Erin’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2021

Hilarious comedies and heartbreaking dramas seem to be my mood for TV watching in 2021. Limited series, sitcoms, Korean horror, dramedies, and Shakespearean family sagas are among the shows that grabbed my attention and captured my heart this year.

New shows were discovered, several had excellent second seasons, and a couple of returning favorites came back better than ever. Awe-inspiring performances, exceptional writing, and stunning visuals and locations are a few of the things the shows on this list have in common. 

From Las Vegas to London to Seoul to 18th century Russia, my television viewing has been across the map, quite literally, as well as content-wise. As a result, there’s a little something for everyone on this list and each show gets a glowing recommendation from me. 

Without further ado, I present to you, in no particular order because it was hard enough narrowing it down to a list of ten, my favorite TV shows of 2021.

1. Squid Game (Netflix)

Nothing completely sucked me in this year quite like the South Korean import Squid Game. I hadn’t seen anything like it before, so its originality became a big draw for me. 

The whole concept is fascinating. The childhood schoolyard games infused with violence and gore provide such an interesting contrast and complexity that, all the while, criticizes excess wealth and capitalism.  

Squid Game is rich with story. There are backstories, sob stories, horror stories, and world-building in which the characters go through so much. It’s the interpersonal relationships and the superb acting that hold everything together and ground the outrageousness of the plot. 

I thought about these characters and the decisions they were faced with long after finishing the nine episodes. And, honestly, I still am and will probably be for some time. 

2. Hacks (HBO Max)

Hacks draws the curtain back on the world of stand-up and comedy writing, allowing us to see the inner workings, difficulties, and triumphs of being a woman in that field.

It does that by following an odd-couple, mismatched pair — one a veteran comedian whose career is experiencing a lull, and the other a young, smart-mouthed writer from LA who is struggling to find work due to a problematic tweet.

Yes, these two need each other, and that’s what makes them butt heads right out the gate. The development of their working relationship and friendship is a wonderful thing to watch. Jean Smart as Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava are naturals in these roles, and so hilariously funny.

I would love to hang out with these characters (the actors, too) in real life, but fortunately, getting to watch Hacks is the next best thing. 

3. Home Economics (ABC)

Once in a while, my love for a show sneaks up on me. As was the case with Home Economics.

It is a family sitcom, and I rarely become enamored of that type of fare, but the charm of the Hayworth siblings and their families thoroughly won me over. I cannot say enough good things about this delightful show.

Not many shows have me struggling to pick a favorite character, but I find it near impossible to do that with Home Economics. Each one is relatable in their own way.

Yes, even Connor …sometimes.

The talented cast has brought them to life in genuine and genuinely funny ways. Season 1 was strong but short. Thankfully, Season 2 was given a full-season order so we get to look forward to more of these lovely people on our screens. 

4. The Great (Hulu)

Satire at its finest! Huzzah!

The Great is a raucous, rowdy, raunchy good time. It provides a world where one can easily get immersed, which makes for a fun sojourn away from reality. The novelty of it, the irreverence, the shocking twists and turns, and the quiet emotionality that hums underneath it all make The Great so much more than just simple escapism.

The satire foundation on which it is built gives the show a lot of room to play, and it doesn’t waste a square inch. Absurdity abounds, insults are slung with Veep-like vulgarity and precision with an 18th-century Russian twist, but there are also many reflective moments.

Season 2 saw a sublimely naughty (there’s this scene with a fig…) addition to the cast with Gillian Anderson as Joanna, mother to Elle Fanning’s Catherine. She stirs up trouble with her maternal meddling and has a very memorable exit.

5. Mare of Easttown (HBO)

Mare of Easttown gave me another devastating crime drama with a complicated woman at its heart, in the vein of Broadchurch, The Killing, or The Fall — shows that completely consumed me. 

It’s the well-crafted mystery, but mostly the lead female detective played by an actor I love that draws me in. Olivia Colman as Ellie Miller, Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden, Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson, and now Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan.

Winslet’s acting blows me away nearly every time I see her on screen, whether its in a rom-com, an artsy indie, or an intense drama. Her characters are so real and she makes them all relatable, no matter the role.

Mare in Winslet’s supremely capable hands is something very, very special.

6. Hanna (Amazon Prime Video)

I tend to use the word “underrated” very sparingly, but I will emphatically use it here. Hanna was a consistently great show all three seasons, and its third and final season brings it to a proper end.

A sad end, yes, but one not without hope or a sense of peace.

From the very beginning, the series ran on tension-fueled action and spy intrigue. Only in the final moments of the last episode can one breathe in relief. And it’s beautiful how the story comes full circle with Hanna choosing to break the pattern.

Superb acting all around, especially with leads Esme Creed-Miles and Mireille Enos as well as a chilling guest star appearance by Ray Liotta. The cinematography has every frame as either postcard- or art gallery-worthy.

But the real standout is the soundtrack. Scenes of all sorts are accompanied by music and the song selection is fire every single time. It fits with the mood, and often lyrically, too.

Hanna is a solid show and I wish more people were talking about it.

7. We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)

We Are Lady Parts has so many of the things I love in a show: complex female characters, girl power and friendships, London culture, punk rock music as well as a punk rock attitude, and important representation.

Muslim women of color are not only keenly represented but are the focal point of this riotously fun British sitcom. The characters are diverse in their personalities and the actors are adept at giving them depth which makes every interaction among them engaging.

We Are Lady Parts is yet another entry on this list that has a great soundtrack, and the original songs by the eponymous group Lady Parts immediately made it onto my regularly listened-to playlist.

There’s that fighting, rebellious, punk rock spirit in every note and lyric along with some cheeky humor and a whole lotta heart.

8. Succession (HBO)

As much as I hate capitalism and the extremely wealthy, Succession is a show that I just cannot get enough of.

It’s one of the most intense, modern-day Shakespearean dramas about truly terrible people ever to grace the small screen, and yet it is still very meme-able.

This is such a rare quality in a show because it’s so difficult to accomplish. It has to be culturally relevant and also well-produced to achieve this status, and Succession has done it handily. 

Status is something the rich and famous care about, after all. Status, money, and power are what fuel these characters, making it very entertaining to watch them backstab, double-deal, and betray each other to get it.

The cinematography is gorgeous, the Nicholas Britell score is appropriately opulent and devastating, and the acting is sublime. With its old school week-to-week format, Succession has become the updated version of a water-cooler show, getting the masses to discuss what’s happening with the Roy family and their media empire.

Even if it’s just about a boring shareholder’s meeting.

9. Big Sky (ABC)

Big Sky is the primetime soap thriller drama I didn’t know I was missing in my life.

But now that I know it, I don’t ever want it to end. Ranging from campy and melodramatic to moving and emotional, Big Sky never disappoints at being entertaining.

Shocking twists, cliffhangers, interesting villains, badass ladies, and a killer soundtrack make this crime procedural set in Montana a truly immersive watch.

It makes a real effort in representation with Jesse James Keitel as Jerrie Kennedy, a trans woman, and consultant in an official capacity for Season 2. This season also has a young queer ship between Max (Madelyn Kientz) and Harper (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson) that adds a dose of sweetness to the kids’ dangerous situation.

10. Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Even someone with a black heart like mine needs an optimistic feel-good show. This became clear to me when I watched the first season last year. I was sucked right in and Ted Lasso made it on my list of the Top New TV Shows of 2020.

The way Season 2 leans into darker subject matter makes me love it even more. The psychological aspect gives the light-hearted show so much depth, and yet it doesn’t lose its lightheartedness.

A fun and talented cast is able to bring the feels and the laughs, not to mention a light in the darkness. 

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What were your top TV shows of 2021? Let us know in the comments below!

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