2020s Books, Films And TV: The Decade Guide

Lockdown viewing habits stick, streaming drama dominates, and cosy crime sells by the crate.

Below: the books worth reading from the 2020s, then the films and television year by year from 2020 to 2025.

Useful for a themed night, a reading list, a reminiscence session or working out what someone grew up with.

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Years covered in the 2020s

  • 2020 - Lockdown, clapping on doorsteps and a year nobody needs reminding of. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2020
  • 2021 - Another lockdown, then a summer of football and reopening. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2021
  • 2022 - The Platinum Jubilee, the death of the Queen and three Prime Ministers. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2022
  • 2023 - The coronation, Barbenheimer and 'Last Christmas' finally getting to number one. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2023
  • 2024 - A July general election, the Olympics in Paris and Gavin & Stacey signing off. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2024
  • 2025 - The Lionesses retained the Euros and the Oasis reunion filled the stadiums. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2025
  • That is every 2020s year we have written up so far: 2020 to 2025.

Books of the 2020s

  • Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club (2020) and the sequels that followed.
  • Matt Haig, The Midnight Library (2020).
  • Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry (2022).
  • Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing stays at the top of the charts into the decade.
  • Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing (2023).
  • Prince Harry, Spare (2023) - one of the fastest-selling non-fiction books on record in the UK.
  • Shelby Van Pelt, Remarkably Bright Creatures (2022).
  • Bob Mortimer, And Away... (2021).
  • Julia Donaldson keeps the picture-book charts busy throughout.

Film and television, year by year

  • 2020 - Tiger King and Normal People were the lockdown programmes everybody watched.
  • 2021 - Line of Duty's series six finale was watched by over fifteen million people.
  • 2022 - Stranger Things, Top Gun: Maverick and The Traitors were the year's talking points.
  • 2023 - Barbie and Oppenheimer opened on the same weekend in July and filled cinemas.
  • 2024 - Mr Bates vs The Post Office in January changed government policy within a fortnight.
  • 2025 - Adolescence became one of the most-discussed British dramas in years.

More from the screen

  • 2020 - Cinemas were closed for much of the year; Tenet was the one big release.
  • 2021 - Squid Game arrived in September and was everywhere within a fortnight.
  • 2022 - The Queen's funeral was one of the most-watched broadcasts in British history.
  • 2023 - Succession and Happy Valley both ended.
  • 2024 - Baby Reindeer and Rivals were the year's streaming talking points.
  • 2025 - Cinema leaned on sequels and reissues, with the biggest audiences at Christmas.

How to use this

  • Themed night: one film from the decade, the matching party playlist, and a quiz round from the trivia page.
  • Reading list: pick one book from the decade someone was born in and one from the decade they turned eighteen.
  • Reminiscence session: read the television lines out and let people finish the theme tunes.
  • Anyone born in 2020 turns 50 in 2070, 60 in 2080 and 70 in 2090.

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Found your words? Now find the card

Shop cards Look back to 2020 Look back to 2021 Look back to 2022

How to write it so it lands

  • Pair one film and one playlist from the same decade for an easy themed night.
  • For a card, name the book or programme they grew up with rather than the decade.
  • Charity shops are still the cheapest place to find the older titles on this list.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best books of the 2020s?

The list above names real titles published between 2020 and 2025, with their years - a mix of the novels that defined the decade and the children's books that have stayed in print since.

What films and TV shows were popular in the 2020s?

The year-by-year list above gives the screen highlights for each year of the decade. For the full picture of any single year, open that year's page.

Where do these come from?

The film and television lines use the same checked facts as our year pages. The book lists are our own picks - real titles with real publication years, nothing invented.

Do you sell books or films?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy.

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