GRACE AND FRANKIE (Netflix)
Age was nothing but a number for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, the dynamic duo at the center of Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris’s comedy—and the obvious winners of the “TV casts we’d most like to share a bottle of wine with” award.
POSE (FX)
The category is: uncategorizable. FX’s period drama broke barriers with style, enlisting a remarkably diverse creative team and a record-setting number of trans cast members to dramatize New York’s ballroom scene in the era of Reagan (and Bush the First).
YOUNGER (Paramount+)
The immortal Sutton Foster anchored Darren Star’s winningly high-concept sitcom about a 40-something divorcée who disguises herself as a millennial to get a job in book publishing. Our only complaint is that the show didn’t find more excuses for Foster to sing and/or dance.
THE BOLD TYPE (Freeform)
Mix Sex and the City with The Devil Wears Prada, add a big slug of Gen Z earnestness, plunk it all down in a Toronto masquerading as New York, and voilà—you have The Bold Type, Freeform’s most sweetly beguiling confection. At least we’ll always have The Dot Com.
KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS (E!)
Twenty seasons, 10 official spin-offs, umpteen tabloid headlines, and infinite selfies later, Kris Jenner’s potent kreation—the primordial ooze from which arguably all influencer culture emerged—has finally been laid to rest. You’ve done amazing, sweetie.
MOM (CBS)
After Anna Faris’s Christy departed last season, Chuck Lorre’s family sitcom became more of an ensemble show about her character’s old AA pals—though it was still dominated by the venerable Allison Janney, who has won two Emmys for playing Christy’s mother, Bonnie.
BOSCH (Amazon)
Don’t weep for Titus Welliver, who plays Bosch’s titular hard-boiled detective. Though the original mystery series is kaput at Amazon, IMDb TV is already plotting a spin-off centered on…Bosch. One more, and we’ll have ourselves a triptych.
KIM’S CONVENIENCE (Netflix)
This warm Canadian import about a squabbling family’s screwball antics has filled the Schitt’s Creek-shaped hole in many a viewer’s heart—and serves as a fine introduction to star Simu Liu, soon to play the title character in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
AMERICAN GODS (Starz)
A pantheon of experienced showrunners—four over the course of three tumultuous seasons—couldn’t quite crack this adaptation of the novel by Neil Gaiman, who has said the show ended at “the single most frustrating, upsetting, and maddening place.”
WYNONNA EARP (Syfy)
Conventional wisdom is that audiences aren’t into Westerns these days…unless, apparently, they’re full of supernatural high jinks and refreshingly nonpandering queer romances. Wynonna’s die-hard fans will be so sorry to see her go.
SHRILL (Hulu)
Aidy Bryant was sorely missed on Saturday Night Live last fall, but she was playing hooky for a good reason: executive producing and starring in this Hulu gem based on Lindy West’s memoir, which grew more rewarding in each of its three seasons.
JUDGE JUDY (Syndicated)
The verdict is in: Judy Sheindlin, the highest-paid host on TV, is hanging up her robes after 25 seasons. But she won’t be going far. IMDb TV has also picked up a follow-up reality court show starring Sheindlin that’s called—wait for it—Judy Justice.
THE KOMINSKY METHOD (Netflix)
On another Chuck Lorre half hour, Michael Douglas spent three amusing seasons playing an aging former actor who is, let’s be clear, much less successful than Michael Douglas. The inviting premise drew a slew of guest stars from Jay Leno to Patti LaBelle.
SUPERSTORE (NBC)
What started as a gentle redo of a tried-and-true formula—it’s The Office at a suburban big box emporium!—gradually morphed into a surprisingly sharp critique of labor relations in the age of late capitalism, with jokes. Talk about reaching across the aisle.
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