Well, 2020… we’ve had better years as a species, right? However, that’s not television’s fault, and the last several months have featured some very welcome episodic distractions, courtesy of Netflix.
The best shows we saw since the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve featured sexy vampires, sexy reality show strangers, and some very sexy food. They also, though, offered up moving portraits of humanity, raised important issues about race, class, and religion, and did their best to answer some of life’s most important existential questions.
Into the Nightkept us on the edge of our seats.Tiger Kingmade our jaws drop.The Chef Showmade us hungry. AndBoJack Horsemanmade us cry. Whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic about the future, at least we know there’s plenty to watch while staying safe at home.
Check out our picks for the best Netflix Originals of 2020 below, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, be sure to head over to theBest Movies on Netflixand theBest TV Shows on Netflix.
24) Middleditch and Schwartz
Look, do you like improv comedy? Do you likeThomas Middleditch? Do you likeBen Schwartz? The answer to at least one of those questionshad better be yes, in which case you may hardly go wrong in sitting down with these three specials, featuring the two friends doing long-form improv together. At the very least, it’s a nostalgic reminder of a time when we weren’t afraid to get in a big room and laugh with strangers, and at its bestMiddleditch and Schwartzdoes a fine job of showcasing the talents of two top-tier comedy stars, working in a format that truly lets them stretch. -Liz Shannon Miller
You will not find a pair of actors better suited to be together on TV thanChristina ApplegateandLinda Cardellinion Netflix’sDead to Me. (Ok fine, there’s a strong argument to be made forBob OdenkirkandRhea SeehornonBetter Call Saul.) Point is, Applegate and Cardellini are one of the most compelling and impeccably performed duos on television, and even whenDead to Me’s second season treads familiar water with less confident footing, they are never less than riveting to watch together. And, cherry on top, they’re often accompanied by the inexhaustibly delightfulJames Marsden. Season 2 feels more indulgently soapy and less intentional with the shades of grey in its morality, but it’s also often funnier, with the actors fully settled into their ever-uneasy characters. –Haleigh Foutch
22) #blackAF
Kenya Barris' Netflix series comes off as a Black version ofCurb Your Enthusiasmcrossed with a traditional family sitcom, but presented in documentary form a laThe Office.That’s a good thing, because guess what?It really works. The award-winning creator of ABC’sblack-ishplays a fictional version of himself in#blackAFand wisely surrounds himself with a talented ensemble led byRashida Jones, who plays his wife Joya. They may not be the best parents, but they’re a lot of fun together as a couple. Jones in particular delivers an Emmy-worthy performance in this series, and newcomerIman Bensonestablishes herself as a young actress to watch as Kenya and Joya’s second-eldest daughter, Drea.Gil Ozeriis another frequent scene-stealer as Kenya’s schlubby white assistant.
However, it’s Barris' writers' room where#blackAFtruly shines, as it allows him to explore uncomfortable truths about Hollywood and introduce several ideas about today’s racial climate, of which the show has no shortage of thoughts, as evidenced by episode titles such as “Because of Slavery,” “Because of Slavery Too,” and “Hard to Believe, but Still Because of Slavery.” There may be some heavy-handed elements of#blackAFthat don’t work for some people, but I thought it did a great job walking a very fine line as a “family” show. Barris has never shied away from tough subjects, and this series allows everyone to both laugh and learn about race in an entertaining way. Don’t sleep on #blackAF, because it just may surprise you. -Jeff Sneider
21) Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous
If you want to have a rawr-ing good time with the whole family,Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceousdelivers the goods. Set during the events of the firstJurassic Worldfilm,Camp Cretaceousfollows a group of teens visiting a youth-oriented camp on the other side of the park who have to fend for themselves after the Indominous Rex starts wreaking havoc. The animated series strikes an impressive balance between its family-friendly elements and creature feature set-pieces that get your blood pumping, regardless of age. If you’ve ever imagined what you might have done had you been there for one of the Jurassic movies,Camp Cretaceousthe perfect “what if” story to scratch that itch, grounded in characters you actually care about, with hints of that classic Spielbergian awe around every corner. –Haleigh Foutch
20) Ugly Delicious
David Changwas already a juggernaut chef and restauranteur before he became a Netflix star with his cooking showsUgly DeliciousandBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner. But he really leveled up with the second season ofUgly Delicious, which became both more intimate and universal while still being one of the most educational and inclusive food shows on TV. Chang hosts the series, investigating a new culture of food with each episode, merging travel and cooking TV in the fashion of Anthony Bourdain and delivering emotionally-fueled, story-driven insight to the history of the foods we love most. –Haleigh Foutch
19) Julie & the Phantoms
You don’t get many shows meant for a younger audience that take on the idea of life after death so literally, but thanks to some bad hot dogs, the ill-fated boys of a ’90s rock band became central to this surprisingly charming and fun musical romp. Featuring a true breakout star inMadison Reyes, the titular Julie ofJulie and the Phantoms' passion for music underlies nearly every aspect of the series, thanks to cunning direction by the legendaryKenny Ortega— and the songs aregood, especially as performed by cast members Charlie Gillespie, Owen Patrick Joyner, and Jeremy Shada. Throw in Cheyenne Jackson as a demonic figure (who also knows how to softshoe) and you come up with a pretty addictive series that even adults should check out. -Liz Shannon Miller
18) Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
First and foremost, yes there are significant ethical concerns with the Netflix docuseriesTiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. The entire concept of private zoos is backwards, I feel, andJoe Exoticis less a kooky character and more a genuinely dangerous and bad person. But it cannot be denied thatTiger Kingtook the nation by storm, and there’s something tremendously watchable about how this series was put together. Each episode offers a new twist in the saga of Joe Exotic, and each twist is more insane than the last. It’s up to you to decide how you feel about it when all is said and done, but in terms of pop-culture markers in 2020,Tiger King’s impact is undeniable. -Adam Chitwood
17) Big Mouth (Season 4)
With each season, the characters ofBig Mouthget a little older, and like them it feels like the show itself is growing up, maturing and deepening its storytelling. Season 4 found the core group of tweens confronting not just their ongoing development into adults but the psychological issues that haunt us all, especially anxiety as embodied by the tremulous tones of always-brilliantMaria Bamford. From continuing to explore complicated questions of sexuality and family through a number of prisms, to gracefully handlingthe recasting of Missy, to giving us a peek into a terrifying future apocalypse that didn’t feel totally impossible, this was another great season of a show that feels like it could last forever. -Liz Shannon Miller
16) Too Hot to Handle
Look, are there more sophisticated programming options available on Netflix? Absolutely. But there was something glorious about Netflix taking 10 drunk hot horndogs, dumping them in an exotic location, and then telling them they werenotallowed to hook up. WhileToo Hot to Handle’s justification for this twist — that all of these nice attractive young people have relationship issues they should explore before leaping to pleasures of the flesh — is well-meaning, the wry commentary from unseen narratorDesiree Burchmakes it clear to viewers that the show knows exactly what kind of show it is. Whether or not people are actually able to find “true love” in such an artificial setting is an unanswerable question. But we sure enjoyed watching them struggle with that, as well as their own hormones. -Liz Shannon Miller
15) Never Have I Ever
I, frankly, simply was not prepared forNever Have I Ever. Netflix makes a lot of teen content, some of it excellent (see:To All the Boys I’ve Loved BeforeandThe Half of It) and much of it not-so-excellent (see: well, there’s no need to be nasty, buta lot of it,) so I wasn’t expecting to swoon, laugh, and cry – often all at once – overMindy KalinandLang Fisher’sNever Have I Ever. But that’s exactly what I did in a collective swoon/laugh/cry with the rest of the internet as we fell for Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), her family, friends, and Netflix’s boyfriend of the year, Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet). Bouncing between laugh-out-loud funny ensemble comedy, cringe-worthy and way too relatable coming-of-age awkwardness, and genuinely touching family drama,Never Have I Everis a special one and if you missed the first wave of buzz, be sure you add it to your watchlist ASAP. –Haleigh Foutch
