Watchlist of 2020

There is no point in repeating the fact that 2020 has been one of the most exceptional years. The worries are not over yet though life has started coming back to some sense of new-normalcy.

India faced one of the strictest lockdowns in the world where all modes of transport were stopped and only essential services were available for months. As we changed our lifestyle and way of work, many things changed including the way we entertained ourselves. The online streaming platforms (OTT) remained the only form available for entertainment while stuck at home.

So to respect the “new-normal”, this year I thought of publishing the list of the most engaging shows that I watched (instead of books, that has been the practice over the last few years).

The top 10 list

1. Dark: Season 3 of Dark came out in 2020, and what a show that was. Finally the open strings were tied together and some sort of explanation was provided to the audience. If you like science fiction, you might like this German series based on time travel. A tad too complex — which can justify the numerous pages dedicated to demystifying the relationships across generations amongst the characters who get intertwined in parallel worlds. Don’t miss the music of Dark by Ben Frost — you may search for it on Spotify.
2. Crown: One of the most controversial series this year, season 4 of Crown delved into the Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher episodes in this season. Naturally there has been uproar due to the portrayal of the characters which at times seemed brutal for Prince Charles. Without getting into that controversy, this series definitely gives a sneak peek (albeit through colored lens as claimed by the critics) into the modern British history.
3. Queen’s Gambit: This is about Chess and a little girl who learnt the game from a janitor in her home and went on to defeat a Russian grandmaster. Those who love the game would surely love this. Even those who don’t “love” the game might like it too due to the story and the flow of the events. Again this series gives a fictionalized view of the cold-war era when chess was used as a place to show dominance by the Russians and USA.
4. Ludo: A masterpiece by Anurag Basu, with four stories (depicted by four colors) being joined by a character (as the dice). A pure fun — keep your eyes open as there are many subtle hints throughout the movie. You would either love it or hate it. There is no middle path for this one.
5. Emily in Paris: An American girl in Paris with critical observation about everything French — If I were to summarize the show in a line, this would be it. Obviously this was not taken lightly by the French media and they countered many claims, but don’t miss the humor and pun throughout the show.
6. Tehran: I stumbled upon this show while browsing Apple TV. This one is a stunner. Releasing episodes every Friday, this brought back the old telly experience. The story of an Israeli spy in Iran kept the audience on the hook throughout the show.
7. Panchayat: A story about an engineering graduate working as Panchayat secretary in a remote village aspiring to crack competitive exam, this is a super comedy-drama catching the nerve of real India. It seemed the role was written only for Jitendra Kumar, himself an IIT Kharagpur graduate.
8. For the rest 3 positions, I could not finally choose between these 5 as all of them were great on their own scale. Those 5 are: Broadchurch, The Fall, Ford vs. Ferrari, Bohemian Rhapsody & Paatal Lok.

Outside top 10

There are few notable ones which didn’t come in top 10 but are worth a mention. These are the shows which were good, often pretty good but just missed the mark to move into the top 10.

• Thrillers: Delhi Crime, The Spy, Andhadhun, Fauda, Jamtara, Extraction, Inside Edge, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Aarya & Hostages
• Romantic: A Suitable Boy, Virgin River & Made in Heaven

Documentaries/Informational stories

There have been quite a few good ones in this category.

• Sports: Formula 1: Drive to survive. You get to know the people behind this great game. Watch if you are an F1 fan
• People: The Last Czars, Inside Bill’s Brain, The Two Popes, Abstract, Manto & The People and OJ Simpson’s
• Others: Coronavirus explained, The Salisbury poisonings, Connected, The Social Dilemma, The Mind Explained & India from Above

That’s pretty much about 2020. How did you watch in 2020? Would be eager to know your list to add up to my my 2021 list.

Have a great festive season and a better new year.