2017 has been another great year for television, full of revivals, innovative takes on classic genre styles, mesmerising adaptations, award-winning performances and enough twists and turns to keep audiences on their toes for days on end.
In fact, TV is arguably so good at the moment, I could write 10,000 words about a whole host of programmes. The magnificence of Pearl Mackie‘s Bill and Peter Capaldi‘s Doctor in Doctor Who? The twists and turns of Line of Duty? The mind games of Sherlock? The harrowing moments of The Handmaid’s Tale? Or the brilliance of Better Call Saul that continues to prove that some TV spin-offs are worthy of being made?
Instead, I am going to focus on TV shows that I feel optimised 2017 television at its very best. The year is far from over, but what’s coming up over the remainder of the year will be hard pressed to beat this six fantastic shows…
Warning; there may be spoilers…
Legion
There are a lot of great superhero TV shows out there and for some, that means an over-saturation of the genre. Personally I don’t see the difference with the over abundance of detective shows or medical dramas (some of which I very much enjoy). I love my weekly fix of The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow, not to mention the vastly improved Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. But like their big screen counterparts, there needs to be a fine balance between winning formulas (Marvel on the big screen, DC on the small) and something a little more innovative.
Legion, the first standout of 2017, certainly achieves that, emerging not just as a great take on superhero television genre, but on television in general. Through the genius of creator Noah Hawley and dazzling performances from the likes of Dan Stevens as David Haller and Aubrey Plaza as Lenny, the eight episodes that made up its first season were a mesmerising affair. The mentally unstable nature of David, mixed with some powerful psychic mutant abilities, delivered a visual and psychological treat for viewers while the ever omnipotent threat of the Shadow Kind made for dangerous villain.
Be it David conversing with himself to break out of his own mind prison to Plaza’s hypnotising, evil performance when transformed into the Shadow King, Legion journeys through ever-changing memories or break out musical numbers and mutant action sequences. This was a very unique, mind-blowing experience and one I hope the second season continues.
Catastrophe
If you haven’t seen this delightfully dark comedy from Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney you are in for a treat. The third series aired on Channel 4 this year and it was just as crude and funny and heartwarming as ever. After the turmoil of the first two seasons (from random hook ups and pregnancies to marriage and unexpected family life), this series saw Rob struggle with being a stay-at-home dad, Sharon take advantage of a colleague’s death to get a promotion, the sordid lives of their friends and family continue to shock and amaze and there’s the tragic death of her father in the Ireland based finale.
What stands out is the sharp dialogue and delivery from Horgan and Delaney, who expose the reality of marriage, parenthood and careers with a blunt rudeness that will be uncomfortably familiar to many in the audience watching.
It also featured the final appearance of Carrie Fisher as Rob’s blunt, American mother Mia. While Star Wars: The Last Jedi won’t be released until Christmas, Catastrophe was the last thing she filmed and she remains a delight to the very end.
American Gods
Was there anything more magnificent this year than seeing Gillian Anderson playing David Bowie and Marilyn Monroe in the same episode? Bryan Fuller‘s adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s novel delivered an exciting, dazzling, brutal and often shocking glimpse into the world of the gods – old and new – as seen through Ricky Whittle‘s Shadow Moon.
Fuller took all the artistic splendour of Hannibal and infused the show with stunning cinematography, while telling rich stories with a magnificent cast. From Ian McShane‘s Mr Wednesday to Cloris Leachman’s Zorya Vechernyaya and Pablo Schreiber’s Mad Sweeney, American Gods was a class act of stunning, mesmerising performances from beginning to end.
But it is the rich storytelling that really makes the show so special and this is where Fuller excels, from the vivid adaptation of sex goddess Bilquis’s first scene in episode one to Media’s Lucille Ball on the TV screens in episode two. And the self-contained vignettes where audiences are introduced to each God add an extra dimension – be it the epic splendour of Anubis’ introduction or the animated journey of Atsula and her people.
This might not be a show to suit everyone’s tastes (its use of sex and violence perhaps too disturbing for some) but there is no denying this is a show that stands out among all others, even in a year of very strong television.
Orphan Black
Orphan Black has been one of the most underrated shows on television; despite being produced by BBC Worldwide, it struggled to find a proper audience in the UK, existing on late night TV schedules on the BBC before Netflix picked up the show for its final two seasons. And thank God they did. It’s a thrilling sci-fi show, looking at evil organisations, conspiracies and human experimentation through cloning and it all came to a head in its fifth and final season.
What really made the show this year (as indeed every year) were the phenomenal performances from Tatiana Maslany playing various clones – Sarah, Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel, MK, Krystal – each special and unique in their own way. In fact Maslany is so good at playing distinct characters you miss them when they’re not in an episodes, despite the fact that the actress is there 90% of the time. She might be supported by a very strong cast (Jordan Gavaris and Maria Doyle Kennedy in particular), but it is Maslany that makes the show. To say she is probably the best actress on television is not much of an understatement.
The final season took things up a level through the introduction of ‘big bad’ scientist P.T. Westmorland and a mysterious island where the strings had been pulled from all along. For such a grounded, gritty show, the final season added a sense of OTT grandeur at times but it was well deserved and through a whole host of deceit, murder, schemes and changing alliances the final ten episodes delivered something truly thrilling before ending on a surprisingly heartfelt uplifting note, even the loss of at least one key character gave it a bittersweet feel. Orphan Black was something truly special and will be missed.
Game of Thrones
The seventh season was a rollercoaster of fan pleasing moments and high action that seemed to truly pay off the previous six years of development for Game of Thrones, while setting up the show’s endgame in style. Yes, characters and plotlines whizzed around the chessboard in half an episode where previously this might have taken half a season, but the sense of heightened tension was electric and there were moments this year that will surely remain highlights of the entire show when it was done.
From the epic battle of the Reach where Daenerys and her dragon unleashed fire and destruction upon the Lannister armies to the equally horrific battle beyond the wall as she swooped in to save Jon Snow and his band of merry men from the army of the dead, the show was filled with huge moments that changed the landscape of the series forever. But the smaller moments shouldn’t be overlooked too; from Arya’s revenge against Walder Frey in the opening moments to the season, to Olenna Tyrell’s bittersweet death and the meeting of several unconnected characters in Eastwatch. The final meeting of Jon Snow and Daenerys Stormborn brought a fresh perspective to both characters, while Cersei relished in her villainy.
While the season will be remembered for dragons and battles and the coming of the dead, it was also about the phenomenal performances from all involved and fantastic writing that gave us shocks and revelations, moments of joy and horror on a weekly basis. Yes it was fast paced and maybe – *maybe* – could have benefitted from slowing down the pace for at least eight episodes, but it was in many ways some of the most exciting and satisfying television I have watched this year. It will be a long, long wait for season eight…
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks‘ return after 25 years was surely the biggest, most anticipated TV revival of them all and across 18 episodes, David Lynch delivered something quite special indeed. It wasn’t a trip down nostalgia lane; surviving members of the original cast were virtual cameos at times and there was minimal character progression (except maybe the final, joyous reunion of Ed and Norma). This was an odyssey between the spirit and real world, 150 pages of script broken down into 18 installments that charted Cooper’s attempts to escape the Black Lodge and a battle between good and evil that took many unexpected turns.
The revival was as different and revolutionary in 2017 as it was when it first aired in the early 1990s. The episodes did not follow a linear form of storytelling, mixing narratives, time periods and even dream sequences. And while Lynch wrapped the majority of the story arc in Part 17 – the final battle with the evil Cooper and Bob’s spirit – he threw everything up in the air in a concluding part that saw Cooper and a resurrected Laura Palmer seemingly stuck in an alternate reality. But most special of all was Part 8, a episode that removed itself from the narrative by showing the birth of Bob in the first nuclear test in the 1940s and delivered a cinematic visual and auditory journey through the spirit world itself.
Yes, some parts dragged, Audrey was handled badly and Lynch often had no desire to give audience answers, even ending the series on a somewhat frustrating note and leaving the audience to interpret what had happened. But it was also something uniquely special, visually and emotionally stunning and showed that Kyle Maclachlan was an amazing actor, no matter what role he was playing. The show may have ended with no sign of returning, but we’re sure to be talking about it for many years to come…
What are your favourite TV shows of the year so far and what shows are you looking forward to in the remainder of the year? Let us know!