Best of 2019, TV Series


The end of the year is coming soon, as tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Until then, I'll be sharing my favorites of 2019. Earlier today I gave my Top 10 TV Episodes of 2019, and now I'll offer my Top 10 TV Series. Tomorrow will be all about the best and worst of movies!

10. Veronica Mars, Season 4 (Hulu)
About: The third season of "Veronica Mars" on The CW ended in 2007. Since then we've gotten a crowd-funded movie, but the long-awaited fourth season finally arrived this summer. And the show picked up with an older Veronica (Kristen Bell) and Logan (Jason Dohring) finally together as adults. The ending of the show, including a tough finale reveal, didn't always go the way some fans had hoped. But it was great to have Bell and more Mars back in our lives. I enjoyed the heck out of the season, even more so because I binged the previous seasons with my wife in the lead up to the new episodes. I hope we get another season, but if we don't I'm glad for this last batch of fun episodes.

9. The Morning Show, Season 1 (Apple TV+)
About: This was a high-profile swing from Apple TV+ as it prepared to launch its new streaming service. The series features Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, among others. I thought the first few episodes were OK, but felt a little bit too much like capturing real life. But what we got from this series as it wound to a conclusion was much more. I loved the back half and really was moved by the time we hit the finale. This was one of the better options this year.

8. The Mandolorian, Season 1 (Disney+)
About: Here's another streaming service that needed a big show to ground its original offerings. For Disney+, which launched November 12, that was "The Mandalorian," the first live-action series in the "Star Wars" world. It gave us the best new character of the year in The Child, AKA Little Baby Yoda, and delivered a gripping and fast-paced eight episodes. It's a shame we have to wait until next Fall to get more.

7. Stranger Things, Season 3 (Netflix)
About: Was this as good as the first season? Probably not. But it was still a good season with some fun, high moments and some good performances. I liked Millie Bobby Brown as always, and David Harbour also had a good season. There was some lag in the middle, but by the end it was as gripping as always. I love this show and I'm glad that it finally came back. I am looking forward to a new season at some point, too.

6. Game of Thrones, Season 8 (HBO)
About: A lot was put on this season of "Game of Thrones" because it was the end of the story, and the wait was nearly two years between seasons. It didn't always live up to fan expectation in the final few episodes, but I thought it was still a strong season and one that was worthy of being on this list. As those who read my episode post will note it also delivered some high marks in its first half.

5. Bosch, Season 5 (Amazon Prime)
About: This remains an underrated gem, and the best of the offerings on Amazon Prime. Titus Welliver is a heck of an actor, and he does a great job leading this ensemble. This was another fine season of a show well worth checking out.

4. Unbelievable, Season 1 (Netflix)
About: This based on a true story cop drama features some unbelievably strong performances from Merrit Wever, Toni Collette and Kaitlyn Dever. This is a tough one to watch at times, but it has a strong story and some huge emotional heft, especially in the first and last episodes, making it well worth checking out. It was one of the most powerful small screen stories of the year.

3. Fleabag, Season 2 (Amazon Prime)
About: This funny and raw comedy from Phoebe Waller-Bridge is only six episodes, but they pack a punch. I was a bit on the fence about the first season when it aired in 2016. But I watched it again, and then went right into Season 2, which was one of the most memorable and emotional works of 2019. Supposedly this is the end, and if it is, well done.

2. Chernobyl, Season 1 (HBO)
About: This mini-series chronicles the events surrounding the melt down, and the aftermath, at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl in the 1980s. It features some great performances and some powerful sequences. This aired right at the end and on the heels of "Game of Thrones," and was an even more powerful offering for HBO. The network had a strong 2019, and this is one of its finest examples.

1. Watchmen, Season 1 (HBO)
About: This new take on the iconic tale expanded the story in 2019, and expanded the world of the original story. We got some of our familiar characters, including Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias, but we also got new ones, including a great performance from Regina King in the lead role. But this was about Damon Lindelof, one of my favorite writers, who spearheaded this project and took it to new heights. The back half of this season, particularly the final four episodes, were incredible, and an incredible payoff to everything we'd seen. This may be a one-season show, and if it is what a masterpiece. This was my favorite show of 2019.

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