“The Office” was the favorite and most popular TV show last year for Morton East students.
In a random survey of 132 Morton East students, 39 students said that the comedy sitcom, known as “The Office,” was far superior to the other series streamed in 2020. The past year was like none other, and while the country remained locked in by quarantine, people had nothing but time to spare. Meaning binge-watching one’s favorite TV show is how most spent their days and for Morton East Students, that show is “The Office.” According to the Chicago Tribune, the popular sitcom ranked number one as Netflix’s most-watched show of 2020. The comedy sitcom takes place in Scranton, Pennsylvania documenting the lives of the “average” workers in the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company with a few twists and turns. Nationally, “The Office” alone compiled a total of 952 hours, equivalent to 45.8 billion minutes, as it streamed over twelve months, according to nelsonsratings.org. First released in the UK, the show quickly regaled various fans worldwide in its eight-year run from 2005 to 2013. Until recently, this series has had a home on Netflix, but they announced last year that “The Office” was going to be removed from the service on January 1, 2021, and moved to its new home on the NBCUniversal streaming service, according to CNBC.com. NBCUniversal service will release the first two seasons of “The Office” on its Peacock channel, while seasons three to nine will be available for $4.99 with ads and $9.99 without ads.
“Honestly, “The Office” is an amazing show because it makes me feel like everything is good in the world and the comedy definitely helps! It’s a feel good show that I always tend to go back to because it’s a nice safe zone where I can relax and truly enjoy a few minutes from my day. I know it’s a show that was released a long time ago but I love it either way. 10/10 recommend,” student board member Jennifer Villagomez said.
“Attack on Titan” came in second place with 40 out of 132 votes. According to teachradar.com, the hit anime show originally appeared as a best-selling manga series created by Hajime Isayama with 100+ million copies sold internationally. The show tells of a time where elite soldiers, known as Scouts, salvage the remnants of a crippling human civilization while protecting them from the danger of Titans. The TV show announced its final season during the ending months of last year, declaring the sixteen-episode countdown until the final match, according to techradar.com. Season 4 started streaming on December 6, 2020, dropping new episodes every week.
“I just started watching “Attack on Titan,” and I was hooked from the very beginning. The plot is really interesting and I am always staying awake late into the night to finish at least one more episode. My favorite character is Levi because he’s very strategic and courageous. I can’t wait to finish the series even though I am sad that the series finale is coming,” junior Samanta Cedillo-Tirado said.
“Lucifer” came in third place with 25 out of 132 votes. The “Lucifer” series first aired on January 25, 2016, on the Fox channel, but the network canceled the show after only three seasons, according to mentalfloss.com. However, the Netflix streaming service picked up the series after its cancellation on Fox, and it released the fourth season of the show on May 8, 2019. There the series quickly picked up fans because in the year 2020 alone, “Lucifer” streamed 316 hours, according to nelsonsratings.org.
“I started watching “Lucifer” these past few months and it is really interesting. I highly recommend it because it is action packed yet hilarious. However, it also has its sentimental moments. I love it,” junior Andres Grajeda said.
Ultimately, “Tiger King” received the fewest votes by a staggering amount. While the show became extremely popular on Netflix at the start of the pandemic, Morton East viewers did not share an equal interest in the series.
“When “Tiger King” came out it was ridiculously popular and everyone would not stop talking about it. I finally gave it a shot and I have never been so underwhelmed. Tiger King is overrated and I truly do not see the interest. I fell asleep every time I tried to watch an episode and it honestly worked better than a lullaby,” sophomore Cynthia Rea said.
In the end, this past year will go down in history, and no matter which series was the best and which one was the worst, all TV shows helped the world through the pandemic, through remote learning, through life.
“I probably watched more TV last year than my whole life combined, but that was the only thing to do. Streaming services were almost as important as food! I think I’ve watched everything on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Disney+, and Apple TV+! But that helped alleviate the boredom which meant I was able to remain inside, social distance, stay healthy, and not be miserable about. Television and movies have always been about escapism, a way to get away from the harsh realities of our lives, and 2020 tested that ability…but entertainment still came through for us,” English teacher Mark Sujak said.