My Top 10 TV Shows of 2015

It's coming to the end of the year which means it's time for top ten lists. Lets start with my favourite TV shows of the year, where this time round Game of Thrones is not number one, read on to find out what is...

10. Jessica Jones (Season 1)

The second of Netflix's Marvel TV shows to come out this year and once again proving that Marvel has some of the most interesting roster of characters at their disposal. Many people had not heard of Jessica Jones, unless they had read the brilliant Alias comic book series by Brian Michael Bendis, the show has now changed this and have made yet another unknown character a household name. The show itself stayed true to the tone and style of the comic book and did an amazing job of bringing a darker side of the Marvel universe to the big screen. The big bad played by David Tennant absolutely stole the show and had you yearning for him in every scene. There were parts of the show that I felt went over the top nearer the end but it still held its own over the Marvel films we saw this year.

9. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 2/3)

When this show first aired I never thought it would get as good as it has gotten right now. Season 2 showed a dramatic improvement over its last season and then the third went and blew the lid off with every episode we have seen so far being damn near perfect. Now that we love and know the characters it is a lot easier to get emotionally invested and the show has played on this aspect a lot this season. We have had shocking twists, turns and revelations which I hope continue into the next half. Marvel have turned this piece of coal into a diamond and I can't wait to see more!

8. Togetherness (Season 1)

I absolutely love the Duplass brothers films and was very excited to hear they were making a show with HBO. They did not disappoint. Like their films they gave us a show full of very real characters embarking on some very true to life problems. It featured some amazing performances and a bitter sweet ending that gave me the chills and has had me clambering for more ever since. Thankfully we won't have to wait too much longer as the show returns in February! If you want to read more about my love for the show and its directors take a look at the feature I wrote about them for WOWii here.
7. The Last Man on Earth (Season 1/2)

I have loved Will Forte since his hilarious film Macgruber.  I have loved directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller since their brilliant 21 Jump Street reboot. When I heard the three were making a new and original comedy TV show together that was serialised unlike many others of its kind, I had to watch it. If you haven't seen it yet then I don't want to spoil anything for you as the show literally changes from episode to episode, It's about the last man on earth and it is really funny. Go watch it now and catch up on all the goodness!
6. Halt and Catch Fire (Season 2)

Ever since one of the showrunners did a skype Q&A at my University I have been watching his brilliant show, Halt and Catch Fire. I am so glad I have been able to as well because Season 2 built newer and better things on top of its first season. The show changed its style a bit but still brought a brilliant point of view to the computing world in the 80's as well as some interesting and original characters to the small screen. The show also features some amazing actors that you will definitely be seeing a lot more of in the future if their performances in this show are anything to go by.
5. Bloodline (Season 1) 

Netflix are quickly becoming a TV show powerhouse and Bloodline is no exception in their original show line up. I came to this one later than most but was completely blown away by the incredible cinematography and superb performances, particularly from one of my new favourite actors Ben Mendelsohn. The story plays like a storm, slowly brewing and drawing ever nearer to its explosive climax. It will be interesting to see where they go next with these characters as this season felt like its own self contained thing. I for one won't mind returning to see where this troublesome family goes next.

4. House of Cards (Season 3)

This is the season of House of Cards we have been waiting for. Francis Underwood is now President, lets see what he can do. The show packs a punch with its twists and turns, it features a brilliant and scarily realistic social commentary on our relations with Russia, but the most powerful storyline here is the underlying tension of the presidents relationship with his first lady, played by the true star of the show, Robin Wright. It took me a weekend to finish and I have been dying for more ever since.
3. Game of Thrones (Season 5)

Just because Game of Thrones isn't number one this year doesn't mean that the show is failing. In fact it created a brilliant season that stands up to its name but didn't quite peak what had gone before. It was an interesting season for book readers like myself because we were finally going past certain points in the book and some storylines were being completely changed. I for one am happy with the changes and know that not everything from books is easily adaptable for TV. The next season will be the big test for the show as we finally go into the dark and book readers and non-book readers will have no idea what will be coming next...
2. Transparent (Season 2)

At the start of this year I finally got around to watching the critically acclaimed first season of the show Transparent. I was blown away by it, not only is it brilliant looking and extremely well performed, it also pushes the boundaries on topics we have rarely seen addressed on TV before. I like that it never strives to be likeable or happy or play into audiences expectations, if anything it's truly quite a sad show about people trying to discover themselves. Season 2 pushes this further and even though it has only just come out, as soon as I finished it, it went straight to number two on the list. This is the kind of material I would love to write one day, oh and it has Jay Duplass in it, did I mention I love the Duplass brothers?
1. Daredevil (Season 1)

The first of Netflix's Marvel TV shows to debut and it debuted with an absolute bang. It stayed close to its source material but also allowed itself to be its own thing. The cast were perfectly chosen and embodied the characters like none had before, It was the start of a darker side to the Marvel universe and also allowed for more realistic and grounded story telling in a world of Avengers and alien invasions. Daredevil defied all expectations and to me was the best thing Marvel Studios has made so far. Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin stood out among the amazing action, cinematography and story telling. A true masterpiece of a TV show that I haven't stopped thinking about since I finished it. If you haven't seen this yet then go watch it now because if you don't you are truly missing out. Its also the only show that had me so excited I wrote a review on it, which you can read here.

Honourable mention goes towards The Flash whose final few episodes of Season 1 had me crying like a baby. I was sad to see it go unnoticed in the list so I had to give it some kind of shout out. I also want to mention that I have yet to see the second seasons of Fargo and The Leftovers both of which I loved last year and I hope I will again, I will catch up on them soon! And one last thing, a show which has just started on SyFy called The Expanse,based on the books of a same name which I have read, is shaping up to be all kinds of awesome, so go give it a watch!

Do you agree with my list? What were your favourite shows of 2015? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Daredevil TV Show Review

I don't usually review TV shows here, but after binge watching Daredevil this week, I thought I would make an exception. From the first trailer I knew Daredevil would be good, but I didn't know it would be this good! Here are my SPOILER FREE thoughts.

For those who haven't read the comics or were fortunate enough not to see the 2003 adaptation (it had its moments, but not many although Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin was one of them.), Daredevil is about Matt Murdock, a lawyer who was involved in car accident when he was younger, where toxic waste blinded him but also heightened his other senses. He uses these heightened senses to fight crime as a masked vigilante. All of this takes place within the same Universe as The Avengers films, but apart from the odd remark here and there, this show has very different in tone. This ain't for kids, this is a violent and brutal story, like nothing we have seen in the Avengers Universe before.

The show gives you the basics of the origin within the first scene, but then skips ahead to an already semi-established crime fighting blind man. You get to see bits and pieces of the origin throughout, but for the most part it skips over the boring stuff and starts where the fun begins.

Charlie Cox, from Stardust and Boardwalk Empire fame, plays Matt Murdock. He is absolutely brilliant and is very likeable as the blind lawyer and masked vigilante. He brings a new level to the over used 'tortured hero' trope. He plays Daredevil in such a way that makes you feel like he enjoys what he's doing, as well as being very passionate about his reasons for beating up the scum of Hell's Kitchen. Sign him up for Captain America: Civil War ASAP Marvel! The character of Daredevil is awesome and Cox really does him justice and looks awesome in the early black costume, flipping around and kicking ass!

Equally as great (if not slightly better) is Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin. He is hands down the best villain Marvel has made in this Universe. Not only is he incredibly violent, scary and intimidating but sympathetic as well. D'Onofrio plays him with a slight child like quality and you really do feel for him and empathise with him at times. Apart from the fact he isn't the size of a sumo wrestler, D'Onofrio looks almost identical to the comic book version, just watching him made me nerd out. I'm so happy to see him in this Universe and done so well at the same time.

There is not one bad casting in this show and other highlights include Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Ben Urich, Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Marianna, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple and Toby Leonard Moore as Fisk's right hand man Wesley. In fact, Karen, Vanessa and Claire may be some of the best female characters the Marvel Universe has come up with so far!

The writing in the show is something to be applauded, there is some really great lines and brilliantly interwoven storylines played out over the thirteen episodes. Being able to tell this story over many episodes means it isn't rushed and you get some smaller, quieter more personal moments which you won't always necessarily get on film. It begs you to keep on watching and you can, because it's all on Netflix right now! It took me less than a week to finish...

You can go a whole episode without having to see Daredevil and you will not care because the character of Matt Murdock, and those around him, are so engrossing and engaging by themselves. However one of the coolest things about show is the fight choreography. Not only are they some of the best fights we've seen in the superhero genre, but they're also so well written into the script as well. You know the motives behind every punch thrown by hero or villain and the fights can be emotionally powerful. And for once there are real stakes involved, Daredevil isn't invincible, he's just a man and a lot of the sequences are very tense and thrilling. And yes, the fight sequence done in seemingly one take is as cool as everyone is raving about!

It does dark and gritty better than most films who have attempted to do so with the superhero genre but also has the right amount of comedy to counteract this. It may take influence from Nolan's Batman triliogy with its tone ,but I would argue that it pulls it off even better. It sticks very close to the comics in term of what the characters are like, especially Frank Millar's run in the 90's on the series. The minimal lighting in the show enforces this tone, although it does go a bit overboard on the reds and yellows during the first few episodes!

I hope this show gets a second season because it truly has blown me away. I'm worried because Marvel has got Jessica Jone, Luke Cage and Iron Fist shows in the works for release over the next couple years, that we won't get a second season in 2016, but I really hope they decide to do it! I want more Daredevil in my life now! If this is the kind of quality we will be looking at for the rest of their shows, then colour me extremely excited, especially for when they all come together as a team for The Defenders. 

If this was a film I would rate it 5/5. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now. It may be too fresh in my mind still, but this may be the best thing Marvel has produced, it's easily the best show of the year so far. Avengers: Age of Ultron has a lot to live up to. This isn't like any other superhero TV show, you don't need to be a fan of the genre or read comic books to enjoy how good this is, though there are loads of easter eggs planted throughout for those who do. I don't know how I'm going to watch Arrow, The Flash or even the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D TV shows after this...

What did you think of the show? Do you agree with my rave review? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

My Top 10 TV Shows Of 2014

Usually I do a review of the year near the end of December, that has my top 10 films and top 5 TV shows. This year I have decided to do it differently because there has been a lot of good TV I wanted to talk about! So my top 10 films will come later this month, as there are still a few films left to come out. Here are my top 10 shows of 2014:

10. Boardwalk Empire Season 5

Boardwalk Empire has been one of the best shows on TV for the last 5 years. I started watching it from day one and have not been disappointed since. It's had ups and downs every season but thankfully the final season was overall very good. I do feel the finale lacked slightly and cast a shadow over the season but it will still go down as one of the best crime shows ever to be made. 

9. Arrow Season 3

There have been a lot of comic book TV shows this year but Arrow still tops the lot of them. After a stellar second season, the show proved that it was more than just good looks and decent action. Although I don't believe the third season has started as strong as the second it is still pulling its punches and keeping me entertained week after week. I've grown to love all the characters and I can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of the season, especially after it's insane mid-season finale!

8. The Strain Season 1

For me The Strain was the biggest surprise of this list. I never intended on watching this show but one night I sat down and started it. I was not disappointed. The cast is great and the story is gripping. These vampires are real ones and proper scary! It has been a great first season and I cannot wait to see what the show has got in store for it's second.

7. True Detective Season 1

I was really looking forward to True Detective and although it was an incredible piece of drama, it did take a few episodes for me to get into. I may not have loved it as much as some critics claimed too but overall it was an amazing philosophical story. That tracking shot at the end of episode 4 (I think) was also one of the greatest pieces of camera work I have ever seen! It will be interesting to see what the writer does for a follow up.

6. The Leftovers Season 1

The Leftovers has seemed to become one of those shows that you either love of hate. I binge watched it over a weekend and I loved it! I wasn't one hundred percent sure what the show was about but was really surprised and happy to see them jump ahead after such a big supernatural event and look at how the world was affected by it. It was a brilliantly made and a very good looking TV show, I cannot wait to see the story evolve.

5. Homeland Season 4

I've been watching Homeland since day one but never loved it as much as other audience members have, in fact I have almost quit watching it a few times. This season however has really surprised me because I have absolutely loved it! They have done a complete revamp of the show and it now moves at faster pace with big exciting things happening every episode. It feels to me more like a TV version of the Bourne films. Carrie still isn't a very likable character but there has not been a TV show this year that has had me quite as gripped. 

4. Orange Is The New Black Season 2

I loved the first season of Orange Is The New Black and was really looking forward to the second one. Thankfully it did not disappoint and in fact I would say it improved on the first one! I actually like Piper now and there were characters from season one that disliked and now like and characters I liked and now hate. There has been some great writing on the show and some great moments which have been very powerful. Netflix is proving to be one of the best providers of original television, who would have guessed? Bring on season three!

3. House Of Cards Season 2

Yet again another Netflix TV show that improved on it's first season and provided some of the best television this year. Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are incredible in their roles and every season the dynamics have changed and I can't wait knowing that season three is going to be even bigger and better than the last. The final moment of the season had me cheering at the TV for more. Such an awesome show!

2. Fargo Season 1

I made sure to watch the film just before starting the show, after doing so I loved how much the series captured the spirit of the original. I think in the end that the show may have even been better than the brilliant film. Martin Freeman showed that he was a very capable actor and the show even put Billy Bob Thornton back on the radar. Such a great and gripping show which had me obsessed from episode one.

1. Game Of Thrones Season 4

After the departure of Breaking Bad last year it was only obvious that Game Of Thrones was going to take it's place as the best show on TV. The world and the characters are so diverse and complex that every episode delivered with a big bang or an important piece of information that changed the dynamic of the war for the Iron Throne. I think the show has really found its legs now and is carrying on with some of the best writing, acting and cinematography not only in the world of TV but in the world of film as well. TV doesn't get better than this! Expect to see this show in the top spot of my list next year as well (I hope!).

Well that concludes my top ten shows of this year. I want to add that shows such as Halt And Catch Fire and The Newsroom were also very close into making it on the list. 

See you soon for my top ten films of the year.

What were your favourite shows of 2014? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!