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No one can argue that this year has been exhausting. People have lost loved ones, jobs, normalcy, sanity, and a million other things we all used to take for granted. And for better or for worse television has tried to reflect these trying times.
Whenever some world-changing event happens, some shows step up to the plate and try to address it. Some manage to pull off the impossible and grant us all a moment of happiness in the midst of the darkness, like when SNL gave America a moment of relief after 9/11. More of them miss the mark entirely, reminding us about how terrible the world is and unintentionally jeering at our collective pain. Naturally, TV has embraced that same dichotomy when it comes to COVID.
Below are how 20 shows that have captured this bizarre new world. Their attempts to chronicle our sorrow and discomfort are ranked from how poorly they handled all things coronavirus, to how surprisingly well they managed. And hopefully this will be the only time a list like this can ever exist.
'Big Sky'
Grade: F
It would have been so easy for ABC’s new drama to ignore COVID altogether. It’s a detective series about murder in Montana. Literally nothing about that premise requires Big Sky to take place in this version of 2020. And yet in its first episode the series mentions that they’re in “pandemic times.”
Let’s break that down. No one wears masks. Everyone seems happy to jump around in other people’s personal bubbles. Most businesses seem open, and dining inside is permitted. So what the hell are pandemic times? Please, for the love of beautiful mountains and grisly murder drop this plot line.
'Law and Order: SVU'
Grade: D
Look, either commit to COVID or pretend it’s not happening. That’s the magic of fiction. You can pretend like real, horrible things don’t exist whenever you want. But the Season 22 premiere of SVU tried to have its cake and eat it too. The drama tried to detail what it was like to live in the epicenter of the virus, and yet it constantly broke basic protocols. We’re talking dropped masks left and right and rarely keeping to the six-foot rule. New York deserved a better representation.
'The Real Housewives of Orange County'
Grade: D
This grade came from Decider’s Bravo expert herself, Lea Palmieri. And it largely has to do with Kelly Dodd. Denying that COVID exists and downplaying its severity is something literally no one needs right now. Over 300,000 people have died so far. Adding injury to insult is the fact that several cast members actually tested positive. But for all its faults The Real Housewives of Orange County had one saving grace: it accurately showed how some people in this area reacted, for better or for worse.
'Superstore'
Grade: C
Superstore understands the plight of essential workers better than most of America. But dear god, the masks people! Stop pulling them down before you walk over and talk to someone! As we all know doing that defeats the entire purpose. Props for trying, but you dropped more than a letter grade by letting your essential worker characters breathe all over each other while lecturing about proper COVID procedures.
'Social Distance'
Grade: C
It’s not this show’s fault. From a COVID prevention perspective this Netflix original is doing everything right. The masks are in place, everyone is social distancing, and video chat is in play. But do you know what’s more depressing than a comedy about these unpredictable, world-altering times? A drama about them. At times, Social Distance gets way too close to home and reminds us all how uninteresting it is to hear a bunch of people whine about having to stay at home. Thank you, Netflix, but this is one black mirror we don’t need right now.
'Coastal Elites'
Grade: C+
Coastal Elite’s heart is in the right place, and it’s hard to argue with its impressive cast. But it suffers from a source material problem. It’s really hard to find original humor in video chat show about the pandemic. If this comedy was released any other time it may feel pointed or funny. Instead it’s like watching an exaggerated version of your Zoom happy hours with some extra Trump vitriol thrown in for good measure. We’re already living with this depressing replacement for in-person interactions. We don’t need a show about it.
'All Rise'
Grade: B-
Credit where credit is due: All Rise was the first network drama to film a new episode during COVID. That took some careful planning and fancy footwork. But as far as COVID responses go, All Rise might have wanted to wait a bit to properly process what was going on in the world, instead of rushing out a response that felt a little more Schoolhouse Rock than perhaps they were aiming for.
'Love in the Time of Corona'
Grade: B-
Points for Freeform for giving us a COVID show that’s about more than just COVID. Once again all of the precautions have been taken within reason. Yet even though it’s a better executed version of this disheartening new genre, Love in the Time of Corona simply doesn’t have enough space to do any of its plots justice. The result is a hollow reflection on the state of romance right now. You don’t need a show about that. You could have just asked any single person.
'The Real Housewives of Atlanta'
Grade: B
According to Decider’s Lea Palmieri, The Real Housewives of Atlanta have handled COVID-19 fairly well. Everyone has sat an appropriate distance apart, and the show has acknowledged that the world is a different, more dangerous place. But then there’s Cynthia Bailey’s wedding. Sure, she took the right precautions but any sizable wedding during corona is a questionable move.
'SNL at Home'
Grade: B+
Over the course of its 46 seasons, SNL has evolved from a haven for the counterculture to its current position of being one of comedy’s most elder and trusted statesmen. That is to say that audiences have been conditioned to turn to SNL to contextualize the moment, and in some cases, to cope with tragedy. Famously, in the harrowing, tense days immediately following 9/11, Mayor Rudy Giuliani came to Studio 8H to help lighten the mood. A similar situation reared its head in April of this year, as Americans were frightened and locked in their homes as the novel coronavirus was beginning its sweep from shore to shore. The entertainment world came to a complete standstill, but Lorne Michaels pressed his SNL crew into action, knowing that his show was uniquely suited to responding to the moment.
On April 11, SNL aired the first of two “At Home” specials, kicking things off with a monologue from “host” Tom Hanks, one of the first famous people to have publicly battled COVID-19. (Seeing that America’s Dad had recovered from his frightening ailment helped ease many of us.) What followed were a series of lovably lo-fi sketches that let the audience into the homes of SNL cast members for the first time in the show’s long history; there was even an appearance from musical guest Chris Martin singing Bob Dylan’s “Shelter From The Storm.” None of the sketches that aired that night were particularly memorable in the grand sweep of SNL history, but that doesn’t diminish the impact that this episode had as a baby-step in what would ultimately be our nation’s excruciatingly long — and, of this publication date, still on-going — “return to normalcy.” — Mark Graham
'The View'
Grade: A-
Nine months after The View went fully remote (after a brief stint with no audience), it’s clear that the show’s COVID-19 adjustments are working. While things were iffy at first — Whoopi Goldberg had a difficult time moderating, and Joy Behar’s inability to figure out Zoom derailed any meaningful discussion — the hosts quickly worked out the kinks to produce a smooth, politically-relevant daily broadcast. Now that the co-hosts have adopted permanent green screen backgrounds, it feels almost as if the show is back in the studio, save for a few technical difficulties once every few weeks. — Claire Spellberg
'Southern Charm'
Grade: A-
As mentioned before, reality TV took a major hit during COVID-19. But according to Decider’s Lea Palmieri, there’s one Bravo show that went above and beyond. Not only did Southern Charm manage to keep up the humor and entertain us during this crazy time, it also accomplished all of those things while practicing safe protocols. The only reason for that minus is, you know, the state of the world. As great of a job as Southern Charm did, it’s still corona so this season hasn’t been as fun to watch as most.
'South Park'
Grade: A-
Like all things South Park, The Pandemic Special is wild. It somehow blames COVID on a sex-crazed Mickey Mouse and features a character having a major mental breakdown over Build-A-Bear. But for all its insanity, there’s something comforting about this long-running show’s first ever special. During a time that’s been defined by pandering messages about how we’re all in this together, it’s comforting to watch an episode that tells it like it is. 2020 sucks. It’s not really going to get better. So why not mock it relentlessly?
'American Ninja Warrior'
Grade: A-
The pandemic has been especially brutal for reality TV. Fiction can write away masses of sick people, but reality TV needs an actual excuse for why it’s missing those signature crowds. That being said, American Ninja Warrior has handled our current predicament pretty well. Most of the hosts stay well away from each other and instead of watching their loved ones compete on site, friends and family have been videoing in all season. All things considered that a pretty great approach. But we still miss the roar and gasps of the crowds.
'Grey's Anatomy'
Grade: A
Props to Grey’s Anatomy for delivering a vital service. During a time when healthcare workers are putting their lives on the line each and every day, Shonda Rhimes’ beloved show made the bold decision to give the virus to none other than Meredith (Ellen Pompeo). You may not know any frontline workers, but you know Ellen. That intentional personalization matters.
'Selena + Chef'
Grade: A
HBO Max’s Selena + Chef shouldn’t have worked. During a time when everyone is bored out of their minds, most people have given cooking a serious try. Documenting that hobby experimentation should have been a bleak reminder of our daily lives. But you know what? Selena Gomez is so charming and lovely she makes the format delightful to watch. Even if we’re not in the middle of a pandemic, it’s going to be fun to watch her learn new recipes from Zoomed in professional chefs. Also Gomez is such a relatably average cook, you can follow along from your own kitchen no problem.
'RuPaul's Drag Race'
Grade: A
Ever since Sasha Velour released the rose petals in Season 9, Drag Race’s season finales have become the event of events. But the increasing spectacle of those finale lip sync mini-tournaments came to a halt because of COVID. With the finale taping weeks before TV production resumed under a long list of safety precautions, drag had to find a way to turn out a captivating finale via Zoom. They succeeded, and allowing the final 3 to craft their own music video lip syncs gave us the bafflingly brilliant sight of Crystal Methyd lip syncing to Nelly Furtado while in full bird puppet drag. Drag Race made it werk, and gave us an event that was truly sickening (in a good way). — Brett White
'The Pioneer Woman'
Grade: A+
As the reigning queen of the Food Network, The Pioneer Woman’s Ree Drummond could have just filled the early days of Coronavirus-induced lockdown with clip shows or repeats. Instead, she enlisted her housebound brood of adult daughters, kooky nephews, and one kid’s boyfriend to keep the cameras rolling. The Pioneer Woman: At Home episodes radically stared the challenges of lockdown cooking down with humor, heart, and a few literally small fires. Drummond’s never been more charming and the show more relatable. — Meghan O’Keefe
'How to with John Wilson'
Grade: A+
Personally, I’m not a fan of COVID-19 in my pop culture. TV and films are supposed to be an escape from reality, not a reminder of the perpetual Groundhog Day of distress with which we currently find ourselves entangled. So while I’ve successfully ignored most COVID-content, one show snuck through and surprised me with its warmth and grace: How To With John Wilson. The season finale of HBO’s emotionally resplendent docuseries, “How To Cook the Perfect Risotto,” was a beacon of humanity as it captured the chaotic first moments of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the heartening relationship between John Wilson and his elderly landlord. — Josh Sorokach
'Mythic Quest: Quarantine'
Grade: A+
Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Megan Ganz’s show was one of the first to address COVID. And you know what? They did it best. Well before all the working from home tropes got old, Mythic Quest mocked our new reality with searing accuracy. The Quarantine special had all the hits: a overachiever who refused to shower or acknowledge what was happening, a pompous rich guy would won’t stop sharing videos, an older man who refused to learn how video chat works, and a brand new screen-intensive way to waste time.
Yet this special also offered honesty. As McElhenney’s Ian hugs Charlotte Nicdao’s Poppy, Mythic Quest touched on something powerful. No matter how successful or well-adjusted you are, this pandemic has been hard. Not seeing friends and family for months on end hurts in a profound way. That hug — which may break a few guidelines, but still takes the time to have Ian pull up his mask, first — served as a reminder that it was OK to miss a little slice of normal life.
