Best TV Shows of the 2020s (So Far)

The 2020s have delivered a flood of standout television across genres, languages, and platforms, with streamers and broadcasters commissioning ambitious dramas, inventive comedies, eye-popping animation, and true-story limited series. The decade has also seen familiar franchises reimagined, video games translated for the screen with care, and international hits turning local stories into global conversation starters.

Below is a curated list of fifty shows that defined the decade’s TV so far. For each one, you’ll find practical details—creators, key cast, premise, format, and where it first appeared—so you can decide what to watch next and how each series fits into the broader landscape.

‘Shōgun’ (2024)

Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks and based on James Clavell’s novel, ‘Shōgun’ follows English navigator John Blackthorne’s entanglement in Japanese power struggles during the early Edo period. The series stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, and Anna Sawai, and it premiered on FX in the U.S. with next-day streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in various regions.
The production used bilingual scripts, extensive historical consulting, and large-scale sets to depict feudal politics, samurai culture, and court intrigue. It’s a limited series format with a contained arc, making it a concise entry point into prestige historical drama.

‘The Last of Us’ (2023)

Developed by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann from the PlayStation franchise, ‘The Last of Us’ centers on Joel and Ellie’s cross-country journey in the aftermath of a fungal pandemic. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey lead the cast, with production from HBO and filming across multiple Canadian locations.
The show blends creature horror with character-driven storytelling, using practical effects and large-scale sets alongside VFX. Season one adapts the first game’s storyline, and the series format includes hour-long episodes released weekly on HBO and Max.

‘Severance’ (2022)

‘Severance’ is a workplace sci-fi thriller created by Dan Erickson and directed in part by Ben Stiller, following employees whose memories are surgically split between work and home. Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, and John Turturro headline the Apple TV+ series.
The show’s production design—sterile offices, retro-futurist tech, and precise color palettes—supports a mystery that unfolds across serialized episodes. Apple TV+ distributes it globally, and the series uses a continuing narrative with cliffhangers and ensemble arcs.

‘Andor’ (2022)

Created by Tony Gilroy, ‘Andor’ traces Cassian Andor’s path from drifter to key figure in the early Rebel movement within the ‘Star Wars’ universe. Diego Luna stars alongside Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, and Fiona Shaw, with release on Disney+.
The series favors on-location shooting and large practical sets over volume stages, emphasizing espionage structures, cell-based resistance, and imperial bureaucracy. It’s planned as a two-season arc, each with multi-episode story blocks directed by rotating teams.

‘The Bear’ (2022)

‘The Bear’ follows fine-dining chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto as he tries to stabilize and transform his family’s sandwich shop in Chicago. Created by Christopher Storer, the series stars Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach and streams on Hulu and Disney+ internationally.
Episodes mix kitchen-drama intensity with culinary procedure, often employing single-location shoots, long takes, and needle-drop soundtracks. The show uses half-hour episodes in a serialized format with evolving staffing, finances, and menu development as ongoing plot engines.

‘Squid Game’ (2021)

Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix, ‘Squid Game’ follows cash-strapped contestants who enter children’s games with lethal stakes. The ensemble cast includes Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, and Wi Ha-joon, and the series became a global streaming phenomenon.
It blends survival-thriller structure with class-drama themes, using brightly designed game arenas, masked administrators, and episodic elimination rounds. The show is produced in Korean with extensive dubbing and subtitles available across regions.

‘Arcane’ (2021)

‘Arcane’ is an animated series from Riot Games and Fortiche for Netflix, expanding the ‘League of Legends’ universe by exploring the origins of sisters Vi and Jinx. Voices include Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, and Katie Leung.
The show features hybrid 2D/3D animation, painterly textures, and action choreography keyed to character arcs. Episodes are grouped in acts, and the soundtrack integrates original songs and in-world motifs tied to the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun.

‘House of the Dragon’ (2022)

Based on George R. R. Martin’s ‘Fire & Blood’, ‘House of the Dragon’ charts the Targaryen dynasty’s internal conflicts leading to a civil war. Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, and Olivia Cooke star, with HBO distributing and Max streaming.
The series uses a multi-timeline structure with time jumps, detailed dragon VFX pipelines, and court-drama scripting. Production spans studio builds and international locations, and the show employs ensemble storytelling with shifting points of view.

‘The White Lotus’ (2021)

Created by Mike White for HBO, ‘The White Lotus’ is an anthology set at luxury resorts, each season following guests and staff across a single high-end property. Casts rotate by season, with Alexandra Daddario, Jennifer Coolidge, Aubrey Plaza, and Michael Imperioli among notable leads.
Each season uses a closed-circle mystery device, location-specific music, and satirical social dynamics anchored by the hotel’s operations. The format is season-long, self-contained stories connected by the resort brand and recurring characters.

‘Station Eleven’ (2021)

Developed by Patrick Somerville from Emily St. John Mandel’s novel, ‘Station Eleven’ follows a traveling theater troupe and intertwined survivors after a global pandemic. Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, and Matilda Lawler star, with distribution on HBO Max.
The series shifts between timelines and locations, using theatrical motifs, a recurring graphic novel, and cross-cut narratives. It’s a limited series with a complete adaptation arc, balancing survival logistics, performance, and found-family structures.

‘Reservation Dogs’ (2021)

Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, ‘Reservation Dogs’ follows a group of Native American teens navigating life and loss in rural Oklahoma. The cast includes Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Paulina Alexis, and Lane Factor, and it streams on FX on Hulu and Disney+ in many regions.
The production centers Indigenous writers, directors, and crew, with on-location shooting and community collaboration. Episodes blend coming-of-age plots with culturally specific humor and intergenerational storytelling.

‘Hacks’ (2021)

‘Hacks’ pairs veteran comedian Deborah Vance with a young writer, Ava, as they rework a Las Vegas act. Created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, the series stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder and streams on HBO Max and international partners.
Episodes track new material development, tour logistics, and industry gatekeeping, using writers’ room dynamics and performance set pieces. The format combines serialized character arcs with self-contained club and venue sequences.

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)

Based on Walter Tevis’s novel, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ follows chess prodigy Beth Harmon’s rise through competitive circuits. Anya Taylor-Joy leads the cast, with Netflix producing and releasing the limited series.
The show details tournament structures, opening repertoires, and endgame studies, using expert consultants to stage believable matches. It’s a closed-ended story with period production design, travel sequences, and training montages tied to specific events.

‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)

Created by Brad Ingelsby for HBO, ‘Mare of Easttown’ is a crime drama about a small-town detective investigating a local murder while handling family and community pressures. Kate Winslet stars alongside Jean Smart, Evan Peters, and Julianne Nicholson.
The limited series uses procedural beats—evidence handling, interviews, and multi-suspect threads—woven with character backstory. Production leans on location photography and a contained run of episodes to deliver a complete case.

‘Pachinko’ (2022)

Developed by Soo Hugh from Min Jin Lee’s novel, ‘Pachinko’ spans generations of a Korean family across Korea, Japan, and the U.S. The ensemble includes Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Min-ha, and Lee Min-ho, with Apple TV+ distributing.
The show uses multiple languages, intercut timelines, and location shooting to follow migration, entrepreneurship, and family ties. Its season structure covers distinct life chapters, with careful attention to cultural detail and production design.

‘Slow Horses’ (2022)

Based on Mick Herron’s novels, ‘Slow Horses’ follows MI5 misfits relegated to Slough House after career-derailing mistakes. Gary Oldman leads with Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, and Saskia Reeves, released via Apple TV+.
The spy series emphasizes surveillance tradecraft, office politics, and cover-up mechanics, blending case-of-the-season arcs with an ongoing conspiracy. London location work and character-driven set pieces anchor each run of six episodes.

‘Bad Sisters’ (2022)

From creator Sharon Horgan, ‘Bad Sisters’ adapts the Belgian series ‘Clan’ into a Dublin-set darkly comic thriller about siblings suspected of plotting against a toxic brother-in-law. The cast features Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, and Eve Hewson on Apple TV+.
It intercuts an insurance investigation with family flashbacks, using coastal locations and ensemble staging. The limited run balances case progress with legal and familial stakes, culminating in a resolved mystery.

‘Baby Reindeer’ (2024)

Created by Richard Gadd, ‘Baby Reindeer’ dramatizes a comedian’s account of being stalked and the ripple effects across work and relationships. Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning star, with Netflix distributing the limited series.
The show presents legal processes, police reporting, and digital harassment patterns, using a tightly focused perspective. Episodes run under an hour and build a complete narrative without extending beyond the central case.

‘Ripley’ (2024)

‘Ripley’ adapts Patricia Highsmith’s ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ into a black-and-white miniseries created by Steven Zaillian. Andrew Scott leads the cast with Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn, and it streams on Netflix.
The production emphasizes period detail, European locations, and methodical cat-and-mouse plotting. The limited format follows a single extended con, using meticulous staging and sparse scoring.

‘The Gentlemen’ (2024)

Created by Guy Ritchie for Netflix, ‘The Gentlemen’ expands the world of his crime film into a serialized tale of an aristocrat inheriting an estate entangled with a drug enterprise. Theo James stars with Kaya Scodelario and Vinnie Jones.
The show blends estate management, organized-crime logistics, and turf negotiations across hour-long episodes. It uses kinetic editing, location work around stately homes, and recurring caper structures.

‘Silo’ (2023)

Based on Hugh Howey’s ‘Wool’ saga, ‘Silo’ is a post-apocalyptic mystery about a subterranean society governed by strict rules. Rebecca Ferguson leads with Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, and Tim Robbins on Apple TV+.
The series builds a unified set across multiple levels, integrating engineering procedures, judicial protocols, and IT control as plot drivers. It runs in serialized arcs with a central investigation into origins and governance.

‘1883’ (2021)

From Taylor Sheridan, ‘1883’ is a ‘Yellowstone’ prequel tracking the Dutton family’s wagon-train journey west. Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, and Sam Elliott star, with Paramount+ distribution.
The limited series uses on-location shoots, period costuming, and stunt-heavy sequences to depict migration hazards, military outposts, and frontier settlements. It closes its story within one season tied to a defined route.

‘The English’ (2022)

Created by Hugo Blick, ‘The English’ pairs an aristocratic woman with a Pawnee ex-cavalry scout on a revenge-driven trek. Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer star, distributed by BBC and Prime Video.
Cinematography highlights wide-open landscapes and stylized western iconography, while scripts detail law enforcement, homesteading, and travel logistics. The show is a limited series with a self-contained conclusion.

‘We Are Lady Parts’ (2021)

‘We Are Lady Parts’ follows a queer-inclusive, all-female Muslim punk band hustling for gigs, studio time, and an album. Created by Nida Manzoor, it stars Anjana Vasan, Sarah Kameela Impey, and Juliette Motamed, released by Channel 4 and Peacock.
Episodes weave rehearsal schedules, songwriting, and community reactions into compact half-hours. The series integrates diegetic performances, music-video interludes, and band-management hurdles.

‘Blue Eye Samurai’ (2023)

Created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green for Netflix, ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ follows a master swordswoman seeking revenge in Edo-period Japan. Voice actors include Maya Erskine, George Takei, and Randall Park.
The animation blends hand-drawn aesthetics with CG, choreographing duels and travel sequences across stylized landscapes. The serialized narrative explores weapon forging, disguise, and courtly power games.

‘Scavengers Reign’ (2023)

‘Scavengers Reign’ is an adult animated sci-fi series from Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner about spaceship survivors stranded on a hostile planet. It debuted on Max with an ensemble voice cast.
The show emphasizes intricate alien ecosystems, survival engineering, and parallel character threads. Visual design focuses on bio-mechanical flora and fauna, and episodes braid exploration with rescue attempts.

‘Beef’ (2023)

Created by Lee Sung Jin for Netflix, ‘Beef’ follows two strangers whose road-rage incident escalates into a spiraling feud. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong star in a limited series structure.
Episodes track legal, financial, and social fallout, using parallel family dynamics and business pressures. The show employs time-compressed escalation, intersecting schemes, and a resolved endpoint.

‘Dopesick’ (2021)

‘Dopesick’ dramatizes the rise of prescription opioid addiction across communities, regulators, and corporate offices. Created by Danny Strong, it stars Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, and Rosario Dawson, released on Hulu and international Disney+ hubs.
The limited series intercuts medical practice, sales reps, and federal investigations, depicting FDA processes and litigation stages. It concludes with case outcomes tied to specific jurisdictions and settlements.

‘The Dropout’ (2022)

Based on a podcast by Rebecca Jarvis and colleagues, ‘The Dropout’ chronicles Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and the company’s collapse. Amanda Seyfried leads, with Naveen Andrews co-starring, released on Hulu and Disney+ internationally.
The show maps fundraising, board dynamics, lab validation hurdles, and media scrutiny. It’s a limited series with episodes structured around corporate milestones, whistleblower accounts, and legal filings.

‘Tokyo Vice’ (2022)

Created by J.T. Rogers from Jake Adelstein’s memoir, ‘Tokyo Vice’ follows a foreign crime reporter covering metropolitan police and yakuza beats. Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, and Rinko Kikuchi star; Max and WOWOW distribute.
Production features on-location shooting, newsroom procedure, and organized-crime protocols, balancing case threads with media-law constraints. Episodes advance investigations through sources, stakeouts, and editorial negotiations.

‘Dark Winds’ (2022)

‘Dark Winds’ adapts Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels into a crime series set in the Southwest on Navajo Nation land. Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon star, with AMC and AMC+ distributing.
The show integrates tribal jurisdiction, federal overlap, and desert-terrain logistics into its cases. It mixes case-of-the-season arcs with personal histories, using regional production and Native creative leadership.

‘The Peripheral’ (2022)

Developed by Scott Smith from William Gibson’s novel, ‘The Peripheral’ stars Chloë Grace Moretz as a gamer drawn into a future timeline via a neural interface. The series streams on Prime Video.
World-building covers telepresence devices, corporate rivalries, and futurist London, blending action with speculative tech. Episodes run close to an hour, following mission-of-the-week beats within a larger conspiracy.

‘Shining Girls’ (2022)

‘Shining Girls’ adapts Lauren Beukes’s novel into a crime-thriller with elements of shifting reality. Elisabeth Moss stars alongside Wagner Moura and Jamie Bell, released on Apple TV+.
The show tracks investigative reporting at a Chicago newspaper, evidence-gathering, and survivor networks. It’s a limited series, completing its central case over a concise run.

‘Somebody Somewhere’ (2022)

Created by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, ‘Somebody Somewhere’ follows Sam, a singer returning to her Kansas hometown while building community through a local choir. Bridget Everett stars, with HBO and Max distributing.
The half-hour format focuses on friendship networks, caregiving, and work-life realities. Episodes use modest locations, live vocals, and character-centric plotting with seasonal arcs.

‘The Rehearsal’ (2022)

Created by Nathan Fielder for HBO, ‘The Rehearsal’ constructs elaborate simulations that allow participants to practice difficult conversations and life events. The series blends documentary methods with scripted staging.
Production builds full-scale replicas, employs actors as stand-ins, and maps decision trees in flowchart-like structures. Episodes document logistics—casting, set design, and coaching—within a serialized experiment.

‘I May Destroy You’ (2020)

Created by Michaela Coel, ‘I May Destroy You’ follows a writer processing assault and its professional and personal fallout. The series aired on BBC One and HBO, with Coel leading the cast alongside Weruche Opia and Paapa Essiedu.
It examines reporting processes, online behaviors, and consent law through interlinked episodes. The show is a limited series with a closed narrative, using modern London settings and ensemble perspectives.

‘Industry’ (2020)

‘Industry’ is a finance-world drama from Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, following graduates competing for permanent roles at a global bank. Myha’la, Marisa Abela, and Ken Leung star; HBO and BBC distribute.
Episodes depict trading desks, compliance checks, and client pitches, using real-time market plotting and office politics. The show runs in hour-long installments with season-specific promotions and restructures.

‘The Great’ (2020)

Created by Tony McNamara, ‘The Great’ offers a comedic take on Catherine’s rise and court life. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult lead, with Hulu and Channel 4 among distributors.
It features palatial sets, costume-heavy production, and serialized palace intrigue. Seasons track reforms, alliances, and rivalries, blending character arcs with political maneuvering.

‘Only Murders in the Building’ (2021)

‘Only Murders in the Building’ follows three neighbors who start a true-crime podcast while investigating deaths in their upscale Manhattan building. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez star, distributed by Hulu and Disney+.
The series mixes amateur sleuthing, building bylaws, and tenant dynamics with episodic clues. Each season centers on a single case, with bottle episodes, guest stars, and theatrical set pieces.

‘Sweet Tooth’ (2021)

Based on Jeff Lemire’s comic, ‘Sweet Tooth’ follows a boy who is part deer navigating a world reshaped by a mysterious illness. Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, and Dania Ramirez star, with Netflix releasing the show.
Production combines New Zealand locations, creature makeup, and family-adventure plotting. Episodes chart safe-haven journeys, scientist subplots, and shifting alliances across serialized arcs.

‘Loki’ (2021)

From Marvel Studios, ‘Loki’ tracks the God of Mischief’s entanglement with the Time Variance Authority after events branching from the ‘Avengers’ saga. Tom Hiddleston stars with Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino on Disney+.
The series explores time-branch administration, bureaucratic hierarchies, and multiverse mechanics. It uses a mix of practical sets and VFX, with mid-credit tags and serialized mystery structures.

‘WandaVision’ (2021)

‘WandaVision’ blends sitcom pastiche with superhero drama as Wanda Maximoff and Vision navigate a reality-bending suburban life. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany lead, with Disney+ distributing.
Each episode adopts a different era’s TV grammar, complete with title cards, laugh tracks, and aspect ratios. The limited series format ties into wider franchise timelines through post-episode stingers and crossover characters.

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ (2022)

A ‘Star Trek’ prequel following Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock aboard the Enterprise, ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck. Paramount+ distributes globally in select regions.
The show returns to planet-of-the-week storytelling while sustaining character arcs, using volumetric stages, practical sets, and VFX starfields. It emphasizes exploration protocols, first-contact ethics, and medical bay problem-solving.

‘Foundation’ (2021)

‘Foundation’ adapts Isaac Asimov’s saga about mathematician Hari Seldon’s psychohistory and a plan to shorten a galactic dark age. Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, and Leah Harvey star; Apple TV+ distributes.
The series blends imperial politics, spaceflight, and religious movements, with set builds and location shoots in Europe and the Canary Islands. It uses long-arc storytelling with time jumps and parallel storylines.

‘Mythic Quest’ (2020)

‘Mythic Quest’ is a workplace comedy about a game studio running a massively multiplayer title. Created by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Megan Ganz, it stars McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, and Ashly Burch on Apple TV+.
Episodes cover live-ops fires, expansion launches, monetization debates, and creative control. The half-hour format includes bottle episodes and anthology-style flashbacks exploring industry history and company lore.

‘Ted Lasso’ (2020)

Developed by Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis, Joe Kelly, and Brendan Hunt, ‘Ted Lasso’ follows an American coach hired to manage an English football club. Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, and Juno Temple star, released by Apple TV+.
The show covers transfer windows, promotion-relegation pressure, sports psychology, and club ownership. Seasons combine match sequences with press conferences, training montages, and community engagement.

‘The Last Dance’ (2020)

‘The Last Dance’ is an ESPN/Netflix documentary series chronicling the Chicago Bulls during Michael Jordan’s final championship run with the team, built from contemporary interviews and archival footage.
It organizes episodes around key games, media narratives, and front-office decisions, with restored game tapes and behind-the-scenes access. The series presents a complete multi-part documentary with a defined endpoint.

‘Welcome to Wrexham’ (2022)

‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documents Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ownership of Wrexham AFC, covering operations, matches, and community impact. FX and Hulu distribute in the U.S., with Disney+ in other territories.
The docuseries blends season-long promotion campaigns, transfer dealings, and supporter culture, intercut with local business stories. Filmmaking spans locker rooms, boardrooms, and town fixtures.

‘The Wheel of Time’ (2021)

‘The Wheel of Time’ adapts Robert Jordan’s fantasy series, following Moiraine and a group from the Two Rivers as they confront a world-spanning prophecy. Rosamund Pike leads, with Prime Video distributing.
Production includes large-scale sets, on-location shoots in Eastern Europe and Morocco, and a structured magic system represented through VFX. The show follows season-length quests with ensemble arcs.

‘The Sandman’ (2022)

Based on Neil Gaiman’s comic, ‘The Sandman’ follows Dream as he rebuilds his realm and confronts escaped nightmares. Tom Sturridge stars alongside Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Gwendoline Christie, with Netflix releasing the series.
The production mixes practical sets and CG, anthology-style chapters, and bottle episodes like diner and travel stories. It maintains self-contained arcs within an overarching narrative about kingdoms, rules, and bargains.

Share your own must-watch picks from the 2020s in the comments so everyone can compare notes and build their queue!