My favourite tv shows: 2021
This year brought a lot of screen time and these were the shows that I enjoyed the most. Not necessarily brand new this year, but certainly the ones that grabbed my attention
Ted Lasso It is genuinely as good as everyone says. Broad and silly at times, but delivered with such heart and humour. Impossible not to enjoy, even if football is not your cup of tea. Career best work from Jason Sudeikis, with outstanding performances from Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein [Apple TV]
Ozark: A show that gets better and better with each season.A dark and demented story of money laundering, drug cartels and family drama. Knockout performances from Laura Linney and Julia Garner, and a brilliant performance from Jason Bateman like you’ve never seen him. Bateman’s creative fingerprints are all over the show as Director and Producer too. Top drawer viewing [Netflix]
Money Heist (La Casa de Papel): Clever, cerebral and compelling Spanish language heist series. Terrific characters, well plotted and nicely delivered. Not too much to it. Loses it’s way a bit in season 3 with curious character choices and turns into a bit of a mad action movie, but finds its feet again by the end. The hype is real. Worth watching. [Netflix]
The Mandalorian: A pulpy, enjoyable slice of Star Wars. Incredible production values with a whopper cast, including the legendary Werner Herzog. Some episodes are a little bit “adventure of the week” in nature, but the throughline is great and it is super entertaining. If you’re a casual Star Wars fan like me, you will definitely love it. [Disney+]
Tiger: Despite being only a casual golf fan, this documentary about Tiger Woods is a compelling look at an intriguing athlete, with a complicated past. A remarkable story told very well. Very watchable and utterly fascinating [Sky / HBO]