The Best Shows of 2020 (So Far)

2020 has been a crazy year and one of the best ways to lose yourself from all its stresses is a good ol’ binge-worthy TV show. Production may have come to a halt for many movies and shows, but this year has still seen some of the best television to come out in years. Here is my list of the top TV shows to come out in 2020 (in no particular order): Lovecraft Country How do you explore a highly-influential but racist horror-writers’ ideas on screen in 2020? You make Lovecraft Country, a fantastic HBO show that is part social commentary and part supernatural drama. Although it is based on the novel of the same name by Matt Green, the show and novel bring to life concepts which controversial writer HP Lovecraft had written a century ago. There are monsters, cults and the supernatural - but often the most dangerous thing our protagonists face is the racist violence of 1950’s America. Tiger King You’d be hard-pressed to have not seen the whirl-wind of social media attention that Netflix’s Tiger King received. A documentary series that plays like a bonkers hill-billy soap opera, you won’t believe that what you’re seeing is actually real. There’s murder, rivalry, madness and the most out of this world characters set to screen. Tiger King is the definition of binge-worthy. The Haunting of Bly Manor Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House was a masterpiece of terror and family drama - which meant that his follow-up series The Haunting of Bly Manor had an almost impossible level of expectation by fans. Does it hold up? It depends on what you’re hoping for. Based on the works of Henry James, The Haunting of Bly Manor serves as a powerful and highly emotional gothic love-story that chooses to explore the tragic relationships of its characters over big scares. Some fans will be disappointed in this but, if you go in with an open mind - you may truly love Flanagan’s latest series. The Umbrella Academy (Season 2) Based on the comic book series by Gerard Way, The Umbrella Academy is how you adapt a comic-book right. In this second season, the dysfunctional siblings of The Umbrella Academy are sent back in time to 1960’s America, only to find out that they have to stop the Apocalypse again. What makes this show continue to be special isn’t its spectacle, but the hilarious yet grounded relationships between each sibling. Unorthodox In this stunning Netflix drama, Etsy, a 19-year old Jewish woman escapes her unhappy marriage to Berlin where her estranged mother lives. Based on Deborah Feldman’s autobiography, this mini-series is drama at its best. Honourable mentions: 1. Schitt’s Creek (Season 6) 2. I May Destroy You 3. The Boys (Season 2) 4. West World (Season 3) 5. Dead to Me (Season 2) 6. Better Call Saul (Season 5) 7. The Vow The Queen’s Gambit Ratched Ozark (Season 3) Did your favourite shows make the list? What would add?