Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Have you heard the news? There’s too much TV on TV. And even though we’ve reached a clear saturation point, like the mail before it, nothing stops television shows from airing, and new seasons from dropping week after week.
March, 2019 was very much the calm before the storm that is April (Game of Thrones is back! Killing Eve is back! So much more is back!) as we’re about to hit critical cultural mass. But that doesn’t mean this past month shirked on quality, as there were still dozens of excellent streaming and broadcast shows that aired throughout that month.
To that end, the Decider staff got together and voted on the 11 best TV shows of March, 2019. The criteria? They had to air at least one episode in March. That’s pretty much the long and short of it, though we also focused on those broadcast shows that aired excellent episodes during the month, their runs elevated for one reason or another (streaming shows are easier for this sort of list because, you know… Every episode dropped).
From the ending of a critically beloved comedy, to a documentary to shocked the world, here is our list of the best TV from March. Better check out it quick, though, because April is coming…
'Catastrophe' (Prime Video)
After three seasons of comedy gold, Catastrophe’s final installment had a lot to live up to, and it more than delivered. The remaining six episodes of Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s comedy are charming, thought-provoking, and real — three traits that have always elevated the series above its “Damaged People Fumbling Through Parenthood” counterparts.
In its series finale, Catastrophe gave fans all the closure they could have asked for, as well as a poetic final line: “I just didn’t like seeing you drifting there on your own.” Catastrophe, you will be missed. — Claire Spellberg
'Shrill' (Hulu)
Lindy West and Aidy Bryant’s Hulu series Shrill is more than a frank and funny conversation about fat women. It quietly details one young woman’s evolution from a self-hating wreck into a confident badass. Annie’s journey through her own insecurities is both instantly relatable and deeply feminine in a way that’s rarely been seen in mainstream media. Everyone owes it to themselves to watch Shrill‘s first six episodes, not just so they can enjoy John Cameron Mitchell claiming that he was Bikini Kill’s first bassist; but so they can learn how to be more comfortable in their own skin. — Kayla Cobb
'Queer Eye' (Netflix)
If you thought there was no way Queer Eye could keep that magic alive, you thought wrong! Netflix’s reality show sensation came back for more this month and proved that third time’s not only a charm, it’s a whole charm bracelet. The glow-up was real for a hunting mama, a pair of pit-master sisters, and one Janelle Monáe super-fan, and so were our tears. — Brett White
'Schitt's Creek' (Pop TV)
March, 2019 changed the game for Schitt’s Creek. The series was no longer a silly sitcom you like to binge-watch once it hits Netflix. No. Schitt’s Creek became wonderful, appointment viewing this month. And even though “A Little Bit Alexis” dropped in February, the episodes that aired on Pop TV this month were the big ones. From the baseball game that was a home-run of LOLs, to the funniest flea market storyline, to Patrick’s huge and heartwarming coming out episode, Schitt’s Creek set out to make viewers chuckle AND cry. And, spoiler alert, they accomplished both more than ever before. — Lea Palmieri
'Broad City' (Comedy Central)
Broad City creators and stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer smartly returned to basics for their fifth and final season: Observations on the small and hilarious truths of New York City living—like sneaking Chinese food into a Broadway show, or lugging a couch onto a crowded subway—and the emotional core of the show, their friendship.
As much as we wish we never had to say goodbye to this brilliant, culture-shifting show, you feel the rightness of Abbi’s decision to leave New York—and by extension, the decision to end the series—through the screen. It’s time for the characters and the creators to grow up, and that’s what they want for us, too. (Ugh, fine.) — Anna Menta
'Star Trek: Discovery' (CBS All Access)
Star Trek: Discovery is never better than when its heading towards its endgame, and the already excellent Season 2 amped up considerably this month. “If Memory Serves” looped back to the original, unaired Star Trek pilot including one of the best “previously on”s in TV history, then hit us with the emotional gut-punch of “Project Daedalus,” and a twist at the end of “The Red Angel” that proved even when fans think they have the show figured out, they definitely don’t.
As of the posting of this list the next episode “Perpetual Infinity” hasn’t aired yet, but suffice to say the series’ star Sonequa Martin-Green is one of the best actresses on television, and though science fiction shows tend to get ignored by mainstream awards, if CBS All Access wants to go that route they have her submission tape ready. — Alex Zalben
'The Other Two' (Comedy Central)
The Other Two continues to be one of the flat-out funniest shows on television. Back in February, this rookie Comedy Central series about the siblings of a newly-famous 13-year-old YouTube sensation delivered three of the funniest minutes of 2019. In March, the show followed that up with perhaps its best episode, “Chase Drops His First Album,” which is just a masterful combination of subtle humor and over-the-top hilarity. The Other Two isn’t just one of the best TV shows of March; it’s one of the best TV shows of the year. — Josh Sorokach
'Leaving Neverland' (HBO)
A devastating, but necessary watch, Leaving Neverland meticulously tells the story of two men grappling with the abuse they suffered — and kept secret — as children. It’s a docuseries that forces us to stop and consider the pain of the abused, even if that means having to reconsider our own beloved icons. — Meghan O’Keefe
'The Magicians' (SYFY)
The February airing “Escape From The Happy Place,” which went back to The Magicians‘ best episode to close the loop and open up the possibilities of the show in a beautiful way is still the high water mark of the season. But also, you know, every episode of The Magicians is good, because this is one of the best, most creative, most empathic shows on TV. That was proven by the two episodes that bookended this month: “The Side Effect,” which focused on the side characters on the show in order to prove why they’re as important as the main characters; and “All That Hard, Glossy Armor,” a semi-musical episode of the show that brought stand-out Margo (Summer Bishil) to the forefront in an hour that is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking, with a decidedly pointed feminist message. — Alex Zalben
'Now Apocalypse' (Starz)
Famed indie auteur Gregg Araki has turned his lens away from jaded Gen Xers and towards pansexual millennials in this risqué Starz original series about Hollywood, mystical hand jobs, and alien intercourse. — Mark Graham
'What We Do In The Shadows' (FX)
I never thought that one of TV’s best sitcoms would be about a group of vampires, but here we are. Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s FX comedy about vampy roommates is tonally identical to their 2014 movie of the same name, and that’s a marvelous thing. Why mess with perfection, right? From its very first episode What We Do in the Shadows is a silly and gory delight with some of the best special effects on television. Within minutes of watching, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Kayvan Novak will have you laughing. — Kayla Cobb
