The Best TV Shows of 2021

By Jordan Parker

Posted Dec 26, 2021 05:40:00 PM.

Succession

There is absolutely no better show on television right now than Succession.

From creator Jesse Armstrong — Oscar-nominated for writing 2006 satire In the Loop — comes this evocative show about power and family.

With executive producer pedigree from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, it follows a patriarch and his adult children as they wrestle for power of the media empire the family has a controlling interest in.

Brian Cox leads the cast in the role of his career as hard-ass, rude Logan Roy while Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Sarah Snook and Emmy-winning Jeremy Strong star as his children.

Throw in some stellar supporting turns from Nicholas Braun, Fisher Stevens and the hilarious Matthew Macfadyen and you have the best ensemble on television.

It's a twisted, rare treat of a show that's as awkward and funny as it is savagely brutal. A boardroom drama with real bite, Succession sees every actor chew the scenery with absolute glee.

(Warning: contains language)

Yellowstone

Now in its fourth season, the rough-and-tumble western has morphed into a mix between Dynasty and basically every Kevin Costner movie ever.

That's fitting, considering the Oscar-winning actor and director is our gruff, grumbling lead in this incredible Paramount series.

The stakes are higher and the drama meter is notched to 11 as we open the new season as Costner's matriarch John Dutton tries to protect his family from dangerous forces on all sides trying to get him to cede his livestock, land and fortune.

Set in Montana, the cinematography is beautiful, and this little ranching show has the pedigree of Taylor Sheridan (Wind River, Sicario, Hell or High Water) as a co-creator and writer.

Starring alongside Costner are West Bentley, Luke Grimes, the incomparable Kelly Reilly, Gil Birmingham and Cole Hauser, who finally has a role worth his talents.

It's a bit over-the-top, but man, is this one ever a heck of a watch from start tofinish.

The Chi

How this show hasn't caught on yet literally astounds me with every passing season.

Now finished its fourth season, creator Lena Waithe (Queen & Slim, Master of None) has created a deep, involving drama that's impossible not to be transfixed by.

It follows an intersecting community of people, and the spin-offs and chaos created by the murder of a young man in a Chicago community. Four years on, events from the first season are still looming over characters.

This is the only show that makes me feel like the writing from season to season is planned and deliberate, and Waithe's vision is incredible.

With star performances from Jacob Latimore, Alex R. Hibbert, Michael Epps and Shamon Brown Jr., it's the first adult show I've seen where youth actors take centre stage with such commanding presence.

The adult standout, by far, is Curtiss Cook, but it's clear for every second of this show that the future actors of tomorrow own this one.

It's a deep, truly insane series that manages to surprise me and carry huge emotional depth through every single episode.

(Warning: contains language)

Love, Victor

Refusing to bow to the convention on coming-out and queer stories, the 2SLGBTQ+ show Love, Victor is the best queer-themed show I've seen in a decade.

It's the only one on this list that managed to take its wonderful first season and turn in an even better effort the second time around, without resorting to shocking twists.

Nothing about this story of Victor, a gay teen at Creekwood High School (the alma mater of Simon in FOX film Love, Simon) who struggles with how to come out to friends and family is done without full effort.

It's so authentic, and as someone who's navigated all the difficult, troubling waters of coming out, it just felt like the proper care was taken to make this come to life.

If star Michael Cimino doesn't become a full-blown star, then Hollywood is broken. Joined by Rachel Hilson, Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood, Mason Gooding and George Sear, it's a beautiful, diverse cast.

For once, I felt like I could see myself and my experiences on-screen, and for anyone looking to either connect with their 2SLGBTQ+ child, or for kids wanting to see people like them on-screen, this is one you need to see.

City on a Hill

Perhaps I'm biased because of my infinite, 15-year love of the show's lead, but City on a Hill is the best show no one is watching.

Showtime's cop drama about police corruption, drugs and criminals in 1990s Boston has so much going for it, and the acting is phenomenal.

Following ADA Decourcy Ward — a black crusader for justice — and his dealings with corrupt veteran FBI hack Jackie Rohr, the two make an unlikely team as their end-goals align on cases.

Created by newcomer Chuck MacLean, the material is elevated consistently by actors Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge and supporting turns from Amanda Clayton, Lauren E. Banks, Jill Hennessy and Newfoundland thespian Mark O'Brien.

This is a show you absolutely need to catch up on, and you'll kick yourself for having waited so long to do so.

(Warning: contains language)

Hawkeye

This was a really tough decision this year, as Disney+'s slate of Marvel shows absolutely stunned me this entire calendar year.

I was a huge fan of Loki and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but for pure entertainment and glee, the intensely fun Hawkeye has had me fully covered.

I'm not sure if it's the gleeful, Christmas setting of this one or the harrowing action sequences, but it's by far the most fun — if not the most interesting — of the offerings this year.

Jeremy Renner is one of my favourite actors, and I always found his deadpan, brooding Hawkeye to be a breath of fresh air. He's joined by the Oscar-nominated, multi-talented Hailee Steinfeld, as well as Oscar nominees Florence Pugh and Vera Farmiga, Emmy nominee Linda Cardellini, Tony Dalton, Alaqua Cox and more.

It's an inclusive show featuring a deaf, Indigenous villain and an eclectic ensemble. It's an absolute joy to watch, and a great way to kill an afternoon.