2021 tvscholar awards
Totally biased recognitions for outstanding shows and performances in 2021.
I watched more television than ever in 2021, which isn’t a total surprise given the sheer volume of shows that came out of their production delays to premiere or release a new season. Plus, we were in and out of lockdowns, forest fires, floods and storms (make it stop!). I began accumulating this biased ballot after I felt disappointed by the Emmy nominations, realizing I might be on a different page than those voters on what I consider to be the pinnacle of great television in a landscape of never-ending content. Like, The Handmaid’s Tale as one of the most nominated shows this year, really? We’re still there?
That said, what I’ve collected below is by no means an exhaustive list of series worth recognition from the last year. I’m not claiming I watched the entire landscape, there are certainly shows that slipped through the cracks or that I simply ran out of time to watch. Streaming platforms really bolstered their content libraries this year, too—you’ve probably noticed I’ve become a bit of an Apple TV+ truther. And I’m probably the only one who would nominated an actress from The Bold Type for a best acting in a comedy award. My ballot is definitely my own, but I hope at the very least that it offers recommendations and ideas for your watching pleasure into December and the new year. Shows that you might have dismissed, or performances worth experiencing.
Some “themes” that emerged from my ballot: horror television is in, baby. Evil and Servant both scored big, and so did The Underground Railroad if you want to count that as horror (I do). Hacks and The Chair duelled in my mind for best comedy. Dopesick, which I called essential viewing, also dominated. I apologize in advance for not including every Succession actor. HBO, Netflix, and Apple TV+ were my top three networks for total nominations.
Below the fold, I stick to the main categories: drama, comedy, and limited series. I also included a non-fiction television award, which I’m sure is missing a bunch of docu-series. Perhaps next year, I’ll expand to include technical categories like costume and score as well. For now, watch on.