Top 30 TV shows of 2016
Don’t be fooled. This era of Peak TV has its drawbacks. There are so many shows I didn’t get to in 2016. The Crown. The Path. The final…
Don’t be fooled. This era of Peak TV has its drawbacks. There are so many shows I didn’t get to in 2016. The Crown. The Path. The final season of Penny Dreadful. Most of season two of Ash Vs. Evil Dead. Luke Cage. Stranger Things. Casual. Catastrophe. The third season of Transparent. Fleabag. One Mississippi. Westworld. Divorce. Insecure. There are more, but it just gets more depressing the longer the list gets. That said, I still got to see a lot of shows. The best of which are represented below with the honorable mentions listed below that.
30) Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life (Netflix)
Nine years in the making, the wait is finally over. Was it perfect? No. But it was more satisfying than basically every other revival that’s been shoved down our throats the past few years.
29) Thirteen (BBC America)
An addictive yet sensitive mystery that explores the fallout when a missing girl returns home after thirteen years. Jodie Comer is a revelation as the young woman in question.
28) Mr. Robot (USA)
Season two takes us deeper down the rabbit hole as creator Sam Esmail opens up not only Elliot’s world, but those of his friends and family leaving us with as many questions as it answers. Curiouser and curiouser.
27) The Exorcist (FOX)
This shouldn’t have worked. There was every reason it should have failed like A&E’s Damien. But by some miracle, this expansion of the universe constructed by the late William Peter Blatty gives fans a very good reason to tune in week after week. And, no, it is not the power of Christ compelling us.
26) Wolf Creek (POP)
Another horror franchise finds itself on the small screen. Director Greg McLean, who helmed both films, brings back Outback psychopath Mick Taylor to wreak havoc once more with terrific results. Lean, mean and intense, this is one of the best horror projects of 2016.
25) Younger (TV Land)
In its third year, this Sutton Foster-led comedy has become more than that show with the 40-year-old woman passing for 26. It’s expanded its scope not only to include the entire cast in its storytelling, but the nature of the stories it wants to tell.
24) Archer (FX)
With a nod to Sunset Boulevard, the spy caper kicks off its L.A.-set season with aplomb and never looks back. How it continues to reboot itself year in, year out with increased returns is nothing short of amazing.
23) The 100 (The CW)
The apocalyptic drama’s darkest year yet translates into its best season to date. A cyber thriller that is equal parts gripping and heartbreaking, sexy and terrifying, it gives viewers a more satisfying ride than most of the year’s blockbusters.
22) Endeavour (PBS)
One of the best mystery (not to mention Mystery!) series out there, the Inspector Morse prequel consistently delivers smart, well-written whodunits while delving deeper into the lives of the coppers who track down the bad guys and gals.
21) Outlander (Starz)
Trading Scotland for France may have put off some fans, but the adventures of Claire and Jamie Fraser are all the better for it. The stakes are higher and the losses bigger, which makes each chapter all the more satisfying.
20) London Spy (BBC America)
One man’s descent into the belly of the beast that is the Secret Intelligence Service after his lover is killed makes for a gripping, emotional yarn that features a top-notch cast, including Ben Whishaw, Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling and Adrian Lester.
19) 12 Monkeys (Syfy)
Time travel is a messy business. No series relates this better than this sci-fi thriller. Few shows took as many risks and fewer shows saw those risks pay off as well. The Army of the 12 Monkeys is on the rise. You’ve been warned.
18) Orphan Black (BBC America)
After an uneven season three, the Clone Club came roaring back in top form. The stage is set for the final year, but there is just one request: More Helena, please. There never can be enough Helena. Yes, sestra?
17) Jane the Virgin (The CW)
This ingenious comedy/telenovela never seems to run out of genius ideas on either side of the genre spectrum. Its cast continues to be on point, gamely selling whatever the writers throw at them. Special shout out to Yael Grobglas for showing audiences she can play more than just a bitchy, pretty face.
16) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
A truly hilarious comedy is a tricky thing, especially one that plays it broad and quirky. Andy Samberg and crew have been killing it for years and somehow they manage to get better each year. Exhibit A: The arc that finds Jake and Holt living in Florida as part of Witness Protection is a thing of beauty.
15) iZombie (The CW)
Following in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s footsteps, Rob Thomas expands Liv’s world in season two to everyone’s joy. Major has a reason for existing, Blaine becomes an even richer character and Big Business’ co-opting of the undead is so ingenious it’s scary.
14) Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Battle of the Bastards. Cersei’s insurrection. Huge set pieces are what David Benioff and D.B. Weiss do best. But then there’s the moments between Jaime and Brienne; Hodor’s origin story. Not all the characters are compelling, but when the whole is this riveting it’s hard to argue with the results.
13) The Girlfriend Experience (Starz)
The best series are ones like no other. That is especially true here (and with my №3 pick). Smart, sexy, innovative and just dangerous enough, this adaptation of the Steven Soderbergh film proves that not all big screen to small screen transitions are created equal. Some are even better.
12) Broad City (Comedy Central)
Comedy Central’s best show continues its streak in season three (not that it really has anything to prove). The guest stars are pretty great (Vanessa Williams, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Tony Danza), but the series is still at its best when it’s Ilana Glazer and Abby Jacobson letting loose.
11) Better Things (FX)
Pamela Adlon’s ode to her daughters, who she raises as a single, working mom, is as beautiful as it is honest and funny. A series by a woman about women in general and a family of women in particular should not be an anomaly in 2016. May it be a catalyst for more insightful shows, regardless of genre.
10) The Good Place (NBC)
What could be viewed as a traditional bad girl redemption tale to the disinterested is actually so much more than that. A true ensemble piece led by Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, the comedy has its cake and eats it, too, by showing how much of what we do can land us in “the bad place” while proving “the good place” isn’t as perfect as you think.
9) You’re the Worst (FXX)
Creator/showrunner Stephen Falk gives Desmin Borges time in the spotlight in season three as audiences get a better idea of how Edgar’s PTSD affects him. To be fair, each of the main quartet has their moment in the sun, but Borges outshines them without ever making the other characters feel secondary.
8) The A Word (SundanceTV)
Five-year-old Joe Hughes is loved by his family almost as much as he loves music. When his parents learn Joe is on the spectrum, the family’s world is turned upside-down as they try to keep their own lives on track while making sure Joe isn’t neglected. The drama is insightful and relatable without losing its sense of humor.
7) Search Party (TBS)
The search for Chantal, a girl she maybe-kinda knew in college, leads to an existential crisis for Dory who makes it her life’s mission to find out the truth about the girl’s disappearance. Did I mention this was a comedy co-created by Michael Showalter? Because it totally is. It’s also hands down the best surprise find of 2016.
6) Bates Motel (A&E)
And this, dear friends, is where the rubber hits the road in the saga of Norman Bates and his uncomfortably close relationship with his mother, Norma. Whatever happiness is found in the early episodes of season four (#Normeroforever!) savor it. Because it all goes downhill from there in the very best way.
5) Black-ish (ABC)
A network comedy that doesn’t shy away from a controversial topic the way it doesn’t shy away from a good farce is why Kenya Barris’ comic lightning rod is one of the best shows. Period.
4) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)
Damien Chazelle may be getting all the love right now for La La Land (and rightfully so), but does he make a musical every week taking on the conventions of the romcom and musicals while giving it a feminist bent? Rachel Bloom does.
3) Atlanta (FX)
Donald Glover’s brilliant creation is provocative, hilarious and relevant. Whether tackling the minutae of everyday life or taking aim at the cultural divide, he always hits his target.
2) Rectify (SundanceTV)
The ballad of Daniel Holden comes to a satisfying conclusion during its final season. As languid as a summer afternoon, the leader of the Slow TV movement always kept at its own deliberate pace making sure the story had time to breathe. In an era where most shows burn through three years’ of plot in a half-season, this was a welcome reprieve and will be greatly missed.
1) The Americans (FX)
As the cat-and-mouse game between the Feds and the Jennings’ starts to get more dangerous, things are only getting more complicated for the Russian spies at home. Not between themselves, but between them and daughter Paige. Not to mention the growing bond between son Henry and the agent next door.
Best of the Rest
Downton Abbey (PBS); Channel Zero: Candle Cove (Syfy); The Durrells of Corfu (PBS); The Good Wife (CBS); Call the Midwife (PBS); Grantchester (PBS); The Last Panthers (SundanceTV); The Living and the Dead (BBC America); Madam Secretary (CBS); The Magicians (Syfy); Marvel’s Agent Carter (ABC); The Mindy Project (Hulu); The Night Manager (AMC); No Tomorrow (The CW); Pitch (FOX); Supergirl (CBS/The CW); Supernatural (The CW); Sweet/Vicious (MTV); Teachers (TV Land); The Tunnel (PBS); Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix); Undercover (BBC America); and Van Helsing (Syfy)