Best TV Series of 2019: Watchmen
Damon Lindelof’s sequel to the revered graphic novel didn’t just meet our expectations; it surpassed them in a way that maybe not even Dr. Manhattan himself could’ve foreseen (O.K., perhaps that’s going too far). Building a completely natural extension of the world created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons over 30 years ago, Lindelof and his team managed to revisit classic characters while never letting them feel stale while also giving us a whole new roster of players who are equally compelling. And this was all done with some of the most intriguing storytelling approaches of the year, as the characters — and us with them — stepped forward and backwards through time to flesh out the overall story. Watchmen is quite simply amazing TV.
Best sure to watch Damon Lindelof’s acceptance speech to IGN above!
IGN People’s Choice Winner: Chernobyl
IGN’s readers chose HBO’s Chernobyl as the Best TV Series of 2019, giving it 26.1% of the vote. The Disney+ series The Mandalorian followed with 19.1%, and Amazon’s The Boys took the third spot with 18.7%.
Check out the rest of the IGN TV awards below!
More TV of the Year Awards
Fleabag
After a critically-acclaimed first season, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag somehow managed to become even more hilarious (and sometimes heartbreaking) in Season 2, which introduces Sherlock star Andrew Scott as “The Priest,” who Fleabag unwittingly leads into temptation, even as he does his best to guide her towards the light. There’s no comedy quite as honest – or frequently surprising – as this.
Succession
HBO’s Succession is funny, heartbreaking, unbearably tense, and some of the most fun you’ll have watching anything on TV. It somehow manages to be Shakespearean while also capturing the details of our current American moment with what can sometimes be startling clarity. And after Season 2, it pretty much cemented its place among the pantheon of all-time great HBO dramas.
The Boys
Amazon’s The Boys is irreverent, amusingly gratuitous, and one hell of a ride, with overly-violent setpieces and compelling storylines, especially when it comes to Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher and Antony Starr’s Homelander.
Watchmen
Making a sequel to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ classic graphic novel has certainly proven to be a dicey proposition at best in the world of comics, let alone in live-action. And yet here we are, with showrunner/creator Damon Lindelof bringing the best aspects of his Lost/The Leftovers sensibilities to bear on the HBO show, along with a clear love for and appreciation of the original book. Watchmen is willing to take risks, and it does so with a beloved property, somehow managing to elevate the comic while also telling an amazing, relevant tale.
Russian Doll
Russian Doll is Netflix at its best, a heady, addictive binge that avoids the bloat of other streaming shows and delights with its many subversions of tropes and expectations. Between its perfectly-calibrated mystery and flawed but fascinating characters, this is a world we want to revisit over and over again.
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol’s first season was filled with emotional drama, weird and lovable characters, and some of the strangest, most surreal plots imaginable for a mainstream superhero show. What other superhero series would wrap up a season with a giant kaiju battle between a cockroach with a god complex and a rat who craves vengeance for his murdered mother?
The Mandalorian
The first Star Wars live-action TV series has proven to be not only a pop-culture phenomenon (thanks Baby Yoda!), but also a truly worthwhile endeavor that reignites the spark of that galaxy a long time ago and far, far away. Smartly jettisoning the established characters and worn-out plotlines from the movies, The Mandalorian is a space Western with style, heart, and plenty of drama.
Stranger Things
Netflix’s Stranger Things Season 3 was the series’ best outing so far, with bigger stakes and stronger character development than its previous two iterations. As the kids mature, so do their respective stories and the young actors continue to deliver the goods. Newcomer Maya Hawke is an outstanding addition to the already stacked ensemble, with David Harbour’s Hopper and Winona Ryder’s Joyce adding a nice bit of emotional depth with their compelling storyline. The production value has also been given a boost, making this season feel more like something you might see in a movie theater.
The Crown
The Crown Season 3 faced the challenge of recasting its principle cast, but showrunner Peter Morgan’s compelling narrative about the ups and downs of House Windsor remained very strong. Newcomers Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter successfully carry the torch of their predecessors with captivating performances. And Josh O’Connor’s introduction as Prince Charles almost steals the show.
Chernobyl
Chernobyl is a harrowing and stomach-churning tale of bureaucratic negligence, ego, paranoia, and bravery set against the backdrop of the Cold War. It’s one of the most horrific scripted series out there… And it’s bloody brilliant.
Which TV shows made your list of nominees that didn’t make ours? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out all of our Game of the Year award nominees as well as all our picks for the best movies, TV shows, comics, and anime of 2019!
Art for IGN’s Best of 2019 is by Julia Rago, Justin Vachon, Angela Nguyen, and Nicole Cagampan.