41 TV Shows That Are So Good, People Consider Them One Of The Best Parts Of 2020
"And in the end, we can get past it all with hope."
We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which TV shows helped get them through 2020. Here are some of the best reponses:
🚨Warning: There are some spoilers ahead!🚨
1. First, Schitt's Creek
2. Julie and the Phantoms
"Recently, I had a bad week where I just wasn’t feeling happy. I didn’t want to do my homework and, if I could have, I would’ve spent all day in bed. I’d been seeing TikToks on my FYP about Julie and the Phantoms, so I decided to watch it. I’ve seen it five times since then. All of the songs and the characters just made me feel so much better. I watched all of the interviews that the cast did as well and I love them and the show. I’m definitely going to watch it many more times. Also Netflix, we need a Season 2!"
Where to watch: Netflix
3. Avatar: The Last Airbender
"It was such a difficult year for my family as we lost two close family members and two extended family members. And topping that off with just seeing news of people not wearing masks, I feel so sad and angry most of the time. Rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender was a much-needed chance to relearn about compassion and kindness."
Where to watch: Netflix
4. The Good Place
"Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve survived the darkest spots of quarantine without The Good Place. My mom is very high risk (she has stage 4 lung cancer) and I live with and take care of her. So I have spent much of 2020 beyond stressed out about doing everything I can to prevent her from getting COVID-19. I already suffer from anxiety and depression and went to some really dark mental places earlier this year. I did a full series rewatch before Season 4 aired, then watched Season 4, and then did another rewatch when the last season came on Netflix. Now I’m doing another rewatch with my boyfriend because he’s never seen it. It’s honestly been a saving grace for me. The level of compassion and kindness of this show never fails to make me cry, and all of the characters have such beautiful and fulfilling arcs. Also, it’s just really damn funny."
Where to watch: Netflix
5. Never Have I Ever
"As soon as this show came out, I watched it on my own. I immediately watched the season again with my mom and then, for a third time, with my brother and my dad. I could watch this show 10 times and never be bored of it. I really like the LGBTQ representation. My favorite character is Fabiola, because she is the most relatable to me. I'm a lesbian Afro-Latina who has to go through the struggles of coming out. Never Have I Ever just helped me get that little 30-minute laugh we all needed during this year."
Where to watch: Netflix
6. Fleabag
"Honestly, everything changed for me when I discovered Fleabag in 2020. I’ve rewatched it countless times and I love it so much. I used a quote from the show on my grad cap, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge even sent me a message about it! I can’t imagine what my life would’ve been like this year if I hadn’t been immersed into the world of Fleabag. It's so hilarious and heartfelt. I haven’t found any other show like it."
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
"I spent 2020 binge-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and this show has honestly made my year a whole lot better! It's so funny and wholesome and has such great characters! It made my year SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE!"
Where to watch: Hulu
9. Grey's Anatomy
"The show has such strong characters and it gives me hope and reminds me what is important in this wild life. Doctors are heroes, especially this year, and Grey's was a perfect way to celebrate them."
Where to watch: Netflix
10. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
"I really miss my friends, so watching this show's dynamic group go through things and risk everything for each other just really helped me a lot. Plus the LGBTQ representation helped a lot since my family is extremely anti-gay."
Where to watch: Netflix
11. Sex Education
12. The Vampire Diaries
"I started watching The Vampire Diaries and it really got me through this year. I love the show so much and it's become my favorite of all time. Now I'm watching The Originals and I'm still going strong."
Where to watch: Netflix
13. Community
"Watching Community was one of the best choices I’ve made this year, and it was the first time I immediately rewatched a show once I finished it!"
14. The Queen's Gambit
"The Queen's Gambit just restored my faith in Netflix and life, and made me realize your dreams are worth reaching for. I just really want to erase my memory and watch it all again."
Where to watch: Netflix
15. New Girl
"I started watching New Girl for the first time this year. I just got out of a relationship and just graduated college, and had no idea what I wanted in life. With the pandemic surging, it made everything so much more confusing. New Girl not only really helped me have something that made me relax and laugh, but it also helped reassure me that no matter how wild and confusing things get, it’s totally okay and normal to not have things figured out and things will work out."
Where to watch: Netflix
16. Once Upon a Time
"The show may be dark at times, but it’s also super heartwarming and bittersweet. You really feel like you know all of the characters and there are so many good messages in the show. I relate to Regina the most because she shows that no matter what happens there’s always going to be someone there for you and that no matter what you do you can always come back from it. Also, that love can overpower anything and that hope is a choice, and a powerful thing."
Where to watch: Disney+
17. Psych
"I needed a good laugh there for a while and USA and Peacock just happened to decide to do marathons of the entire show, cast reunions, and then release the long-awaited movie. Everything just seemed to fall into place right when I needed a good laugh or fun shenanigans to smile about."
Where to watch: Peacock
18. What We Do In the Shadows
"I've binge-watched What We Do In the Shadows twice so far this year. It’s such an amazing, creative, and hilarious world to immerse yourself in."
Where to watch: Hulu
19. Gilmore Girls
"I watched Gilmore Girls for the first time in 2020. It's so calming, charming, and funny. It really helped me take my mind off of this hell on earth as I imagined spending some time in Stars Hollow. After binge-watching all seven seasons in a few months, I even watched the revival (it was okay) because I was so hooked!"
Where to watch: Netflix
20. The Umbrella Academy
"I first watched it 15 days after Season 2 dropped and I wasn't expecting to love it this much. The show is amazing! The cinematography, the story, the characters, everything is so weird but in a good way. It's definitely a must-watch!"
Where to watch: Netflix
21. Outer Banks
"A bored teen in the middle of quarantine with nowhere to go and nothing to do? Ten episodes later, I had fully escaped to OBX."
Where to watch: Netflix
22. Orange Is the New Black
"I binge-watched Orange Is the New Black very early on in lockdown and bizarrely it provided the perfect escapism. Things can always be worse right?"
Where to watch: Netflix
23. The Haunting of Bly Manor
"It had been a while since I fell completely in love with a new show like I did with The Haunting of Bly Manor. From the characters to the love stories, it was a beautiful series. In 2020, it was great to watch a show about unconditional love and found family. My friends and I all enjoyed Bly Manor, so it was great to connect over our mutual love for the au pair and the gardener's love story."
Where to watch: Netflix
24. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"I finally made the commitment to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer this year and I am so glad I did. The drama, the dialogue, the quick-witted and pop culture reference-heavy way Buffy, Willow, and Xander talk is so entertaining. Buffy has quickly become my favorite TV show and Buffy is my favorite protagonist of all time. Every villain or challenge the Scooby Gang fights presents such unique character situations and twists and turns. It has TOTALLY become my comfort show. Seriously don’t know what I’m going to do with myself when I finish."
Where to watch: Hulu
25. Saturday Night Live
"I’ve watched a lot of SNL this year, whether it's old clips or new clips. It keeps me laughing in these dark times. Plus, Kate McKinnon makes everything better!"
26. Normal People
"I’ve probably watched the series about eight times this year because it’s so open with its depiction of mental health struggles. I also really identified with both Connell and Marianne because they were both trying to find where they fit in and as a recent college grad, that’s something I’ve been struggling with."
Where to watch: Hulu
27. Insecure
"I binge-watched and caught up right when Season 4 aired and I looked forward to my little escape. I'm so ready for the next season!"
Where to watch: HBO Max
28. Criminal Minds
"I have watched episodes randomly in the past and never really going in order. So I decided to finally watch it from the beginning and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made this year! I have to keep talking myself out of doing it again!"
Where to watch: Netflix
29. Euphoria
"Even though it only has one season so far, it was a nice escape for a little while. Also it's 100% a show you can watch over and over again."
Where to watch: HBO Max
30. Wynonna Earp
"This year has been rough in quarantine, but this show is filled with wit, humor, women who kick ass, and great LGBTQ representation. The fans are amazing and they have created a community of kindness and acceptance, which is something that was so comforting, especially with everything going on in the world."
Where to watch: Netflix
31. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"I started Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in January and it was the perfect show for quarantine. It’s got a little bit of everything: action, romance, humor, great villains, and wild plots. It was just the right amount of wildness to make our world’s problems not seem so bad."
Where to watch: Netflix
32. Ugly Betty
"Why did I not know how good Ugly Betty was? Thanks, 2020, I guess. You were good for something."
Where to watch: Hulu
33. The West Wing
"In 2020, this show can inspire and give hope. It is one of the best TV shows out there."
Where to watch: Netflix (until Dec. 21, 2020)
34. Teen Wolf
"I watched it so many times and it helped so much with my mental health. The show has a unique way of helping me and I love how it's not only about the supernatural world but the real world too. I'm emotionally connected to almost every character on the show and I would trade this show for the world."
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
35. Sense8
"I rewatched it for the millionth time this year because I needed the positivity and beautiful cinematography of this severely underrated series. It made me feel like I could handle anything because I had Sun, Nomi, Riley, Kala, Wolfgang, Capheus, Will, and Lito with me."
Where to watch: Netflix
36. The 100
"Definitely The 100. I started it back in May and just finished the last season on Netflix. The show definitely had its ups and downs but it was so immersive and had such beautifully written characters that were so easy to get invested in. It was a really nice escape from reality and made me forget about all the shit going on in the real world."
Where to watch: Netflix
37. One Tree Hill
"One Tree Hill was my major binge-watch for the year. I immersed myself in the universe it created and forgot about everything else. I mean it has comedy, drama, teenage angst, and quite a lot of wild plot lines, so it’s overall a fun binge-watch."
Where to watch: Hulu
38. Superstore
39. Doctor Who
"My husband and I finally started Doctor Who, from the 2005 revival on. It was a show we always both felt like we’d like but it had so many seasons that we didn’t know where to find the time, but 2020 sure solved that problem! The adventures provide a great escape and the theme of empathy that runs through the series has definitely been an uplifting part of this year."
Where to watch: HBO Max
40. Steven Universe
"This beautifully animated cartoon is both joyful for kids and insightful for adults. When I watch Steven Universe, I escape from 2020 but still learn about myself through the show's subtle, yet complex, themes of grief, sexuality, violence, and more."
Where to watch: Hulu
41. And finally, Supernatural
"It’s such an amazing show filled with so many memorable characters and storylines. Finding this show has honestly been one of the best things to come out of this year."
Where to watch: Netflix
We can't fit every show on one list, so what other TV shows got you through 2020? Tell us in the comments below!
Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.