Considering we’re currently in the golden age of television, expectations have never been higher for shows. It’s a tall task for a series to keep up with the quality of everything else around, as well as what they’ve established in the past. 2019 saw a few shows that fell way below those expectations.
These series delivered seasons that weren’t up to par with what we expect from them. On the flip side, some shows took us by surprise with how great they turned out to be. This list will look at five shows on each side of this discussion from 2019.
Disappointed - Black Mirror
Netflix’s Black Mirror has been one of the most unique shows in recent memory. The sci-fi anthology series often takes an interesting look at themes in modern society. It delivers trippy episodes and has boasted some outstanding cast members in the past.
Season five arrived in June 2019 and fans were excited. It featured Miley Cyrus, Anthony Mackie, Topher Grace, Angourie Rice, and more. While it wasn’t a bad set of episodes, it continued the trend of scoring lower with each passing season on Rotten Tomatoes. Some reviews went as far as to call it dumb, tired, and forgettable.
Surprised - Love, Death & Robots
On the flip side, Netflix nailed it with Love, Death & Robots. From the impressive minds of David Fincher and Tim Miller, among others, the anthology series sees each episode clocking in at under 20 minutes and each is animated in a different style.
Released in March, Love, Death & Robots was met with widespread acclaim for the vastly unique animation styles. The cast, including Samira Wiley, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Gary Cole, and many others, was also praised. It came from out of nowhere to become a smash hit for the streaming service.
Disappointed - The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is one of the most iconic television shows of all-time. When it was revived in April 2019 for CBS All-Access, fans were pumped. That excitement level only grew when news broke that Jordan Peele, the mind behind Get Out, was part of the team developing it and acting as narrator.
This reboot currently holds a paltry 5.8/10 rating on IMDb. Audiences felt that it was kind of directionless. It tried too hard to be like the original without living up to that quality, yet it also didn’t do enough to stand out on its own. Still, it was renewed for a second season set to arrive in 2020.
Surprised - What We Do In The Shadows
Often, high expectations cause a show to be disappointing. In the case of FX’s What We Do In The Shadows, they lived up to the expectations and then some. The series is based on the 2014 film of the same name, working as a mockumentary focusing on vampire roommates living in New York.
Having minds like Taika Waititi behind it and being based on an acclaimed movie, it had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, the show is just as clever as the movie, if not more. The hilarious comedy also gave us one of the best episodes of television all year, featuring cameos from Wesley Snipes, Tilda Swinton, Evan Rachel Wood, and more.
Disappointed - Almost Family
To be fair, it wasn’t like viewers had the highest of hopes for FOX’s Almost Family. The series made its debut on October 2 and followed three women who discover that they are siblings thanks to a sperm donor who fathered over 100 children. The premise isn’t all that great.
However, some felt that the show had a chance because of its cast. Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect), Emily Osment (Hannah Montana), and Megalyn Echikunwoke (That ’70s Show) are all veterans from popular movies and shows. It was still met with lackluster reviews and ratings continue to plummet.
Surprised - High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
When Disney+ released its slate of original content, Forget the strange, overly long title for a second. It is a mockumentary-style show about kids putting on a musical honoring the High School Musical franchise that was popular during the 2000s. That’s not a concept that jumps out at you.
That being said, this show probably only ranks behind The Mandalorian for the best original content on Disney+. It’s just so much fun. The series honors the movie while bringing enough new to the table. With a talented, likable cast and some great musical numbers, it’s enjoyable for all.
Disappointed - Big Little Lies
It wasn’t the best year for returning dramas on HBO. When Big Little Lies first premiered in 2017, it was meant to be a miniseries based on the book of the same name. It was a huge success, winning multiple awards, and receiving praise for almost every aspect.
It was popular enough for HBO to order a second season. Unfortunately, even the addition of Meryl Streep couldn’t save this from being disappointing. This season gave minimal closure for most characters and took others in strange directions. The acting was still top-notch but the writing was questionable.
Surprised - Sex Education
Right at the start of 2019, we were introduced to one of the most fun shows of the year. Netflix released Sex Education, starring Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, and Emma Mackey. It follows an awkward teen who teams with his troubled classmate to work as a sex therapist (his mother’s profession) for the rest of the school.
The series currently holds a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It was praised for quality acting, witty writing, and the breakout performance of Ncuti Gatwa. Season two drops in mid-January 2020 and is already being met with strong critical acclaim like its predecessor.
Disappointed - Game Of Thrones
This was an obvious pick for the top of the disappointing section. HBO delivered the highly-anticipated final season of Game of Thrones. Fans waited over a year to find out the conclusion to the epic series that some consider the greatest in television history. Alas, we were all disappointed.
It began with a premiere that felt like a wasted holding pattern, though the second episode was fun. Then, the battle against the White Walkers proved to be a misfire that was poorly shot and too dark to see. It was wrapped up by episodes that rushed important character moments, did unsensible things, and all led to a finale that was widely panned.
Surprised - Euphoria
While HBO struggled with their existing series, the new ones did well. One of those was Euphoria. It came from out of nowhere to shock consistently shock viewers. It follows a group of high school students as they navigate things like love, drug addiction, and sex.
Led by an incredible performance from Zendaya, as well as breakout work by Hunter Schafer, Maude Apatow, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi, the series was a critical hit. It is creative, thought-provoking, and is shot beautifully. Euphoria is the case of a network trying something new and making it work wonders.
