Best TV Shows of the Year: 2021

Last updated: July 17, 2025

From gifted teen doctors to otherworldy gods, grumpy ghosts to curious spiders, spooky thrills to catchy musicals and more, there was no shortage of excellent TV shows the whole family could enjoy this year. Loki makes the top of Senior Editor of TV Polly Conway's list for its adventure, philosophy, and super-cool production design. It's a great pick for families with teens trying to figure out their place in the world. Editor of TV and Streaming Marina Gordon loves that families of teens can enjoy Schmigadoon! as a send-up of musical-genre cliches or just as a musical itself. Celebrate the year with these and the rest of the picks on this list with your family.

Don't miss the rest of our 2021 favorites: Movies | Books | Video Games | Apps