I spent ALL of 2018 preparing for this series of lists. I printed out a bunch of blank lists for each medium I was experiencing, stuck it on the back of the door, noting it down and rating it all. Needless to say, I LOVE LISTS.
I didn't do this one last year, I guess I never really thought I watched a lot of TV, and it turns out I watch a lot of TV, and I don't watch a lot of TV. Television is still in another golden age right now, I thought it was around during Breaking Bad, Game Of Thrones, Dexter etc etc, were making the rounds but it feels like it continues to grow and bloom every year. As such there is TOO MUCH to try and check out and actually finish, as a superhero fan there is already too many comic book shows for me to check out (which I'm actually gonna try and attempt that CW stuff this year, wish me luck), add that too the ever growing animated genres around and the drama TV and it feels like I've barely even scratched the surface. But I was still surprised how much TV I actually did watch, a lot more than I thought. So here is my list of my favourite TV of the year. Honestly some of middle could be interchanged but fuck it, this is the list now.
I enjoyed the majority of Luke Cage season 1, and I am a big fan of the Marvel Netflix shows in general. So this series was a really great watch. Felt like the whole season had a much more focus, and it had a great character study of Luke Cage, with the ending of the season being extremely compelling. I guess it is sad, then, that we probably won't see the continuation of this. As of right now all of Marvel Netflix seems to be doomed, Iron Fist, Daredevil and this show have all been cancelled, and The Punisher and Jessica Jones feels like they will suffer the same fate after their next seasons are finished and released. All of this seems to be because of the yet to be released Disney Plus and the planned MCU TV to come out of there, let's hope this isn't the end of these characters, but more specifically these portrayals.
I won't lie to you, this is actually the first season of It's Always Sunny where I felt that it was a bit weak in places. This has quickly become, over the past 2-3 years, one of my favourite shows of all time. But this time around I felt they may have cut a bit too close to the wound. The show was always in poor taste, in the best way, but this season saw them tackle of lot of polarising politics and social issues that have cropped up since Trump's presidency, and sure in America it is more divided and more prominent, but for me, I don't wanna think about it, or make fun of it, I want to have escape from everything about the world that makes me depressed. But look, these are just a couple of episodes, and most of this series leans on the goofy and ridiculous just the way I like it, and everything I love about the show is still here. Plus we have a shocking closer to this season with a interpretive dance made by Mac, who wants to express how he feels as a gay man. A HUGE departure from It's Always Sunny's usual antics and it is beautiful and poignant in a way that is very surprising.With all that considered, that's why it sits here.
I don't really know what to say about Patrick Melrose, other than I really enjoyed it, and going in not knowing what this was about was a real blessing. Benedict Cumberbatch pulls out another great performance, I know he's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you are interested in this is anyway, at least watch 2 episodes. The first episode is not the be all and end all of this miniseries, I saw some people drop out after the first episode thinking it was one thing, when in actuality it is something else. If you continue with this show you will be treated. And that is all I want to say about this show, take a look if you're interested.
I won't lie to you, this is a young adult superhero show, that means there is a certain level of, I guess the best word is, dramatics, but it is in a coming-of-age story, and I think it gets away with a lot of that, but if you don't like that sort of thing I would skip this. But all of you out there who don't have any issues with that, this show is a great time. We have a lot of different issues being tackled but not so much to lose focus away from the powers and the special connection the two lead characters have. Acting is superb, chemistry is brilliant and story is wonderful. This show stuck with me for the majority of the year as I kept looking back on it with fond memories.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is also up there with one of my favourite shows of all time. It is the ultimate feel good comedy show, full with interesting and hilarious characters that you feel connected to on a level like you would with best friends. This show pulls you into it's world so easily and you feel like you are a part of the family. This was another stellar season for the NINE-NINE, with a ending cliff hanger that was almost taken away from us when the show was cancelled prematurely early 2018. I and everyone else on twitter had a fit and now we get a Season 6 and an answer to that cliffhanger. It seems that the next season looks to be this shows last, which I am ok with as long as we get full closure and a beautiful ending to a show that has been magical from the begging.
We're back at the Marvel Netflix again, and Jessica Jones is still EXCELLENT. First season was amazing in every single way and although I think this season is slightly weaker, it's still a great TV show in every sense, Krysten Ritter still pours every emotion and depth into Jessica, she should be in more stuff. I'm just getting upset that this show will be gone soon too. Let's move on.
There has been a small reoccurring theme in this post that happened to me throughout the year with my relationship with TV. I used it as escapism from the current political climate we live in, Queer Eye is the show that not only gave me that, but allowed me to live in hope when I thought there was none. Who knew that something so simple as five dudes making others feel good about themselves could tug on such a heart string. This is just a great time from start to finish and we were blessed by Netflix for giving us two seasons of the show within one year. Can't wait for some more to just moreish-ly binge.
My last few years have been an exploration and falling in love with the media of film and cinema, as such I have spent more hours reading, listening, exploring and watching reviews and information about movies almost as much maybe more than actually watching any movies. By doing that I come across and become fans of people who talk about movies, and one of my top go-to reviewers is Mark Kermode. This year he released a new show on the BBC all about Movie genres, their tropes, the story common occurrences, and it all adds up to a really interesting case study of each movie genre covered in each episode as well as lovely dose of movie recommendations. I loved my time with this show and I can't wait for some more.
Imagine a show, where a bunch of comedians you know, some you don't just do weird fucking tasks as a competition, all being judged by everyone's former teacher turned comedian Greg Davies? Sounds pretty funny right? Now imagine your least favourite comedian, who you just don't find them that funny, they go on the show and you CRY with laughter, that is the magic of Taskmaster. Taskmaster manages to make comedians and just personalities you barely know or don't know or just dislike become some of the funniest people in the world and it has been doing this for 4 years. I have been a big fan of this show since Series 2 in 2016, but this year really hit a peak for the show. Series 6 of the show might be my favourite so far. The cast were all lovable in their own ways and it made me really invest in the stupidest cheesy dad comedy that Tim Vine does that I was never a fan of before. Greg Davies and Alex Horne are also the perfect pairing and I thank them both for making the show what it is, without them I imagine it wouldn't be the same.
If anyone knows me even slightly then this is no fucking surprise to you in anyway. Daredevil has been a perfect show from begging to end for me. This season of the show is the best season of the show yet and if this does become the end of the show as we know it, at least we got the perfect closing we could ever have. The rapport between Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk feels like it is the emotional core and gut punch that the comics created so well in between their pages. I've said it a million times, but Daredevil is THE BEST superhero adaption I have ever seen and I don't think anything will touch it for a long time. If you have any kind of affinity for superheroes, please, please, do yourself the favour, watch Daredevil, forget everything else connected to it, (stuff happens in Defenders in between Season 2 and 3 but Netflix have a great recap video on the Daredevil page, just watch that I guess) this show itself is a perfect hero show.
Honourable Mentions: Disenchantment - Season 1 (a nice little surprise of a comedy show, not funny every time all the time but characters are likeable and when it is funny it is very funny), Iron Fist - Season 2 (as of writing I still haven't finished it, I will but other stuff took my time and I wanted to watch Daredevil more than anything else so I skipped straight past this), Maniac - Season 1 (I'm so annoyed I didn't finish this yet, I'm absolutely certain this would be on my list but I just haven't got around to it), The Great British Bake Off - Series 9, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here - Series 18 (these shows are on every year and I watch them every year, even though they are fantastic they don't really hold a candle to the rest of this list), Sharp Objects - Miniseries (I'm bummed I haven't got round to this one, Amy Adams is great in almost everything so this is on the top of the list to watch), Doctor Who - Series 11 (I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS about this series of Doctor Who, maybe it will be ready for a different post later, in short, the characters are great, Jodie Whittaker is great, some episodes are pretty good, most episodes are a bit shit :( ).
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