My favourite part of the year (alongside the New Year break) is collating the many hundreds of hours I’ve spent in front of a screen to entertain myself. If I have a carefully curated list to produce at the end of it, it somehow makes my year feel more cohesive in retrospect. I have several lists I’m working on while I catch up on any major outliers but here is my second list; television.
If you missed it you can go back and read my list of top 10 and most anticipated video games.
10. New Zealand Today (Season 2)
Comedian, now “volunteer journalist,” Guy Williams, returns with another season of New Zealand Today where he visits small-town New Zealand to interview eccentric locals and solve mundane mysteries.
Karen Hill from the first season pops up now and again. The two are currently hosting a podcast together, telling the stories of Karen, the infamous “20 fucking whacks” woman from Stokes Valley.
9. Frickin Dangerous Bro… on the Road
Frickin Dangerous Bro is proudly New Zealand’s only sketch comedy trio. I first discovered them through their podcast The Issues Podcast which became The Frickin Dangerous Bro Show. They took a break to come back for some lockdown sessions and are again off the airwaves (at least for now).
Well, in 2020 (during the quiet period of no COVID), like Guy Williams, they travelled across small towns of New Zealand, interviewing locals and finding a town hall to perform their stand-up.
8. Dave (Season 2)
A darkly comic series about a fictionalised version of real-life rapper Lil Dicky (David Burd) with episodes that truly go places. The first season was all about Dave trying to establish himself as a serious rapper, taking offence at being known just for his funny lyrics.
This season is all about the parallel journeys of Dave and his hype man, GaTa, who wants to go his own way. My favourite episode is set at the house of legendary music producer, Rick Rubin and where Dave goes on a spiritual journey inside a sensory deprivation tank.
7. Hacks
Jean Smart has really taken to TV these last few years; Legion, Fargo, Watchmen and last year’s Mare of Eastown. Here, Jean Smart is Deborah Vance, a well-established comedian in the world of this show. While Smart is obviously the selling point this show is really a two-hander. With Hannah Einbinder playing the role of a young comedy writer helping to freshen up Deborah’s material. And the two really bounce off each other.
6. Joe Pera Talks With You (Season 3)
Joe is curious about the world. He’s a reserved music teacher at a public school. Often an episode starts with him speaking to the camera in mono-tone, going in-depth about an otherwise mundane topic but is quickly distracted as the people around him ruin his train of thought.
The joy of this show is how even an episode about buying an armchair can be emotionally uplifting. I somehow missed that a Season 2 happened, so I recently binged that one too. The episodes are perfect sized 10-minute chunks that are deadpan funny and often pack an emotional wallop.
5. How To With John Wilson (Season 2)
Just squeezed into 2021 with its last episode airing on New Year’s Eve, How To With John Wilson is one of the most original shows I’ve seen in recent years. John narrates over actual footage of everyday New York, stitching together amusing sights with narration about a particular topic such as “How to throw out your batteries”. But what starts as a seemingly simple topic turns into something much weirder and specific.
There is a team to capture B-roll footage but for the main sequences of the show, it’s John himself, camera in hand, capturing first-person footage and stumbling into absurd situations, such as a mansion belonging to the CEO of an energy drink company on an episode about appreciating wine.
4. Reservation Dogs
Much more than just its clever title, Reservation Dogs is co-created by Taika Waititi. But this is really Sterlin Harjo’s show about a group of four Indigenous teenagers in a small town, working their way through loss and making mistakes in the process.
The kids are smartly cast but Zahn McClarnon is of course great as the Lighthorse (Native American police officer) of the town. A spirit of a warrior on horseback sometimes appears to Bear (the leader of the gang) resulting in some of the more hilarious scenes, reminiscent of Waititi’s role in Jojo Rabbit.
3. Succession (Season 3)
Succession is probably the most well-known show on my list, and for good reason. Created by Jesse Armstrong of Peep Show fame, Succession is about a Rupert-Murdoch-type media company led by Brian Cox as Logan Roy and his older children fight for power. I actually binged the first two seasons in lead up to this one.
I originally fell off the pilot episode but this time I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. Succession has become one of my favourite shows. So give yourself a few more episodes for it to click. Season 3 may not be as strong as the first two but the dialogue is just so biting and creative, you can’t help but watch these intolerable rich kids squabble for their dad’s affection.
2. Midnight Mass
Created by Mike Flanagan, known for his work on horror films and TV including The Haunting Of Hill House and Doctor Sleep. This is a series that reveals itself over time, where strange things begin to happen to a small community on an island. I won’t spoil the premise here, as it’s a revelation (pun intended) that defines the show going forward. Flanagan is a big fan of the existential monologue. This isn’t a show with jump scares, but full of dread and the ties between religion and horror are ingeniously presented here.
1. Invincible
Invincible is a comic book series by The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman. Instead of the usual route these days of turning a superhero into live-action, Invincible hasn’t strayed too far from its roots and is instead an animated series. This ain’t ya X-Men animated series from the ’90s (which is getting a continuation next year by the way), as with Kirkman’s other work, it’s full of dark storylines and graphic violence.
Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) is the son of the superhero, Omni-Man (J. K. Simmons) who comes to terms with his own set of developing powers and the role of the Guardians of the Globe (not Galaxy). After the first episode, you will discover the start of a dark mystery that propels the story forward.
While the animation leaves much to be desired; it can feel a little static, the story and characters are strong and I’m hoping future seasons (it has been greenlit for two more) give the show a bigger budget. In the meantime, I’ve got the comics to read!
Honourable Mentions
Creamerie, Starstruck, Y: The Last Man, Never Have I Ever (Season 2), Sex Education (Season 3), Ted Lasso (Season 2), Solar Opposites (Season 2), Master of None (Season 3), Search Party (Season 4), We Are Lady Parts, Rutherford Falls, Bluey (Season 3), The White Lotus, The Underground Railroad, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Asides
Because Squid Game basically took over the planet for a hot minute I’ve left it off the list so I can squeeze some shows on folks might not have heard of.
Due to the fact they’re still airing weekly into 2022; Station Eleven, Yellowjackets, and The Book of Boba Fett, with apologies to Temuera Morrison.
Most anticipated of 2022
Better Call Saul (Season 6)
TBD on Neon
The final season of a show that has largely been in the background these last few years but is arguably better than the successful show it spun off; Breaking Bad. Bob Odenkirk had a “small heart attack” (his words) on set which lead to some more delays, but is thankfully in good health. We should hopefully see this season on our screens later this year.
This show definitely rewards patience and we’ll finally get to see the transition from hapless Jimmy McGill to sleazeball Saul Goodman and the fate of Kim Wexxler, played by the talented Rhea Seehorn. While Tony Dalton has been hamming it up on Hawkeye, on Better Call Saul he is a force to be reckoned with.
Peacemaker
14 January 2022 on Neon
While James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad was a much-improved sequel to its predecessor, it was an enjoyable romp but I came out afterwards feeling rather empty on the whole thing. I feel like this spinoff series might also be fun but of little substance but I’m happy to be proven wrong.
Ms. Marvel/She-Hulk/Secret Invasion
TBD on Disney+
I’ve lumped these three together because, well, Marvel is an amorphous blob, sucking everything into its orbit. So far Marvel’s venture into the TV space has had mixed results. Sure, there was some interesting stuff to be had in WandaVision and Loki but Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye have been underwhelming, and while the special effects might say otherwise these shows just don’t have the narrative heft of a prestige TV show and are mostly plodding. But at this point, I’m too invested in Marvel at this point to stop. And I do get something out of it even if it is just being a part of the cultural zeitgeist and listening to spoiler recap podcasts.
Atlanta (Season 3)
TBD on Neon
After not airing since 2018, Donald Glover is back with a show that is darkly funny and tries different things episode to episode. This is the show that introduced me to Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield and Brian Tyree Henry, all of whom are now huge in Hollywood. Beetz also voices a character in my number one show of 2021; Invincible.
The Last of Us
TBD on Neon
For a video game adaptation, I would be tempted to put this into the morbidly curious category but this does have some things going for it. It’s an HBO show so it has some prestige and money behind it. The writing talent includes Craig Mazin of Chernobyl and Neil Drukmann from game developer, Naughty Dog. And the cast has the awesome Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, both of Game of Thrones fame. And in a small role, Murray Bartlett who turned heads as the hotel manager in The White Lotus.
His Dark Materials (Season 3)
TBD on Neon
I’m still not quite sure where I sit on this series. Of course, it’s much better than that Golden Compass film adaptation, but that’s not a high bar to clear. I felt the second season rather plodding but will continue to watch this out of my love of Phillip Pullman’s novels.
The Crown (Season 5)
TBD on Netflix
The strong recasting continues in this new season of The Crown with Imelda Staunton as the Queen, Jonathan Price as Prince Phillip, Dominic West as Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. There’s one more season expected after this.
The Boys (Season 3)
TBD on Prime Video
I was late to The Boys, a series that supposes what superheroes under capitalism would actually look like. Of course, it’s also based on a comic book, written by Garth Ennis. It’s an often dark yet also silly show and full of graphic violence as a group of non-powered individuals try to take down the corporation and its team of superheroes. This also stars fellow kiwi, Karl Urban, as the leader of the group with a strong Cockney accent
DMZ
TBD on Neon
I was a big fan of the comic. For Zack Snyder reasons, I take everything from DC with a grain of salt. But this isn’t superhero-related and has Ava DuVerney producing and directing the first episode. DMZ is about a second civil war that turns New York into a battleground. It also looks to be taking a departure from the comics and instead of focusing on a journalist, the main character of the comics, has created a somewhat new character; a medic, played by Rosario Dawson.
Barry (Season 3)
TBD on Neon
Barry is one of my favourite shows still airing. It stars Bill Hader as an assassin that really just wants to be an actor. As the premise implies it’s hilarious but also has its dark turns. We haven’t had a season since 2019 and I am eagerly awaiting my next Barry fix.
The Afterparty
28 January 2022 on Apple TV+
Some of these Apple TV+ shows have been hit and miss. Obviously, Ted Lasso took the world by storm. But others, not so much. Judging from the creative talent involved here, I’m hoping this one is worthwhile.
Ted Lasso (Season 3)
TBD on Apple TV+
Ted Lasso really took over the Internet last season and I sense that trend will continue. It’s a show that is warm and comforting, about a British soccer team of all things, but with the introduction of a therapist last season, it’s not afraid to explore the emotional lives of our characters, even the happy go lucky coach Lasso.
Search Party (Season 5)
7 January 2022
This show is wild and reinvents itself every season. This one looks to explore what happens when a religious cult meets Silicon Valley, and of course, our gang of colourful characters are all involved. This season has a guest role from none other than Jeff Goldblum.
Morbidly curious
House of the Dragon - As much as I enjoyed the first few seasons of the show I honestly would be happy to never see Game of Thrones on the screen again but my morbid curiosity compels me.
Westworld (Season 4) - A solid first season that has steadily declined season to season.
Stranger Things (Season 4) - Happy for this show to end, to be honest. There’s only so much 80’s homage one can slap on these aging teenagers.
Lord of the Rings - I would say for their decision to leave New Zealand workers high and dry, not to support Amazon here, but the workers did pour their souls into this first season and the amount of money our own government dumped into this production means I’m obligated to watch this? Not that Bezos needs my dollars.
Halo - Sure, I’m not that into the Halo story but at this point, with the failed Peter Jackson produced Neill Blomkamp directed movie I’m just too intrigued to skip this one. It looks pretty. Let’s see if Master Chief can take on the Mandalorian. 2022 is the year of helmet dudes.
The Book of Boba Fett/Obi-Wan Kenobi/Andor/The Mandalorian (Season 3) - Like with Marvel, Disney is again mining its IP with all these Star Wars shows streaming in the same year. I guess The Rise of Skywalker didn’t kill Star Wars after all.