The 10 Best Television Series of the 2020s So Far
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Yes, it is sadly true. The Golden Age of Television is on its way out. With so many fantastic series having concluded at the start of the 2020s thus far, we are looking at a dip in quality on the small screen. That isn’t to say that all shows will be bad (as some of the promising favourites below will indicate), but that the best series will be fewer and further between waves of mediocrity or failed ideas. In fact, I haven’t even bothered to compile my usual list of the best series of the year just because 2024 was unquestionably the weakest year in television since I started Films Fatale, but if you must know my picks, here they are in short form:
10. Lady in the Lake
9. The Bear
8. Abbott Elementary
7. Shōgun
6. Fallout
5. The Penguin
4. Pachinko
3. Hacks
2. Disclaimer
1. Arcane: League of Legends
I am fond of all of the above series, but between juggling content, having surgery, and other setbacks, I really didn’t see why I needed to dive deeply into these choices when only one series truly astounded me in 2024 (obviously Arcane: League of Legends). I still recommend all of the above, but what I am far more interested in are the ten series below.
Yes, television is heading towards a far more substandard place overall with a few strong releases here and there. We’ve been spoiled for decades, having far too many great shows to pick from at any given time. The 2020s so far is right in the middle of these sides of the spectrum. We have said farewell to numerous brilliant, adored series. We have also welcomed the handful of titles that will hopefully carry the torch from this point on. We have even brought in new shows that have already wrapped up; their presence was brief but certainly lauded. Many of the series below comforted us while we were confined to our homes during lockdowns. They continued to try and push the mold of what the small screen could showcase. If the Golden Age of Television is on its way out, at least this time was spent with some fantastic episodes and series. Here are the ten best television series of the 2020s so far.
10. Barry
Sure, Barry may have had one of the more uneven endings of any stellar show this decade (hence why it’s lower on this list), but it is still a daring effort that never gave up on what it was stating about the entertainment industry. Barry played by its own rules, including getting darker when there was a clear insistence for the show to be sillier, cinematic episodes that caught us off guard, and so many other unorthodox approaches that continued to take our breath away. This started off as a goofy what-if scenario (a hitman wanting to give up a life of crime to become an actor); it turned into a fascinating commentary on the human experience, and the artificiality of being alive.
9. Hacks
The only straight forward comedy to make this list (however, I do commend Abbott Elementary: the best network sitcom in quite some time), Hacks is an exhilarating look at self-importance. Our industries can cast us out, either because we are considered washed up, or we were never considered good enough to begin in the first place. What happens when a has-been has to work with a never-was? Lots of squabbling, of course, but enough comedic gold to re-instill your faith in bite sized television series. In a sense, no matter what stage of life we’re at, Hacks allows us to laugh at ourselves as well as we find solace in knowing that life is a struggle for all of us (well, most of us anyway); we just have to suck it up and move in.
8. The Last of Us
It may seem premature to include a series that is only one season in on the list (Severance may not be on this list, but you’d better believe that I am highly anticipating its second season), but The Last of Us fits in just nicely when discussing the best series of the decade thus far. In just a handful of episodes, we’ve had some golden moments and ideas, as if the series was a pseudo-anthology about the human experience (even now, not necessarily at the end of civilization). While a little too quickly paced (its only issue, really), The Last of Us accomplishes so much in no time at all, drilling home the fact that we can lose loved ones at any given moment (or that we ourselves can go any second now). Especially during these distressing times, The Last of Us cements its Fireflies motto well: when everything seems dark around us, we must look to the light.
7. Arcane: League of Legends
Unless The Last of Us gets even better (which is possible), the best adaptation of a video game at this point is Arcane: League of Legends. It went as quickly as it came, having concluded with just its second season (but what a spectacular finish this was). Gorgeously animated, ambitiously large in scope, and rich in lore and writing, Arcane is a sign of what the proper handling of massive properties can look like (now, if only art could be prioritized over greed more often). Arcane feels like modern mythology: an undertaking that transcends expectation effortlessly. You know there’s no previous bias here because I have never played even a second of League of Legends in my life, nor do I plan on starting any time soon; I am happy enough just revisiting this enthralling series at any moment I so desire.
6. The Rehearsal
Another series that is just one season in, but you cannot blame me for being whisked away by the exemplary experiment known as Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal. This magnificent blending of reality and fiction that starts off largely enough (the precise, tedious staging of events to help people practice going through tribulations) balloons almost instantly into a Synecdoche, New York-esque examination of what being human is all about. Quite funny but mainly mind-blowing, The Rehearsal is oddly moving and gorgeous as Fielder and company find beauty within the mundane, strength within vulnerability, and soundness within insanity. With a second season coming soon (I have no idea what would even transpire), The Rehearsal is clearly unfinished and I cannot wait to see what more we can learn about us as creatures of habit and learning.
5. The Bear
From sleeper hit to undeniable juggernaut, The Bear seemingly came out of nowhere and then became the show to beat. It’s crazy to remember that there was television before The Bear just because it is impossible to ignore now. Season 3 was a little weaker than the two previous seasons, but the series is preparing for its next dish with some clear ideas in mind. As for season 2 — a near-perfect run, if you will — The Bear exhibited a show that could operate at any level, with any duration of time, and with any balance between high-octane anxiety or rapid-fire comedy. Consider us forever glued to our screens awaiting the next seasons of The Bear: one of the last remaining shows that give us something to look forward to on television (warning: every other series from this point on on the list has concluded).
4. Reservation Dogs
I’m happy that Reservation Dogs is getting its flowers because it was once the most slept-on series on television. At a brisk three seasons, this dramedy manages to encompass so many elements of the different phases of existence (youth, adolescence, adulthood, and even death). What started off as a project to see if some friends could escape their reservation turned into an examination of all of which we cannot control (and what we can, and how). Reservation Dogs nurtures your soul, consoles your pain, and provides hope when you feel like you are at your most lost. It is exactly what a dramedy should be: equal parts enlightening, funny, moving, and impactful. Now this is how you go out on a high note.
3. Atlanta
It felt like Atlanta was stuck in limbo for quite some time, but eventually we got two seasons back-to-back in 2022; if the other two seasons of Atlanta were a part of this decade, I’d place this magnificent show even higher. The one-two punch of seasons 3 and 4 were mainly strong, with maybe a couple of head-scratching moments (episodes like “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga” are on the weaker end) amidst some of the series’ finest moments. Then the series wraps up with a finale that recontextualizes the entire series, explaining its surreal and satirical nature, encouraging us to revisit the entire run with fresh new eyes. Even with the very minor inconsistencies (which aren’t enough to damage the series for me), Atlanta ended as daring and rebellious as it began: the kind of freshness that I hope stays on the small screen for years to come.
2. Better Call Saul
When Better Call Saul began, the spin-off of Breaking Bad felt incomparable to its predecessor; anyone proclaiming that it was better than the original series may have sounded crazy. Now that Better Call Saul is done, maybe such thoughts weren’t so insane after all. Easily the best spinoff series of all time, Better Call Saul felt like it was veering off into two separate directions for years (an authentic Breaking Bad prequel and a Saul Goodman origin story), only for the final season to merge both storylines together again in a statement on karmic fate and moral consciousness. An example of mastered slow-burning excellence, Better Call Saul nails its final seasons with exquisite tension, writing, acting, and photography. The series never receiving a single Emmy is highly nauseating when it is easily one of the most important series in recent memory; the quality of television since Better Call Saul ended is indicative of how desperately we need a show like it on the air.
1. Succession
And then there was Succession: an instant triumph of television. Even though half of the series occurred at the tail end of the previous decade, Succession only got better and better with its final two seasons in the 2020s. A main reason why this show is the quintessential series of the decade is because Succession knew when to bow out: at its highest point. For years, the question of who would take over Waystar Royco was highly discussed by viewers, and the constant ebbs and flows of power within the Roy family and their affiliates never eased up. Once the finale landed (and, goodness, what a triumphant finale it is), we were reminded of the bigger picture: none of this matters.
We will always have to answer to rich pieces of shit who don’t actually care about us. Succession made the worst parts of civilization thrilling, fun, interesting, and — most miraculous of all — human. We had no control over the outcome of the series in the same way that we have no input on how politics and society are run. Succession was somehow escapism within the constant reminders of reality’s awful ways. Unlike the many billionaires who dictate our livelihoods, Succession knew when to quit. The series is an exercise in quality, writing, acting, tonal balance, and consistency. The void left by the show’s absence is undeniable now that television feels weaker overall. To me, this means that not only is Succession one of the last top shows of the Golden Age era, it means that the era concluded with one of the strongest series of all time; this only makes me weep for the conclusion of both even more.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.