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Here are the most popular TV shows of 2020 (and where to stream them)

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Alexandra Plesa
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The global phenomenon that was Game of Thrones all came to an end in May 2019 with the conclusion of its eighth and final season. But its popularity is clearly yet to slow down after the finalists were released for the most in-demand programs of 2020. Game of Thrones joined Stranger Things, The Mandalorian, The Witcher and The Walking Dead as the finalists for the World's Choice category for most in-demand TV show for the Global TV Demand awards. Jump straight to the list Stranger Things is also continuing to rate despite its last episode of season 3 airing in July 2019. Production is currently ongoing for season 4 with no release date yet announced. Hosted by global TV analytics firm Parrot Analytics, the awards are being held for the third time and are classified as an unbiased, data-driven TV award show. The show which was most in demand in each category wins. The third edition of the awards will be virtual given the ongoing pandemic and will take place over 5 days beginning Monday 1 February 2021. You will be able to watch via globaltvdemandawards.com and the Parrot Analytics YouTube channel. Before then, the company has released a list of the finalists for each category. There are 16 categories in total, 4 more than last year, including new categories for Korean Dramas, Anime and Latin American TV series. The finalists (and ultimately the winners) are determined by audience demand around the world, with Parrot Analytics taking into consideration how much a TV series resonates by measuring video consumption, social media engagement and research actions. Consequently, the list offers an accurate snapshot of what the world has been watching in 2020. Turns out, people are still catching up with Game of Thrones, but are also engrossed with newer series like The Mandalorian and The Witcher. Long-running animations Family Guy, South Park and The Simpsons remain incredibly popular, while Friends is enjoying a lot of attention even in 2020. It has been a tough year, so it's normal for viewers to rely on comfort binges. As far as docu-series go, Tiger King is among the finalists as expected, while The Last Dance and Cosmos also fared well. New series that seemed to have made a splash this year include the Apple TV Plus drama Defending Jacob, Star Trek: Picard, Space Force and Warrior Nun. The finalists were determined based on global TV demand data measured from 1 January to 31 October 2020. That's likely why shows that premiered in the last couple of months like Emily in Paris didn't make the cut, at least not this year. Check out the complete list of finalists below, along with resources about where you can stream them in Australia.

The Witcher

World's Choice (Most In-Demand TV Show in the World)

The Simpsons

Most In-Demand Adult Animation Series

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My Hero Academia

Most In-Demand Anime Series

  • Attack On Titan – Crunchyroll, Tubi
  • My Hero Academia – Crunchyroll
  • Naruto – Crunchyroll, Tubi
  • Naruto: Shippuden – Crunchyroll
  • One Piece – Netflix

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Most In-Demand Children's Series

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The Big Bang Theory

Most In-Demand Comedy Series

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness

Most In-Demand Documentary Series

  • Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey – Disney Plus
  • Cosmos: Possible Worlds – Tubi
  • Planet Earth – Stan, BINGE, Foxtel
  • The Last Dance – Netflix
  • Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness – Netflix

Stranger Things

Most In-Demand Drama Series

Modern Family

Most In-Demand Series Ending on a High Note

Chernobyl

Most In-Demand Historical Drama Series

American Horror Story

Most In-Demand Horror Series

Good Doctor

Most In-Demand Korean Drama Series

  • Crash Landing on You – Netflix
  • Good Doctor – Netflix, SBS On Demand
  • Kingdom – Netflix
  • Reply 1988 – Netflix
  • Top Management – YouTube Premium

A Praça É Nossa

Most In-Demand Latin American Series

  • A Fazenda
  • A Praça É Nossa
  • El corazón nunca se equivoca
  • El Payaso Plim Plim: Un Héroe Del Corazón
  • Soy Luna – Disney Plus

RuPaul's Drag Race

Most In-Demand Reality Series

Space Force

Most In-Demand Series Debut

  • Defending Jacob – Apple TV Plus
  • Space Force – Netflix
  • Star Trek: Picard –
  • The Last Dance – Netflix
  • Warrior Nun – Netflix

The Boys

Most In-Demand Superhero Series

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Most In-Demand Variety Series

Want more recommendations? Check out our list of popular series in Australia or compare streaming services to find the right one for you.

Image source: BINGE

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