It's that time of year again. Not going to lie, I haven't seen as much TV this year as I would have liked to and some shows that had the potential to be on this list haven't all been caught up with yet. So here are the top ten shows I've had time to watch this year. Read on and enjoy.
10. Silicon Valley (Season 4)
Silicon Valley goes from strength to strength each season, the comedy is unlike anything else on TV at the moment. It has some brilliant people involved and I love how the storyline and characters evolve each season with new and hilarious scenarios.
9. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 4)
After Iron Fist, The Defenders and Inhumans it might have seemed like Marvel had a bad year with TV but their original series Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been the gift that keeps on giving. Each third of the season had it's own great storyline, each better than the last, creating some very powerful moments for the team that loyal viewers have grown to love. I haven't caught up with the latest episodes yet but I am very much looking forward to!
8. Girls (Season 6)
In it's final season, Girls, subverted expectations like it always has. The characters are (slowly) starting to grow up and were all given a great send off, even if some of them were less showy than expected. I have loved this show from the beginning and although it's had its ups and downs, I am sad to see it go.
7. Jane the Virgin (Season 3 & 4)
This result may have some recency biased as I have only just binge watched the two and bit seasons of this show. My girlfriend introduced me to it and I was unsure as to whether I would enjoy it or not but to be honest, I absolutely love it! I've never seen a show more comfortable with what it is and it is a joy to watch.
6. Game of Thrones (Season 7)
The end is near for Game of Thrones and you can definitely feel the show speeding towards closure in the penultimate season. There was a lot of great stuff going on this season even if some elements did feel rushed. It's still unclear as to whether we'll see the end in 2018 or 2019 but either way, I'm excited to see how this epic closes.
5. The Expanse (Season 2)
After a slow start with season one, The Expanse started to find its stride in season two. The characters feel like family now, the stakes are starting to stack up and the story has kicked into gear. It's great to see how faithful the show still is to the source material and if they continue doing so we'll be in for one hell of a season three.
4. Stranger Things (Season 2)
After a near perfect first season, I was a little worried that Stranger Things 2 might not have been able to recreate the magic. Thankfully I was wrong and this season brought back our favourite characters, developing them further and even bringing about new and hilarious duos. I love these characters and I can't wait to see what they get them to do next.
3. Halt and Catch Fire (Season 4)
2017 also saw us say goodbye to what I consider one of the best TV shows this decade, Halt and Catch Fire. Not a lot of people caught this one and once again I urge everyone to seek it out, it has some of the best characters created for television and each one of them was given closure in powerful and emotion ways. You really should have been watching this one.
2. The Handmaid's Tale (Season 1)
As the year got very political, so did the media content that was produced. It's probably just a coincidence that The Handmaid's Tale seemed to represent the Trump future we're all worried about, especially since it's based off of a book written in the 80's. This show was not just a brilliant and gripping story but it was also a great jumping point to kick off discussion about society in the present. And Elisabeth Moss is awesome.
1. American Gods (Season 1)
I was worried when I heard that American Gods was going to be adapted into a TV show, the book is crazy and I was unclear how it would translate to the medium. Well, it translates very well indeed with the series staying very faithful to the book as well as expanding upon even more ideas, giving fans of the book and newcomers both a sense of originality. It's unlike anything I've ever seen on TV before and it takes some very crazy and incredible turns as well as being a visual delight. I'm interested to see whether it can carry on the ultra high quality storytelling in the second season because it has unfortunately lost its show runners, hopefully it will top my list next year as well.
That's all for TV shows this year, be sure to check back soon for my top ten list of films.
Thanks for reading!
