Following the best films in 2020 list is a fun double feature looking at the most entertaining documentary and the best 2020 tv shows.
2020 was an interesting year in the tv landscape. The continued emergence of streaming is throughout this list. Not only did Netflix produce some of the best 2020 tv shows, but HBO Max, Disney Plus and Apple TV+ also produced outstanding tv this year.
Network TV also had an excellent year. Two separate networks (CBS and NBC) produced tv series handle grief in creative, humorous and emotional ways.
The list begins with a look at one of the most thoroughly entertaining documentaries in years. Then delves into the best tv shows of the year in random order.
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Favorite Documentary of 2020: Class Action Park
Class Action Park is a great documentary that looks at the most dangerous theme park in the world. Founded in 1978, Action Park is one of the first water parks in the United States. The park eventually closed in 1996 due a high number of serious injuries and deaths.
Class Action Park does a great job breaking down all of the dangerous rides, intoxicated park attendees, poorly trained park staff and a wild owner who created an insurance company in the Cayman Islands. Shoutout to the School House Rock animation style that illustrates the rides and injuries.
There’s an added dimension to the documentary that takes Class Action Park to another level, which is the focus on the ’80s and personal autonomy that allowed a park that injured so many to remain open for so long.
Class Action Park is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai is technically not a 2020 tv show as seasons one and two were available on YouTube Premium. However, since Netflix acquired the series last year, I think this show belongs on the list.
Seeing Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their roles from The Karate Kid franchise is a treat. Zabka is legitimately fantastic as the cursing, drunk and down on his luck Johnny Lawrence. Showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg do an outstanding job paying homage to the three main Karate Kid films. There’s isn’t another reboot on tv or in film that utilizes flashback better than Cobra Kai.
The teenage cast does a solid job. There are some fun character arcs, great twists and ludicrously entertaining fight sequences.
Cobra Kai’s status as the best reboot makes it a worth addition to the best 2020 tv shows list.
Cobra Kai is currently streaming on Netflix.
Harley Quinn
The NSFW Harley Quinn animated series is terrific. There isn’t a live action DC show or film that balances raunchy humor, fast paced action and heart like Harley Quinn.
The terrific voice cast includes Kaley Cuoco (Big Bang Theory) as Harley Quinn, Lake Bell as Poison Ivy, Alan Tudyk (Firefly) as Joker and J.B. Smooth as a talking plant. Yes, there’s a talking plant. Amidst the crazy shenanigan that Harley and her criminal cohorts engage in over the course of season 2, you find yourself rooting for Harley to succeed.
Quinn’s psychotic point of view provides a unique window into the world of DC Comics. Batman, Robin (Damian Wayne), Commissioner Gordon, Bane, Superman and others are featured in the series to hilarious degrees. The relationship between Quinn and Ivy is really well done.
If you can handle the humor of Family Guy or South Park, then you should check out Harley Quinn. The best animated series of the year.
Harley Quinn is currently streaming on HBO Max
Woke
Woke is mostly a comedy with some really strong drama elements that connect to systemic racism in society.
Lamorne Morris (New Girl) takes the lead role and is terrific as Keef, a black cartoonist in San Francisco. His life is pretty good until he’s tackled by a cop and put in handcuffs. Keef was simply stapling some cartoons to signposts when he was tackled. His white roommate confronts the officer and even puts his hands on him, but isn’t arrested.
The traumatic events wake Keef up to the racism taking place around him. Not only does he start speaking up and discussing what he sees, he starts to see cartoon characters talk to him. For example, a carton of milk will start talking to Keef offering words of unwanted advice that Keef tries to avoid, but can’t. Morris’s facial reactions are always on-point.
T. Murph is great as Keef’s other roommate Clovis. Often pointing out the racist encounters that Keef is realizing have been commonplace for a long time. Rose McIver does a great job as a potential love interest who offers some different perspectives. Since she’s an Australian white woman, her association with American racism is different from Keef’s. The juxtaposition between the two characters was the highlight of the season.
J.B. Smooth’s is one of the many voices in Keef’s head. He provides the voice for Keef’s marker and brings more life to the animated sequences.
Woke is currently streaming on Hulu.
The Queen’s Gambit
The Netflix series that lead to a 125 percent increase in chess set sales is the best 2020 tv series.
The Queen’s Gambit is a Netflix miniseries that documents the rise of chess prodigy Beth Harmon from her start in the orphanage to the of the chess world. Alcohol and drug abuse leads to some additional obstacles for Beth, who is played to almost assuredly award-winning fashion by Anya-Taylor Joy and you have must-watch drama.
Chess matches are appropriately tense affairs that allow Joy to flex her facial expression skills while adding some visual flourishes to aid in the excitement. The series’s perfect pacing, Joy’s performance and the way in which the production as well as costume designers bring the 1960s to life make The Queens Gambit an easy choice for the best new tv series of the year.
The Queen’s Gambit is currently streaming on Netflix
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
The final season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ended the series on a high note. Throughout the previous six seasons, the agents dealt with Hydra, Inhumans, Ghost Rider, The Matrix (called the framework) and space. For the 7th season, the series decided to tackle time travel and the results were outstanding.
The season starts in the 1930s then jumps to various points in time to prevent the timeline from being altered. Just like Avengers: Endgame, time travel allows Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to revisit key story arcs from the series and adds new wrinkles as well. Outside of the stellar series finale, a great time loop episode that gives Clark Gregg and Chloe Bennet time to shine is probably the best episode of the season.
Despite a rocky start in season one, Agents turned into the best comic book tv series since Smallville and deserves to be included on the best 2020 tv shows list.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. aired on ABC and is currently streaming on Netflix.
Ted Lasso
Leave it to the creator of Scrubs (Bill Lawrence) to deliver the most heart warming show of 2020 with Ted Lasso.
Jason Sudeikis is so effortlessly lovable as the title character and should receive awards consideration. Ted Lasso centers around an American football coached who is hired by Rebecca Welton played by Hannah Waddingham (marvelous) to coach a Premier League Soccer team: AFC Richmond. The newly divorced Welton decides to hire Lasso in an effort to destroy the team her ex-husband loved.
Ted knows virtually nothing about soccer and even less about European culture, but his passion for coaching shines through nevertheless. Sudeikis and Lawrence’s command of this character is excellent. Lasso isn’t a total buffoon and there are pearls of wisdom in every episode that will have you rooting for him to succeed.
Lasso’s status as the best comedy tv series of the year makes this underdog an easy addition to the best 2020 tv list.
Ted Lasso is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
The Mandalorian
Season 2 of The Mandalorian is better than the already stellar 1st season. Picking up directly after the events of last season, Din Djarin(Pedro Pascal) journey’s across the galaxy with Baby Yoda by his side in an attempt to connect the little guy with the Jedi.
The Mandalorian does an excellent job of connecting to various Star Wars lore. Star Wars saga films, books, legends, animated and creatures only seen in video games are brought to life. However, the most impressive element of the series is that if you never heard of Luke Skywalker, George Lucas or Star Wars, The Mandalorian would still be a gripping sci-fi drama worth watching.
The Mandalorian is currently streaming on Disney Plus.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
As the title character says, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is X-Men meets The Voice. The first of two network shows on this list that deals with grief in heartfelt and creative ways.
Jane Levy is outstanding as Zoey. She suffers an accident that gives her the ability to hear everyone’s true feelings and thoughts. Levy’s facial expressions during the musical numbers sell the surreal nature of every situation.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist deals with grief through Zoey’s relationship with her father. Her dad played by Peter Gallagher suffers from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. A condition prevents her father from speaking and limits his facial expressions.
Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart and Mary Steenburgen round out a stellar supporting cast. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is the most emotional show since This is Us and its premise is one of the most creative in years. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s status as the best network tv series makes the show about “heart songs” an easy addition to the best 2020 tv shows list.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is current airing on NBC and season 1 is available to stream on Peacock.
Stargirl
The first season of Stargirl isa tremendous comic book series that doubles as a fun high school drama.
Brec Bessinger is stellar as Courtney Whitmore. She discovers the cosmic staff and takes on the role of Stargirl. The staff belonged to one of the members of the Justice Society of America. A group of superheroes that were killed. Whitmore begins finding other weapons and tools that belonged to members of that team. She then proceeds to find other teenagers to fill their shoes. Luke Wilson provides outstanding support as Courtney’s stepfather.
The show does an excellent job of balancing the high school drama with gruesome violence. Stargirl looks to be an exciting next chapter for the DC tv universe and an easy addition to the best 2020 tv list.
Stargirl is currently streaming on the CW app.
The Unicorn
The Unicorn is the 2nd network show that mines humor and heart out of grief.
Walton Goggins stars as a recently widowed father of two girls. His sometimes helpful friends offer their parenting and dating advice. Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins and Omar Benson Miller fill out the strong supporting cast. Overwhelmed father is a unique role for Goggins and man does he do an excellent job leading this series.
The most surprising aspect of The Unicorn is that this single camera comedy is airing on CBS and not ABC, NBC or Fox. Probably the closest CBS sitcom tonally is Mom without the laugh track.
If you’re looking for a good comedy series that has strong well-earned emotional moments, give The Unicorn a shot. The show’s status as the best new network comedy makes The Unicorn a worthy inclusion as one of the best 2020 tv shows.
The Unicorn is current airing on CBS. Season one is available on Netflix.
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