2020 might not have been the iconic year many people around the world though it would be, in fact, its been quite the opposite. However, the one silver lining of 2020 is that there seems to be an onslaught of new television shows that premiered that have kept people entertained in these trying times.
From Netflix docuseries about crazy Tiger people and hardcore college cheerleaders to musical dramedies and a brand new children’s cartoon, 2020 doesn’t discriminate when it comes to television genres and topics. Chances are if you’ve been quarantining at home, you’ve watched at least one of these shows that premiered earlier this year.
Tiger King (Netflix) – 7.6
Released on Netflix in March, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness became the go-to show for people to binge why they settled into their “two-week” quarantine. The documentary miniseries focused on the life of Joe Exotic, a man who bread big cats for his own personal collection.
Tiger King was a massive hit and was reportedly watched by 34.3 million during the first ten days of its release. It has since become a pop culture sensation and one of the show’s star’s Carole Baskins went on to participate on Dancing with the Stars.
High Fidelity (Hulu) – 7.6
Released in February of 2020 on Hulu, High Fidelity is based on the 1995 Nick Hornby novel and film of the same name. Unlike the novel and film, the series gender-swapped the main character with Zoë Kravitz landing the role of Rob, the owner of a vinyl store who is hung up on her ex-boyfriends.
Despite being well received by critics and audiences, Hulu felt the show did not gain enough attention and decided to cancel the series after only one season.
Teenage Bounty Hunters (Netflix) – 7.7
Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters is one of the newest shows to land on the list of best shows to premiere in 2020. The teen dramedy series centers on Sterling and April, two twin sisters who are ordinary high schoolers by day and kickass bounty hunters by night.
The series premiered in August of 2020 and quickly landed a spot in Netflix’s top ten. Though ratings are unclear, critics seem to like the show which has fans hopeful that the series will receive a second season especially since the show left many questions unanswered.
The Owl House (Disney Channel) – 7.7
While The Walt Disney Company may be struggling in all other facets of the company in 2020, they did manage to create a hit Disney Channel animated fantasy series with the release of The Owl House. The series centers on Luz, a teenager who befriends a witch named Eda after falling into a portal that transported her to a magical realm.
The series has been a massive hit for audiences of all ages and was even renewed for a second season before the first season began airing. In addition, the series has been hailed for its LGTBQ characters and storylines.
Never Have I Ever (Netflix) – 7.9
Never Have I Ever premiered at the end of April on Netflix and instantly became a fan favorite. the series follows Devi, a sophomore in high school who has decided to rebrand herself and her two best friends in the hopes that they’ll finally be cool. In order to do this, Devi decides she needs to hook up with the it boy at school but things get complicated when Devi’s childhood arch-nemesis comes into the picture too.
The series is created by Mindy Kaling who drew from her old childhood experiences when creating the show. Never Have I Ever has been renewed for a second season so now is the time to catch up.
Love, Victor (Hulu) – 8.1
Originally supposed to premiere on Disney+, Love, Victor instead found on a home on Hulu. Set in the Love, Simon universe, Love, Victor focuses on Victor Salazar, a teenager who, on top of moving to a new school is also trying to figure out his sexuality while living in the confines of his traditional Latinx family.
The series quickly became a hit with Hulu claiming it was their most-watched drama series the week it premiered. Given the series’ success its no surprise that Love, Victor got renewed for a second season.
Cheer (Netflix) – 8.2
Tiger King was the only docuseries dominating people’s lives in the early part of 2020, Cheer also made its way into the homes of millions to become one of the most-watched and best-rated shows of 2020. The docu-series followed the real lives of a junior college competitive cheer team located in Corsicana, Texas.
The show gained popularity soon after it premiered and the star members of the team even went on a press tour to promote the show. The series was also nominated for six Emmys in 2020, taking home three. Unfortunately, the show has been under criticism after one of the star members was arrested on child pornography charges.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC) – 8.2
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is the only broadcast show to make the list but it certainly has earned a spot on the list of best new shows of 2020. The series centers on Zoey Clarke (Jane Levy), a computer coder who has an accident that leads her to be able to hear people’s innermost thoughts through songs.
The series became a massive hit with people tuning in each week to find out which popular songs the show would cover each week. It’s not all song and dance for this series though, there is a very emotional arc explored thanks to Zoey’s father’s progressive supranuclear palsy diagnosis.
Julie And The Phantoms (Netflix) – 8.4
Premiering at the start of September, it didn’t take long for Julie and the Phantoms to win over viewers’ hearts to become one of the highest-rated new shows of 2020. This teen musical drama series follows Julie, a young teenager who has given up singing after her mother’s passing. However, when Julie accidentally summons three dead members of the 90s band Sunset Curve, Julie’s life begins to change for the better.
Executive produced by Kenny Ortega, the series is the perfect show for fans of Ortega’s other works like High School Musical and Descendants. The series continues to earn high praise which has fans hoping that it will be renewed for a second season.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) – 8.7
Apple TV+ is one of the newest streaming services out and they’ve proven to churn out incredible series like Ted Lasso, which is currently the highest-rated new show of 2020. The series is created by Jason Sudeikis, who also stars in the series as the title character of Ted Lasso.
The series was inspired by a character Sudekikis played in several promotional pieces for NBC’s coverage of the Premier League. The series has already been renewed for a second season which just proves how amazing it really is.
