The Best TV Shows Of 2021

It was an amazing year for television, which is why the list of best TV shows of 2021 is more diverse than usual. It wasn’t just about the big drama or the flashy new series, though there were a few of those that made the cut of several best of year lists, but 2021 saw the return of multiple long-delayed releases as well as the introduction of new major shows — and franchises.

One of the biggest introductions into the medium was MCU-based TV shows from Marvel Studios. There have been Marvel TV shows before, but it wasn’t until January 2021 that the company’s film division debuted its first series with WandaVision. And since then, there have been four additional shows with more on the way. Each series permeated pop culture while they were on the air, but none quite as much as Squid Game, which perhaps took The Mandalorian‘s place in 2021.

On top of all that, streaming continued to dominate throughout the year, with cable and network TV shows maintaining their popularity quite well. But as more and more people began to leave their homes thanks to vaccines and other safety measures, viewership numbers began to level out compared to how high they went in 2020. Still, that doesn’t mean quality went down, seeing as several amazing shows aired this year. Unfortunately, there were too many, so some of Screen Rant’s favorites didn’t make the cut.

Honorable mentions: For All Mankind, Succession, The White Lotus, Attack on Titan, WandaVision, and Help.

10. Ted Lasso

Good comfort TV is tough to come by when there’s an ocean of mysteries and dramas — real, fantasy, and sci-fi — out there; Ted Lasso not only manages to deliver quality television but truly excels at it. The concept of an American soccer coach moving to the UK to oversee a football league seems far-fetched, and for many people in the series, it really is, but Ted Lasso is too lovable to hate — the show is, too. But beyond the superficial feel-good factor, there’s a level of complexity buried in the series that comes out in more ways than one in season 2, particularly involving Ted’s repressed trauma. It’s the type of series that viewers will start and think they’ll just check out one episode, only to find themselves hitting the play button on episode 6 in one sitting.

9. The Great British Bake Off

No one has watched The Great British Bake Off and hated it, but sometimes there are lineups, weekly choices, and seasons in general that could leave viewers wanting more; this season wasn’t one of them. Everyone gave it their all and each week was just as interesting as the previous one, with so many bakers rising and fall through the ranks. The journey and passion of everyone from Giuseppe to Crystelle to George were spectacular. When Lizzie finally delivered that finesse the judges were looking for, it was perfect, but perhaps not enough at the time. Even to see Chigs, a true pandemic-era baker, go from delivering middling dishes to making it to the final was worth it alone, because he desperately wanted to learn and be better — and he did. It all culminated into a final in which each baker deserved to win. And it was a year with a history-making winner and one with quite a few surprises, such as three people in the semifinal getting handshakes in a row!

8. The Expanse

It’s rare for a series to get better and better with each season, but The Expanse does it with ease. It’s strange to believe the story all started with the Canterbury and now it’s a galaxy-spanning drama with people on new worlds and an entire solar system at war… again. Though the Rocinante has been at the center of it all the whole time, there’s so much in The Expanse that allows each character to shine, even in small moments. Overall, it’s a classic science fiction show with energetic politics, mystery, and action, the latter of which The Expanse excels at because it’s a mixture of scenes from inside the ships (namely on the command deck) and outside in space, with brilliant music attached to it all. Most viewers are sad to see the show come to an end with season 6 when there’s still so much more to tell, but thankfully, it’s a final season that ends spectacularly.

7. Squid Game

Could there be a bigger show in 2021 than Squid Game? Perhaps not — and the series deserves every bit of recognition it’s received. Its simple yet effective premise is permeated by mystery and questions that linger far beyond the end of the season, which is why it’s great that Squid Game season 2 is happening. The thing is, most of the time, it can be difficult to have a production work on virtually every level, with each character and side story building upon one another until climactic ending brings them all together, but Squid Game does it exquisitely. It’s not just about Gi-hun or the Old Man, or any of the contestants, for that matter; even the Front Man has his own unique story that unfolds dramatically, but it’s the sum of everything that makes Squid Game stand out — not to mention that the games themselves are quite gripping.

6. Mare of Easttown

Such a strange concept of having Kate Winslet imitate a Delco accent in a crime drama, but that barely scratches the surface of what Mare of Easttown is. In most shows and movies that involve a story like this one, the mystery behind the crime is only half of the equation, with the enigmatic leading character (or detective) making up the other half. Unfortunately, one or both of those things tend to fall by the wayside by the time the credits roll, but in the case of Mare of Easttown, they both take off without a hitch. This series keeps viewers engaged with its investigation all throughout, but where it shines is in its character work. People will wonder about who killed Erin and feel the payoff in the end, but seeing the performances turned in by Winslet and Jean Smart, among others, is more than worth the watch alone.

5. Foundation

Regardless of its accuracy to the source material (which can and should remain important in the grand scheme of things), the Foundation show itself is masterfully crafted. Its execution of both micro and macro storytelling, spanning multiple time jumps that connects several characters together, is astounding. Foundation is what science fiction TV shows need to be in the 21st century, particularly as the 2020s get underway. Its concepts are intriguing, visuals awe-inspiring, and acting superb. Every episode takes a new route, and many times you won’t know where the story is going, but in the end, it all plays a part in the overarching narrative and makes every moment and choice worth it. Some elements didn’t hit as strong as they could’ve, and it would’ve been nice to see some of the stories on Terminus unfold; however, everything that happened was needed to push the narrative forward. Nowadays, it’s easy to see most twists coming, and the payoffs aren’t nearly as strong as writers and producers hope, but Foundation‘s twists are all properly shocking — in good ways — and have the impacts needed.

4. Sex Education

Otis and Maeve’s will-they-won’t-they conundrum comes to an end in dramatic fashion in Sex Education season 3, but not without first building a crescendo of all sorts of turmoil. From the beginning, Sex Education hasn’t been what audiences would’ve expected; though it starts off as a cacophony of teenage stereotypes, the show quickly evolves into something greater, a harmony of individualism that sees even the most unbearable characters become stories of tragedies with time. Sex Education season 3 takes everything that made the first two seasons special and dials them up to 11. Of course, it all boils down to sex, but how the series handles its subject matter — the sex lives of teenagers — is quite progressive and, in the end, could be a better form of sex education that many people will find in more official places.

3. Only Murders In The Building

Who was, and who killed, Tim Kono? Does it matter, or does the adventure involving a trio of residents at the Arconia matter more? The death of Tim Kono spurred a murder mystery inside in an apartment building in New York City, and three of its residents, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel, went on quite a journey to uncover the truth behind the crime, but what made the series special is how that story unfolded. Only Murders in the Building is fun, wacky, captivating, and at times, wildly hilarious. While each episode includes new details about the killer’s identity, the one element that keeps audiences engaged from beginning to end is the relationship between the main characters. Steve Martin and Martin Short expertly capitalize on their comedy duo background and Selena Gomez as the mysterious millennial perfectly plays off of them. But everyone delivers great performances and the revolving door of cameos keeps things interesting all the way through.

2. It’s A Sin

The last thing people want in a pandemic is to be reminded of an epidemic that happened years before, but It’s a Sin is mandatory viewing in 2021 and there’s so much more that dwells underneath its surface than being just about the AIDS crisis. But if it was only about AIDS, it would still be a perfect series. It’s a Sin is a triumph of human expression, particularly of the youth. Everyone’s wanted to strike out on their own and live the life they’ve always dreamed; the main characters of It’s a Sin do just that, but it’s not all about hope and freedom as the show is plagued by the inhumanity that surrounded the crisis to begin with. In the end, It’s a Sin reminds viewers of just how dangerous it is to underestimate a disease, and how communities and governments around the world failed the LGBTQ+ community in the 1980s. The series is a harrowing one, there’s no doubt about that, but viewers would be remiss not to give the show a shot, because it’s one that will stick with you for a long time.

1. Arcane

Arcane is the best TV show of 2021. Unfortunately, the show’s biggest turn off for would-be viewers is that it’s an animated adaptation of League of Legends, a video game series with expansive lore but also has a bad rap of being a money pit for players. Not watching Arcane because of that, or because it’s an animated show in general, would be a mistake. On the surface, Arcane‘s visuals represent the biggest leap in animation since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and showcases a new level of what storytelling can be in the medium. Its world-building, which includes factions and magic, begins with an invention that ignites a revolution, but ultimately hinges on the tenuous relationship between two sisters. The first season is broken up into three arcs, and after watching the first one, audiences will find themselves thinking, “How can this can get any better?” Not only is the second act bigger and better, but the third act delivers an equally exhilarating experience that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats to the very end.

About The Author

Mansoor Mithaiwala
(1888 Articles Published)

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Mansoor Mithaiwala is Screen Rant’s TV Lead Editor. He originally joined the site as a freelance writer on the Lists team before moving over to News and Features, eventually becoming an editor in 2018. Over time he’s done quite a few different things, including helping launch gaming on the site, often handling news, features, and guides simultaneously. Now he sticks primarily to movies and TV, and spends way too much time looking at analytics. It sure seems like he’s put his Political Science degree to good use, huh?

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