The 20 best TV shows that mash up genres

Even though it ran for just two seasons, Andor has come to be widely viewed as one of the best things to have come out of the Star Wars franchise in years. This is in part because, while it is certainly a space opera like the rest of the series and films in the franchise, it’s also a very potent and tightly-plotted political drama. In addition, it also draws on a number of other elements, including dystopia and thriller. The result is a powerful piece of TV storytelling that demonstrates the importance of fighting fascism, whether in a galaxy far away or on Earth.

It’s not every sitcom that could manage to take the trappings of its genre and also pull in elements of philosophy and fantasy, but that’s just what The Good Place manages to do. What begins as a story about a group of four people stranded in The Bad Place soon becomes a sweet and poignant fantasy story about humanity, the soul, and what happens after death. Through its evocative use of various genres, The Good Place established itself as one of the best sitcoms of the 21st century.

Joss Whedon has had many successes, but for many, his magnum opus will always be Buffy. It’s easy to see why this would be the case, given the extent to which the show skillfully blends teen drama, comedy, and vampires. It certainly helps that the series’ playing with genre intersects with a remarkably talented cast, and there’s no question that Sarah Michelle Gellar made the role of Buffy her own. Even though the show has been rebooted, she will always remain the most beloved of those who’ve played Buffy. 

The animated series Hazbin Hotel is like almost nothing else currently on TV. Set in Hell, it focuses on Lucifer’s daughter, Charlie Morningstar, and her efforts to open a hotel that will help various souls gain redemption. It’s a bit of a zany premise, but the show runs with it. What’s more, it also blends together a number of genres, including adult animated comedy, musical, and black comedy, to create a show that somehow makes the viewer care about these deranged and sometimes unsavory demonic characters.

There are many reasons to love and admire It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, not the least of which is its extraordinary longevity. However, it’s also remarkable for its use of various genres to add spice and texture to its sitcom format. Throughout its run, the show has repeatedly made use of other genre conventions, including musical and film noir. In some ways, the episodes that play with genre are among the funniest the show has ever produced.

Few series on the air today have managed to play with quite as many genres as Yellowjackets. The series’ narrative is split between two different periods, with one taking place 25 years ago and the other in the present, as a group of teens attempt to survive a plane crash and deal with the consequences throughout their lives. It’s one of those rare shows where all of the genre elements, which include horror, mystery, and thriller, complement rather than compete with one another.

Stranger Things is one of the most popular series that Netflix has yet produced, and part of its popularity stems from its skill at playing with genre. It’s one part ‘80s adventure movie, one part cosmic horror, and one part science fiction. Somehow, it brings all these elements into harmony, anchored by some terrific performances from both the younger members of the cast and the adults. It’s a show that manages to be rooted in nostalgia and yet firmly of the present moment. 

Pedro Pascal lends his memorable voice talents to the title character of The Mandalorian, which focuses on his character and his various adventures, most of which involve his small companion, Grogu. Like many other entries in the Star Wars universe, The Mandalorian is a skilled blend of various genres, including Western, space opera, and science fiction. The Mandalorian is himself like a figure plucked out of a western film, a lone wanderer who finds an unexpected companion and even his own form of redemption.

Bryan Cranston delivers arguably his best performance of his career in Breaking Bad, where he portrays Walter White, a chemistry teacher who transitions into a meth cook and drug lord. In addition to its powerful writing and Cranston’s performance, the series is notable for the extent to which it puts many different genres into play. There’s obviously the crime drama element, but it also draws in some elements of black comedy and even the western. As a result, it’s not surprising that it became one of the quintessential dramas of 21st-century America.

Few shows have tapped into cultural anxieties about technology quite as adeptly as Black Mirror. Though almost all of its episodes engage with modern life in one way or another, they vary in terms of their generic contours, and it draws on a number of different kinds of television storytelling. Some are very much in the horror vein, while others are more akin to crime fiction. No matter what genre Black Mirror utilizes, it shows how much technology has the power to radically change human life and society, for better or worse.

After the success of Buffy, Joss Whedon turned his attention to Firefly, which was a project that might have been short-lived but has continued to enjoy a cult audience. Like Whedon’s other notable projects, it employs several genres in its storytelling. Thus, even though it takes place in space, it also contains elements of the Western and science fiction. Thanks to Whedon’s skills, however, the show manages to make these elements work together rather than against one another.

Though the first season of the hit drama Fargo was firmly based on the Coen Brothers movie of the same name, the subsequent seasons have taken the show in some new and interesting directions. As with the original film, however, the show’s various seasons have drawn in a number of generic elements. In addition to being a crime drama, there are also elements of black comedy and the surreal/fantastical. This is particularly true when it comes to many of the villains, leaving the viewer to wonder whether they are human or if something more sinister is at work.

Given that The Handmaid’s Tale is based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, and given that Atwood herself plays with genre in her fiction, it’s not surprising that the show would do the same. Of course, it’s very much a piece of dystopian fiction, but it also draws in elements of alternate history and even tragedy. As a result, it’s the type of show that holds up a terrifying mirror to present society, allowing the viewer to see how the dark future it presents could very well become a reality much sooner than most people would like to admit.

Reservation Dogs is one of that crop of shows that sprang up in the 2020s, focusing on the lives and experiences of Indigenous people. In this case, the focus is on a group of friends, all of whom are struggling with their own identities and with the death of one of their number. In addition to being very poignant and very funny, it also freely plays with genre. In some ways, it’s a pretty typical teen comedy-drama, but there are elements of the surreal and the fantastic. It adds up to a truly unique and extraordinary show.

Given the fact that it has been on the air for a total of twelve seasons, it makes sense that Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story has adopted a number of genres in its exploration of what constitutes horror. It has run the gamut from haunted house horror to reality TV, from maternal melodrama to science fiction, and everything in between. Throughout its run, American Horror Story has somehow managed to stay remarkably fresh and terrifying, while also establishing its own miniature television universe.

Carnivale is one of those HBO shows that was canceled before its time. Ostensibly about the travails of a traveling carnival and its various members in the 1930s, it featured a remarkable combination of genres, including everything from historical drama to explore a number of weighty philosophical issues. It was one of the most unusual shows to have emerged from the early 2000s and from HBO, and it deserves credit for its ambition, even if it was never able to achieve its full vision.

The short-lived Kevin Can F--k Himself was quite brilliant in its setup, and it featured another terrific performance from Annie Murphy. The series juxtaposes a sitcom with a hard-hitting TV drama, showing the extent to which Murphy’s Allison McRoberts is trapped in an abusive, unhappy marriage. Aside from giving Murphy the chance to shine in a dramatic role, it demonstrated how the traditional family sitcom often excuses terrible behavior from men while holding women to an exacting and ultimately unattainable standard.

Donald Glover has repeatedly shown that he is one of his generation’s most visionary talents, and the series Atlanta might just be his masterpiece. In addition to being quite funny at times, it also revels in its own surreal approach to contemporary issues of race and identity in America, freely playing with genre and the conventions of TV storytelling. It’s a show that delights in being weird, which helps explain why it earned such widespread critical and audience acclaim throughout its run.

WandaVision is often regarded as one of the best series to have yet emerged from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In part, this stems from its brilliant recreation of various eras of the sitcom, from the 1950s to the present. Its appeal also stems from its grappling with heavy thematic issues concerning grief. Eventually, the series also brought in elements of the typical superhero TV show. As a result, the show established itself as a true powerhouse of Marvel television storytelling. 

The Afterparty, which ran for two seasons on Apple TV+, was one of those murder mystery comedies that became all the rage in the 2020s. What set it apart, however, was that each episode was told from a different character’s point of view, which also involved each episode featuring a different genre styling. While this could be a bit disorienting at times, it’s also what gave the show its unique flair, and it’s just a shame that it wasn’t given a third season to continue making the most out of this fun setup.