2021 Year In Review :: Favorite Television

As I mentioned in my movie roundup, I have a lot of kids, so a lot of my time is spent with kids. That doesn’t always leave a lot of time for other watchings, but here are three televisionings that really stuck out to me this year.

Like last year, my “favorite television” list includes Ted Lasso and Joe Pera. As I wrote last year, both shows were (for me), a shot of much-needed positivity.

But, to be honest, the show that stood out the most for me this year was a bit darker. Midnight Mass on Netflix captivated me on so levels. Regardless of what you think of vampire stories (SPOILER), this is a powerful allegory about spiritual abuse which is unfortunately quite timely.

Ted Lasso:

Midnight Mass:

Joe Pera Talks With You:

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• Browse my favorite albums of the year

• Browse my “2021 Yearly Wrap-it-Up” which is really a ramble about seeing Phish

• Browse my favorite books of 2021

• Browse my favorite movies of 2021

• Browse my favorite television of 2021

• Listen to a nearly 5-hour very low quality mix of one song from each of my favorite albums of 2021 called “Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown”

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The Year of Positivity? Joe Pera and Ted Lasso Were The Television We Needed In 2020

As I mentioned in my 2020 year-end wrap-up, my year in television was marked by two shows in particular: Joe Pera Talks With You, and Ted Lasso. The two shows are quite different; Pera is quiet, even somewhat subdued; quirky and endearing.

The awkward but sincere Pera makes his way through life and relationships as a Junior High School choir instructor. Pera’s sense of wonder and sincere niceness brought and endearing positivity to an otherwise oppressive year. I want that joy Joe finds at “discovering” The Who’s “Baba O'riley.” I want to think the best of people, which is the thread tying these two shows together.

Ted Lasso tells the tale of an American “football” coach who is brought to England to coach European football (soccer). An edgier, more foul-mouthed show, Lasso’s namesake character is definitely more animated that the subdued Pera, but Lasso shares Pera’s seemingly endless ability to not only think the best of people but to practice forgiveness.

It is striking to me that in a year as heavy as 2020 was, two of the best television shows trafficked in positivity, niceness and forgiveness. Both shows are not only genuinely funny and wore their positive outlooks without flinching from the sadness of life or becoming preachy.

Watch the Joe Pera Talks With You Season 2 trailer:

Watch the Ted Lasso series trailer:

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• Visit Joe Pera’s page at Cartoon Network

• Visit Ted Lasso’s page at Apple TV

• Read my 2020 Year-End Television year-end wrap-up

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2020 Year-End Television

With 8 kids, I don’t really get the chances to keep up with television the way that some of you do. That’s not a complaint, just an observation. Because, after all, I am a grown-ass adult and I will make time to watch what is important to me.

With that having been said, there were two television shows that really stood out to me this year. In a year as bleak as 2020, it does not go unnoticed on me that my two favorite television shows of the year both carried themes of positivity with them.

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Joe Pera Talks With You, Season 02:

Joe’s awkward but calming presence was just what we needed going in to the final year of the white power president’s administration. And his child-like joy at “discovering” ‘Baba O'Riley’ by the Who is television at its best. No, really, the whole season is worth purchasing and that episode is a hightlight.

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• Visit Joe Pera’s page at Cartoon Network

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Ted Lasso (Season 01):

Apple TV finds their breakout show with the disarmingly positive Ted Lasso. An American “football” coach is brought to England to coach European “football” and surprisingly heartwarming hilarity ensues.

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• Visit Ted Lasso’s page at Apple TV

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