My Top 25 Shows of 2019
1) Veronica Mars- I know this is going to be controversial given the finale, but I feel like it was a season that returned as strongly as ever. It felt like actual character development rather than fan service. It was a return worthy of a return when series are coming back constantly with diminishing returns. You are entitled to your feelings if you hated it. I hope this doesn’t invalidate the rest of the list for you.
2) Jane the Virgin- They tied up all the loose ends and allowed everyone to be happily ever after. They did some memorable events on the way to the finish line.
3) One Day At A Time- This was another strong season that actually allowed plots to stretch over episodes some more.
4) Queens of Mystery- This just tickled my brain right in the pleasure center. It was a cross between Murder She Wrote and Pushing Daisies.
5) Russian Doll- This was a really inventive take on a time repeating premise.
6) Fleabag- This was a nice chapter to put a button on the series. It had a lot of great performances and concepts. It was also funny.
7) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt- A lot of final seasons are on this list. It’s nice when characters end up happy when they grow up.
8) The Good Place- This is a strong show that genuinely seems to be throwing out some good ideas about how to make the world a better place.
9) Rosehaven- This is just genuinely one of the best shows ever about best friends. Just a gentle show about best friends.
10) Veep- This was a hilarious and dark conclusion to a hilarious and dark tale.
11) Schitt’s Creek- The Rose family learned about selfless love this season and was rewarded for it. So many memorable moments.
12) I’m Sorry- This was a strong sophomore season of a show with a great running joke throughout.
13) Broad City- This show had an emotional, beautiful and funny season about growth and the love story everyone has with their friends.
14) Mr. Robot- The show took some purposeful risks this season. It played with form, had strong performances and had great control in its closure.
15) Grand Hotel- This was a primetime soap. It hit a bunch of tropes but did them well and that deserves recognition.
16) Tuca and Bertie- I think this show fell victim to being a lot from the start. However, it has a stellar cast, was very funny and inventive and brought comedy into some very serious subject matter. It’s a shame more people didn’t watch.
17) What We Do In The Shadows- In an era where we are inundated with supernatural shows (not like I’m completing complaining or that I’m not tuning into many of them), it’s nice to have a show that puts the humor in it.
18) Abbys- This show definitely could’ve been better. Still, it was a funny hangout show. It is also the first big 5 show with a female Cuban American lead in the United States. I wish it had more time to find its voice and an audience.
19) AP Bio- This show stretched it characters, got some big laughs and offered a satisfying conclusion.
20) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend- Near the end, it seemed a bit paint by numbers or a stretch to get to a certain ending but it was a happy end to a very ambitious show.
21) Corporate- I like this show about the disaster of corporate life.
22) Bless This Mess- Such a pleasant show with some strong female relationships.
23) GLOW- This season was not as funny as in the past but it did do a lot of building and destroying of relationships. Some missteps this year.
24) Watchmen- This was an ambitious take on some well covered source material. It had solid performances, a balance of tones and talked about some relevant issues.
25) Pose- This was a solid second season, that had more great performances, costumes and issues. It is only so low on the list for killing off a LGBTQIA character. It still does so much important stuff for the community, I couldn’t leave it off completely.
There were a lot of dramas I liked this year that didn’t make this list such as Stranger Things. I just felt like honoring the comedies more this year.