The A-Z of TV in 2020: The shows we were glued to in Australia

Australian TV fans watched hours of streaming content, found comfort in old favourites rediscovered and turned to the stars we love to entertain us.

In 2020 we turned to TV like never before - glued to COVID updates, looking for laughs, and desperate for distraction from the crazy world we found ourselves living in. We ploughed through hours of streaming content, found comfort in old favourites rediscovered and turns to the stars we love to entertain us. Here’s the A-Z of the year that was:

A – Ambulance Australia

In a year like 2020, never before have we cherished the work of our front-line paramedics, police and health officials. This series is a wonderful reminder of their kindness and contribution, treating patients with more than just emergency medicine.

Adam Murray and colleague Karina from Artarmon ambulance station, who feature in a new Network Ten TV show Ambulance Australia.

B – Bluey

Parents of little ones in lockdown owe their sanity to this adorable and aspirational family of Blue Heelers. Their kindness, creativity and relatability make them my early vote for Australians of the Year. Streaming on ABC iView.

A scene from season two of Bluey.

C – The Crown – with this royal docu-drama turning its gaze to the Diana, Charles and Camilla years, the tea was spilt, while the real fam got antsy as old wounds and their mistreatment of the ‘Queen of Heart’s replayed.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles depicted in The Crown. Picture: Supplied/Netflix

D – A Discovery of Witches – Aussie superstar Teresa Palmer hauled her clan off to Wales in the middle of the pandemic to make this Harry Potter-style fantasy … and boy, was it worth it. She plays a smart and sassy academic who taps into her magical powers. Streaming on BINGE.

A Discovery of Witches is a bold and romantic thriller that uncovers a secret underworld of extraordinary beings hiding in plain sight for fear of persecution by humans they are vampires, witches and daemons. Picture: Binge/Sky

E – Euphoria

Beating out her more experienced peers for this year’s best actress Emmy award, Zendaya delivered a staggeringly mature and complex performance as a high school student with drug addiction issues. Streaming on BINGE.

Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn and Zendaya as Rue Bennett in HBO/BINGE drama, Euphoria. Picture: Supplied/HBO

F – Fire Fight Australia

The worst of times brought out the best in us, as Australians came together to raise more than $10 million dollars for those affected by the Black Summer bushfires. Hosted by Celeste Barber, the all-star concert featured KD Lang, Alice Cooper, Queen and Adam Lambert.

Jessica Mauboy performs during the Fire Fight Australia bushfire relief concert at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. Picture: AAP

G – Get Organised with The Home Edit

Move over, Marie Kondo – new domestic goddesses, Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin emerged with their mad skills at home management. They transformed fridges, repacked pantries and the toy garage of Khloe Kardashian. Streaming on Netflix.

Get Organised with The Home Edit.

H – Hemsworth, Chris

The Byron Bay local was like a magnet for his Hollywood cohort, who descended on Australia en masse. The Thor star enjoyed streaming success with his Netflix action movie, Extraction; which lead to a multimillion-dollar production deal with the platform. Streaming on Netflix.

Actor Chris Hemsworth at the Sydney Opera House.

I – Insecure

This was the most underrated dra-medy of the year, Schitt’s Creek star and co-creator Dan Levy used his Emmy winner’s speech to sing its praises. It’s a contemporary take on black America, with a soundtrack that will have you reaching for Spotify to download. Streaming on BINGE.

Issa Rae in a scene from the TV series Insecure. Supplied by Foxtel.

J – Jonathon and Norman Swan

This father and son media duo were at their career best in very different spheres. Jonathon talked his way into the White House and a game-changing sit down with Donald Trump. His doctor dad was the north star of a calm coronavirus advice.

Jonathan Swan is an Australian journalist who works for Axios.

Dr Norman Swan, his father.

K – Keeping Up With The Kardashians

After another hectic year on the home front, these reality TV royals decided to make like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and head for the exits. The final season of this pioneering series will air next year. Streaming on Hayu.

The Kardashians are going out with a bang in 2021.

L – The Last Dance

This incredible documentary about the Chicago Bulls at the height of their powers, has set the benchmark for sports films and sparked a rush of cameras in change rooms and training sessions around the world. Michael Jordan, as EP and star interviewee, brought his A game.

Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan sticks out his tongue as he goes past Jeff Hornacek of the Utah Jazz during game two of the NBA Finals at the United Center in Chicago.

M – The Mandalorian

Star Wars fans disenchanted by the big screen franchise strapped in for this TV spin-off, which delivered with this wildly-popular space western. Streaming on Disney+

The Mandalorian continues to be popular among Star Wars fans.

N – NCIS

Still one of the most popular shows in the world, the military crime drama welcomed back one of their own, with Cote de Pablo making a surprise cameo return as her beloved character, Ziva David. Streaming on 10Play.

NCIS - Mark Harmon (Gibbs) & Cote de Pablo (Ziva).

O – Ozark

Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) got in deep with a Mexican cartel, with an FBI investigation and various frenemies hot on their tails. Sets things up for an intense final season in 2021. Streaming on Netflix.

OZARK star Laura Linney.

P – Poh Ling Yeow

The beloved cook returned to the MasterChef kitchen for its Back To Win season and promptly won our hearts all over again. That beaming smile. Her happy mania, every single cook. Just pure joy. Streaming on 10Play.

Adelaide Masterchef participant Poh Ling Yeow. Picture: Supplied

Q – The Queen’s Gambit

Who would have thought a drama about chess would have captivated the world’s attention? But this lush fantasy made all the right moves (geddit?); a coming-of-age story about chess genius Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) on her rise to world domination. Streaming on Netflix.

Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon in Netflix series The Queen's Gambit.

R – Ratched

Ryan Murphy was as prolific as ever in 2020, but this adaptation of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest was one of his best productions, starring Sarah Paulson, Cynthia Nixon and Australia’s own, Judy Davis. Streaming on Netflix.

Sarah Paulson as Mildred Ratched in Netflix series Ratched.

S – Schitt’s Creek

What started out as the story as an obnoxious family of rick folk who lose everything and must resettle in the town they bought as a joke, emerged as the heartwarming, soul food we all needed in lockdown. Streaming on Netflix.

Schitt's Creek cast (from left) Annie Murphy (Alexis), Catherine O'Hara (Moira), Eugene Levy (Johnny) and Dan Levy (David).

T – Tiger King

Arguably the most bonkers show on the box this year, the world was introduced to mullet-wearing, meth-addicted, polygamist tiger collector Joe Exotic, accused of a murder-for-hire plot against his rival animal park operator, Carole Baskin. Streaming on Netflix.

Joseph Maldonado-Passage from Netflix show Tiger King.

U – The Undoing

Nicole Kidman starred in this gripping thriller which finally helped her co-star Hugh Grant shake off his comic fop tag, in a rare dramatic turn. It also introduced young talents including Noah Jupe and Italian starlet Matilda de Angelis. Streaming on BINGE.

Matilda De Angelis and Nicole Kidman in BINGE’s blockbuster drama The Undoing.

V – Vanessa Kirby

Hot on the heels of her royal turn as Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of The Crown, Kirby wowed audiences at the Venice Film Festival with her powerful performance in Netflix film, Pieces Of A Woman. Streaming on Netflix.

Shia LeBouf and Vanessa Kirby co-star in Netflix movie, Pieces Of A Woman. Picture: Supplied

W – The West Wing Election special – as Donald Trump continued his desecration of the US Presidency, thank God for this special reboot of Aaron Sorkin’s classic drama, West Wing and TV’s best ever commander in chief Jed Bartlett (Martin Sheen). Streaming on BINGE.

The West Wing election special saw many actors from the show return.

X – X Files’

Favourite Gillian Anderson made a polarising appearance as the Iron Lady, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in season 4 of The Crown. She may have nailed the wig but her asthmatic delivery divided the audience (or was that just me?)

US actress Gillian Anderson.

Y – You Should Have Left

Trapped in our homes, of course, crime dramas and psychological thrillers like this movie, starring Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried skyrocketed in popularity. Streaming on Google Play and Fetch.

You Should Have Left starring Kevin Bacon.

Z – Zoe Kravitz in High Fidelity

This TV adaptation of the classic Nick Hornby novel and 2000 film was a rare gem with a rockin’ soundtrack. Zoe Kravitz was a hot mess in the lead role and largely upstaged by her Lizzo-esque co-star Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Streaming on ABC iView.

Zoe Kravitz in High Fidelity.

Originally published as The A-Z of TV in 2020: The shows we were glued to in Australia