The Guardian's best TV shows of 2021
The top 3 according to 1,074 votes from people: It's a Sin · Mare of Easttown · The White Lotus. (Updated Sep 9, 2022.)
The top 20 of the Guardian's 50 best TV shows of 2021, published in December 2021 and led by Russell T Davies' It's a Sin.
Top 20
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1
It's a Sin
No. 1. Russell T Davies on friends in 1980s London during the Aids crisis (Channel 4).
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2
Mare of Easttown
No. 3. Kate Winslet as a Pennsylvania detective (HBO).
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3
The White Lotus
No. 2. Mike White's satire at a Hawaiian resort (HBO).
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4
Succession
No. 4. Season three of the Roy family (HBO).
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5
Feel Good
No. 6. Mae Martin's comedy-drama, final season.
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6
Time
No. 7. Sean Bean and Stephen Graham in a prison drama (BBC).
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7
Starstruck
No. 9. Rose Matafeo and a one-night stand with a film star (BBC Three).
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8
Alma's Not Normal
No. 8. Sophie Willan's sitcom (BBC Two).
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9
Squid Game
No. 5. The Korean survival drama that became Netflix's biggest hit.
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10
The Underground Railroad
No. 13. Barry Jenkins adapts Colson Whitehead (Amazon).
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11
Can't Get You Out of My Head
No. 20. Adam Curtis's documentary series (BBC).
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12
We Are Lady Parts
No. 15. A Muslim women's punk band in London (Channel 4).
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13
Line of Duty
No. 19. Season six of the anti-corruption police drama (BBC).
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14
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
No. 10. Absurdist sketch comedy (Netflix).
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15
Ted Lasso
No. 14. Season two of the American football coach in English football (Apple TV+).
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16
WandaVision
No. 16. Marvel meets the classic sitcom (Disney+).
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17
Back to Life
No. 18. Daisy Haggard returns home after prison (BBC).
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18
Uprising
No. 12. Steve McQueen's documentary on 1981 Britain and the New Cross fire (BBC).
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19
Stath Lets Flats
No. 11. Jamie Demetriou as a hopeless letting agent (Channel 4).
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20
This Way Up
No. 17. Aisling Bea's comedy, season two (Channel 4).
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (3)
It's a Sin made me cry for days.
Mare of Easttown, Kate Winslet's accent was perfect.
The White Lotus season 1 was such a surprise.