It’s inaccurate to consider this a literal “best of” list for that implies a TV critic can watch every TV series released this year. It’s nearly impossible for any one person to make such a claim in the current 500-series-relased-annually era, so instead consider this my list of favorites from among what I have seen.

Perhaps it can also serve as a guide for viewers seeking a holiday binge, an opportunity to catch up on quality TV missed.

Here are my top picks for 2020:

1. “The Good Lord Bird” (Showtime): More than just a showcase for the bravura performance by star/writer Ethan Hawke, this adaptation of the James McBride novel defies genres (sometimes satirical, in other moments dramatic) as it tells a fictionalized account of abolitionist John Brown (Hawke) and the formerly enslaved boy he comes to love as a son.

2. “Better Call Saul” (AMC): As the “Breaking Bad” prequel nears its end-game final season, the writing remains crisp with remarkably attuned performances and high-stakes tension plotting.

3. “Mrs. America” (FX on Hulu): A historical miniseries that brings the women’s rights movement of the 1970s to life particularly when conservative firebrand Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett) is on screen.

4. “Schitt’s Creek” (Pop TV): Even as it cruised to its expected end point, this little-Canadian-comedy-that-could offered feel-good vibes that made parting with the characters (for now) such sweet sorrow.

5. “The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix): Excellent performances by stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Marielle Heller, sumptuous period production design and a compelling if predictable competition movie plot helped make this miniseries a worldwide sensation. Sure, the first half is stronger than the repetitive second half but its message of one woman overcoming her humble, troubled beginnings resonated with viewers seeking an uplifting story.

6. “Love Fraud” (Showtime); Easily the best docu-series of the year, this taut, four-hour story of women getting revenge on the man who done them wrong through identity theft and worse stood out all the more compared to other programs in the genre that collapse under the weight of too many episodes and too little story.

7. “The Plot Against America” (HBO): David Simon’s adaptation of the Philip Roth novel felt frighteningly timely even as it played like a more intimate, nuanced version of miniseries from the genre’s 1980s heyday.

8. “Upload” (Amazon Prime Video): Greg Daniels, who developed the American version of “The Office,” created this sweet, clever comedy (with a mystery arc) about inequality in a future where human souls get uploaded to heavenly virtual reality realms.

9. “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max): Once it settles in and finds its quirky tone, this comedic-mystery-thriller proved a welcome addition to the ranks of modern serials in large part due to the game performance of star Kaley Cuoco.

10. “Lego Masters” and “The Mandalorian” (Fox and Disney+): A fun building-with-Legos competition and the better-than-the-recent-movies “Star Wars” series became welcome, weekly family viewing events.

Honorable mentions: “The Crown” (Netflix), “Devs” (FX on Hulu), “Dispatches from Elsewhere” (AMC), “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay” (Freeform), “Fargo” (FX), “The Great” (Hulu), “The Haunting of Bly Manor” (Netflix), “Hollywood” (Netflix), “Industry” (HBO), “Lovecraft Country” (HBO), “A Teacher” (FX on Hulu), “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+), “This is Us” (NBC), “A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote” (HBO Max), “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX).

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