When the history of television is written, 2019 will probably go down as ground zero in the final war that brought about the demise of its traditions.
While streaming has been part of our lives for several years now, it was the year that major players Disney+ and Apple TV+ entered the already crowded marketplace. The revolution, it seems, will not be televised but binged for a monthly subscription fee.
So, it’s probably no surprise that some of the most interesting shows were happening in the premium arena. Content is king, and original content is the difference between success and failure. Netflix bombarded us with more content that we knew how to find, with entire seasons appearing weekly amidst a sea of documentaries, films, and comedy specials. Disney+ landed with all the ceremony one would expect from the media giant, dominating with Baby Yoda and the promise of infinite Marvel.
Yet if Disney+ proved anything, it’s not just the future but the past that will be of keen interest to punters. Disney+ will see more original content going forward, but it was the presentation of The Simpsons or the chance to stream all of Rescue Rangers that filled social media conversations. 2020 will see a few more players enter the field based on this approach, including NBC’s Peacock. HBO Max, for example, will have original programming but will come backed with the power of WarnerMedia and its subsidiaries mighty back-catalogue, not to mention US streaming rights to South Park, Rick and Morty and all of Studio Ghibli’s films.
It’s amazing I found time to watch anything new this year, especially when cinema is increasingly occupying this space as well. Narrow distribution windows for Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story have caused us to question where TV begins and cinema ends. Of my favourite shows, almost all of them bring a cinematic eye to the ‘small’ screen and each continue to use serial content to propel a story beyond the confines of a traditional three-act structure.
The favourites
Watchmen (HBO)
Well this was unexpected. A decade after the film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal work, this series dropped completely shrouded in mystery. Which is how it stayed, even when we were half a dozen episodes into the first season. Ostensibly a sequel to the events of the comic, it picks up in a world where Adrian Veight’s plan has worked and the world turned their aggressions against the common foe of alien squid (who now rain down on the city with alarming regularity). Yet here it becomes as much of a spiritual reimagining of the original, updating Cold War tensions to the modern racial and class divides in America. One where Rorschach has inspired a white supremacist movement, cops wear masks, and vigilantes unofficially work with them. The show is gloriously weird, from the mirror masked heroes to the stylish use of titles and Trent Reznor’s score. All we want to know is: where did Laurie commission the making of that giant blue toy?
Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Just when we thought that All That Jazz was the definitive Bob Fosse biography, Broadway directors Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hanson) and Thomas Kail (In the Heights, Hamilton) bring us this amazing dance through the lives of choreographer/dancer Fosse (Sam Rockwell) and actress/dancer Gwen Verdon (Michelle Williams). The 8-part mini-series uses their creative and romantic relationship as the backbone for a story that flashes back and forward through the decades. Rockwell and Williams are sublime, transforming from wide-eyed and young to embittered and remorseful in what feels like a heartbeat. From the rehearsal scenes to recreations of Cabaret, Chicago and more, this treads the boards of magical realism as it explores the interiority of a power-play relationship, shining a light on toxic masculinity in the industry, trauma and recovery, and the business of show.
Russian Doll (Netflix)
Of all the time-loop media in 2019, and there has been a surprisingly large amount, Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler’s Netflix series was the most original. The plot is simplicity itself: Nadia (Lyonne) is stuck in a never-ending party where she keeps dying and resetting the day. Yet that barely describes the sheer insanity and brilliance of this show, one that showcases Lyonne’s phenomenal talents while actually making us want more. Indeed, with only eight 30 minute episodes, you just might binge the whole thing in a sitting. At least until you Gotta Get Up. (Now try and get that song out of your head).
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK (BBC)
Let’s face it: RuPaul doesn’t miss a chance to franchise and merchandise. If you miss a season of Drag Race, there’s an All-Stars, Christmas Special or club hit only weeks away. That’s a fact. Officially. Now there’s another international version to fill in the weeks not occupied by Drag Race: Thailand, The Switch Drag Race, or episodes of UNHhhh. Not only did the UK version of Drag Race bring us everything we love about the US version, but it brought us things we didn’t know we needed. Graham Norton and Alan Carr’s inclusion was a masterstroke. Our love affair with Baga Chipz continues. Bring on RuPaul’s Drag Race: Australia. Much Bett’a!
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
The first Star Wars live action series launched the Disney+ service with 10 million subscribers ready to check out the adventures of a bounty hunter but then quickly fell in love with a small alien creature we collectively named Baby Yoda and adopted as our own. Jon Favreau’s rōnin western in space recalls everything from Lone Wolf and Cub to The Magnificent Seven and does two amazing things: it reminds us that Star Wars is for all ages while managing to maintain a legitimately mature and engaging story. Now around the Baby Yoda a perimeter create. Defend him we must. He is the Internet’s own child.
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
The second spin-off from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows (following Wellington Paranormal), the series is a logical extension of the film’s premise. A group of vampires who were once intent on taking over America have settled on being housemates and controlling a very small corner of Staten Island. Anything with Matt Berry is gold, especially if it fills the Toast of London sized hole we have in our lives, but Kayvan Novak and Natasia Demetriou are brilliant as self-important vampires who are clueless as to their lack of importance. Tilda Swinton, Evan Rachel Wood, Danny Trejo, Paul Reubens and Wesley Snipes cameoing as vampire versions of themselves is hilarious, mostly because we already know that Swinton is actually an alien sent to Earth to teach us. Bat!
Euphoria (HBO)
Based on the Israeli mini-series of the same name, Sam Levinson’s exploration of teen sexuality and drug use is unflinching in its portrayal of the many anxieties plaguing young people. Zendaya is excellent in leading a strong cast across storylines that some might argue are exploitative, while others would say that they are sex positive and real. As one parent group put it, there’s an episode that contains “close to 30 penises [flashing] onscreen.” There’s no point there, just thought it was an interesting fact. Here’s a show that frankly deals with toxic masculinity, rape culture, drug use and social expectation – and that’s just the first episode.
Crisis on Infinite Earths (CW)
Ok, this is technically not a new show in the same vein as the previous entries on this list but it is unquestionably one of the biggest TV events of the year – and it’s only halfway done. The Avengers: Endgame of free-to-air television network crossovers, it’s the culmination of world-building that began with Arrow in 2012 – and subsequently spawned The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning and this year’s Batwoman – it’s as much a celebration of all things DC Comics as it is a fond farewell to the show that started it all. (As some of you may know, I have a slight affinity to all things Green Arrow). With cameos from Batman ’66, Smallville, The Flash (1990), Lucifer, Titans, Birds of Prey, Batman: The Animated Series’ Kevin Conroy and Brandon Routh’s Superman (so far), what it lacks in budget it makes up for in sheer fan service and ambition.
Chernobyl (HBO)
Over 33 years after the events that inspired it, Craig Mazin (The Hangover: Part III) created an Emmy Award-winning miniseries around the most notorious nuclear accident of our time. While it takes some dramatic liberties over the course of five episodes, cast members like Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson guide us through the bleak and businesslike depiction of the unfolding events is reminiscent of the 1979 film The China Syndrome, while offering an aesthetic that is more commonly seen in apocalyptic epics.
The best of the rest
It was one of those years where I watched a lot of background television. From maker space shows to an endless variety of Christmas movies, our household baked-off, nailed it, and flipped it. Yet a few new and returning favourites stood out when we weren’t being wowed by the list above.
Game of Thrones (HBO) divided fans spectacularly, but spectacular is arguably the only way to describe the eighth and final season of this epic show. While I personally thought the ending was perfect, be sure to look out for that fan edit where you take the Iron Throne. Speaking of closure, perennial favourite The Good Place (NBC) drew close to the end, offering some surprisingly emotional turns on the way.
Batwoman (CW) had a shaky start but soon drew me in with its compelling mystery and sheer insanity of Rachel Skarsten’s insane turn as Alice/Beth. Then there was the divine majesty of Pose (FX) in its second year, continuing to showcase one of the most talented casts on television. Castle Rock (Hulu) came back with a deep dive into Stephen King lore, something I’ve been known to dabble in.
Estranged sister shows Star Trek: Discovery and The Orville both found their feet in their second seasons, both paying tribute to the shows that inspired them and paving the way for the future of televised sci-fi.
2020 and beyond
The new TV landscape has ensured that there will be a large variety of content we’ll probably be writing about this time next year. Our favourite captain returns in Star Trek Picard (CBS) in January, and I cannot wait. There’s more Stephen King than we can poke a stick at with adaptations of The Outsider (HBO) and The Stand (CBS All Access) coming next year. Marvel brings the heroes home with a massive slate including The Falcon and Winter Soldier (Disney+) spinning off MCU characters onto the smaller screens.
Meanwhile, Josh Friedman is developing a Snowpiercer (TNT) series based on both Bon Joon-ho’s film and the 1982 comic. The Fleabag team of Vicky Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge deliver a new comedy thriller series called Run (HBO). Then there’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (Comedy Central) coming right at us in January, and everything we need to know is right there in the title.
