Well, here we are once again. The last media-based thingy I did in 2020 - watched TV. I know you've probably got places to be today, so let's just get it over with, shall we?
| Animaniacs |
Animaniacs 2020 had no business being as good as it was. Sure the animation is a little less fluid and lively as the originals, some of the vocal chords of its main cast have been subject to the effects of age, and only Pinky and the Brain returned to front the skits alongside the Warners, but none of this was enough to dampen Animaniacs 2020's ace in the hole - it's writing.
The jokes are just as funny and irreverent as ever, with pop culture references tossed about a dime a dozen, the majority of which will be completely lost on children despite this being a "kid's show", when it is quite clear the original fans are the main audience.
So much love and respect for the original series is present in this short first season, and judging from reviews they may hopefully be renewed past the second season due to air next year.
Truly, this is a treat to end all treats.
Should I watch it? Fans of the original series would be foolish to pass it up, whereas newcomers have a chance to see what they've been missing out on this past near-three decades.
| Chernobyl |
It took me a year but I finally watch it, and I thought it was pretty fuckin' good. For some reason I'm super obsessed with anything that involves the dangers of nukes and radiation (maybe it's a Godzilla thing) so I already knew a lot of the details of the actual event, and was therefore pretty impressed at how faithful the writers stayed to the truth. It was harrowing, grim, depressing, and intense, with just the right amount of comedy sprinkled in to prevent viewers from being in an absolute slump following each episode. Fantastic job all round.
Bit weird to include the scene of the naked Russian dudes though, as this apparently never happened, but it is HBO. Gotta have some shlong for the punters.
Should I watch it? I'd be amazed if anyone other than myself who wanted to see it hasn't yet.
| Close Enough |
I watched the first episode and came to the conclusion that Close Enough is awwite, so I stuck around for a second episode and things just seemed to improve from there.
It feels very Regular Show which certainly isn't a bad thing and is welcomed in open arms, though what really helps it stand on its own and escape being just another clone of a successful premise a creator has once and then milks for all it's worth (here's looking at you, McFarlane) is that the dynamics are changed up radically with characters having completely different journeys and goals they adhere to.
I'd maybe even argue that Close Enough is a continuation of Regular Show in that the characters in it perhaps are the Regular Show cast grown up and with more adult responsibilities and world views now, at least in the case of Josh who is definitely a more family oriented Mordecai, though as both are essentially an extension series creator J.G. Quintel, that is a given.
It's also a little jarring to see the show featuring drug use, sex, and bad language given it initially looks and feels so much like Regular Show, but you get over it.
Should I watch this? Even if you weren't big on Regular Show I'd say at least give it a go - maybe jump straight into episode two to play it safe, too.
| Cursed Films |
I actually ended up subscribing to Shudder because of this. A nice wee miniseries that covers the "curses" of a number of infamous films including The Exorcist and The Crow, which brings a very human and rational angle to each film's mythos.
These are films and tales most horror fans will already know in fine detail, so it was nice to experience some additional details from people present at the time of the events, many of whom seem to have contributed to the series to put the mutterings of curses to rest, and do so in many cases through tears - the laddie who worked on the ill-fated Twilight Zone movie being a notable example.
Interesting, engaging, and with great respect to the victims, this is well worth a watch for any horror fan.
Should I watch it? It's only five episodes long, and you can try Shudder free for a week to give it a go, so yes.
| The Haunting of Bly Manor |
I don't think once when talking about this show I got the title right. For a while I was calling it Haunting at Bry Manor. I had the same issue with Haunting of Hill House, I just could not get the most simple of names right. My brain is absolute wet toilet paper.
It's good though, it's not as scary as Hill House but that kinda helps it to stand apart, feeling more like a love story and a mystery that also happens to be about ghosts.
You could say that it is...perfectly splendid.
Should I watch it? Yis
| Highscore |
I spent a whole day in bed hungover and tanned the whole thing in in one sitting. It was pretty good, I liked all the pixel-art animations, and learnt some neat shit about events I thought I'd already learnt everything about. If you like videogames and hate hangovers, then this is the show for you.
Should I watch it? Videogames
| I'm Alan Partridge |
You thought The Mummy-thon from my Film write-up was bad?
A week.
I watched I'm Alan Partridge every night for a week. Sometimes the whole series in one day. And then I'd watch it again.
I just really don't let getting up to change the disc when I'm settled, and new shows on streaming services scare me. I am a man unhinged. Make reference to driving to Dundee in bare feet.
Spice World.
Should I watch it? Lynn I've pierced me foot on a spiiiiiike
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventures |
JoJo's is on Netflix now, which means I can watch them with ease rather than plugging my laptop into the TV to play my pirates copies because the PS4 won't pick up on them. It's a hard life, being a pirate.
I only ever got as far as season two when I initially started watching and got fucked off with my overly complicated viewing set up, but thanks to Netflix now trying to claw back their weeb market from Crunchyroll (good luck with that) I am happy to announce I've smashed the whole series in and I am finally up to date.
I now have a far better understanding and appreciation of JoJo memes, which in essence was my end game goal all along.
Colourful and dynamic, with gorgeous animations and battles that twist and turn with revelations to keep you hooked for episodes at a time, JoJo's is very, very good.
Should I watch it? If you're an absolute chump like me who has taken this long to watch it - then watch it.
| King of the Hill |
When lockdown restrictions were at their heaviest and I had literally nothing else going on, I put on season one of King of the Hill and did not stop until I reached the finale of season thirteen. And I tell ya hu'wat - I do not regret a damn thing.
How King of the Hill isn't as fondly remembered as its counterparts like the Simpsons or Family Guy or South Park is beyond me - it jumps the shark fairly early in the game with season 6's Returning Japanese episode, but even after this monumental shift in direction things remain somewhat grounded when compared to the stretching of reality seen in the likes of the Simpsons or Family Guy. For every episode about the gang having to hunt down a pack of emus, there is an episode exploring pride and attachment to your heritage and roots.
I think that's what makes King of the Hill so likable in the end - for all the gags and crazy capers, there is something so grounded and human about these characters and their lives, that no amount of antics used in order to bring back viewers can eclipse it.
Should I watch it? You really should, I tell ya hu'wat. Kept that quote to a minimum here, be proud.
| Neon Genesis Evangelion |
I like big robot fights that are also about feelings and stuff
Should I watch it? The robots represent the things and there is a penguin in the bathroom
| Red Dwarf |
Red Dwarf saw its first ever feature length special (let's not dredge up memories of Back to Earth where we can help it.) this year, entitled The Promised Land. I know the creators had been looking to make a film as far back as the early 90s so it was nice to see them finally have that dream become a reality, albeit in two parts on Dave.
The effects and the acting from the supporting cast was a little shaky which didn't really drill confidence into my initially, but once you get past the fact that this was not made in 1988 and the average age of the main cast is now 60 and focus on the story and the gags, Promised Land totally nails it.
It was funny, faithful, and well worth the wait for fans of Redders. As an added bonus too, they also launched a documentary miniseries on the history of the show, just to give us that one last bit of joy before we all fell back into the pit of despair that was 2020.
Should I watch it? That would be preferable, yes.
| Silicon Valley |
Silicon Valley is another of those shows where I've been telling myself for a long time I'll watch it, but never do. And then lockdown happened.
As always with these "I'll get round to it" shows, I was kicking myself when I finally tanned the whole thing in - as with all of his work Mike Judge manages to keep such a grounded and real feel to Silicon Valley despite placing his characters in absurd situations - though this may be because a lot of the absurd situations they find themselves in are amazingly sourced from real life events.
Silicon Valley is possibly one of the best shows to come out in the past few years and I think it's criminal more people haven't seen it, which is something I can say now that I have seen it literally just a few months ago myself.
Should I watch it? It's all wrapped up now and at only 6 seasons it's an easy binge - get on it!
| South Park |
South Park has been pretty hit and miss for the past half a decade, but the pandemic seems to have brought the best out in Matt and Trey, who have managed to tap into that old South Park magic with their hour long pandemic special.
Working under unusual circumstances is nothing new to the duo given that they give themselves a single week to create an episode from the ground up, however by trading in this tight schedule for new difficulties such as their entire team working remotely, The Pandemic Special feels much less rushed than their previous overly ambitious series, which y'know, is just swell.
If you've fallen off the South Park fandom in recent years, this may sway you back to them. If only just a little.
Should I watch it? You know what? Imma give it a yes
| Spectros |
It's shit.
Should I watch it? No
| Star Trek Deep Space Nine |
My housemate had never seen Deep Space Nine before, which gave me the perfect excuse to watch a lot of Deep Space Nine again this year.
See I grew up in a home where we accepted DS9 wasn't very good, we liked The Next Generation and Voyager (not sure how we came to that conclusion). Later in my adult life however I discovered that, actually, Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek, and I had been living a lie, nay, someone else's lie all of these years.
It is now my duty to travel the land and tell misguided folk the truth, sorta like a Christmas Carol deal but I just rock up and show you The Visitor episode and order us a Crazy Deal #3 from Luigi's Pizzas.
Should I watch it? Come on, you're busting my balls here. Don't make me beg.
| Tiger King |
I was in lockdown, I had access to the internet, and most importantly, I had a Netflix account - thus Tiger King was viewed.
There's not really much I can say on Tiger King that hasn't already been said, but I will say I really enjoyed it. It highlighted such a bizarre medley of misfits almost living in a sort've Wild West lifestyle, that just also happened to include tigers.
Barring a few people, I was also amazed at how everybody seemed to come away looking like a villain - there was barely anyone to root for, everyone was pretty trashy, and I am all about that.
Love that pointless jet ski scene, too.
Should I watch it? What, you haven't?
| What We Do in the Shadows |
I watched the first four episodes and really liked it - and have not watch anymore since.
No particular reason, I'm just lazy. So lazy in fact that I can't be bothered to load a show up to watch. This is the man who watched I'm Alan Partridge for a week straight because he couldn't be bothered to get up and change the disc.
Should I watch it? I did the same thing with Mandalorian. One episode left of season one, and I've still not watched it.
| Workaholics |
After I finished King of the Hill I needed something to to fill the propane shaped hole in my heart, so I put on Workaholics because I really wanted to watch that episode where the boys take shrooms in the office, which led to a Workaholics binge.
I thought it wouldn't be as funny as I remembered, but nah dude, it still slaps hard, there were so many stand out moment and episodes I'd completely blanked. Montez and his yoghurt man, classic stuff.
Should I watch it? It is pretty tight butthole, to be fair.
And so here we are, at the end once more. I hope you've all had fun reading about the media I ingested in 2020, and I hope you either agreed with things I had to say about things you've seen/heard/played too, and more importantly I hope you've gone away with a few ideas of things you'd like to check out. But here we go, let's get to the nitty gritty - what was the best show of 2020.
Winner - Animaniacs
By far my favourite TV thingy to come out of 2020. I don't think there was a single joke that didn't land for me, and in a world where pop culture references are being continually rammed down our throats, it's refreshing to see a show use them with a bit more impact, and a whole lot of meta. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm glad the thing that I like came back and is still really funny.
Runner-up - Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley shouldn't really be allowed a runner up position since its last season ended in 2019, but fuck it, I really liked it. It was good. This is my review. I'll do what I want.
Right fuck it then, there you all go, hope you've enjoyed reading my pieces and stuff. See you all next year x
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