From The Bear to Shogun, here’s how the 2020s are reviving peak television with boundary-pushing dramas, standout comedies, and genre-defining sci-fi!
Just a few years ago, it felt like television’s golden era might be winding down. After the swan songs of Succession, Better Call Saul, Atlanta, and Attack on Titan, plus industry-halting strikes and pandemic delays, the future of “peak TV” looked uncertain. But the 2020s have surprised us, ushering in a bold new wave of prestige programming—from emotional kitchen dramas and rich historical sagas to mind-bending sci-fi and genre-defying comedies. Here’s a look at the standout series that are proving TV’s best days are far from over.
Leading the charge is FX’s The Bear, a chaotic and deeply human restaurant drama that’s swept awards seasons with its blend of emotional intensity and kinetic direction. Meanwhile, FX also struck gold with Shogun, a sweeping Japanese-language epic that not only captivated audiences but made Emmy history—winning 18 trophies and becoming the first non-English drama to take home Outstanding Drama Series.
Representation has also taken center stage this decade. Netflix’s Beef was a breakout success, marrying gut-punch emotion with pitch-black comedy in a tale of rage and redemption. The show cleaned up at the Emmys, marking a major win for Asian American storytelling.
Comedy, too, has flourished in the 2020s. Hacks, Abbott Elementary, and Poker Face bring sharp writing and heartfelt character work to audiences looking for both laughs and substance. Though underappreciated in its time, Reservation Dogs—praised for its authentic and often surreal portrayal of Indigenous life—may go down as one of the decade’s defining gems.
On the sci-fi and genre front, expectations were exceeded by spinoffs and adaptations alike. Loki brought new dimension to the MCU, while Andor delivered a gritty, character-driven story set in the Star Wars universe that thrilled both fans and critics. Video game adaptations like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Fallout, and The Last of Us all shattered the stigma of lackluster game-to-screen translations, each delivering unique visuals, emotional depth, and compelling storytelling.
And perhaps the biggest evolution in this era of television? A fascination with psychological disorientation and reality-bending themes. Severance, Apple TV+’s breakout mystery about memory, identity, and late-stage capitalism, ignited watercooler conversation and fan theories in a way we haven’t seen in years. Similarly, Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal and The Curse blurred the line between scripted television and existential experimentation.
Other standout originals like Devs, Made for Love, and Midnight Mass proved that bold, auteur-driven content can still thrive—even in an industry navigating chaos and change.
While we may never return to the exact era of prestige TV that defined the 2010s, the 2020s are offering something just as exciting: shows that challenge, surprise, and expand what television can be. And for viewers, that’s something to celebrate.
