Top 77 Television and Streaming Video Series of 2019

ey, my gazpacho soup is heah

the will forte airplane sketch is another favorite, but i'm a sucker for will forte

https://i.imgur.com/Fg4jzqF.jpg
#3 - Barry (HBO) - 160 points, 17 votes

Bill Hader in HBO's Barry

Barry on HBO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir1_hjemxNA

good show

I appreciated that the ronny/lily episode of Barry showed up the massively hyped GoT episode that aired directly before it.

lol yes, that was an excellent moment in programming synergy

I Think You Should Leave was the funniest show of the year, the only one that made me laugh in truly unexpected ways.

gonna wrap this up before 5. Any thoughts on your top two and margin of victory?

watched s1 of barry, thought it was ok but the HBO antihero bullshit was starting to make me feel queasy, so i didn't watch s2

LetterKenny #1 lets gooooo

Russian Doll & Fleabag surely

I'm guessing Watchmen came this low because it's on HBO and so lots of folks are actually priced out of watching it. I waited until I was at my parents house and then binged it in a week. Somehow missed the nom or I would have put it over "Kingdom." The idea of "prestige TV drama" is so highly overrated -- I feel like these shows are always things I experience more as "this is objectively well-made and thus merits my attention" while Watchmen I really wanted to, well, watch, which I guess answers that question.

Joe Pera robbed of its rightful #1 spot.

yup

Oh then again Barry is on HBO too! (Which is why I've never seen it except on the plane. But to be honest I experience it as exactly the kind of show I refer to above; everybody in it acts really well, the lines are well-written, I just -- find it easy to walk away from.)

Shows I have never seen and am truly excited to watch based on descriptions here, so far: Lodge 49, Joe Pera

Excited for you, eephus!

yeah excited about those two, too. I just tried On Cinema but noped out pretty quickly.

really you have to discover On Cinema via a YouTube rabbithole

Like Brad said, it's kind of boring, but sticking with it pays off so well on so many occasions. It is a big commitment though.

https://i.imgur.com/dchgv4a.jpg
#2 - Fleabag (Amazon) - 185 points, 19 votes

Fleabag

Fleabag on Amazon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX2ViKQFL_k

https://i.imgur.com/NHkWVKf.jpg
#1 - Russian Doll (Netflix) - 260 points, 25 votes

“Happy Birthday Baby!” Talk about Russian Doll on Netflix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jRh2PRa1tU

Russian Doll on Netflix

”Russian Doll: What to Read About the Hit Netflix Series”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHcKoAMGGvY

1 - Russian Doll (Netflix) - 260 points, 25 votes
2 - Fleabag (Amazon) - 185 points, 19 votes
3 - Barry (HBO) - 160 points, 17 votes
4 - Chernobyl (HBO) - 153 points, 16 votes
5 - Mindhunter (Netflix) - 145 points, 15 votes
6 - On Cinema at the Cinema (Adult Swim) - 145 points, 14 votes
7 (Tie) - Succession (HBO) - 135 points, 14 votes
7 (Tie) - Joe Pera Talks With You (Adult Swim) - 135 points, 14 votes
9 - I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix) - 130 points, 13 votes
10 - What We Do in Shadows (FX) - 123 points, 13 votes
11 - Watchmen (HBO) - 120 points, 13 votes
12 - Schitt's Creek (Pop US) - 101 points, 11 votes
13 - Stranger Things (Netflix) - 100 points, 10 votes
14 - BoJack Horseman (Netflix) - 90 points, 10 votes
15 - Lodge 49 (AMC) - 90 points, 9 votes
16 (Tie) - Glow (Netflix) - 85 points, 11 votes
16 (Tie) - The Mandalorian (Disney +) - 85 points, 11 votes
18 - Killing Eve (BBC America/BBC) - 80 points, 8 votes
19 - Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 (Netflix) - 70 points, 6 votes
20 – The Righteous Gemstones (HBO) - 68 points, 9 votes
21 - When They See Us (Netflix) - 65 points, 7 votes
22 - Unbelievable (Netflix) - 65 points, 6 votes
23 - Veep (HBO) - 63 points, 10 votes
24 - Last Week Tonight (HBO) - 60 points, 8 votes
25 - Great British Bake Off (Channel 4, Netflix) - 60 points, 7 votes
26 (Tie) - Sex Education (Netflix) - 60 points, 6 votes
26 (Tie) - True Detective (HBO) - 60 points, 6 votes
26 (Tie) - Years and Years (BBC, HBO) - 60 points, 6 votes
29 - Jeopardy (ABC) - 58 points, 7 votes
30 - Catastrophe (Amazon) - 55 points, 7 votes
31 - Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) - 50 points, 5 votes
32 (Tie) - ContraPoints (YouTube) - 45 points, 6 votes
32 (Tie) - Dark (Netflix) - 45 points, 6 votes
32 (Tie) - Derry Girls (Channel 4, Netflix) - 45 points, 6 votes
32 (Tie) - High Maintenance (HBO) - 45 points, 6 votes
36 - Broad City (Comedy Central) - 45 points, 5 votes
37 (Tie) - Corporate (Comedy Central) - 41 points, 6 votes
37 (Tie) - Pen15 (Hulu) - 41 points, 6 votes
39 - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) - 40 points, 6 votes
40 (Tie) - Desus and Mero (Showtime) - 40 points, 5 votes
40 (Tie) - Gentleman Jack (BBC, HBO) - 40 points, 5 votes
40 (Tie) - The Expanse (Amazon) - 40 points, 5 votes
43 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX) - 40 points, 4 votes
44 - Silicon Valley (HBO) - 38 points, 5 votes
45 - The Good Place (NBC) - 35 points, 5 votes
46 (Tie) - Kingdom (Netflix) - 33 points, 4 votes
46 (Tie) - Stath Lets Flats (Channel 4) - 33 points, 4 votes
48 (Tie) - Game of Thrones (HBO) - 30 points, 4 votes
48 (Tie) - Pose (FX) - 30 points, 4 votes
48 (Tie) - The Dragon Prince (Netflix) - 30 points, 4 votes
48 (Tie) - Tuca and Bertie (Netflix) - 30 points, 4 votes
48 (Tie) - Veronica Mars (Hulu) - 30 points, 4 votes
53 (Tie) - 63 Up (ITV, UK) - 30 points, 3 votes
53 (Tie) - Bosch (Amazon) - 30 points, 3 votes
53 (Tie) - Euphoria (HBO) - 30 points, 3 votes
53 (Tie) - Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (BBC) - 30 points, 3 votes
53 (Tie) - Queer Eye (Netflix) - 30 points, 3 votes
53 (Tie) - Repair Shop (BBC, Netflix) - 30 points, 3 votes
53 (Tie) - The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix) - 30 points, 3 votes
53 (Tie) - This Time with Alan Partridge (BBC) - 30 points, 3 votes
61 - SB Nation's Chart Party (YouTube) - 28 points, 5 votes
62 (Tie) - Documentary Now! (IFC, stream on Netflix) - 28 points, 4 votes
62 (Tie) - Ramy (Hulu) - 28 points, 4 votes
64 (Tie) - Brockmire (IFC, stream on Hulu) - 25 points, 4 votes
64 (Tie) - His Dark Materials (HBO) - 25 points, 4 votes
66 (Tie) - Big Mouth (Netflix) - 25 points, 3 votes
66 (Tie) - Dear White People (Netflix) - 25 points, 3 votes
66 (Tie) - Rick and Morty (Adult Swim, stream on Hulu) - 25 points, 3 votes
66 (Tie) - The Boys (Amazon) - 25 points, 3 votes
66 (Tie) - Truthpoint (Adult Swim, Stream on YouTube) - 25 points, 3 votes
71 - Infinity Train (Cartoon Network, stream on web) - 25 points, 2 votes
72 - The Witcher (Netflix) - 20 points, 4 votes
73 - Jessica Jones (Netflix) - 20 points, 3 votes
74 (Tie) - GeoWizard's Mission Across Wales (YouTube) - 20 points, 2 votes
74 (Tie) - Ainori Love Wagon: Asian Journey (Netflix) - 20 points, 2 votes
74 (Tie) - Nailed It! (Netflix US) - 20 points, 2 votes
74 (Tie) - Too Old To Die Young (Amazon) - 20 points, 2 votes
79 (Tie) - The OA (Netflix) – 18 points, 3 votes
79 (Tie) - Undone (Amazon) – 18 points, 3 votes
81 (tie) - Better Things (FX) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - Black Spot (Netflix) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - Legion (FX) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - Mum (BBC2) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - Rhythm & Flow (Netflix) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - The Crown (Netflix) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - Yorkshire Walks (BBC) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - Kiwami Japan (YouTube) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - Tantacrul on Music (YouTube) – 15 points, 2 votes
81 (tie) - VideoGameDunkey (YouTube) – 15 points, 2 votes
91 - Star vs the Forces of Evil (Hulu) – 15 points, 1 vote
92 (tie) - A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix) - 13 points, 2 votes
92 (tie) - LetterKenny (Hulu) - 13 points, 2 votes
92 (tie) - Mr. In-Between (FX) - 13 points, 2 votes
92 (tie) - The Other Two (Comedy Central) - 13 points, 2 votes
92 (tie) - I Did a Thing (YouTube) - 13 points, 2 votes
97 (tie) - Blown Away (Netflix) – 10 points, 2 votes
97 (tie) - Jett (Cinemax) - 10 points, 2 votes

Thanks much to Moka for the killer imagery! Happy viewing!

I was shuffling through the link brad provided upthread. this may be the Kyle Mooney divide where it's absolutely not my thing. xpost

oh Russian Doll small upset.

although i gave RD and Fleabag the same amount of points (with Terrace House and Schitts I think).

Yeah, I don't think I've said it so far in this poll but Moka's images are insane.

Thanks so much ulysses for running! This was extremely entertaining.

Thanks to forks (as long as he changes the points system next time lol) and Moka!

Top two a combination of probably not for me and definitely not for me, but the masses have spoken

There are literally hundreds of episodes of the various series and films and specials and projects that make up the On Cinema At The Cinema universe - one definitely can't get a feel for it by watching a few minutes of a few episodes out of order. (it's also definitely not going to be plenty of people's thing.)

big ups to forks and Moka

yay for russian doll! also fleabag!

good shows!

What Russian Doll and Watchmen have in common is that you watch 2/3 of it and love it, partly because of the ever-heightening madness of the setup, and you say to yourself "there's no way they can bring this to a satisfying conclusion" and in both cases the show completely comes through.

there's a particular intensity to some of the family scenes w/Fleabag that is pretty unexpected but really great, and the jokes are generally all very good. her relationship w/her sister on the show could have been very simplistic but it's not, it's very complicated and moving and devastating. Olivia Colman turning her charm into this narcissistic low-level sociopathy is something to watch too.

I know this is tired advice, but if yer starting on L49, give it 2-3 eps to develop. It's super odd but it grows steadily on you.

the good trick the show manages it making Fleabag's behavior understandable from all perspectives, in that where it comes from is a place of pain and guilt and tragedy and we sympathize deeply, while making it obvious why people are repelled by her actions.

I can never get over how beautifully structured Fleabag s2 is

Thanks for running the poll forks and moka for the images. plenty to check out here

I wish I'd said so from the start but Russian Doll was precisely what I expected to win the day, from the time forks first proposed the poll. Not my personal #1 but very close.

I've only seen maybe an episode or two so far but I Think You Should Leave is the first sketch show to make me feel old inasmuch as I could kinda see why people think it's great but felt like its greatness kinda went over my head. Or something. Some very funny moments but it felt like it was made more for the whippersnappers overall.

Thank u forks and moka! Great and fun poll, would rewatch.

Props to the poll runners! This was fun.

yes, muchas gracias to the poll-runners.

moka, props as always for the images, and forks, i'll never forgive you for making me think for half a second that itysl wouldn't make it.

I am bemused by the Broadcast reference re Lodge 49 but maybe it manifests more in S2

there is one absolutely incredible broadcast drop in season 2, but even the non-broadcast songs throughout have a similar sensibility

It really is amazing how dull that trailer makes the presumably entertaining Barry look.

Broadcast opens and closes Lodge 49 Season 1 iirc (last song in both the premiere and in the finale?)

but yeah a *lot* of the music (much of it unfamiliar to me) is clearly in "Trish Keenan mixtape" territory

hm wait no the last song in season 1 is that Nuggets deep cut... does Broadcast open season 2? maybe that's what I'm thinking of

Really liked s1 of Barry, champing at the bit to see s2 given the good things I've heard but the end of the first got too dark for my gf so that can keeps getting kicked down the road, unfortch.

I watched Barry after hanging up on season two of Handmaid's and only making it through 2 episodes of Big Little Lies. It was such a relief to watch something so much better.

Maaaan, just now noticed that The OA fell just shy of showing up in the top 77. What a rip. Gotta do the movements and transport myself to a better universe now.

Weird thing about The OA -- I would never claim that this is an objectively good show but all the same I enjoyed the second season, stupidity and all!