Top Ten New TV Shows of 2020 & Comments

[richp007]

I'm guessing you didn't see it then ?

Nope. At a push I might have watched the 90 minute highlight episode had the finale been satisfactory. But I've no need now.

Each to their own though as you say.

 

[domtheone]

Struth I’ve only seen 2/10 lol.

Only have access to Prime/Netflix though so that limits it somewhat.

On that basis, I can easily say the best TV show this year has been The Queens Gambit.

 

[JH4]

My last word on this subject ( the Third Day 12 hr live broadcast ), and then I will shut up !
For those who never saw it.
It was broadcast live from 09:30 'til 21:30 on the island of Osea, as rain was progressing across the UK from west to east. There was no acting involved really, as a single camera followed the progress across the dry causeway onto the island. The action then enfolded as the strange inhabitants performed their rituals, including the digging and burial of their own graves. Digging 2 deep graves took a long time...Law and his companion did this, for several hours. You may guess by now, that this is no way like the acting in the series. It wasn't. As darkness approached, it began to rain and a series of dangerous sequences occurred, several of which were really difficult to watch, one of which involving Law and his companion being forced to stand upright with just shorts on, in the middle of the sea on a sort of pontoon, in the cold. They both stood there for ages, until the cold and exhaustion eventually made them fall off, into the sea. As far as i could tell, there were only 2 video cuts, during the whole 12 hours. This was one of them. Another was when the camera man succumbed during the drunken orgies, as it got dark and wet. He left the camera to film on a bench with mud and rain on the lens. This was not acting... The inhabitants of Osea, mostly drunk, were jumping into a giant vat of red liquid, some just missing being hit on the head, as they fell. The eventual finale was pretty spectacular, as well, but I won't spoil it. Suffice to say, it was nothing like the series, apart from it being filmed on Osea. That's why it was my TV of the year.
I will shut up now ! Happy New year !

 

[Hampy1972]

• Messiah
• Dracula (2020)
• Spinning Out
• Truth Be Told
• His Dark Materials
• Twice Upon a Time
• The Trial of Christine Keeler
• Russian Doll
• James May: Our Man in Japan
• Giri/Haji
• The Gulf
• The Gloaming
• Fleabag S1
• Fleabag S2
• Servant
• The Mind of Aaron Hernandez
• Ray Donovan S7
• 8 Days
• Jamtara
• Pandemic
• Wisting
• Rise of the Empire: Ottoman
• Evil Genius: Most Diabolical Bank Heist
• Emergance
• Night on Earth
• Evil
• The Stranger
• Deadwater Fell
• I am a Killer
• Ragnarok
• The Pharmacist
• The Morning Show
• Power
• Who Killed Malcom X?
• Locke and Key
• White House Farm
• Narcos: Mexico
• The New Pope
• Cobra
• Bullets
• The Pale Horse
• Washington
• Harley Quinn
• Hunters
• I Am Not OK With This.
• The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
• Drive To Survive
• Altered Carbon
• Pureta 7
• Baghdad Central
• Little America
• Occupied
• Castlevania
• Dead Lucky
• The Outsider
• Zero Zero Zero
• McMillions
• Kingdom S2
• Bloodride
• The Trade S1
• The Trade S2
• Vienna Blood
• Blue Murder Killer Cop
• Caliphate
• Tiger King
• Sherlock S1
• Project Blue Book S2
• Beforeigners
• Star Trek, Picard
• The Mire
• Deputy
• The Sinner S3
• The Good Doctor S3
• Unorthodox
• How To Fix A Drug Scandal
• The Case of Adnan Syed
• Freud
• Black Monday S1
• Ozark S3
• Amazing Stories (2020)
• The Walking Dead S10.
• Stateless
• Liar S2
• The Resident S3
• 60 days in Narcoland
• Homcide, Life on the streets S1
• The Trial
• Asian Provocator S1
• Lorena
• New Amsterdam S2 (Pandemic episode will be shown in S3)
• Devs
• The Innocence Files him
• Quiz
• Chicago PD S7
• The Terror Routes
• Fauda S3
• Black Monday S2
• Gravesend
• Wrong Man S1
• Better Call Saul S5
• The Plot Against America
• The Nest
• Terror
• Wrong Man S2
• Tales Of The Loop
• After Life S2
• Little Fires Everywhere
• Homeland (Final season)
• The Valhalla Murders
• The Last Kingdom S4
• Borderforce USA Series 1
• Informer 3838
• Manhunt S2
• Star Wars, clone wars S7
• Westworld S3
• Bloom S2
• Gangs of London
• Seal Team S3
• Latin American Hot borders S1
• Tommy
• Atlantas Missing & Murdered. The Lost Children
• Into The Night
• Cardinal S4
• Survive
• Blood S2
• The Devil You know
• For Life
• Dead To Me S2
• Trial By Media
• Inhuman Resources
• Bosch S6
• The Blacklist S7
• Damien Lewis, Spy Wars
• White Lines
• Kurt Sutter, Outlaw Empires
• Run (2020)
• Bordertown S3
• Dark Side Of The Ring
• One Lane Bridge
• Homecoming S2
• Jeffery Epstein Filthy Rich
• The Secrets She Keeps
• Grant
• World On Fire
• Betaal
• Defending Jacob
• The Good Fight S4
• Space Force
• Dark Side Of The Ring S2
• Killing Eve S3
• Mystery Road S2
• Mrs American
• The Most Dangerous Animal Of All
• Twin
• Paatal Lok
• Extreme Rescues
• Nora From Queens
• Hitler’s Eastern Front
• Curon
• Lenox Hill
• Reality Z
• The Great
• The Search
• The World Wars
• I Know This Much Is True
• Rise Of The Clans
• The Killer Truth
• The Woods
• Barkskins
• El Presidente
• The Salisbury Poisonings
• Marcella S3
• McMafia
• Undertaker. The Last Ride
• Drug Lords, The Next Generation
• Still A Mystery
• Home Game
• Harley Quinn S2
• Penny Dreadful City of Angels
• Still A Mystery S2
• The Luminaries
• How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast)
• Unsolved Mysteries
• Deadwind S2
• Trackers
• Hanna S2
• The French Revolution
• Snowpiercer
• Hightown
• Dark S3
• Devils
• Dirty John S2
• The Business Of Drugs
• Ju-On Origins
• Operation Buffalo
• Murder Loves Company
• The Head
• Fear City, New York vs The Mafia
• How To Sell Drugs Online (fast) S2
• We Hunt Together
• Penance
• Big Dogs
• 4 Blocks
• Inside The Worlds Toughest Prisons S4
• 4 Blocks S2
• Medal of Honour
• 4 Blocks – Final season
• The Last Narc
• Immigration Nation
• World’s Most Wanted
• The Umbrella Academy S2
• Tiny Creatures
• The Rain – Final season
• Borderforce USA S2
• The Twelve
• Informer
• Perry Mason
• The Alienist S2
• The Deceived
• Sloborn
• The Great Heist
• Unwell
• FreeRayshawn
• When The Streetlights Go On
• The Fugitive (2020)
• Condor S2
• 3% (S4)
• Biohackers
• Doom Patrol (S2))
• Yellowstone (S3)
• Missions (S1)
• Missions (S2)
• Chimerica
• Balthazar
• Killer Women with Piers Morgan (S2)
• Serial Killer with Piers Morgan
• All or Nothing : Manchester City
• I Am A Killer ((Released)
• All or Nothing: All Blacks
• Away
• P Valley
• Young Wallander
• Partisan
• La Linea: Shadow Of Narcos
• Sex Next Door
• The Stranger (Quibi version)
• Helter Skelter
• 50 States Of Fright
• All Or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspurs
• Challenger: The Final Flight
• Des
• Dragons Dogma
• Criminal: United Kingdom (S2)
• 60 Days In (S2)
• Ratched
• The Playbook : A Coach Rules For Life
• Redfern Now
• A Perfect Crime
• Leeds United: Take Us Home
• Fernando
• Raised By Wolves
• The Comey Rule
• Honour
• El Candidato
• Utopia (US version)
• Bad Boys Billionaires: India
• Monsterland
• The Boys (S2)
• To The Lake
• Pistorius
• A Wilderness Of Error
• Tricky Dick
• Monster (2017)
• Us
• The Vow
• Lovecraft County
• Departure
• Someone Has To Die
• The Third Day
• La Revolution
• Barbarians
• The Queen’s Bandit
• In The Face Of Terror
• Wireless
• Run This City
• 50 Stages Of Fright (S2)
• The Expecting
• The Case Of Caylee Anthony
• Blood Of Zeus
• Tehran
• Marvel’s Helstrom
• We Are Who We Are
• Dignity
• The Sister
• Amish Mafia
• Carmel, Who Killed Maria Martha
• The Vanishing Women
• Paranormal
• Primal
• The Liberator
• Trial 4
• Suburra: Blood On Rome (Final season)
• Trickster
• The Good Lord Bird
• Fringe Nation
• The Crown (S4)
• The Minions Of Midas
• Patria
• The Right Stuff
• Roadkill
• DNA
• The Walking Dead: World Beyond
• The Spanish Princess (S2)
• The Fall Of Anne Boleyn
• The Undoing
• Fargo (S4)
• No Man’s Land
• The Barrier
• Warrior (S2)
• The Reagans
• LA Unidad
• Alien Worlds
• Room 2806, The Accusation
• Industry
• Romulus
• The Surgeon’s Cut
• The Wilds
• Das Boot (S2)
• Deutschland 89
• The Mandalorian (S2)
• The Ripper
• Redfern Now (S2)
• Staged
• Ted Lasso
• Valley Of Tears

My top ten from list of 2020 viewing above:

1. The Mandorian
2. Valley Of Tears
3. Das Boot. Season 2
4. I Know This Much Is True
5. Romulus
6. The Good Lord Bird
7. The Last Narc
8. The Trade
9. Zero Zero Zero
10. Unorthodox

Best actor in TV role : Mark Ruffalo (I know this much is true) and Ethan Hawke (The Good Lord Bird)
Best actress in a tv role: Andrea Riseborough (Zero Zero Zero) and Shira Haas (Unorthodox)
Best documentary: The Trade (HBO)

Quick mention to:

Devs
No Man's Land
The Boys
Fauda
Dark
Baghdad Central

 

[stigdu]

I've heard of exactly 2 of those shows (Queen's Gambit and The Mandalorian) and have watched exactly 0 minutes and 0 seconds of any of them.

Can't say my life feels any emptier.

 

[BurnLootMurder]

These reviews are more about you agreeing with unrelated politics then why they are good as shows.

It starts off in the intro:
"BUT, if you’re a lover of science-fiction, women-led drama and civil rights, boy oh boy has this been a great year of TV for you."

Imagine saying you're a 'fan' of civil rights. And instead of good drama series you use 'women-led' (atrocious US change to English language. It's female-led).

" of a Jewish American family fighting for survival under the fascist regime of President Charles Lindbergh. It maybe hit a little too close to home for some."

Are you kidding me? Unless you live in the People's Republic of China, province of Xinjiang, it doesn't.

"Taking the work of H.P. Lovecraft, one of the greatest writers of horror stories (and a deeply unpleasant human being) and producing TV which hinges on a through-line of civil rights takes real skill."

How is this relevant?

 

[JH4]

I've heard of exactly 2 of those shows (Queen's Gambit and The Mandalorian) and have watched exactly 0 minutes and 0 seconds of any of them.

Can't say my life feels any emptier.

.and how did he manage to watch all of them - there are not enough hours in the year surely !

 

[Panavision]

Lovecraft County was a huge mess. After the first episode, I wasn't sure what was happening or why. I didn't care.

I May Destroy You was generally very good after the ropey first episode. I suspect that the rest of the series was rewritten somewhat because it got so much better, dispensing with some characters. And the final episode was terrific.

 

[Gambit1977]

Honorary mention goes to a programme that has flown under many people's radars.

The Wilds.

SHOULD be pap, really isn't and in fact is quite engrossing. Good characters and performances help.

 

[gingerale90]

I've heard of exactly 2 of those shows (Queen's Gambit and The Mandalorian) and have watched exactly 0 minutes and 0 seconds of any of them.

Can't say my life feels any emptier.

So you are not going to watch them or what do you want to tell us?

 

[mjm2705]

A fine list indeed. Personally would have added ZeroZeroZero in there ... probably even at number one.

ZeroZeroZero was definitely the best thing I watched in 2020 (the Mogwai soundtrack helped) ... but I don't think it has technically been broadcast in the UK yet?

Sky needs to get its finger out and let the masses appreciate this masterpiece!

 

[Tom Davies]

ZeroZeroZero was definitely the best thing I watched in 2020 (the Mogwai soundtrack helped) ... but I don't think it has technically been broadcast in the UK yet?

Sky needs to get its finger out and let the masses appreciate this masterpiece!

January, I believe. Very much looking forward to it.

 

[Mallardo]

No Strictly? For shame!

 

[Mallardo]

No Strictly? For shame!

Scratch that. Just realised it's a new shows list.

 

[stigdu]

So you are not going to watch them or what do you want to tell us?

Nothing, really. I just don't watch TV in general.

 

[GT One]

January, I believe. Very much looking forward to it.

Zero Zero Zero has been shown in Australia and if you like Mexican drug cartel stories (and on Netflix there have been quite a few) this will be the show for you.
This series could have been written by Jed Mercurio as the main characters tend to die when you least expect it, I cant say more but those tuning in will see what I mean.
The content is very violent at times but considering the high stakes and money involved probably cant be seen as being gratuitous, obviously life is very temporary for some people living in Mexico.
Overall the production was high quality and manages to keep viewer interest high, whether there will be a season 2 is unclear but the story does leave the door open for more to come, though I doubt it will be any better than season 1.
My rating is: 8 /10.

 

[Deesnutz]

A genuinely great year for TV, picking the 10 best has almost completely stumped us...so inevitably we got the order wrong. OH WELL!
Read the news.

Great list and I would add Euphoria to this too.

 

[GT One]

I don't think anyone has mentioned 'The Capture' from the BBC, seen by me for the first time last year, it had a similar production style to Bodyguard and kept me interested to the final episode.
Even though the repetitive use of CCTV as a background prop got a bit annoying at times, I concede the impost to public privacy by the use of CCTV at thousands of locations is a significant part of what the story is all about.
I'm not sure how the shows writers will reproduce the same level of interest if season 2 ever gets made, most of the twists have been used up in season ones story arc.
My rating is 8 / 10 for its entertainment value to me, though I concede the story wont be everyone's cup of tea.

 

[Tim2049]

Biggest disappointment by a country mile was Devs. Completely and utterly ruined by the most bland, vapid, uninteresting lead I think I've ever seen. She was absolutely atrocious...

Lovecraft Country was a close second. Being preached at and patronised for hours on end wasn't fun...

 

[ozzzy189]

So kind of you to say.
And yes, it was based on UK release, as was the movies top 10.
From the article:

And yes, I waited until March.

As did I.
The mire was pretty good and I know its new shows but bordertown is one of the best things I've watched and it barely seems to get a mention here. The BT thread is a wasteland.
I'm not okay with this was also excellent, so it was no surprise to see it cancelled. Just like another great show that had a lot of promise, Messiah.
Queen's gambit, umbrella 2, sinner 3 Mando and ratched were some of my highlights. Oh, and cobra Kai.

 

[barnaby jones]

Nothing, really. I just don't watch TV in general.

Feels like you’re in the wrong the place then...

 

[moraghan]

I don't think anyone has mentioned 'The Capture' from the BBC, seen by me for the first time last year, it had a similar production style to Bodyguard and kept me interested to the final episode.
Even though the repetitive use of CCTV as a background prop got a bit annoying at times, I concede the impost to public privacy by the use of CCTV at thousands of locations is a significant part of what the story is all about.
I'm not sure how the shows writers will reproduce the same level of interest if season 2 ever gets made, most of the twists have been used up in season ones story arc.
My rating is 8 / 10 for its entertainment value to me, though I concede the story wont be everyone's cup of tea.

I too really liked The Capture but alas the last episode really let it down. Quite often a shows worst episode is its last I find....same with books. Hard to finish.

 

[moraghan]

Zero Zero Zero has been shown in Australia and if you like Mexican drug cartel stories (and on Netflix there have been quite a few) this will be the show for you.
This series could have been written by Jed Mercurio as the main characters tend to die when you least expect it, I cant say more but those tuning in will see what I mean.
The content is very violent at times but considering the high stakes and money involved probably cant be seen as being gratuitous, obviously life is very temporary for some people living in Mexico.
Overall the production was high quality and manages to keep viewer interest high, whether there will be a season 2 is unclear but the story does leave the door open for more to come, though I doubt it will be any better than season 1.
My rating is: 8 /10.

I would rate it as a 8.5 or possibly 9. The ending was really, really good.

Andrea Riseborough is, for my money, one of best actresses going. I think the reason Zero worked so well was due to the cast .... she and her brother in it were the standouts. I can’t think of many actresses who could have been so convincing with such subject matter. In many ways her character was like Michael in the Godfather ... without giving too much away.

I remember the wife and I watching Party Animals about 20 years ago and we said then she was going to be big,

 

[redwing]

Gangs of London would've made my top 10. I thought it was pretty decent.

Im a fan of Star Wars but another who doesnt get the fuss over the Mandalorian.
Its decent but short episodes, not kean on the Lead and thought it was quite funny when he took his helmet off and had the moustache he always has. Weird for someone who never takes his helmet off to have that i expected a beard or nothing. I dont like some of the cameos either they stand out to much and it takes me out of the Universe. Titus Welliver had a tan to put David Dickinson to shame.

 

[richp007]

Well I've got 2 episodes left of The Queen's Gambit and that's looking like it will be my no.1 for sure. Without me even needing to see how it ends.

Tremendous stuff.