TOP TEN: Favorite Shows of 2020

Even with most productions shutting down for COVID-19, in 2020, there was still plenty to watch on TV, either by broadcast TV, cable, streaming or online. For me, it was mostly what is coming out via the streaming services, like Netflix, CBS AllAccess and Disney+.

I will not rank my favorite shows of the year. Those at the top of my list can be interchanged, depending on my mood and change frequently.

THE MANDALORIAN (Season 2 - Disney+):
Season two was so satisfying to watch. It was better than season one, which in itself, was amazing. There were quite a few character introduced that were originally in the previous animated series, but for me, these were all new characters. They were perfectly cast and well executed. I can't wait until this time next year for season three, and (spoilers) the BOBA FETT series coming out at the same time.

STAR TREK DISCOVERY (Season 3 - CBS All Access):
Season three has not disappointed at all. The jump to the 32nd century has been a great vehicle for new stories and adventures. The locations the series got to film from have been amazing. No more cheesy "outdoor" studio sets as from the past. My only concern/complaint is that there are starting to be too many regular characters, with most being underserved or squeezed in to get a fraction of time needed. 

THE CROWN (Season 4 - Netflix):
the latest installment of the series hit Netflix this past fall and the wife and I consumed it within two days. There was a little too much focus on the Princess Di story lines, but the drama was still very good, with the best actors portraying the royal family, during the 1980s.

INTERROGATION (Season 1 - CBS All Access):
I bet most people have never even heard of this anthology series. Well, let me fill you in. The plot is the investigation of a son who was convicted of murdering his mother. The story plays out over 30 years. You can watch the episodes in any order, except you need to watch episode 1, first, and episode 10, last. The series was well cast, acted, written and executed. It is sad this will be the only season for the series.

STILL GAME (9 Seasons - BBC Scotland/Netflix):
I discovered this gem of of a comedy in the recommended section of Netflix. A little comedy out of Scotland about pensioners in the small community of Craiglang. The first five seasons originally aired from 2002-07, then four more seasons aired from 2016-19. The final season begins airing on Netflix Dec. 30, 2020. Do yourself a favor and try this import. You may have to turn on closed captioning as some of the accents are pretty strong. 

TURN: WASHINGTONS SPIES (Four Seasons - AMC):
Decided to do a rewatch of this great historical drama about the spy ring during the American Revolutionary War. It has been very rewarding experience. I have enjoyed this series more than now than most of the other new series that have premiered this year. I am about half way through the series and hope to finish it up during the holiday break.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS (Season 1 - CBS All-Access):
STAR TREK returns to animation, with this comedic look at the lowest ranking officers of a "second class" starship. The animation style is really good and the easter eggs/references to the Star trek universe are coming at you at warp 8. This was feeling like just "another series" but when you get to the last 3-4 episodes of the season, the series flipped to must watch series. Personally, I like this better than the other, more hyped STAR TREK premiere series of 2020, STAR TREK PICARD.

STAR TREK PICARD (Season 1 - CBS All Access):
This series started out so amazing and had the potential to be the best Star trek series yet. But the writing began to fail and the rules/canon began to not matter. This did not feel like what Star Trek was envisioned to be, by Gene Roddenberry. The romance plot was almost as bad as what we got from Star Wars, between Anakin and Padme. The Borg were to be a major plot of the story, but little is really done with them. Hopefully season two can learn from the mistakes of season one and get this series back on track.

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD (Season 6 - AMC):
Although we only got 7 episodes this year, the series appears to be back on track. Most of the episodes focused on one story line at a time, limiting the amount of screen time be each individual character. But we also don't get too much of an overload of any character. The only down side may be the killing off of the bounty hunter in episode one. He could have been an interesting villain, instead of a supporting character for one episode.

BE OUR CHEF (Season 1 - Disney+):
Another cooking competition series, but what we liked about this show was it was family focused. Four members from a family compete in a round robin competition with the two best teams squaring off in the final episode. The series is hosted by THE OFFICE's Angela Kinsey and incorporates Disney characters in each episode.

Honorable Mentions:

THE WALKING DEAD (AMC) - Above average season, but the WHISPERERS got old, quick.

AWAY (Netflix) - This sci-fi drama telling of the first mission to Mars has potential, but felt off from the beginning with too much ficus on the daughter on earth and some unrealistic stories, characters and plot points, for the crew on the mission, in space. Netflix cancelled the series after one season.

SPACE FORCE (Netflix) - Not a bad comedy. Steve Carell is good and there are some good characters. But there was too many flat jokes and too much focus on some characters that didn't do much for the overall story. The best scenes were that of the Joint Chiefs, which featured Noah Emmerich (Air Force), Jane Lynch (Navy), Diedrich Bader (Army), Patrick Warburton (Marines), and Larry Joe Campbell (Coast Guard)