The Best TV Shows of 2019

In the larger scheme of things, this is very much not a problem. But what if there’s too much good TV? Last year alone, nearly 500 scripted shows were released, 85 percent more TV than aired in 2011. And that’s not even counting reality TV. Given the fact that we’ve got literally hundreds of options to choose from, it’s hard to decide what shows to award our limited TV watching time. So here’s a list that will help you narrow the field. Two of the best shows of the year were Netflix’s true crime limited series Unbelievable and When They See Us, important and harrowing tales each taking a deep dive into a real-life miscarriage of justice. They’re not easy watching, but each tells a complete story in no more than eight episodes, so they’re ideal for anyone who’s not looking to make a multi-season commitment.

But if you’ve got the time to dive into a long running series, two era-defining shows, Game of Thrones and Orange is the New Black, sang their swan songs in 2019, after eight and seven seasons respectively. Sure, Game of Thrones’ final episodes weren’t the show’s best—but if you got through the first seven seasons, you pretty much have to see how it all ends. And while prestige dramas have gotten so much attention, 2019 was pretty great for sitcoms, too. Hulu’s Pen15 brought junior high to life in all of its horror and hilarity and Schitt’s Creek remains one of the best shows on TV, period. And cult gem like What We Do in the Shadows is so bizarrely funny and sweet that it deserves a much wider audience. Check out the full list below.