My top 12 TV shows of 2017
Some of the best of what was on the small screen this year…
The number of shows on streaming television only seems to be growing this year, as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime continue to invest even more in new original programming. The age of “Peak TV” is stretching on, with no real sign of slowing down any time soon. While most of my viewing still seems to happen on Netflix, this past year has boasted loads of great TV on many platforms. Here are my 12 favourites from 2017…
12. American Gods
American Gods deserves recognition, even if mostly for its actors. Emily Browning’s portrayal of Laura Moon is incredible, and other cast members like Ian McShane and Pablo Schreiber were fantastic too. Most of the storytelling was somewhat unsubtle and unstructured, but at its best the visuals are bold and the characters intriguing. Its finest episodes, ‘Git Gone’ and ‘A Prayer for Mad Sweeney’, are among the strongest TV of the year.
11. Catastrophe
One of the best British comedies in a long while, Catastrophe continued to be utterly brilliant in its third season. It remains hilariously funny and is a great character-driven examination of marriage and relationships. Writers and actors Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney are also perfect in these roles.
10. The Good Fight
Spin-offs are rarely this gripping. The Good Fight takes certain characters from The Good Wife and successfully digs deeper into what makes them tick, all while introducing fascinating new additions to this world and developing new compelling storylines. Robert King and Michelle King have created a show that more than lives up to expectations.
9. Stranger Things
There’s a good argument to be made that the second season of Stranger Things is perhaps even more entertaining than the first. The show remains incredibly watchable, it’s perhaps even the most bingeable show on television right now. At the core of what makes it so enjoyable is its excellent cast, and everything it achieved this year just makes the audience anticipate Season 3 even more.
8. Rick and Morty
The third season of Rick and Morty is its best so far. Much of the reason for this is that it’s clearly the most ambitious season of the show, pushing its characters further than ever before and taking risks with seriously high-concept storytelling. Highlights include ‘Pickle Rick’, ‘The Ricklantis Mixup’ and ‘Morty’s Mind Blowers’.
7. Legion
This is a smart drama with outstanding performances and some of the most arresting visuals on TV. Legion happens to be based on an X-Men comic, but this detail is hardly essential when it comes to being drawn in to this deeply intriguing and complex series. Its interest in the inner workings of the mind makes it fascinating, and it goes to great lengths to prove there’s room for something different and more artful in superhero adaptations.
6. American Vandal
The most inspired comedic concept in 2017, Netflix’s American Vandal takes the idea of a school troublemaker vandalising teachers’ cars and examines it with real dedication in a superb satire of documentaries like Making A Murderer and Serial. The actors are so committed that you’ll believe the story is genuine, and it takes ingenious turns to keep things fresh and surprising in the second half of the season.
5. Master of None
Aziz Ansari’s Master of None remains just as wonderful in its second season as it was in the first. There’s some great experimental storytelling here, and a lot of ambition and interesting choices on display. Writer Lena Waithe deservedly won an Emmy for the exceptional ‘Thanksgiving’ episode, while ‘New York, I Love You’ shows just how willing the show is to take big creative risks.
4. Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones easily had its biggest season yet, with multiple enormous battles and many scenes with huge special effects. The shortened length of Season 7 did make it feel rushed at times, but at its best it was spectacular, emotional and gripping. There’s never been anything on TV quite like the intense battle scene in ‘The Spoils of War’, and the rest of the season was stuffed full of satisfying moments that have been years in the making.
3. The Good Place
One of the best sitcoms this year, The Good Place takes a risky concept and makes it work in all the right ways. The inventive world building is genius, and the entire ensemble is tremendous. The whole show arrived on Netflix in the UK this year, so that fantastic twist at the end of the first season is still fresh in my mind! It’s great to see a comedy that does something that’s never been done previously, and this is brilliantly bingeable and hilarious.
2. BoJack Horseman
Look, I know it’s easy to dismiss this animated comedy about an anthropomorphic horse. But it’s your loss if you’re yet to check it out, because BoJack Horseman is one of the best tonal balancing acts you can find. The way it moves between comedy and tragedy is masterful, as the show continues to be highly enjoyable while it confronts difficult subjects like growth, recovery, relationships, and accepting change. It digs deep into its characters successfully, allowing it to tell more emotional stories with real impact.
1. The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale can be very difficult to watch, but it’s essential and important viewing this year. This is a dark and powerful show about a dystopian future, with a remarkable leading performance from Elisabeth Moss at its core. The show also boasts some of the most distinctive and impressive cinematography and camerawork on television, along with rich thematic depth and complex, layered storytelling. It’s my pick for the best show of the year because it’s just that captivating, and it feels like something we truly haven’t seen before.
Honourable mentions
Arrow, Attack on Titan, Girls, iZombie, Orange Is the New Black, Orphan Black, The 100, Vikings
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