1. 'An American in Paris'
Director Vincente Minnelli's 1951 film musical has been famously refigured for the theatrical stage, but its unique cinematic qualities cannot be matched. For starters, there's Gene Kelly's singular star turn as Jerry Mulligan, his charismatic performance as an aspiring painter in the City of Light personifying all-American optimism after the ravages of World War II. Kelly's choreography _ by turns elegant, playful and exuberant _ surges with the energy of jazz. Leslie Caron's palpable innocence as his love interest, Georges Guetary's quintessentially French charm as his romantic rival and Oscar Levant's hilariously sour disposition as Mulligan's friend speak volumes about love, camaraderie and sacrifice, thanks to Alan Jay Lerner's witty and knowing screenplay. Above all, there are the musical numbers, none more captivating than Kelly and Levant's duet in a cramped studio apartment, Kelly hoofing atop Levant's piano is one of the most ingenious musical numbers ever filmed. The culminating ballet turns the title score by George Gershwin, whose indelible songs provide the film's soundtrack, into a feast of rhythm, motion and narrative storytelling. In our difficult times, "An American in Paris" conveys much-needed optimism. Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu _ Howard Reich
2. 'I Love You America with Sarah Silverman'
For my money, there are fewer comedians who are smarter, funnier, braver and, as revealed in this gone-too-soon Hulu series, empathetic than Silverman. In between timely and surprising riffs with comics and political figures (Will Ferrell, Bernie Sanders, Bill Maher, Corey Booker) that spice the humor with a gentle and caring world view, she visits people and places with politics, shall we say, slightly more conservative than hers. She visited a pro-life meeting, traveled to a conservative community in Texas and wrote a country song with Mary Gauthier (it was darn good). Every time, she found common ground. She added into this mix special guests _ a series of remarkable folks doing great work for people out of the spotlight _ who would walk onto her comfy living room mixed with a talk show set. And in case things got too weird (as they often did), her announcer, played by Mather Zickel, would make an attempt at normalcy by smooth-talking in a way announcers have done since TV talk shows began. Hulu pulled the plug after 21 episodes, way too soon. Watch it; it will make you feel good (and weird). Hulu _ Scott L. Powers
3. 'Beats'
This Netflix movie, which dropped in June 2019, humanizes the violence plaguing Chicago's South Side neighborhoods. Bronzeville teen Khalil Everage makes his feature film debut as Roseland teen August Monroe, who withdraws from the world after his sister is fatally shot in front of him. "Black-ish" star Anthony Anderson plays a disgraced music-manager-turned-high-school-security-guard who checks in on August at his home and learns he's a hip-hop prodigy. They end up collaborating and changing each other's lives. The movie, which also stars Uzo Aduba as August's no-nonsense mother, filmed in the Chicago area in the summer of 2018. Netflix _ Tracy Swartz
4. 'Dogs'
Cable channels like Animal Planet or Nat Geo Wild offer plenty of good series about veterinarians or rescue groups, but there are other stories to be told as well. Sometimes, there is drama enough in stories about people and their dogs. Filling that gap is this Netflix docuseries. Each of the six episodes centers on a different story. They are all good, but two especially capture the nuances of the human-canine bond _ and just as importantly, the personality of the dog in question. "Bravo, Zeus" follows a young man who escaped from Syria, now living in Berlin, who is desperate to reunite with his Siberian husky, Zeus. For two years the dog has been in the care of a good friend who is also trying to leave Syria, and the scenes of that temporary guardianship are incredibly touching. "Ice in the Water" centers on a yellow lab named Ice who belongs to an Italian fisherman and restaurateur. They spend long, solitary hours on the boat together, and the man is absolutely besotted with his dog, who will periodically go off and patrol the village. Watching those scenes, there's no doubt that Ice has an inner life. When life feels bad, dogs can make us feel good. Luckily, a second season is in the offing. Netflix _ Nina Metz
5. 'Encore!"
This show is for those who spent their time singing show tunes instead of shooting basketballs in high school. "Encore!" reunites high school alums from various graduation years (2007 to 1975), and asks them to recreate the musical they performed back in the good old days. Live theater is always exciting, but this time, age has added an extra layer of suspense: Will they remember their lines? Can they still do that tap number after back surgery? You will want to sing along to all of your favorites and stalk your former classmates on Facebook. Disney Plus _ Lauren Hill
6. 'One Day at a Time'
Reboot fatigue is real, but this reimagining of the classic Norman Lear sitcom now centering on a Cuban American family (from co-creators Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce) is a thrilling exception to the rule. Netflix claims there wasn't enough of an audience to extend it past three seasons, but Pop TV stepped in and greenlit a fourth that premieres March 24 on good old-fashioned cable TV. The casting is primo. The incredible Rita Moreno (a rare EGOT winner with an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) steals every scene she's in, as the happily opinionated, startlingly energetic elderly woman sharing an apartment with her daughter (the wonderful Justina Machado) and two teenage grandchildren. Be sure to catch up on Season 3, if you haven't already; it's the funniest of them of all so far. "Hold on tight we'll muddle through, one day a time," Gloria Estefan sings in the opening credits. Talk about encapsulating our current moment. Netflix _ N. Metz
7. 'Project Runway' Season 18
It's hard to make a TV show seem fresh after 15 years on the air, but "Project Runway" has done just that with its return to the Bravo network. Season 18 saw Season 4 winner Christian Siriano settle into his role as mentor and offer pointed comments to the contestants with a touch of humor. It also featured models of different sizes throughout various runway shows, instead of just regulating women with curves to a "real woman" challenge. Three Chicago designers competed on Season 18, the most the series has ever had. The finale aired March 12. On demand, Amazon Prime Video _ T. Swartz
8. 'The Good Fight'
This Christine Baranski-fronted spin-off from "The Good Wife" is a legal drama that is at once stylish and deeply, wonderfully cynical about the world. Where "Law & Order" was once the standard bearer for ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling, "The Good Fight" has picked up that mantle and deepened it with finesse and complexity and sardonic fun that makes the show compulsively watchable. Showrunners Robert and Michelle King have long had a fascination with how wealth works _ how it greases the wheels or makes problems disappear _ but more than anything, this is a show that captures the surreal feeling of a world gone mad and yet everything is business as usual. The opening credits are high art: A mesmerizing encapsulation of the show's ethos as office equipment and the accoutrements of the well-to-do explode in glorious slow-motion to a score that is both operatic and vaguely Elizabethan, as if a knowing wink to "The Good Fight's" Shakepearean power plays. Season 4 premieres April 9. CBS All Access _ N. Metz
9. 'Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time'
This three-man competition felt like a return to must-see TV. Naperville native James Holzhauer, Seattle author Ken Jennings and TV personality Brad Rutter tear through clues in multiple nail-biting matches in the hopes of being named the greatest "Jeopardy!" player of all time. The contest, which aired in January 2020, also doubles as a celebration of show host Alex Trebek, who has pancreatic cancer. Pro-tip: It's satisfying to keep score at home and note which clues the all-stars struggle to answer. On demand, Hulu _ T. Swartz
10. 'Work in Progress'
Dark thoughts and new love dominate the first season of this new comedy, which premiered in December and might be one of the most joyously queer shows on TV. Created by longtime Chicago improv performers Abby McEnany (who stars) and Tim Mason (who directs), it follows the travails of a dryly sardonic middle-aged lesbian who is seriously considering ending it all _ a plan that gets thrown for a loop when she meets and falls for a young trans guy, played with real sweetness and complexity by Theo Germaine. McEnany is playing a somewhat fictionalized version of herself and her running commentary on the world's many failings drives much of the show's humor. But fundamentally the series is a deeply moving portrait of what it means to make ourselves vulnerable to another person. It was filmed entirely in Chicago, with "Matrix" co-creator Lilly Wachowski on board as writer and executive producer along with McEnany and Mason. Showtime recently greenlit a second season, which is expected to start filming this summer. Showtime streaming, Amazon Prime or Hulu _ N. Metz
11. 'Shameless'
It's time to catch up on this Showtime network dramedy before the 11th and final season airs this year. The series, which premiered in 2011, follows a dysfunctional Chicago family as they get into trouble around town. Some of the original cast members, including Emmy Rossum, have left over the years, but there are still enough high jinks and emotional moments to keep viewers hooked. The Season 10 finale aired Jan. 26. Cast members are expected to return to Chicago sometime this year, as they do every year, to film exterior scenes. On demand, Netflix _ T. Swartz
12. 'Come As You Are'
"Money Monster" actor Grant Rosenmeyer and "Lodge 49" alum Hayden Szeto play love-starved men in wheelchairs who join their blind buddy ("Grandfathered" alum Ravi Patel) on a road trip to a Canadian brothel for people with special needs. The movie, which filmed in the Chicago area in the summer of 2018, also stars "Empire" actress Gabourey Sidibe as a nurse who drives the men to the brothel. The dramedy is a remake of the 2011 Belgian film "Hasta la Vista," which is inspired by the true story of a man in a wheelchair who lost his virginity at a Spanish brothel. Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video _ T. Swartz
13. 'The Imagineering Story'
In this six-episode docuseries, watch Disney parks evolve from Walt Disney's original idea for Disneyland all the way up to the recent grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. This isn't a show about how awesome the Walt Disney Co. is and always has been. It considers how much creators struggled to move forward after Walt Disney's death, the protests over Disney's American history theme park and many other failures. Whether you have been to a Disney park once or hundreds of times, this show will take Mouseketeers behind the magic. Disney Plus _ L. Hill
14. 'Surviving R. Kelly'
The Lifetime network docuseries renewed interest in longstanding claims that Chicago R&B singer R. Kelly sexually abused teenage girls as an adult. Since the six-part series premiered in January 2019, Kelly has been charged in federal and state court. He has denied all the allegations against him, including in a bizarre March 2019 sit-down interview with Gayle King for "CBS This Morning." Kelly remains behind bars while awaiting trial in Illinois and New York. The latest chapter of "Surviving R. Kelly" premiered in January and explores the South Side native's downfall. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video _ T. Swartz
15. "Pick of the Litter"
The little puppies in this show have big dreams of becoming guide dogs for the visually impaired, but no dog ever starts off with the skills to do that important job. Watch six rambunctious pups leave their foster homes, learn to lead someone up and down an escalator, avoid cars that don't follow traffic laws, and finally bring independence and mobility to humans of all ages. Find out if all of the dogs make it to graduation day and get paired with their very own new best friend. Disney Plus _ L. Hill
16. 'Frasier'
In these anxious times, I've started a nightly ritual: A long hot bath and my laptop propped up on the vanity playing episodes of "Frasier." I have vague memories of watching the sitcom during its original run on NBC from 1993-2004, but starting it from the beginning has been a revelation. I can't say enough about the writing _ highbrow nincompoopery is skewered but good! _ and the cast: The fastidious radio shrink (Kelsey Grammer), his equally fussy brother (David Hyde Pierce), their salt-of-the-earth father (Chicago's own John Mahoney, who died in 2018) make up the core trio, along with Frasier's no-b.s. producer (Peri Gelpin) and the doting in-home health-care-worker-turned-love interest (Jane Leeves). Pierce was nominated for an Emmy every season (he won four times), and there's a reason for that: He finds just the right the sweet spot between ridiculous and real human emotion. Actually, they all do. A hilarious farce with a big, thumping heart at its core, rewatching the show has become the most reliable stress-free moments of my day. I'm on Season 10, and when I reach the finale I'm going to miss these snobby dum-dums something fierce. I may just go back and watch it all again. CBS All Access _ N. Metz
