The Best TV Series of 2021 is based on the TV series that we have reviewed on Power of Pop in 2021. As mentioned in our Best Films of 2021 piece, the quality and quantity of TV series has been rising in recent times – thanks to popularity of streaming platforms – and of course, the global pandemic compelling most people to stay indoors. Thus, overall, TV series were stronger than films in storytelling and characterisations.
Here we go! The Best TV Series of 2021 (in alphabetical order) –
American Crime Story: Impeachment is the the third season of the true-life crime FX TV drama anthology series. This season revolves around the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and is based on the book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President by Jeffrey Toobin.
Dopesick is an American drama miniseries created by Danny Strong based on the nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy. Over a series of eight episodes, Dopesick focuses on the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction across the U.S., and specifically the drug OxyContin.
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 is the fourth season of a dystopian alternate-historical drama TV series based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name. In this alternate history, the USA has been taken over by hardcore fundamental religious fanatics and renamed as Gilead. In Gilead, women have become the property of men once more as the nation is ruled by theocratic patriarchy.
Hellbound is a South Korean dark horror fantasy streaming television series directed by Yeon Sang-ho, based on his own webtoon of the same name. Yeon, of course, is the film-maker behind the hit zombie flick Train to Busan and its sequel, Peninsula. Consisting of six episodes, season 1 introduces viewers to the basic premise of Hellbound, and the several characters caught up in its events.
Invincible is an animated superhero action-adventure TV drama streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The series is based on the Image Comic of the same name, created by writer Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and artist Cory Walker.
Midnight Mass is an American supernatural horror streaming television miniseries created and directed by Mike Flanagan. Horror fans would be familiar with Flanagan’s recent work with the Doctor Sleep movie, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor Netflix series.
Rick and Morty Season 5 is the fifth season in this scifi fantasy action-adventure animated sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon. The series follows the misadventures of cynical mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his good-hearted but fretful grandson Morty Smith, who split their time between domestic life and inter-dimensional adventures.
Squid Game Season 1 is the first season of a South Korean survival drama streaming television series written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. The nine-episode series, starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo and Wi Ha-joon, tells the story of a group of people who risk their lives in a mysterious survival game with a ₩45.6 billion (US$38.7 million) prize. It was released worldwide on September 17, 2021 by Netflix and has been a popular hit for the streaming platform.
The Expanse is a science fiction streaming TV drama series developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, based on the series of novels of the same name by James S. A. Corey. James S.A. Corey the joint pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Thus far, there have been nine books in The Expanse novel series since 2011 and is due to be concluded with Leviathan Falls in 2021.
The Silent Sea is a South Korean science-fiction horror TV drama series streaming on Netflix. The series is an adaptation from the 2014 short film The Sea of Tranquility written and directed by Choi Hang-yong, who also directed the series.
The Best TV Series of 2021 indicates that streaming TV is thriving and we can expect further excellence in 2022. Can hardly wait!
… still there’s more …