Best TV Shows of 2019

That reminds me. Have you been watching Watchmen? Because you've said nothing about it.

I don't have HBO, but I'm sure I'll get to that show eventually.

I have been watching it, but I haven’t really been talking about it because I assumed no one else on here had gotten around to it yet.

Succession really did step up a level in Season 2. In some ways it brought some very vague Mad Men feelings back to me, though in a much more caustic setting. It would be a favourite for many critics top 10 lists if they ran between 2015-2025, unfortunately it is too new for some critics to put it in their list this decade, and will be ineligible next decade for inane reasons. If the world still exists in 2029.

I started writing a paragraph on Watchmen and its relative quality to the comic, but I think I will hold off until at least Jeremy finishes. I want to keep people guessing on where I ultimately stand on the show.

I'm really debating not posting a top 10 list this year. It's too HBO heavy and I don't feel comfortable with that, and a big reason is I don't have easy access to AMC and FX shows because there are no a la carte streaming platforms for them. Hulu shows tend to be hit and miss as well in terms of where they get bought by Canadian suppliers. HBO had brilliant shows this year and a lot of the other networks seemingly took a year off from their really high quality stuff, but still it feels like I'm not watching diversely enough at the moment.

That's fair, I think. It wasn't as good as Bojack's 3rd or 5th seasons, and this year has been far stronger than the last 3, I'd say. I'd probably put this stretch behind 2 and 4 as well. Season rankings: 3>5>4>2>6A>1. So far. On the plus side though, it's the show's second-weakest stretch at this time, and it's still pretty great-certainly not that dreaded penultimate season slump a lot of shows tend to run into-usually cable shows that have gone on a little too long to begin with.

Have you seen Lodge 49, Jeremy? I'm pretty interested in that as well.

A few people have recommended Lodge 49 to me, but I haven't seen it. I don't think I watched any AMC this year, in fact - I think the bazillion Walking Dead projects are starting to turn me off.

I agree with those Bojack rankings, Flame - hope that show sticks the landing next month.

My top 10 shows of the year (never did get around to season 3 of Better Things), dang holidays.

1. Chernobyl (HBO) - Because I never expected the story told about the Chernobyl disaster to be so uplifting and full of heroism

2. Our Boys (HBO) - Because every child, no matter the culture or religious affiliation, is still one of ours

3. Watchmen (HBO) -Because I like this show a lot more than I maybe let on in my previous post

4. Fleabag (Amazon) - Because a better story about a priest has not been told on television

5. Barry (HBO) - Because people can change, but consequences of their past remain

6. Succession (HBO) - Because HBO really did have a terrific all around year

7. Doom Patrol (DC Universe) - Because we are all misfits living in a world on fire

8. Bojack Horseman (Netflix) - Because sometimes the only ones who will forgive us are ourselves

9. Undone (Amazon) - Because Rotoscoping can be stunning

10. One Day at A Time (Netflix) - Because this is the weakest bottom part of the list I've had in some time, but this show is still sweet

And my best episodes (I swear I watched other stuff aside from HBO this year):
1. "Judging By Its End" - Our Boys
2. "Little Fear of Lightning" - Watchmen
3. "What?!" - Barry
4. "1:23:45" - Chernobyl
5. "Now am Found" - True Detective

How I feel about Russian Doll is kind of a curious case. I think as distance comes I start to remember negatives of shows more than positives is part of it, because I’m honestly surprised how positive I was at the time about it. Over time my main feeling about it is that it wasn’t worth the hype.

I guess it’s a fair question as to whether I’m being unfair to it, like you can certainly make the argument that it was better than ODAAT was this year. But there’s nothing that sticks with me from Russian Doll at this point, at all. I still think it was a good show but I just didn’t see the great things everyone else saw to give it the edge to put it in a best of list. Maybe if it had aired in November instead of January or February my feelings on it wouldn’t have the same amount of time to coalesce and I’d be more positive on it.

That being said I stand by my ranking. I think of it from a story perspective on a very similar quality to Undone - except Undone is far more visually stunning.