With the holidays in full swing, ’tis the season to catch up on all the TV you missed in 2021. To make things easier, we’ve chosen some of the year’s greatest shows for your must-see list.

FOR A HIDDEN GEM YOU MAY HAVE MISSED: Feel Good

If you’re not yet familiar with the work of Mae Martin, you should be. The Toronto-born comedian co-created and stars as a fictionalized version of themself in this semi-autobiographical dramedy, which follows Mae, a London-based Canadian comic who’s navigating sobriety, as they fall in love with George (Charlotte Ritchie), a woman who has previously only dated men. The second and final season of the series dives into Mae’s past traumas while they explore whether a relationship with George could actually work without the couple falling back into unhealthy habits and codependency. If you missed this underrated show when it first came out, there’s no time like the present to fix that.

Where to watch: Netflix

FOR AN UNFLINCHING LITERARY ADAPTATION: The Underground Railroad

Acclaimed filmmaker Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) made a breathtaking 10-episode miniseries that was released in May and somehow flew under the radar. Adapted from Colson Whitehead’s bestselling 2016 novel of the same name, The Underground Railroad imagines a history in which the network of hidden routes and safe houses that Black people used to escape enslavement was an actual railroad with trains, tracks and conductors. South African actor Thuso Mbedu stars as Cora, a woman on a difficult journey as she attempts to flee Georgia, in this challenging, visceral watch.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

FOR GENUINE LOLS: Girls5eva

On paper, this Tina Fey-produced comedy sounds almost too good to be true. Created by Meredith Scardino (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), the series is about a one-hit-wonder ’90s girl group trying to reclaim their fame after their old song goes viral. It features an all-star ensemble that includes singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, Busy Philipps (Cougar Town), Paula Pell (Saturday Night Live) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton). But, thankfully, the show serves up exactly the right dose of nostalgia, surprisingly catchy and funny tunes and dynamite onscreen chemistry between the four leads, who will feel like your own BFFs in no time.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video (via STACKTV)

FOR A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN VIEWING EXPERIENCE: Reservation Dogs

If you only have time to catch up on one show this holiday season, make it this riotous and moving series, which was co-created by Sterlin Harjo and Oscar winner Taika Waititi. The story follows four Indigenous teens who, while grieving the loss of a friend, commit crimes and get caught up in other shenanigans in an effort to raise enough money to escape their Oklahoma town and flee to California. There’s also a homegrown connection: Three of the four lead actors—Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai—grew up in Canada. Plus, Reservation Dogs marks a major (and long-overdue) milestone: It’s the first-ever show to be made with all Indigenous writers and directors and an almost-entirely-Indigenous cast and crew.

Where to watch: Disney+

FOR ONE LAST RIDE WITH A CLASSIC FAVE: Insecure

The holidays are for spending time with friends and family, so who better to hang with than on-screen besties Issa Dee (Issa Rae), Molly Carter (Yvonne Orji), Kelli Prenny (Natasha Rothwell) and Tiffany DuBois (Amanda Seales) from HBO’s hit dramedy Insecure? There’s been plenty of laughter, tears and drama among the friends, and the fifth and final season brings the enchanting journey to a fitting conclusion. We wish we didn’t have to say goodbye to the groundbreaking series, which has been acclaimed for its depiction of Black life in L.A., but there is a silver lining: We can’t wait to see what mastermind Rae (who co-created, wrote and produced the show) does next.

Where to watch: Crave

FOR A GRIPPING REWATCH: Mare of Easttown

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more-talked-about series from the past year than this Brad Ingelsby-penned HBO drama—about a small-town detective investigating a horrific murder as she struggles to pull her own life together—so you might have already seen this one. But the Emmy-winning performances by Kate Winslet (the titular Mare), Julianne Nicholson (her BFF, Lori) and breakout Evan Peters (her new partner, Colin) are so revelatory that it’s more than worth a second viewing—even if the show isn’t exactly…festive.

Where to watch: Crave

FOR INSPIRING TALK: Sex Education

Thinking about school or a return to routine during your winter break may be the last thing you want to do, but this unconventional series—about the personal and often sexual dilemmas of the students at a British high school—should be an exception. After an uneven second season followed by a lengthy delay, the third time’s a charm: The teen dramedy returned in top form this year with a bevy of new relationships and gossip. Come to find out if long-time will-they-or-won’t-they couple Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve (Emma Mackey) finally get together, and stay to see how the bright cast of characters galvanize against a strict new administration that does not take kindly to their sex-positive mindsets.

Where to watch: Netflix

FOR A TROPICAL VACATION WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR COUCH: The White Lotus

Snuggle up in your coziest sweater and trade in Canada’s frigid cold for this brilliant HBO drama (created, written and directed by Mike White, who’s also known for the hit series Enlightened), which follows a group of well-heeled vacationers at a Hawaiian resort. Set against a dreamy tropical background, the show is packed with intrigue, whip-smart and biting social commentary and a star-studded cast (hello, Jennifer Coolidge, Connie Britton and Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney). The vacation might not be so relaxing for the characters in question, but we can’t imagine a better show to watch while sipping a mai tai.

Where to watch: Crave

FOR AN INSTANT-CLASSIC ROMCOM: Starstruck

What do you get when you combine the endless charm of Notting Hill with the comedic sensibility of Fleabag? This British show— a.k.a. the most underrated romcom of the year. Created by New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo, the six-episode series is set in London, U.K., and follows Jessie, a kind-of-lost twentysomething who has a one-night stand with Tom Kapoor (Four Weddings and a Funeral’s Nikesh Patel) without realizing he’s a movie star. One night turns into something a bit more complicated with hilarious results—complete with genre-appropriate, on-theme Christmas and New Year’s Eve episodes. Proceed this way for happily ever after.

Where to watch: Crave

FOR THE FULL RANGE OF EMOTIONS: It’s a Sin

It’s impossible to watch It’s a Sin and not feel completely awestruck by its powerful storytelling. Written and created by Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk, Doctor Who), the miniseries follows a group of gay men and their fiercely protective, caring pal Jill from 1981 to 1991 as they move to London, U.K., and are hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis. The show is full of heartbreak and tragedy, yet it also depicts these men living loudly, jubilantly and defiantly in the face of bigotry and systems that fail them at every turn. Maybe don’t watch this one as you do your holiday-party makeup because it will leave you in tears.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

FOR FINDING A NEW FAVE: Hacks

Welcome to the Jean Smart renaissance. After starring in hits like Designing Women and Watchmen, the award-winning actor has had roles in a series of buzzy, high-level projects, the latest of which is the dramedy Hacks. Smart plays Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up who’s being pushed out of her casino residency. In an effort to stay relevant, Deborah reluctantly teams up with Ava (impressive newcomer Hannah Einbinder), an L.A. comedy writer who’s struggling to find work after being called out on an offensive tweet, to freshen up her material. Einbinder holds her own opposite Smart as the two characters go toe to toe before slowly learning to trust each other. They might just be one of the year’s best onscreen duos.

Where to watch: Crave

FOR SOMETHING THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE: Ted Lasso

Despite debuting in the summer, the second season of Ted Lasso features one of the best Christmas episodes of all time, which makes sense as the show’s big heart and generous spirit are a natural match for the festive season. But the winning Jason Sudeikis led comedy—about a seemingly bumbling but kind American football coach who’s hired to take over an English soccer team despite having no experience in the sport—also leveled up from its tender first season, tackling grief, mental health and the limits of relentless optimism. And we can’t forget the covetable friendship between Hannah Waddingham’s Rebecca and Juno Temple’s Keeley, which is the unintentional heart of the show.

Where to watch: Apple TV+

Read more:
Mohawk Actor Devery Jacobs on Her New Role in Reservation Dogs
Renée Elise Goldsberry Is Your New Favourite Diva on Girls5eva
Barry Jenkins and the Cast of The Underground Railroad Discuss the Must-See New Series