Note: This list is based off my own personal opinion of what I thought were the best shows of 2016, and is ordered in descending numerical order. To qualify for this list, a show must have aired some time in 2016; I would like to mention I was not been able to watch every show that aired in 2016, and a series may not qualify if it aired later in the year and did not complete its season before the start of 2017.
Going into "The Young Pope," I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The trailers were fairly cryptic, making sure not to give too much away; all I knew was that the entire series created, directed, and co-written by acclaimed Italian director Paolo Sorrentino. What was originally supposed to be a one off mini-series has since been confirmed to have a second season on its way, and I couldn't be happier. Lenny Belardo is a devout catholic, and managed to achieve positions in the church at a relatively young age. For a while he acted as the archbishop of New York, that is until he was unexpectedly named the new Pope. Taking the name Pope Pius XIII, Lenny plans to make some changes within the church. Going against classic conventions, he rewrites the rule book in a way he sees fit. While he's trying to make the church a better place he has one major issue, he's not sure he believes in God. In the simplest way I could describe this show, "The Young Pope" is if "House of Cards" took place in the Vatican. Highlighted by beautiful cinematography, an award worth performance from Jude Law, and strong direction from Sorrentino, "The Young Pope" became one of my favorite new shows of the year.
When "Halt and Catch Fire" first premiered in 2014, I was unimpressed but saw a lot of potential. The actors were great, and the show's plot was interesting and unique; the rest of it just wasn't there yet. With the second season, the series went from being an average drama to being one of the best on cable. But finally with the third season, the show's reached its full potential. Starting off in the late 80s, Donna and Cameron are doing their best to keep their internet company afloat, while Gordon is in the process of suing his ex-partner Joe for stealing his anti-virus software. With each character suffering from countless trials and tribulation, they must survive the relentless tech world while keeping their lives together. When it comes to cable dramas, "Halt and Catch Fire" is one of the best on TV right now. With great acting and writing, as well as tons of interesting drama, what was once an average show has blossomed into something great. While I'm sad the upcoming fourth season is scheduled to be its last, I'm at least glad I was there to enjoy the show along the way.
In all honesty, I hated "Archer" when I first saw it. I remember watching the first episode not liking the comedy, the animation, or the characters; but as time has gone on, it's become one of my all time favorite shows. After the events of the sixth season, Archer and his gang of misfits have been ousted from the intelligence community. Desperate for money, the gang heads out to LA to open a detective agency; expecting the work to be easy, they get wrapped up in a huge LA conspiracy involving many of the city's wealthiest citizens. "Archer" has been on for seven seasons, and at a certain point you have to ask if a show that's been on for so long should be put down; "Archer" has not reached that point. The show is as funny as ever, and in my opinion the seventh season was better than the previous two. The cast of colorful characters are always entertaining, and have changed a lot over the years. While "Archer" might not be as good as it once was, it's still better than most anything on TV.
This is the rare type of show that only gets better with each passing season. Premiering in 2014, "Bojack Horseman" didn't seem like anything special. A Netflix original, the show looked like another, run-of-the-mill animated comedy. Revolving around the title character, I was unimpressed upon first viewing; but the following year, the second season was much more impressive. Now with the third season, "Bojack Horseman" ranks among the best animated shows on TV. Picking up immediately after the events of the second season, Bojack's new movie is shaping up to be a hit and could finally be what gets him an Oscar; but despite being more successful than ever, he's still just as miserable. What was once another dumb comedy has become a starch critic of modern day culture by satirizing every part of world. Discussing themes of self-loathing, self-sabotage, depression, and vanity, "Bojack Horseman" is one of the smartest and most original shows on TV. And I can't wait to see where the show goes with its fourth season.
If I had to choose the weirdest and most absurd show on TV right now, this would be a serious contender. "Ash vs. Evil Dead" is a comedy on Starz, and follows the story of Ash Williams. Ash was once your average teenager, but one day while on a camping trip with some friends he and his friends find a book known as the Necronomicon and unleashes and ancient evil. After putting the situation to rest, he thinks he's put it to rest; until he gets super stoned and unleashes the evil once again. So after coming out of retirement, he and some friends set out again the kill some demonic babies looking to wreak havoc on the world, as well as banish a particularly nasty demon back to hell. "Ash vs Evil Dead" is a ridiculous, hilarious, bloody good time. When this show first aired it had a lot to live up to, the movies it's based on are held in high regard. Fortunately, the show runners have done right by the source material. One of my personal favorites on TV right now, I'm already counting down the days till the season three premier.
If
I had a dollar for every time I've recommended this show to, I'd have enough to
by each season on blu-ray. "Silicon Valley" is an HBO comedy that
takes place in (you guessed it) Silicon Valley, California. Richard Hendricks
is a brilliant software designer that has developed a compression software that
could change the world. After many ups and downs, everything seems back to
normal; that is until Richard learns that he's been removed as the CEO of his
company Pied Piper. So he and his friends attempt to make the company what they
want while trying not to be crushed under corporate bureaucracy. "Silicon
Valley" is HBO's best comedy in years. It has some of the best writing and
comedic performances on TV. Unfortunately, it never manages to pull the numbers
it deserves. While a fourth season is on its way, I worry about how long the
show will last if ratings don't get better. Until then though, I can still
enjoy one of the best TV comedies in years.
If you had to pick the breakout new series of 2016, "Atlanta" would certainly be in consideration. The series was created by rapper, actor, comedian, and all around creative genius Donald Glover. Taking place in Atlanta, the series follows Earnest "Earn" Marks, a hard working father who hasn't amounted to much in his life. One day he learns that his estranged cousin is up-and-coming rapper named Paperboy. Earn gets in contact and conveniences Paperboy to let him be his manager, little does Earn know what being a rapper's manager entails. "Atlanta" most reminds me of "Louie," the shows a comedic, melancholy masterpiece. The writing, acting, direction, and cinematography are all top notch. If anything, it shows that Donald Glover can basically go everything. A second season is on its way, and I can definitely see "Atlanta" being cable's next big comedy.
One of the most consistently great shows of the decade has to be "Orange is the New Black." Since its premier in 2013, the show has garnered wide acclaim and numerous awards. Based off semi-true events, the story takes place in a women's prison in New York and primarily revolves around inmate Piper Chapman. During this past season the prison goes through many changes, becoming a for-profit facility; unfortunately for the inmates, the new guards aren't the best people in the world. And with ever growing race-relation problems within the prison, things get extra crazy during the fourth season. When I first saw the trailer for OITNB years ago, I didn't think much of it; but when I finally gave it a chance I fell in love. Emphasizing characters, their development, writing, and intricate story lines, "Orange is the New Black" has become a modern classic and a cultural phenomenon.
A
few years back it was announced that Netflix would be heading up a series of
original Marvel shows. The first installment in this online franchise was
"Daredevil," then followed by "Jessica Jones;" both of
which were phenomenal and made it onto my best of the year list 2015. Earlier
in 2016 we got the second season of "Daredevil:" while still a fun
ride, it paled in comparison to the first season. So while Netflix dropped the
ball with "Daredevil" season 2, they kicked it up a notch with
"Luke Cage." Luke Cage is a superhero living in Brooklyn New York; he
was a former cop who received his powers in an experiment that he did not
volunteer for. Cage tries his best to lay low, but after a close friend of his
is killed by a local mob boss he takes it upon himself to dismantle his operation.
Each of Netflix's Marvel shows are different; "Daredevil" is an
action series, "Jessica Jones" was a neo-noir mystery, and "Luke
Cage" is a drama focusing on real life social issues. It's hard to say
where exactly "Luke Cage" ranks among the other shows; all I know is
that I love it. Featuring several strong performances, great music, a
compelling story, and relevant thematic elements, "Luke Cage" is
another strong installment in Netflix's catalog.
"Black
Mirror" is a show that I've been hearing about for years; with many
telling me it was one of the best shows on TV. So right before the third season
premiered on Netflix, I decided to give it a watch; and I have to say, it was
even better than I thought it would be. "Black Mirror" is an
anthology series, meaning each episode follows a new story with new characters.
The primary focus of the series is to touch upon various themes revolving
around our current culture; discussing topics such as technology, vanity,
greed, pride, stardom, fascism, etc. The third season, which premiered on
Netflix back in October, was longer than the previous season and featured
several of the shows best episodes. The season discussed issues revolving
around social media, virtual reality, hacking, escaping reality, blindly
following orders, and unforeseen issues with the latest technologies. I can't
go too much into the plots without giving stuff away, just know each was
brilliant. While a fourth season hasn't been confirmed, I'm sure that Netflix
will see how valuable of a series it really is.
I
consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the world of television and the
various series coming out in the near future; but I had never heard of
"Stranger Things" until the day it came out. I was just on Netflix
and saw it advertised on its main page, so I gave it a try; and to my surprise
it turned out to be one of my favorite shows of the year. In the far off world
of 1982, a group of young friends are having a game night playing some D&D.
On his way home, one of the boys, Will, disappears without a trace. The whole
town bans together to look for him, along with Will's friends. What seemed like
a routine disappearance turns out to be a secret government conspiracy that
will push those involved to their limits. "Stranger Things" is
something unique, not like anything else on the air right now. It's one part
"The Goonies," one part "X-Files," and one part "Super
8." A fun sci-fi adventure filled with mystery, "Stranger
Things" was one of the breakout hits of 2016. And with a second season on
its way, "Stranger Things" is shaping up to be Netflix's next big
original.
In my opinion, this is easily the most underrated series on TV right now. This show is so good, it's almost criminal how few people actually watch it. "The Americans" is a cold war, political thriller that follows two Soviet sleeper agents, a married couple named Elizabeth and Philip, as they pose as an average American family doing the Soviet Union's dirty work in the States. During the fourth season, Elizabeth and Philip have more on their plates than ever before; their daughter coping with the realization of what they do, the FBI becoming increasingly, and a possible biological weapon falling into the wrong hands. There really isn't another show like "The Americans" on the air at the moment, its unique plot and story lines help it stand out. Coupled with great writing and exceptional performances and you have a recipe for something great. Despite the bad ratings, both a fifth and sixth season have been ordered. And if the quality is kept at its current level, "The Americans" could go down as one of Cable's all time best dramas.
"O.J.
Made In America" is different from every other show on this list, it's
real. This is an ESPN, 30-For-30 documentary miniseries about O.J. Simpson. The
series begins during Simpson's college days, and ends with his permanent arrest
in the 2000s. What most impressed me about this series was that it was so much
more than the O.J. trial. The series explored history, police relations, race relations,
the entertainment industry and more. This 5 part, nearly 8 hour miniseries was
engrossing from start to finish; exploring every angle of the murder case, even
showing never before seen crime photos. "O.J. Made In America" is
something special, an informative labor of love that ranks alongside shows like
"The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" and "Planet
Earth" as one of the greatest documentary miniseries ever made. We may
never know what really happened all those years ago, but watching this series
may make you second guess yourself one way or another.
This
is one of the few shows on this list that I did not watch while it was airing,
or immediately after its premiere. I didn't hear about this show until a few
months after it aired, but once I finally got around to watching it I quickly
fell in love. "The Night Manager" is a British espionage thriller
based off the 1993 novel of the same name. Jonathon Pine works the manager
night shift at a fancy hotel in Egypt, unfortunately for him it's at the same
time as the Arab Spring. One night he meets a woman who asks him to copy some
papers, upon inspection they are actually weapon orders; shortly afterwards she
is murdered. Months later while working a new job at another hotel he encounters
the man responsible for the woman's death; looking for revenge he infiltrates
the arms dealer's crew to take him down from the inside. This show is an
example of how a dramatic thriller is done right; exciting, intriguing, and
well written with twists and turns to spare. While I'm sad this was a short,
one season show, I was satisfied. From start to finish, "The Night
Manager" was nothing less than exceptional.
In 2006, the BBC aired the worldwide phenomenon that was "Planet Earth." An eleven part miseries, the show was a nature documentary program like we had never seen before. Never before seen, beautiful and raw footage showed the world at its best. Now ten years later, we get a follow-up. "Planet Earth 2" brings new, never before seen video of animals in the wild. This time shot in 4K, "Planet Earth 2" might be the most beautiful series I've ever seen. The shots the camera crew pulled off were incredible, and with the latest filming technologies there were able to get footage that would have been impossible to gather just a few years ago. From the farthest point of the globe to the cities we inhabit, "Planet Earth 2" shows off the world in a way like we've never seen before. Who knows if we'll get another installment of this series in ten; all I do know was that like the original, "Planet Earth 2" is special.
Not sure why, but 2016 seems to be the year of O.J. Simpson; fortunately though, he's the subject of some great TV. "American Crime Story" is a spin-off of another long running FX miniseries, "American Horror Story: Roanoke." While ACS may be by many of the same people, this series stands high above its predecessor. The first season of American Crime Story revolves around the O.J. Simpson murder case, begging right before Simpson's arrest and finishing shortly after the end of the trial. 2016 had several very good miniseries air, "The Night Of," "American Crime," "The Night Manager," and "American Horror Story" to name a few; but a lot of people will leave 2016 saying "American Crime Story" was the best of the bunch. Featuring several award worthy performances, great writing, and nonstop drama, this was certainly one of the most entertaining shows of the year. It was announced that two more seasons of ACS have been ordered, each will follow a real life historic event; if those seasons are even half as good as "The People vs. O.J. Simpson," I'll be happy.
Going into the Fall of 2016, there was no show I was more excited for than "Westworld." Based off of the 1973 Michael Crichton movie of the same name, "Westworld" is HBO's latest attempt at creating TV's next big drama. The series takes place years in the future at a giant western style theme park inhabited by hyper realistic androids. Following several characters, everything in the park seems fine until some of the androids begin to exhibit behaviors they aren't supposed to have. "Westworld" is probably the most ambitious show we've seen on the air since the premiere of "Game of Thrones." With impressive visuals, several strong performances, unmatched production value, tons of mystery, and an intriguing world, "Westworld" is my latest TV obsession. With a second season likely coming in 2018, fans will have to wait a while before we begin to understand the truth; until then we'll just have to re-watch the first season over and over again to see what we missed. But if the show runners can keep up the show's quality and intrigue, "Westworld" could become an instant classic.
There were a lot of great shows to premier back in 2015, but the true stand out might have just been "Mr. Robot." Premiering on USA, a channel most well known for light hearted dramas and "Law & Order" reruns, "Mr. Robot" really pushes the boundaries of what we see on cable TV. The story follows Elliot, a genius computer tech with severe mental issues, who spends his free time working as a member of a hacking group known as F-Society. The show's second season kicks off a few months after the events of the first, where Elliot is trying to put his mind back in order and the world is slowly recovering from the hacking group's devastating cyber attack. "Mr. Robot" is basically "Fight Club" the TV show, and it's brilliant. Filled with great performances, exceptional writing, and a compelling plot that always keeps you on the edge of your seat, "Mr. Robot" is only getting better. With a third season on its way, "Mr. Robot" has a series chance of being one of cable's all time great dramas.
One
of the most popular genres we've seen on the air over the past twenty years or
so would have to be the crime drama. There have been so many of these shows
that the genre has become stale for many, so it really takes a special show to
stand out among the rest; and "The Night Of" is just that show.
"The Night Of" is an HBO mini-series revolving around a young man
who's arrested for a grisly murder, and the fallout from the event including
the trial, his time in prison, and the impact on his family and legal team.
"The Night Of" is a brutal, and realistic look at America's criminal
justice system start to finish; including flawed police work, racial profiling,
and how American prisons can turn anyone into dangerous criminals. It's unsure
if we'll see a second season, but even so, for a one off "The Night
Of" is sheer brilliance.
If we were to ask every TV fan in the world what the best show to ever air was, there's a strong chance that "Breaking Bad" would get the most votes. From start to finish, "Breaking Bad" was nothing but astonishing, with some of the best writing and story lines of we've ever seen on the air. So when it was announced that a spin off was in development, people were worried; fortunately though, it exceeded our expectations. "Better Call Saul" takes place years before the events of "Breaking Bad," and revolves around the beloved character Saul as he tries to get his career as a layer going. Overall, "Better Call Saul" easily ranks as one of the best shows on TV and does a great job continuing the legacy of its predecessor. Highlighted by exceptional acting and some of the best written scripts on television right now, "Better Call Saul" might just be the best TV spin-off of all time; and with a third season on its way, the show's just getting started.
The sixth season of "Game of Thrones" might have just the show's most polarizing. There seems to be to major trains of thought regarding this past season, it is either the show's best or its worst; personally, I agree more with the former. So much happened in the six season of "Game of Thrones" I can't even describe it, just know that lots of people died. What makes this season stand out among the crowd would be the fact that it features several of the show's best episodes, "The Door," "The Battle of the Bastards," and "The Winds of Winter" are examples of TV at its finest. Plus several career best performances from many of the actors and unmatched production design, you have a winning recipe. What I liked most about this season that it really does feel like the beginning of the end. The thinned the heard, and now there are only three major story lines going on. While I'm sad that "Game of Thrones" will be ending soon, I can still enjoy it in the present. And in my opinion, it was the best show to air in 2016.
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