The 50 Best TV Shows of 2019

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2019 was an unusual one for television. We all thought that Game of Thrones would not only dominate the conversation (which it did), but that it would sweep us off our feet (it did not). In fact, spoiler, it did not make our list of the best shows of the year. And while there are plenty of big-budget dramas below, as we noted in our list of the Best Episodes of the Years (So Far!), half-hour series have been where we’ve seen some of the most visual and narrative innovation. It’s a wonderful, if somewhat stressful time to be a TV fan. Peak TV has changed the game, new streaming services have launched, and there are over 600 series worth considering. So we’re here to help—the Paste editors and writers have voted on a diverse list of series you should check out, while also acknowledging there are certainly even more that are probably worth your time. (Follow your joy!) But this ranked list is essentially a celebration of what we loved. Eligibility: Series had to air the majority of their episodes from January 1, 2019 through November 15, 2019—so crucially, no Mandalorian. But we will be spotlighting that and other late-airing 2019 series later on! Honorable Mention: Victoria (PBS), South Side (Comedy Central), The Righteous Gemstones (HBO), Schitt’s Creek (Pop), Stranger Things (Netflix), Baskets (FX), Sex Education (Netflix), Primal (Adult Swim)

The highest praise I can give Sorry for Your Loss is that it made me watch TV on Facebook, something I had avoided doing and still don’t like. But the show is just that good—raw, emotional, intense, beautiful—that it became a weekly necessity. The series follows Leigh Shaw (Elizabeth Olsen) as she navigates life after her husband Matt (Mamoudou Athie) suddenly passes away, an event that completely shatters her life. We first met her several months after she left her job, moved back in with her mother Amy (Janet McTeer) and sister Jules (Kelly Marie Tran), and started picking up some work at Amy’s fitness studio. But mostly Leigh is adrift, and the only person who seems to somewhat understand her pain is Matt’s brother Danny (Jovan Adepo), someone Leigh never previously got along with.