Contrary to what Todd Phillips might be telling the media, "cancel culture" and "political correctness" have not killed comedy. Maybe the Joker director just needs to watch more TV? My top 10 list for 2019 is dominated by shows that I consider comedies. I've got silly half-hours, trenchantly dark hourlongs and several shows that pivot from pain to mirth from scene to scene. And I couldn’t even find room for the latest seasons of Baskets, The Good Place, Barry and Bojack Horseman, or newbies like Pen15, Tuca & Bertie and Sherman's Showcase. Maybe they'll pop up in future lists, because it was another great year for TV.
As seems to be the refrain this winter, Netflix leads the way with three shows on my list, but none in my top 5. It's a list without any broadcast shows at all, even after a surprising fall that included three very solid new network dramas — Evil, Stumptown and Emergence — and a spring that saw the departure of Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, top-tier series that thrived in the fertile obscurity of The CW. A lot of critics' lists look the same this year, but hopefully mine will provide you with a couple of shows you haven't watched yet to check out over the holidays.
