Jordan Walker’s Top Ten TV Shows of 2020

There’s no question that 2020 has been a year like no other in American history. Since most of us were forced to stay at home and quarantine to keep us and loved one’s safe, thankfully we were anchored down by good television. With the era of peak TV still hovering over us despite the pandemic shutting down just about all of the industry’s productions, not everything I enjoyed was able to make my top 10, but honorable mentions are deserved for I May Destroy You, Succession, Unorthodox, Murder on Middle Beach, Class Action Park, The Vow, Saved By The Bell and so many more! Here’s my top 10 of TV for 2020.

10. Normal People

Normal People seemed to be hit or miss for a lot of people I know, but it was a big win for me. Once you get passed the dreaminess of star (and Emmy nominee) Paul Mescal – if he’s your type – there’s a great love story here between him and his high school/college on-again, off-again girlfriend Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones). The reason why Normal People struck a chord with me was its unapologetic lens on young love and how scary, wonderful, complicated, emotional, messy and unpredictable the rollercoaster can be. Mescal and Edgar-Jones perfectly encapsulated a young couple who covered the full distances on the love spectrum: initial disdain for one another, secret courtship, explosive mutual lust, drifting apart, finding each other’s true selves individually, and unexpected reconnection. I listened to people closely who didn’t quite enjoy Normal People as much as I did, and I respect their views. However, if you’re in search of an easy binge that’ll put you through an emotional ringer, Hulu’s Normal People is the limited series for you!

9. Upload

This Prime Video offering seemed to have come and gone this spring, but if people say they need a comedy series to watch, this is one of the top comedies I’ve recommended this year. Created by Greg Daniels, this science-fiction dystopian comedy examines what life is like if people could “upload” themselves into a customizable virtual afterlife after their death. Nathan (Robbie Amell) uploads himself into his afterlife village of Lake View and unexpectedly falls in love with his handler (akin to Janet from The Good Place) Nora (Andy Allo), and the feelings quickly become mutual. The problem is, Nora is human and still very much alive, and falling in love with an upload is strictly against company policy. Aside from the will they/won’t they/can they romance, Upload takes an interesting look at the thought of afterlife – would you choose an afterlife if possible, and if so what would your afterlife look like? Additionally, this show is fill out out of this world references. If 30 Rock and The Good Place had a love child, it would be Upload.

8. The Queen’s Gambit

I was a few weeks late to The Queen’s Gambit internet hoopla after its initial Netflix launch, opting to skip this limited series because I never imagined being entertained by a series set in the 1950’s revolving around an orphan girl who plays chess. Oh, how I was wrong as The Queen’s Gambit is so much more than that! It was an addictive joy to follow Beth (Anya Taylor-Joy) through her long road navigating life as a young orphan, discovering her love of chess and perfecting her craft, succumbing to substance and alcohol abuse and the tragic death of her adoptive mother Mrs. Wheatley (Marielle Heller). Through all that, The Queen’s Gambit is really a redemption story. It reminds us that no matter what life throws at us, no matter what situation we may be thrusted into without cause, with true determination and hard worker, there is a way to the top. What a perfect metaphor for 2020.

7. Dave

Dave instantly turned me off after watching its pilot as its main character Dave (and his rap persona “Lil Dicky”) just made me nauseous. I didn’t find joy watching this neurotic 20-something chasing his dream to become a global rap star. As Dave grew in popularity after a few weeks on the air, I figured I give it another chance, and I’m so glad I did! Getting past Dave’s neuroses and realizing this show is propped up by its stellar supporting cast including Andrew Santino and Taylor Mislak, it was much easier and joyful to get through. The true stand out in Dave, however, was GaTa, Dave/Lil’ Dicky’s hype man and best friend. GaTa, whose character is loosely based on the rapper’s real life, explored the complexities of a Black man who struggles with Bipolar Disorder. GaTa’s honest performance has a type of nuance attached that’s both relatable and honest to the core (GaTa in real life also struggles with Bipolar Disorder). GaTa’s breakout episode “Hype Man” was Emmy-winning material that unfortunately went unrecognized.

6. Lovecraft Country

Based on Matt Ruff’s novel of the same name, Lovecraft County focuses on the journey Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he navigates through the 1950s south with his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and old friend-turned-lover Leti (Jurnee Smollett) to find his father. The arrival of Lovecraft Country on HBO perfectly coincided with the civil unrest that divided out country this summer, while also putting on display the narrative of reviled racism that Black families suffered in 1950s America. Lovecraft Country was a stark reminder that we aren’t too removed to the atrocious injustices that many elder Black people who are living experienced at a young age, experiences that are the result of lifelong trauma. Even though Lovecraft Country won’t win the “easiest to watch of 2020” award, it deserves a watch for its hidden historical Easter eggs, horror/fantasy elements, and its exploration of marginalized and stigmatized groups in America.

5. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion

As soon as HBO Max announced that the legendary The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would make its streaming debut on its platform, a reunion with its original cast was promised (minus James Avery, Rest in Peace). The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion was everything a die hard fan of the 1990’s NBC sitcom could as for – the cast back together on a replicated set of their living room, an origin story on how the series came to fruition with the help of Quincy Jones, and never before seen videos and stories surrounding the six season sitcom. However, there’s always been a dark gray cloud that’s hovered over the shows legacy, even 24 years after the show’s conclusion,. That cloud is the very public fallout between Will Smith and “Aunt Viv #1” Janet Hubert. Smith and the cast members rarely speak of the on set drama and Hubert’s replacement with “Aunt Viv #2” Daphne Maxwell-Reid. Upon the reunion’s premiere, many people hoped this would be addressed but expected it to once again be swept under the rug. A week before the reunions premiere on HBO Max, Will Smith broke the internet by revealing an intimate on set conversation between himself and Hubert specifically for the reunion. Watching them speak to each other for the first time since 1993 brought a tear to my eye to know that Smith cared enough about the fans to clear the air with Hubert for the fans, but more importantly, clear the air between each other. What was even more joyous about this reunion was Hubert reuniting with the rest of her TV family (assumingly for the first time since she departed the series in 1993) and seeing the “two Aunt Viv’s” Hubert and Maxwell-Reid meet for the first time ever with a loving embrace. This was a reunion for the ages!

4. Insecure

Insecure has steadily gotten better with each passing season, but Season 4 reached new heights! The Issa Rae-led comedy continued to explore the life of Issa (Rae) and her successful set of friends in Los Angeles, but this year we saw the tumultuous fallout with her ride or die bestie Molly (Yvonne Orji). The magic behind Insecure is the nuance of the characters Rae has created and cultivated over the last four seasons. Her team of writers make these characters relatable so the audience has a deep sense of connect and investment with each person who’s on the screen. What’s even better is the inner conflict you have with yourself on who’s side you’re on between Issa and Molly (I’m team Issa, for the record!). Insecure was the summer bright spot for many people I know, as well as being its best season yet – which was solidified with its heavy Emmy love this year garnering eight nominations (its most for one season), as well as securing first time Emmy nomination for Yvonne Orji and the series finally cracking the Outstanding Comedy Series category.

3. The Flight Attendant

Kaley Cuoco completely knocked this performance out of the park after concluding her successful 12 season run on The Big Bang Theory. Minutes into The Flight Attendant pilot, I was hooked. This seductive international comedy-mystery thriller kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its three episode premiere and had me craving more episodes that were being released weekly. Radiating major Killing Eve Season 1 vibes, Cuoco convinced many people that she’s more than a pretty blonde sitcom star. Finally having the spotlight solely shining on her, Cuoco brought her bubbly Big Bang persona to The Flight Attendant, but also packed along sexy, dark and heroine-esque side to herself that we weren’t allowed to see with her past sitcom gigs. Being surrounded by a strong supporting cast that included Rosie Perez, Zosia Mamet and Michelle Gomez kept The Flight Attendant entertaining all the way through its eight episode run, concluding with a satisfying ending that sets itself up nicely for its recently announced Season 2.

2. Never Have I Ever

I’m not the biggest fan of shows that focus on the growing pains of adolescence since mine was so tough to navigate, but Never Have I Ever has lived rent free in my mind throughout this difficult year as one of the my true TV bright spots! Created by Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever is a teenage rom-com that focuses on Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) who tried to bounce back from a disastrous freshman year of high school with the help of her best friends Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriquez). We all know high school isn’t easy, but it’s especially tough when you tragically lose your father (Sendhil Ramamurthy), you can’t stand your mother (Poorna Jagannathan), and you have a crush on Paxton (Darren Barnet), unequivocally the hottest guy in school. Never Have I Ever made me happy during those early dark days of the pandemic and left me wanting more when I quickly binged the entire first season of the Netflix series.

1. Schitt’s Creek

There was no greater ray of sunshine on TV this year that Schitt’s Creek. The final season of Schitt’s Creek loomed large over the television landscape as Creek slowly went from a small Canadian import series to an undeniable American hit in a few short years.  Daniel Levy by design created Schitt’s Creek to be a world without hate, a place where you can unapologetically be yourself and the world will love you for it. That’s the kind of love and compassion that we needed in 2020, and the farewell season of Schitt’s Creek was the icing on the cake for me, delivering the world one of the most heartfelt, emotional, and satisfying series finales of the last 20 years. Schitt’s Creek solidified itself in the pantheon of television history forever by executing a momentous Emmy sweep in September winning all seven of its major nominated categories. What makes the shows wins even more bittersweet Schitt’s Creek completed this feat on its second and last time at the Emmys, only having this one last shot to celebrate this magical series for what it meant to the television landscape not only in 2020, but for its prior seasons and what this show will mean for the millions of people who discover this series in years to come. I can’t imagine naming anything else for my top pick of 2020 other than Schitt’s Creek.