Top 20 Television Series of 2019

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Like every Best Of list, we always struggle to whittle it down to the true top series, but this year was especially challenging. Not only did we extend our ranking of series to 20 to accomodate the newest streaming platforms in addition to existing cable and network series, but there were still countless that just couldn't make it into the list. We wanted to make sure that we include some recognition for those other series.

So, while they may not be in the Top 20, we here at JoBlo.com also really liked these additional series as well and encourage you to check them out:

Amazon Prime: Good Omens, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Too Old To Die Young

HBO: True Detective, The Righteous Gemstones, After Life

Netflix: Living With Yourself

Hulu: Catch-22, Castle Rock

IFC: Documentary Now

FX: Baskets, Better Things, Fosse/Verdon

Adult Swim: Primal

NBC: The Good Place

AppleTV+: Servant

AMC: The Terror Infamy

Cinemax: Jett 

CBS All Access: Star Trek Discovery, The Twilight Zone

20 – THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE (Netflix)

37 years is a long time to wait in between a first and second entry in a franchise. In fact, it never seemed like we would get a follow-up to Jim Henson's cult classic THE DARK CRYSTAL. Thankfully, Netflix partnered with Henson's production company to create a faithful prequel that deepens the mythology of the planet Thra and how the war between the Gelflings and Skeksis began. With an all-star voice cast including Taron Egerton and Mark Hamill, Louis Leterrier's series maintains look and feel of the original movie by using puppets enhanced by CGI backgrounds to deliver a thrilling and beautiful love letter to Jim henson's passion project. – Alex Maidy

19 – THE MANDALORIAN (Disney+)

When this list was first created, we had not yet seen The Mandalorian and after the first episode, I was not convinced it deserved a spot in the Top 20. But, with multiple episodes in, Jon Favreau's sci-fi/western has easily earned a ranking. The first live action STAR WARS series has proven that there is room in a galaxy far, far away for small screen tales as well. Chock full of easter eggs, The Mandalorian is released weekly, removing the ability to binge-watch the show and giving it the feel of an old school serial like the ones that originally inspired George Lucas to make his films in the first place. Pedro Pascal's stoic bounty hunter is a great character but Baby Yoda is the true winner here, stealing the hearts of people the world over and guarantees that we will see a lot more STAR WARS on Disney+ in the years to come. – Alex Maidy

18 – THE SPY (Netflix)

Sacha Baron Cohen radically reinvented himself this year by signing on to star in Netflix’s thriller “The Spy”, a tight six part miniseries that saw him cast as Israeli spy Eli Cohen. While it took some getting used to, as Cohen is still so closely identified with creations like Borat and Ali G, his performance was first rate in what amounted to a very compelling mini series, and well-worth a binge watch even for those who aren’t usually Cohen fans. – Chris Bumbray

17 – EUPHORIA (HBO)

Sam Levinson's coming of age series (inspired by an Israeli series of the same name) is a horror story for adults. Looking at the sex lives of a group of teenagers, Euphoria is disturbingly graphic about things young people may be doing under our own roofs. It is haunting and also very poignant. Zendaya plays against her typical roles as recovering addict Rue. The series unabashedly examines drugs, sex, and violence at the high school level in a way that may be uncomfortable for many viewers but that is also what makes this show so important. Even if you don't think you can sit through another episode, you need to see where this series goes and it will stick with you long after you finish it. – Alex Maidy

16 – THE BOYS (Amazon Prime)

With the sinking ship that was Preacher, I didn't have much faith in seeing another Garth Ennis comic property adapted to series, but The Boys ended up being one hell of a redemption. While Ennis' comic seems “unadaptable” given the absolutely profane, violent, sick, twisted and generally fucked up aspects, showrunner Eric Kripke found a solid balance that absolutely shows off the “dirtier” side, but also gives us enough to invest in without feeling like it's all just parody. That goes for the acting as well, which is far better than you'd ever expect for a show about the shadier side of superheroes. Jack Quaid, Karl Urban, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Dominique McElligott, Chace Crawford and Karen Fukuhara are all outstanding, but the real shining star is Antony Starr as the “Superman-esque” Homelander, who is a deeply-layered bad-guy-in-hiding that's got far more going on than some base-level “I want to rule the world” agenda. If Watchmen is the cerebral, critic-happy superhero deconstruction, then The Boys is the down-and-dirty version that doesn't dangle a treat in front of your face; it shoves it down your throat. – Paul Shirey

15 – THE ACT (Hulu)

Joey King deserves to win all the awards for her portrayal of Munchausen syndrome by proxy victim Gypsy Rose Blanchard, but I also must admit, I’ll have a hard time shaking the characters played by her and Patricia Arquette in this devastating true story. No one, not even Gypsy, who’s unequivocally the victim of a monstrous parent, comes off well in this sobering limited series. The less you know about this before watching  – the better. – Chris Bumbray

14 – HIS DARK MATERIALS (HBO)

Phillip Pullman's novel series has a dedicated fanbase that rivals that of the Harry Potter franchise. Let down by THE GOLDEN COMPASS feature film, HBO and BBC teamed to deliver the definitive take on the fantasy novels with a rich and layered epic that combines multiple volumes of the books for a family-friendly succesor to Game of Thrones. Led by Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy and an excellent Lin-Manuel Miranda, His Dark Materials boasts stunning special effects and one of the deepest and powerful stories about science and faith ever made. This show is dark, exciting, and wonderfully acted and already looks to tell us the complete story without pulling any punches. – Alex Maidy

13 – WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (FX)

Taika Waititi's career has exploded since THOR: RAGNAROK which has reinvigorated interest in his earlier films. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS was already a modern classic and I was skeptical that a series would come anywhere close to being as good. Luckily, instead of remaking the movie, Waititi and co-creator Jermaine Clement have expanded the story by following a different set of vampires. Just as profane and violent as the movie, this series lets us spend more time with the vampires and even explores different types of bloodsuckers (Mark Proksch's energt vampire is hilarious). Six episodes of the first season were directed by Waititi or Clement, including the cameo-heavy “The Trial” which alone proves this series is worth watching. – Alex Maidy

12 – WATCHMEN (HBO)

I don’t know what I expected of Damon Lindelof’s confounding re-imagining (sequel?) to Alan Moore’s “Watchmen”, but it wasn’t this challenging, unmistakably brilliant entry from HBO. While too dense and troubling to connect with a mainstream audience, this is arguably the most provocative show of the year in the way it challenges and updates Moore’s material. So you like Rorschach? Well guess what – so do white supremacists. And Don Johnson as likable Police Chief Judd? Guess what – he’s in the klan! It’s crazy, but damn is it good, with standout work from everyone involved, including stars Regina King, Tim Blake Nelson (as the new fan favorite- Looking Glass), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jean Smart. And let’s not forget some first rate acting by Don “muthafucking” Johnson! – Chris Bumbray

11 – RUSSIAN DOLL (Netflix)

While some dismissed this as a GROUNDHOG DAY clone, this mind-bending Netflix limited series was all the rage earlier this year – so much so that it’s no longer a “limited” series. Natasha Lyonne gives one of the best performances of the year in any medium as our heroine, who finds herself in a cosmic loop, repeating her 36^th birthday over and over. My only concern is that a second season won’t be able to sustain the premise. – Chris Bumbray

10 – STRANGER THINGS 3 (Netflix)

The phenomenon that put Netflix original shows on the map hit a bit of a snag in its second season, which felt like it was attempting to recapture lightning more so than forward the story of it's key group of characters that won our hearts to begin with. So, all eyes were on season three to find its footing again and, thankfully, it did just that. While much of the Upside Down aspects were still in play, the season felt almost like a John Carpenter-styled journey, complete with a vast array of 80s tunes, references, styles, slang and, most notably, movie tropes of the era. David Harbour, Winona Ryder and Millie Bobby Brown once again take center stage and we see all three advance in their relationships that centers heavily on love and relationships…while still dealing with a giant, bloody meat monster. All of our supporting characters get a solid boost as well, but the biggest achievement in the third season was the sheer amount of fun. It's the “summer camp” of the series thus far and leans heavily into the nostalgia of the era, but in a perfectly-suited way. It's the decade of excess, after all, and in Stranger Things' favor, the show pushed its way back to the top. Here's to hoping they can stay on course for season four. – Paul Shirey

9 – FLEABAG (Amazon Prime)

It's hard to know what will stick and what won't, but what began as an adaptation of her own play, writer/actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge found an audience that was hungry for her dark comedy stylings in the 4th-wall breaking series that is Fleabag. Originally run on BBC and later picked up by Amazon Prime, Fleabag, both season one and season two, follow the often hilarious and mostly awkward moments in the life of the titular character, a self-absorbed, single, British woman, navigating through sex, relationships and family, while trying to find herself in the mix. Standard stuff in this type of genre, but Waller-Bridge elevates it in every way, from her dry, dark and profane humor to her deep, revealing and sometimes moving moments of levity. It's both shameful and brilliant that there's only two seasons, but this is a show that allows you into an intimate life, before kicking you out, which resonates perfectly with what Waller-Bridge has created. If Fleabag is any indication, I expect we'll see much more greatness from her in the years to come. – Paul Shirey

8 – GLOW (Netflix)

Who knew that a dramedy about G.L.O.W. (Glamorous Ladies Of Wrestling) would be one of the funniest and emotionally satisfying shows on TV? Certainly not me, but here we are. While I was a fan of Alison Brie, I had no idea what was in store when season one of G.L.O.W. slammed me like a powerbomb and then season two hit me with a choke slam; heartfelt, emotional, hilarious, sexy and, ultimately, redemptive, G.L.O.W. goes well beyond the simple “hot girls beating each other up” aspect and deep dives into who these women are, why they do what they do and finally, who they become as a result of their lives as professional wrestlers. And it's not just about the women; Marc Maron is at his absolute best as the director of the show and proves yet again that he has the chops for this sort of thing. His Sam Sylvia is a neurotic delight, even if you kind of love to hate him a little.

One of the best aspects of the show is that it doesn't try to paint everyone as a saintly matriarch; these are real women; flawed, conflicted, broken and honest. While that doesn't mean these women are redeemed or empowered, it's not without a journey or consequence. It feels earned and real, rather than some caricature of women kicking ass on stage. Immersed in the music and style of the 80s, G.L.O.W. is vibrantly aware of the era it lives and breathes in, while Alison Brie and co-star Betty Gilpin have created a beautiful and challenging onscreen dynamic (and colorful wresteling characters at that), which will break my heart to see end when the third and final season piledrives onto Netflix. – Paul Shirey

7 – VEEP (HBO)

While “Game of Thrones” took all the ink, HBO’s long-running “Veep” also came to an end this year in an absolutely savage final season that saw the hilarious ascendance of the hated Jonah (Timothy Simons) while any illusions we had about Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Selina Meyer not being both a terrible president and person were permanently shattered. It was hilarious but also tragic at times, with one of the best finales ever in my opinion. – Chris Bumbray

6 – THE DEUCE (HBO)

In many ways, “The Deuce” is the victim of unfortunate timing. When it made its debut, it was still good to be in the James Franco business, and his star power was needed to get people to tune into a challenging expose of the 70’s and 80’s sex trade in New York City. When his star fell, people seemed to forget all about David Simon’s epic and it also feels like HBO stopped pushing it, although at least they let him end the show on his own terms (with Franco intact). It came to a brutal end for some, with Emily Meade’s Lori Madison as a stark casualty of a trade that only values sex appeal, with others, like Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Candy and Chris Coy’s Paul came to more bittersweet ends. Hopefully this tight, three season wonder will be discovered by more people as time goes by. – Chris Bumbray

5 – MINDHUNTER (Netflix)

Enthralling is the word that pops into my head each time I've sat down to watch Mindhunters, a show that recaptures the real-life exploits of F.B.I. profiler John Douglas in a semi-fictional way (with brilliant performances from Jonathan Groff and Hold McCallany), tracing the birth and practice of profiling real-life serial killers in the 1970s (and beyond), Mindhunter is absolute masterclass storytelling. Blending the real-life experiences and accounts from Douglas' work, the show is a fascinating exploration of the horrorific things people are capable of, but doesn't focus on the exploitation of the crimes, but rather the personal experiences from all those involved, from the F.B.I. agents to the victims to the families and to the broader community. David Fincher's moody fingerprints coupled with Joe Penhall's craftsmanship and the outstanding performances from all involved make this one of the most captivating and, I'll say it again, enthralling shows on TV. Haunting, visceral, fascinating and, thankfully, character-driven, Mindhunter is a shining example of what can be accomplished with streaming-service television. – Paul Shirey

4 – GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

After eight years, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice And Fire HBO series, Game of Thrones, came to its stunning conclusion this year, which many felt was a somewhat lackluster finish to an otherwise impeccably strong and addictive series that left us on the edge of our seat with every shocking twist, violent death and major reveal. With the shortest season in the series' run (although with longer runtimes), the series faced the most difficult challenge of any successful show; coming to an end. And how to please everyone under those conditions? Near impossible. With the biggest twist of the series at play (although in retrospect, the most obvious one), we saw the true colors of Daenerys Targaryan and witnessed, once again, our hero Jon Snow making the most difficult choice of all; doing the right thing. Many familiar and beloved characters were taken from us in the final chapter, while many lived on, some in better shape, some in worse and some just the same, but while things certainly seemed to move at a brisker pace to the finish, it all came together in a way that was both satisfying and measurable, while still leaving a pang of bittersweet loss and despair. In that, Game of Thrones ended its watch just as it had begun. – Paul Shirey

3 – BARRY (HBO)

When Bill Hader's series debuted last year, I was not sure how it could last beyond a single season. Season two proved me wrong as the show manages to wrap up storylines and create all new ones. Proving Hader's range is beyond being funny, this season delivered some great work by the supporting cast, especially Anthony Carrigan, Stephen Root and Sarah Goldberg, but Henry Winkler's performance as Gene Cousineau may be the actor's best work of his career. Hader himself, who wrote and directed multiple episodes, helmed one of the best episodes of TV in 2019 with “ronny/lilly”, a surreal action masterpiece that must be seen to be believed. – Alex Maidy

2 – SUCCESSION (HBO)

A series about rich people acting like assholes may not sound like anything special for a TV series, but Succession is absolutely brilliant. The first season played like Dynasty meets THE BIG SHORT, but Jesse Armstrong's family drama took a different perspective in season two. Focusing more on the interplay between Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his conniving children played by Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, and Alan Ruck. Snook took a bigger role this season and the addition of Holly Hunter made every chapter of this story more intriguing than the prior season, but the finale that brought Logan and Kendall back to the forefront sets up a third season that is going to definitely make this list again. – Alex Maidy

1 – CHERNOBYL (HBO)

“Are you ready to laugh, because here comes CHERNOBYL!” Jon Hamm’s joke at the Emmy’s hit home for a lot of folks who were riveted and thoroughly depressed by Craig Mazin’s epic account of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Soviet era Russia. This stands as one of the greatest achievements in television history, with Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård incredible as the two men who sacrificed everything to ensure a similar tragedy never happens again – although they always do. No one expected this show to break out like it did, and HBO unwittingly found themselves with a major hit on their hands, and it’s nice to see a wide audience still has an appetite for this kind of thing. – Chris Bumbray