And Netflix put in a $72 billion bid to purchase Warner Bros Discovery, sending waves of outrage from those in the movie industry who fear the streaming giant wants to take film away from theaters. Paramount has since made its own move for a hostile takeover.

Meanwhile, there was a lot of TV to watch, too much for any one person (or critic) to get to. Dread and anxiety wafted through much of the year’s lineup, as did crime and conspiracy. Drawing connections between entertainment and the real world can be tricky and misguided, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Simply put, it’s scary out there.

We tried to narrow it all down to a manageable list. Be forewarned: Like that magical amp in “This Is Spinal Tap,” this one goes to…

11. “The Lowdown” (FX; Hulu)

Between this rollicking series and his turn as Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s movie “Blue Moon,” it would appear that Ethan Hawke is living his best performative life. Here he sinks his teeth into the role of Lee Raybon, Tulsa “truthstorian” journalist and rare books dealer, getting into trouble up to his neck.

10. “South Park” (Comedy Central; Paramount+)

After years of obliquely addressing the havoc wrought by President Trump and Co., the long-running animated show took off the gloves. There were scabrous depictions of ICE and anti-wokeness. Jesus himself was afraid to speak out. And yes, Satan found himself a new bedfellow. This was the year “South Park” dared to get dangerous again.

9. “The Chair Company” (HBO and HBO Max)

Tim Robinson isn’t for everybody, but I’ve decided he is for me. This bent parody of the conspiracy thriller keeps you off balance throughout, mixing absurdist comedy with the anxiety of contemporary life. At the center is Robinson, flailing, dorky, and conveying an oddly relatable sense of being fed up with it all.

8. “Death by Lightning” (Netflix)

It only takes four episodes to weave the surprisingly irreverent if tragic tale of President James Garfield’s assassination at the hands of the lost, spiteful Charles Guiteau, and the medical incompetence that sealed the president’s fate. Michael Shannon, as Garfield, and especially Matthew Macfadyen, as Guiteau, are superb.

7. “Dying for Sex” (FX; Hulu)

Sex can still make for a potent dramatic theme, as this series, based on the podcast of the same name, fully understands. Michelle Williams stars as a young woman who embarks on carnal adventures after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. Jenny Slate’s BFF secondary character goes far beyond mere comic relief.

6. “The American Revolution” (PBS)

Thankfully there’s still room on the TV landscape for a deeply researched, 12-hour dive into how and why the country was founded. The Revolution was extremely complicated, and Ken Burns embraced the story‘s intricacies with verve and visual resourcefulness.

5. “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)

Watching Claire Danes and Mathew Rhys share the screen in this propulsive Netflix thriller provided a jolt of energy and awe. TV acting has never been as consistently strong as it is right now, and few of the masters are movie stars migrating to the small screen. These two are, for the most part, proud television natives.

4. “Mussolini: Son of the Century” (MUBI)

Frenetic, imaginative, comical, and terrifying, this ambitious series charts the rise of Benito Mussolini from reactionary journalist to titan of fascism. In so doing, it also provides an object lesson in how totalitarian regimes take shape. Luca Marinelli is a magnetic Il Duce.

3. “Alien: Earth” (FX; Hulu)

Honey, we blew up the franchise. Noah Hawley extracted key elements from the “Alien” universe — AI dreams run amok, corporate greed — and created a gripping and terrifying new chapter that both honors the original movies and stands firmly as its own thing. Sydney Chandler is an instant star.

2. “Long Story Short” (Netflix)

Along with “South Park” and various offerings from Adult Swim, including “Common Side Effects” and “Haha, You Clowns,” this witty, emotionally resonant, chronologically scrambled series about an extended Jewish family highlighted a banner year for animation on TV. It’s a prime example of the medium’s capacity to bend time and space, thereby emphasizing the variety of humanity we ideally encounter every day.

1. “Adolescence” (Netflix)

The kids are not all right, and neither are the parents in this shattering British series about a boy who commits murder. The performances are devastating from top to bottom, and the single-take episodes create a feeling of realism and immediacy. Another reminder that it doesn’t take more than four episodes to tell a great story.

Chris Vognar can be reached at chris.vognar@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram at @chrisvognar and on Bluesky at chrisvognar.bsky.social.