We count down our favourite shows that premiered this year.
Horace and Pete and the Lingering Scent of Regret “Feel-good entertainment”, at this point, is pretty much a misnomer. Any media we consume is intended to distract and compel us in one way or another but, logically, if it succeeds in that endeavour then we’ll ultimately feel good about the time we’ve devoted to …
The Night Of and the Burden of Keeping it Real The Night Of wants it to be two ways. It wants to be a riveting thriller and a grounded procedural at the same time. It looks and feels as raw as a true-crime docudrama but has plot points that belong in a John Grisham …
Atlanta and the Quiet Confidence of Indifference To paraphrase Kanye West at his most boastful (and accurate), Atlanta does not need your pussy: it’s on its own dick. This show could give a fuck if you enjoy, comprehend or even watch it in the first place and, somehow, that just makes it all the more enticing. …
Better Things and the Realistically Shitty Kids The problem with television shows that involve children or young adults used to be finding actors talented enough to carry off the sort of performances required, striking a tenuous balance between precocious self-awareness and juvenile behaviour in any given situation. I would argue that’s no longer a concern, …
Made In America, American Crime Story and the Unlikely Comeback There’s no real reason why 2016 was the year that the story of Orenthal James Simpson once again occupied the world’s collective consciousness. Nothing about the former footballer’s current circumstances suggest much in the way of intrigue: he is 8 years into a 33 …
Baskets and the Dreams We Dare to Dream Basing an alternative comedy that is not-so-secretly a tragedy around the life of a wannabe clown seems almost too easy. Pierrot, known as the “sad clown”, is a well-worn and widely influential stock character that has its roots in the 16th Century Italian theater of Commedia dell’Arte. Without …
The Good Place and the Perceptions We Can’t Control Louis CK has a great bit in his stand-up: “You know, like, when you say to a friend of yours, ‘You’re being an asshole’, and they’re like, ‘No I’m not’? Well, it’s not up to you if you’re an asshole or not! That’s up to everybody else.” …
HarmonQuest and the Laughter We Hope to Stumble On The more I try to configure my mind around all the different ways this show avoids falling miserably, the more I realise how difficult it must have been to sell as a pitch to any serious financiers. Make no mistake: there are very few concepts on …