With so many new shows premiering, it's a pretty competitive field, but these debuting
series have captivated audiences and critics alike so from streaming gems to big network
efforts, here are the very best TV shows of 2019.
Natasha Lyonne has been a Hollywood fixture for years, and when critics and audiences
heard she would be creating her own show, they paid attention.
As Nadia, a woman stuck in a bizarre time loop where she keeps reliving her death on
her birthday with absolutely no explanation or context, Lyonne inhabits the role with
caustic wit and razor-sharp timing.
Along the way, she meets Alan, played by Charlie Barnett, who is stuck in his own terrifying
time loop.
"Hey man, didn't you get the news, we’re about to die."
"It doesn’t matter I die all the time."
Together, the two of them work together to avoid death, solve their seemingly unsolvable
problems, and, hopefully, track down Nadia's missing cat, Oatmeal.
The series' careful attention to detail and Lyonne's anchoring lead performance earned
rave reviews, and so did her intense involvement with the production.
Along with starring, Lyonne directed the season finale and came up with the concept.
Though fans would certainly welcome a second season, it ended on a rare, perfect note,
just in case it only sticks around for a single batch of episodes.
Based on the popular Dark Horse comic book series by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard
Way and artist Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy premiered in February of 2019 to plenty of
buzz from fans excited for a live-action adaptation with an incredible cast led by Ellen Page.
The strange adventure centers on seven children with supernatural abilities who were raised
in a mysterious school, shifting between flashbacks and the catastrophic problems they have in
their adult lives in the present day.
"Looks like some temporal anomaly.
Either that or a miniature black hole, one of the 2.
"Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan."
These children, born during a mysterious event and given numbers by the Academy's headmaster,
Sir Reginald Hargreeves, try to suppress their supernatural abilities.
Now, as adults, they must reunite their bizarre, broken family to prevent an oncoming apocalypse.
Umbrella Academy earned pretty positive reviews from critics, and audiences clearly agreed.
Netflix quickly renewed the show for a second season, with the entire cast and creative
team returning.
If you loved the 2014 comedy What We Do in the Shadows, directed by Thor: Ragnarok's
Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement, then you'll love FX's television
adaptation, which premiered in the spring of 2019.
"Where did they find the alcohol?"
“No, they were half drunk.
They’d been half drunk.”
“Oh…”
“Please, finish the whole victim before moving on to the next one, okay?"
With a new cast and a new setting, the series focuses on three vampires living as roommates
in New York City's Staten Island, which they're also trying to conquer for the entire race
of vampires.
Naturally, the trio gets into plenty of trouble, embarking on affairs with humans and struggling
to assimilate even though they can only go out in the dead of night and are all centuries
old.
Created by Clement, who oversees the show with Waititi, this version of Shadows naturally
shares the charming awkwardness of the original film, employing the same bumbling, deadpan
humor that has characterized much of both Clement and Waititi's work.
Putting absurd characters in universal situations has always been a calling card for both of
these creators, and by returning to a concept they knew was successful and giving it new
life, they ended up with another hit.
A Netflix original series created by cartoonist and writer Lisa Hanawalt, the sadly short-lived
Tuca & Bertie featured the voices of Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong, and Steven Yeun as the
core cast.
The series focuses on two women struggling to find themselves as they navigate life in
their 30s, dealing with anxiety, harassment from coworkers, and serious medical issues.
Also, they're birds.
"Bertie is the best bird in the whole world.
She could kick your ass and we’re having a really big fight right now but she’s my
best friend."
Tuca, a toucan, is outspoken and brash, constantly struggling to hold down a job as well as managing
her sobriety; Bertie, a songbird, takes her career in an office extremely seriously but
dreams of being a baker.
And Speckle, a robin and Bertie's fairly uptight boyfriend, works as an architect.
With a recurring cast rounded out by comedians and actors like Awkwafina, Tessa Thompson,
and even Isabella Rosselini, the show received glowing reviews from critics.
Unfortunately, that didn't seal the deal for Netflix.
In July of 2019, Tuca & Bertie was cancelled.
Fans and critics alike bemoaned the decision, especially after it turned out that Netflix
may not have given it a fair shot, thanks to an algorithm that didn't even recommend
the show to Hanawalt herself.
At the very least, though, we all have one perfect season of Tuca & Bertie to enjoy over
and over again.
It may be too late to get the show another season, but it's not too late for you to discover
its charm.
Even though many historical dramas across film and television focus on truly horrific
events, there are still stories that need to be retold in new ways, and that's especially
true of HBO's Chernobyl.
Though most people have a passing familiarity with the nuclear disaster that struck the
Soviet Union in 1986, this show goes more in-depth than any depiction has gone before,
creating a difficult, upsetting, and altogether necessary experience for viewers.
The show stars Mad Men's Jared Harris as Valery Legasov, a real-life director at a scientific
institute that tried to clean up after the unprecedented and catastrophic nuclear explosion.
Chernobyl contains plenty of staggering moments, from attempts to cover up the explosion and
its cause, to a truly harrowing episode where soldiers and veterans must hunt down household
pets left behind after the evacuation to prevent further contamination.
"They're radioactive so they have to go.
It’s not hard they’re mostly pets.”
The most upsetting story of all might be that of the firefighters who were the first to
respond to the disaster, and who suffered a horrifying fate from the effects of radiation.
The difficult and extremely faithful efforts that the cast and crew put in to the series
were worth it.
The show was met with universal adoration and received several nominations for the 2019
Emmy Awards, including one for Harris and one for Outstanding Limited Series.
In this day and age, it's more important than ever for television and film to depict different
perspectives as often as possible, which is perfectly on display in Hulu's Ramy.
A half-hour comedy with a healthy amount of dramatic elements, the show was created by
its star, Ramy Youssef.
As a first-generation American Muslim who must figure out how to balance his religious
background and family against the modern millennial landscape, the show brings a shared experience
for many Muslim Americans to life with heart, humor, sharp writing, and an anchoring performance
by Youssef.
From finding a place in American society in the continued aftermath of 9/11, to navigating
the dating scene despite his strict Egyptian family's reservations, the show has struck
a serious chord with Muslim Americans and critics alike, earning great reviews for the
show's debut season.
Very few shows focus on such a specific yet universal experience, and thanks to Youssef,
many young people can now turn on a show that is actually faithful to their lives, upbringings,
and experiences in a divided America.
Luckily for Youssef and his fans, the show has already been renewed for a second season.
There's always room for another oddball, irreverent comedy on television, and creator Julio Torres,
a writer for Saturday Night Live who produced some of the show's standout sketches over
the past few years, certainly delivered with Los Espookys on HBO.
Cowritten by Torres and Ana Fabrega, both of whom also star, the show focuses on a group
of friends who want to make a business out of their horror obsessions as they navigate
life in a Latin American country riddled with supernatural happenings that go beyond their
special effects.
By blending absurdist humor and perfectly dry writing with horror, Los Espookys has
scored great reviews for its inaugural season, and HBO has already renewed this spooky, kooky
show for a second season.
Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals proved that Danny McBride and HBO were a winning
combination, and fans have been eagerly awaiting their next collaboration.
In 2019, it arrived in the form of The Righteous Gemstones, which McBride created in addition
to serving as lead actor, executive producer, and director.
Alongside John Goodman and Adam DeVine, McBride plays a member of the televangelist Gemstone
family, who are obviously much more corrupt than their ultra-religious, pious exterior
might seem.
"Everybody in your line keeps getting water up their nose you’re tipping em back too
far.”
“Why don’t you it your way and I’ll do it mine?”
“How about you do it right, how about that?
Watch this get over here."
Through various manipulations, schemes, and fake charity projects, the family reaps their
dubious rewards, constantly squabbling with each other over control of the empire.
Thanks to a talented comedic cast which also includes Walton Goggins as the instantly iconic
Baby Billy as well as its pitch-perfect writing that lampoons the entire televangelist industry,
the show has received not only great reviews, but a second season order.
It looks like the conniving Gemstone family will continue to grace HBO's airwaves for
quite some time.
Fans of Jim Henson's 1982 film The Dark Crystal were thrilled when Netflix announced that
they were working on a prequel series to the cult classic dark puppet saga.
When the show finally premiered in 2019, it didn't disappoint in the slightest.
Just like the original film, the entire cast is made up of stunning puppet creations from
the Henson Workshop, performed by some of the finest puppeteers in the world and voiced
by talented actors.
Together, they work to bring life to a story that's equal parts fantastic wonder and political
drama that feels like Game of Thrones with puppets.
Executive produced by Henson's daughter Lisa, the series recaptures the handmade artistry
of the movie while incorporating new technologies and a stacked voice cast that includes an
amazingly varied roster of talent.
In addition to main characters played by Taron Egerton, Anya-Taylor Joy, and Nathalie Emmanuel,
the show features Lena Headey, Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Dormer, Andy Samberg, Awkwafina,
Simon Pegg, Keegan-Michael Key, and Sigourney Weaver, just to name a few.
"I've seen the dark signs.
Strange storms.
Sand where there used to be sea.
Thra is dying."
Set in a fantastic world of magic, Age of Resistance tells the story of three Gelfings
named Rian, Brea, and Deet, who discover the horrifying intentions of their seemingly benevolent
rulers, the Skeksis.
The ten-episode series has earned overwhelming acclaim from critics and audiences alike,
who love its engrossing storyline, faithfulness to its source material, and artful direction
by Louis Leterrier.
It remains to be seen if there will be a second season, but there's certainly more of Thra
to explore.
Comedy can sometimes be a total boy's club, so to remedy that, HBO put its full weight
behind a radical new sketch show, bluntly named A Black Lady Sketch Show.
Created by comedian Robin Thede, the former head writer for The Nightly Show with Larry
Wilmore, A Black Lady Sketch Show is, well, exactly what it sounds like.
The sketch show features talented performers and comedians in a variety of skits lampooning
the day to day life of black women in America.
The show has been met with plenty of love since it premiered in the summer of 2019,
and was subsequently renewed by HBO for a second season, so it looks like fans will
be able to get more face time with these funny women before too long.
Saturday Night Live might be a breeding ground for some of the finest comedic talent around,
but sometimes, they decline to air some of the weirder sketches pitched by their writers.
Luckily for everyone, former SNL writer Tim Robinson now has a safe haven for some of
its rejected sketches, which found a home on his Netflix show: I Think You Should Leave.
Produced by the Lonely Island, with Akiva Schaffer, one third of the comedy trio, directing
several episodes of its first season, I Think You Should Leave offers up some of the weirdest
and most delightful sketches in recent memory.
Distant future Christmas skeletons, a car focus group gone horribly wrong, hot dog costumes,
and the almost upsettingly surreal Garfield House set the tone for hilariously weird stuff.
"I'll never forget the day I told you I bought Jim Davis’ house.
The creator of Garfield.
You sat there and stared at me.
Like I didn’t just tell you that I just bought Jim Davis's house!"
The overall conceit of the show is that throughout every sketch, the characters happily accept
increasingly bizarre elements within normal, everyday situations.
Lean in along with them and enjoy the ride, as many critics and fans have already done,
and remember that it's okay if you can't quite choose which sketch is your favorite.
Robinson and his crew aren't finished, either; with the show returning for a second season
this year.
Director Ava DuVernay made her mark with the Academy Award-nominated Selma, and in 2019,
she gave Netflix one of its most prestigious projects with the miniseries When They See
Us, a searing, unflinching look at the case of the famous "Central Park Five."
In 1989, five young African American boys were falsely accused of assaulting a woman
in Central Park, and imprisoned for years despite their innocence.
When the actual guilty party was discovered in 2002, he not only confessed, but was definitively
linked to the crime using DNA evidence.
By then, most of the Central Park Five had already finished their sentences, but they
filed suit against the city of New York, finally winning a settlement and vindication in 2016,
almost two decades after their imprisonment.
DuVernay, who also wrote the series, directs with a steady and sure hand, making no secret
of the fact that these men were the victims of wrongful imprisonment and racial prejudice.
With younger actors as the Five supported by veteran performers like John Leguizamo
, and Niecy Nash, it's no wonder that When They See Us earned universal acclaim, including
eleven Emmy nominations.
There are plenty of dark comedies to choose from right now, but don't sleep on Netflix's
Dead to Me, an extremely worthy entry into this trendy genre.
Starring two accomplished and well-known actresses, Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini,
this edgy show from comedian and writer Liz Feldman is both exactly as funny and way darker
than you might expect.
It focuses on two women who bond over their shared widowhood and forge an extremely intense
friendship.
The show is stocked with plenty of twists, and before too long, it seems as if Judy might
not be who she claims, leading Jen down a potentially dangerous and hurtful rabbit hole
with her new companion.
Despite the bleak premise, the show is often incredibly funny, letting Applegate and Cardellini
riff on each other.
It doesn't hurt that there's a great supporting cast that includes James Marsden, Ed Asner,
and others.
Dead to Me was an immediate hit for Netflix, who paid attention and renewed it for a second
season.
After How I Met Your Mother ended in 2013, Cobie Smulders, who spent nine seasons playing
the leading role of Robin Scherbatsky, was plenty busy.
Not only did she join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, popping up frequently as Maria Hill,
but her next leading role arrived in 2019, when she was finally awarded her own network
series.
Based on a comic book series of the same name, ABC's Stumptown tells the story of Dex Parios,
a down-and-out Marine veteran who takes up a side hustle as a private investigator in
Portland, Oregon.
Dex has certainly had a rough go of it not only did her childhood sweetheart die in front
of her in Afghanistan, but she struggles with gambling debts and unemployment.
In order to boost her PI practice, she involves her best friend Grey McConnell, a compelling
role for New Girl's Jake Johnson, whose shady criminal past ends up helping Dex solve local
crimes.
She's also got some help from the police department itself, enlisting her would-be boyfriend Detective
Miles Hoffman to send her cases whenever the Portland PD needs assistance.
During its first season, Stumptown has made a considerable critical splash thanks to Smulders'
anchoring performance and clever plotting, which echoes classic detective shows like
The Rockford Files, but updated with a very modern sensibility.
Fans can only hope it continues running on ABC for quite some time.
In early January of 2019, Netflix kicked off the new year with its first critically acclaimed
release: Sex Education, a raucous British teen comedy with a purposefully provocative
title.
Asa Butterfield plays the lead role of Otis, a young boy ashamed of his own sexuality,
who has to deal with his mother, played by Gillian Anderson, a prominent and pretty invasive
sex therapist who misguidedly wants to help him.
After Otis accidentally helps his bully get past some of his own sexual inadequacies,
he sets up his own sex therapy practice at school with the help of his gorgeous bad-girl
classmate Maeve, to great success.
"Therapy?"
"Yeah, sex therapy, you have a gift.
It would be irresponsible to waste it."
The show has already been renewed for a second season after its first eight episodes premiered
to great acclaim.
Beyond great performances and a big name with Anderson, the show was soundly praised for
its positive, open attitude toward sex, helping teenage and adult viewers alike grapple with
their own insecurities as well as normalizing healthy sexual behaviors and attitudes.
That's an unfortunately rare perspective for most television shows, but it's also a refreshing
one.
Based on an Israeli series of the same name, HBO's daring teen drama Euphoria burst onto
the scene during the summer of 2019, balancing over-the-top imagery with grounded performances
and alarmingly real teenage issues.
Produced by Drake and anchored by a stunning performance by Zendaya, Euphoria centers on
17-year-old Rue Bennett, a recovering drug addict returning to school while continuing
to battle her ongoing addiction.
Euphoria stirred up plenty of controversy during its first season thanks to extensive
nicety, a graphic depiction of saxophone assault, and its visual imaginings of teenage driving
trips.
But that didn't stop the first season from racking up rave reviews.
HBO clearly believes in the show as well — before the debut season had even concluded, they
picked up Euphoria for a second season.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Looper videos about your favorite stuff are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.