Hidden gems: The buried 2020 TV show treasures you need to binge now
In 2020, we’ve consumed more OTT content than we could’ve ever thought we were capable of – some old classics were revisited, some new gems were explored. There was palpable excitement for some new releases, while some were surprise finds as we browsed the unending depths of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and what have you.
There are shows that steal the thunder the moment they’re announced – It’s either due to star power, or a zany script, or quirky plotlines. Some other TV shows get buried amidst the deluge of content thrown our way. We bring you a list of shows that might have missed your eye, but that should definitely be on your watchlist for a comfy binge session.
Upload
In a dramedy created by Greg Daniels, we get to explore what the world would be like if we were allowed to choose an afterlife. If there were choices – would you like to die immediately or wait to be joined by your partner, you’d like to choose to stay, right? But if that means you’re stuck in a fancy digital hellhole where you pay for the data you use to just exist, would you still consider it?
We know it sounds ludicrous but Upload manages to bring this story to life very adeptly. Robbie Amell & Andy Allo are great as protagonists, and the idea of a food printer is a nice wee escape.
What do you think of the afterlife? Shows like Upload, Devs, The Good Place, and The Midnight Gospel talk about the dreaded afterlife – except there seems little to dread (at least on the surface). All these shows explore the idea of an afterlife that’s starkly different from the demonic, fiery version of hell we fed upon growing up.
They delve deep into human morality as they deal with mortality and at their core, question the idea of “right” and “wrong” as binaries that don’t really exist. The truth is an ambiguous, grey area.
Tiny Pretty Things
Based on the eponymous book by Dhonielle Clayton & Sona Charaipotra, Tiny Pretty Things chronicles the journey of young ballerinas in the grueling & hypercompetitive world of a Manhattan dance academy. If you like a low-stakes drama where the fates of teenagers hinge on questions like, “who will be the principal dancer?” then you should add it to your watchlist.
It’s a fairly new addition to the 2020 roster, so we’ll let you decide if it has the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before vibes.
Unorthodox
Inspired by Deborah Feldman’s 2012 autobiography Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots – Unorthodox is your pick if you love an underdog. The show chronicles the journey of a woman who escapes an arranged marriage & starts a new life in Berlin.
The show has great insights into trauma & empathy, and makes for an urgent, yet vulnerable plot.
Delhi Crime
This Emmy award-winning Indian crime drama takes a closer, risky look at a police investigation of a gang rape case. On December 16, 2012, a 23-year old medical student was brutally gang-raped by six men in a moving bus. She was severely injured & underwent multiple surgeries. She was later flown to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital for advanced treatment where she succumbed to her injuries.
Delhi Crime asks the question if in a country that’s considered unsafe for women due to the sheer number of assault cases & rapes that occur – with many that aren’t reported – can the police truly bring the criminal to justice?
This seven-episode series starring the likes of Shefali Shah, Yashaswini Dayama, Rasika Dugal, among others chronicles one of the biggest criminal cases the world saw back in 2012.
