No. 67 – “Squid Game”
Premiere Date: Sept 17, 2021 (2 seasons)
Netflix
Simply put, there has never been a non-English language series as popular in the United States (or the world, frankly) as Netflix’s “Squid Game.” Over (almost) three seasons, writer, director, and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk skewered society’s increasingly inhumane efforts to pit people against each other for the promise of millions of dollars. Through often stunning production design, Director Hwang saw the “have-nots” of Korea play to the death as the billionaire class watches in relative safety. At the center of it is Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a gambling addict who wins the game in the first season, but at great cost. When he returns years later in an attempt to destroy the game, he’s horrified that learning the truth means nothing to a new batch of contestants. Beyond some wonderful cliffhangers and a fantastic twist in season one, Director Hwang’s thriller highlights minorities that often don’t get significant screentime in Korean dramas, such as the elderly and trans individuals. The underrated second season was not as spectacular as the first, but the end of the game in season three could push “Squid Game” higher up the list 25 years from now.
No. 66 – “24”
Premiere Date: Nov 6, 2001 (9 seasons)
FOX
At first, the concept for “24” seemed like a gimmick destined to fail. One story, set over 24 hours, with each episode capturing one hour in that day? How could that be compelling with such narrative constraints? Show creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran figured out a way. With a racing clock appearing intermittently and continuing during the commercial breaks, they introduced Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, a counter terrorism agent (the show coincidentally began filming after Sept. 11) who finds himself attempting to thwart assassination attempts, the detonation of a nuclear bomb, framed for murder of the President of the United States, and stopping the mastermind of a slew of suicide bombings, among other life-changing events. The show peaked with season five, but the fact that Sutherland, his co-stars, and the writers were able to keep the tension so high, year after year, for that long, was genuinely incredible. Moreover, after an explosion in narrative content over the past decade, it’s a testament to the creativity of “24” that it took almost 25 years for anyone to come close to matching its episodic formula (in this case, “The Pitt”).
No. 65 – “The Queen’s Gambit”
Premiere Date: October 23, 2020 (limited series)
Netflix
No film or television show has ever made chess as sexy as “The Queen’s Gambit.” Adapted by Scott Frank from Walter Tevis‘ novel of the same name, the Netflix limited series follows Elizabeth Harmon (eventually Anya Taylor-Joy), a young orphan who is taught how to play the royal game by her orphanage’s custodian (Bill Camp). As she battles drug addiction brought on by a tranquilizer treatment as a child, Elizabeth uplifts herself from her lower-middle-class existence to find herself competing in a prestigious chess tournament being held in 1968 Moscow. The story may be slightly revisionist, and Elizabeth faces few obstacles because of her sex in a very misogynistic world, but Frank Frank’s screenplay and sumptuous direction make you want to believe you’re watching a true story unfold on screen. Taylor-Joy is utterly captivating, and Carlos Rafael Rivera‘s score is one of television’s best. The entire endeavor is among the best of escapist prestige television.
No. 64 – “My Brilliant Friend”
Premiere Date: Nov 18, 2018 (4 seasons)
HBO
Your favorite television critic’s favorite television show, “My Brilliant Friend,” chronicles the decades-long friendship of Lenu (Margherita Mazzucco, Alba Rohrwacher) and Lila (Gaia Girace, Irene Maiorino), two girls who grew up in a poor neighborhood in 1950s Naples, Italy. Adapted from Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels series by Saverio Costanzo (who also directed 14 of the 34 episodes), the subsequent seasons find the women taking different career and life paths while somehow still keeping that familiar bond. Beautifully shot with a triumphant score by Max Richter, the series is a portrait of a complex, competitive, but nuanced relationship that whether countless storms. A lifelong friendship rarely depicted on the big or small screen.
No. 63 – “Parks and Recreation”
Premiere Date: April 9, 2009 (7 seasons)
NBC
The first creatively successful mockumentary after “The Office,” Greg Daniels and Michael Schur’s comedy was set in the Parks Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. In charge, most of the time, is Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), a civil servant who dreams of dealing with more important issues than developing a massive pit or putting on a harvest festival. Assisting her, thwarting her, and, often, consoling her are a colorful batch of characters played by future stars Nick Offerman (as the iconic and unapologetic libertarian Ron Swanson), Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Adam Scott, Ben Schwartz, Aubrey Plaza, and some guy named Chris Pratt. The rare show that found more critical love as it progressed, “Parks and Recreation” exuded 2010s optimism with a touch of lingering Gen X snark thrown in for good measure. We can only imagine what Swanson would think of the world today.
No. 62 – “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst”
Premiere Date: Feb 8, 2015 (2 seasons)
HBO
It’s quite rare that a documentary, or documentary series, solves the murder it’s investigating, but Andrew Jarecki‘s “The Jinx” did all that and more in jaw-dropping fashion. Unspooling over six episodes, the series investigated the deaths of three women, in 1982, 2000, and 2001, respectively, tied to real estate heir Robert Durst. Throughout filming, new evidence was provided to Jarecki and his team regarding the 2000 murder of Susan Berman. Durst, who, believing in his innocence, stupidly participated in the project, was confronted by Jarecki in a second and final interview. Dismissing the evidence, Durst walks into the bathroom after the interview, unaware his microphone was still recording him and, well, confesses to all three crimes. Now, that’s the motherload for a documentary filmmaker. Released nine years later, the second season chronicles Durst’s subsequent trials as new witnesses come forward. His lack of participation in the project moving forward inherently diminished the follow-up, but the collective work is still one of the most captivating portraits of a killer ever put to screen.
No. 61 – “Modern Family”
Premiere Date: Sept 23, 2009 (11 seasons)
ABC
Perhaps the quintessential Obama era comedy, and the second major mockumentary success after “The Office,” “Modern Family” now feels like a dream of what many hoped America would be. Created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, the show followed three intertwined families, including all those kids, thriving in the LA suburbs. The patriarch, Jay (Ed O’Neill), is in his 60s, raising a young son alongside his immigrant wife, Gloria (breakout Sofia Vergara). His oldest son, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), is married to Cameron (Eric Stonestreet), and they have two young kids of their own. Jay’s oldest daughter is Claire (Julie Bowen), who lives with her husband Phil (Ty Burrell) and their own three kids. While the show never got that serious, it was one of the first on network television to depict a married gay couple raising a child (gay marriage was legalized before production of season 5). Oh, and it was often funnier than any critic wanted to give it credit for. It even tied “Frasier” for the most Emmy wins for Outstanding Comedy Series against some legendary competition.
No. 60 – “Mr. Robot”
Premiere Date: June 24, 2015 (4 seasons)
USA
Created by Sam Esmail, “Mr. Robot” was like nothing ever seen on the typically broad and bright USA Network. Seemingly set in contemporary New York, Esmail’s thriller tapped into a bubbling conspiratorial movement that percolated throughout the decade. Our hero, Elliott (Rami Malek), is a programmer for a cybersecurity company by day and, off the clock, a vigilante hacker who connects to people by breaking into their online identity. He’s recruited by the mysterious Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) into an underground hacker group with the aim of taking down corporate America. As the series progresses, it becomes clear that Elliott has more going on inside his head than even he’s aware of. Esmail gained enough clout after the success of season one to direct every episode of seasons 2-4, and the series became a distinctly auteur-driven work. The show never veered from its essentially pessimistic view of the future, but Esmail was seemingly always two steps ahead, keeping the audience’s interest with one unexpected twist after another. “Mr. Robot” was also a rare thriller to take mental health as seriously as its action scenes, demonstrating how difficult it is for Elliott to deal with his depression and social anxiety in the real world.
No. 59 – “The Daily Show”
Premiere Date: July 22, 1996 (30 seasons)
Comedy Central, Paramount+
When “The Daily Show” launched with Craig Kilborn in the mid-’90s, it played out like a half-hour version of “SNL’s” Weekend Update with a host who aspired for greener pastures. When buzzworthy comedian Jon Stewart took over in 1999, it completely changed. Stewart always made sure to make his audience laugh, but through Sept. 11th, the Iraq War, the Afghanistan War, and Hurricane Katrina, he became a thorn in the Bush Administration’s aspirations. In an age before social media and YouTube, “The Daily Show” was an 11 PM must-watch for college students and twentysomethings looking for a voice that spoke to them in uncertain times. Stewart made a point of tearing down the false narratives that Fox News and other cable outlets perpetrated, famously debating Bill O’Reilly and Tucker Carlson in person. His correspondents were comedic actors first, journalists later, but often broke down controversial issues in the simplest and humane terms (his crew included none other than Steve Carell, Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, Rob Cordry, Ed Helms, Jason Jones, Jessica Williams, and, oh yeah, John Oliver). After 16 years, Stewart decided to depart in 2015, right before Trump entered the 2016 election (Want to talk about a sliding doors moment? Imagine if Stewart were on the air during that campaign.) Stewart’s replacement was no slouch, though. Relatively unknown at the time, South African native Trevor Noah brought an outsider’s perspective to the news desk while dramatically increasing the diverse contributors to the telecast (Hasan Minhaj, Dulcé Sloan, Roy Wood, Jr., Ronny Chieng). Noah and his producers guided the show through the shock of the first Trump administration (Noah was less surprised than most) and the COVID-19 pandemic. His commentary and viewpoint also sparked the show on YouTube, opening it up to a whole new generation. Noah lasted an admirable seven years, and now Stewart is back, on Mondays, with a stable of regular hosts the rest of the week (including Jordan Klepper, who has allowed MAGA supporters to eat their own words since Noah was hosting). Barely into the new administration, you wonder how long the 62-year-old Stewart can maintain his passion for even a once-a-week gig, but he’s kept the program relevant for almost 30 years. Frankly, no one who saw Kilborn host could have imagined it would have lasted this long or been this consequential to television history.
