15 Best New TV Shows Of 2020 (So Far)

Royalty vs common people! Aliens vs cheerleaders! Tigers vs toons! Outsiders vs, er, Upload-ers?

Normal People
BBC

Anyone feel like they have a lot of time on their hands this year so far?

Okay, so the new decade may not be turning out as expected, but the medium of television is truly thriving, with countless shows popping up on all manner of streaming services since the beginning of this new decade. Sure, many are terrible, but that's been true for the history of television, as even when viewers Loved Lucy, there were always those who for some reason chose to Leave it to Beaver.

But for the discerning viewer, 2020's television output has been a treasure trove of spectacular big budget successes, unexpected sleeper hits, some incredible indie gems, and a diverse variety of superb shows ranging from wild documentaries to intense, sparse character dramas.

So with that in mind, this list will no doubt be missing a few favourites as it's limited to only fifteen shows, all of which must have begun their run in 2020. But nonetheless, this is a rundown of 2020's best small screen offerings thus far, from the sublime to the truly ridiculous...

15. Cheer

Normal People
Netflix

The show which could have been called "no, it's not Tiger King, but keep watching anyway", Cheer is that other, almost-as-huge Netflix documentary phenomenon which won over viewers in 2020.

A docuseries delving into the wild world of competitive cheerleading, this series is no Bring It On.

Here the lives of students, teachers, and trainers alike are thrown under the microscope in an uncompromising and often dramatic vision of small town America which refuses to pull any punches.

From pushy parents to wild child cheer stars to some maybe-fiddled-with-factual-accuracy moments (according to some of the stars, at least), the creators offer everything anyone could want from a documentary dissection of this fascinating subculture.

Keeping the camera running in moments of high drama, high emotion, and high tension, the show offers far higher stakes than you ever imagined could hang on the demand "Gimme an A!"

Contributor

Cathal Gunning hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.