. Interviewees include DMX, Joaquin "Waah" Dean, Darrin "Dee" Dean, Irv Gotti and Dame Grease.

10. The No Limit Chronicles

This BET docuseries examines the rise and fall of entrepreneur Percy Miller's music empire and his ascension from poor Catholic school kid to business mogul and multimillionaire. Told through first-hand accounts from Miller's family and friends, as well as No Limit Records recording artists, The No Limit Chronicles shines a light on the "Ice Cream Man" and those who followed him to success.

9. "Stacey Stites: The Girl in the Pines" (20/20)

Like so many other tragic stories that were (finally) publicized this year, "The Girl in the Pines" details a case of justice perverted by racism that landed an innocent Black man -- Rodney Reed -- on death row.

8. "A Tangled Web" (20/20)

As engrossing as a novel and more captivating than most movies in the genre, "A Tangled Web" unravels a real-life love triangle that sent shockwaves throughout an entire town.

7. Party of Five

Party of Five is a reboot of the smash hit of the same that catapulted Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Lacy Chabert to stardom. This time the lily-white 90s drama has been vastly improved and updated to focus on a Mexican-American family. Twenty-four-year-old Mexican-born Emilio Acosta finds himself at the head of his parents' household when they're both deported following an ICE raid on the family restaurant. The up-and-coming rock singer is pulled back in Michael Corleone-style in order to look after American-born siblings Beto, Lucia, Valentina and Rafa.

6. Who Killed Malcolm X?

5. Little Fires Everywhere

This television adaptation of the 2017 best-selling novel of the same name, Little Fires Everywhere is a virtual maelstrom of white privilege, racism, toxic femininity and suburban secrets all set in Shaker Heights, Ohio. 

Available for streaming on Hulu

4. The Last Dance

Superhooper Michael Jordan's origin story, spanning his college years and rookie year in the NBA, is contrasted with his final season with the Chicago Bulls in the debut episode of this illuminating docus-series. Not satisfied with only focusing on "His Airness", The Last Dance also shines the spotlight on his legendary wingman Scottie Pippen, who was instrumental in his on-court success, former Chicago head coach Doug Collins, the Bulls' late 1980s ascension, defensive phenom Dennis Rodman and everything in-between involving the NBA dynasty that once was in Illinois.

3. A Teacher

An often overlooked aspect of sexual misconduct is explored in this miniseries about a high school teacher who engages in a sexual relationship with one her underaged students. Examining the student's grooming, the relationship itself and the devastating effect that it has on him afterward, "A Teacher" exposes insidiousness of this type of power abuse.

2. 8:46

Superstar comedian Dave Chappelle performs an impromptu show during which he focuses squarely on the murder-by-cop of Minneapolis bouncer George Floyd.

Available on YouTube

1. The Mandalorian (Season 2)

Din Djarin's flight from the Imperial Remnant culminates in "the Child" being apprehended by Moff Gideon's forces and ultimately being liberated by none other than the last Jedi: Luke Skywalker.

Aside from episode five, "The Jedi", The Mandalorian continues to outshine several Star Wars feature films (The Phantom Menace, Revenge of the Sith, Solo, The Last Jedi and especially, Attack of the Clones) -- and all on a limited television budget.

#themandalorian

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#besttvshowsof2020

Updated 12/29/20

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    The 20 Best Movies of 2020