There is no better time than right now to explore some of the new and returning shows of 2020 that may not be getting as much attention as they deserve.
From wonderful comedies to core shaking dramas, there are so many gems that exist across multiple streaming platforms right now.
With many TV fanatics looking for some new TV shows to keep them distracted during this turbulent time, all of these options are either new or have found a way to be reborn in the best of ways.
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All of these shows provide a different kind of experience, but it is all so fulfilling, and chances are, you may not have explored it yet.
Here is a slideshow of TV shows choices that are the perfect selections for anyone looking for some new options to distract and entertain them.
Search Party (HBO Max)
Search Party found itself a new home on HBO Max right before its third season, and it has never been better. The show continues to reinvent itself with a distinct voice when it comes to storytelling and an incredible ability to make itself stand out each season.
I May Destroy You (HBO)
I May Destory You is an intricate and extraordinary piece of media, with Michaela Coel creating and starring in this story that is inspired by her own experience. The series focuses on Arabella, a Twitter-star-turned-novelist, who seeks to rebuild her life after being raped. The honest storytelling can be a rough but very important watch, depicting valuable conversations.
Betty (HBO)
Betty is a wonderful addition to our TV screens and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. The series follows on the main group’s efforts to stand out in New York’s predominantly male world of skateboarding. The cinematography is visually stunning, and getting to spend this time exploring complex stories led by women is always necessary.
Motherland: Fort Salem (Freeform)
Motherland: Fort Salem follows three witches who are enlisted in the U.S. Army and start training in combat magic. The series takes place in a women-dominated world in which the U.S. ended the persecution of witches 300 years ago during the Salem witch trials after an agreement known as the Salem Accord. This show is darker than you would expect on Freeform, but beyond that, it either has you loving it or struggling with it.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC)
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is one of the best TV shows that you will discover this year, and it a must-watch pick me up during quarantine. The show covers a computer programmer who discovers she can hear the innermost thoughts of people as songs. For anyone missing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, this may be the show for you. It is fun, emotional, and it is not like anything else on television right now. It also has some of the best performances that will leave you inspired by for days.
Nancy Drew (The CW)
Nancy Drew is a modern take on the original books with addicting twists. Nancy and her friends end up witnesses to a murder, and they end up working together, trying to find who the killer is. In typical The CW fashion, this show will have you talking about everything from the mystery at the center of the story to the relationships and the characters. This is an experience worth exploring, especially if you spend your time trying to figure out the answers alongside Nancy.
Sweet Magnolias (HBO)
If you’re looking for something fun and relaxing, then Sweet Magnolias is the only choice for you. This Netflix show explores three friends lift each other’s spirits as they juggle relationships, family, and careers in the small Southern town of Serenity. There is something about a small town and the happiness that comes when you least expect it, similar to Hart of Dixie. Sweet Magnolias has such an upbeat tone while still depicting reality, and it is the show you won’t be able to stop talking about.
The Great (Hulu)
The Great follows the rise of Catherine the Great and her plot to kill her husband. It does so with the addition of comedy and satire. This isn’t the take one would expect with a historical topic, but that is what makes it fun. It is also better not to read up on the show too much and instead enjoy the outrageous storytelling.
Never Have I Ever (Netflix)
Never Have I Ever is a fresh approach to a coming of age story where after a horrible freshman year, Devi wants to change her social status, but friends, family, and feelings do not make it easy for her. The best part of Never Have I Ever is the balance it finds with telling a story of grief through a comedic lens of its young protagonist. Not everything is perfect because it rarely ever is, and the show handles that depiction effortlessly.
Warrior Nun (Netflix)
Warrior Nun needs to be experienced without any real spoilers because it truly is an immersive experience. It is worth mentioning that this a show focused on a 19-year-old woman who wakes up in a morgue with a new lease on life when she discovers she has been tasked with fighting demons on Earth. From the beginning, you won’t know what hit you, but going on this journey will only make you want a second season that much more.
Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix)
Unsolved Mysteries is exactly what it sounds like, and yet there is no way to explain how necessary it is to watch this special. The updated reboot, the show documents, and seeks to solve cold cases and paranormal phenomena. It is perfect for fans of true crime and unexplainable stories, and it will leave you with so many questions at the end.
Outer Banks (Netflix)
Outer Banks is a perfect example of a show that was able to find its audience in the most organic way. The show follows a group of teenagers in the Outer Banks of North Carolina who go on a treasure hunt that is linked to their leader’s missing father. Outer Banks is worth the try because it has all the found-family feelings that you want. It is an addicting watch because of how it balances the interesting characters with the suspenseful mystery aspect.
Normal People (Hulu)
This is a show that had everyone talking because of the way that it stays with you even after it is over. Normal People is an adaption of a novel that follows the relationship between Marianne and Connell throughout the years in an emotionally captivating way. The topics it tackles makes the essence of the show stay with the audience, even when the story wraps up for the pair. An emotionally driven show like Normal People doesn’t follow a predictable journey, and it manages to make you fully invested in someone else’s love story.
P-Valley (Starz)
P-Valley has found a space for itself already with an original and intriguing take on the lives of strip club dancers working down in the Mississippi Delta, aka Dirty Delta. It is obvious how much work was put into creating this world and getting it right, so you almost don’t know what to compliment first. The most important factor, though, is the way it explores the story from the point of view of Black working-class women and queer men. There is not enough of well-written storytelling that gives such a voice to their characters, and it makes a show like P-Valley really find its place.
DC’s Stargirl (The CW)
Stargirl follows Courtney as she finds the Cosmic Staff of Starman, and that becomes a journey towards her becoming a superhero. There are plenty of superhero shows on the air, but with Stargirl officially moving to The CW. there is no better time to try it. It is very underrated considering how much it feels like the comics and the way it lets itself be more light-hearted.
