With so many TV shows to choose from, on broadcast networks, cable channels and various streaming services, there is no shortage of dramas and comedies. It would be impossible to watch them everything, even if you wanted to, but since I do watch a fair amount, all over the map, I like to highlight the stand-outs for me, every year.
Compelling storytelling, superb performances and exciting new worlds to watch and explore are all things that make an audience want to stick with characters and watch them through their ups and downs. And while some shows prove that they get better with age, there are some great new ones to take the place of those that are bidding farewell. Here are my selections for the biggest stand-outs of 2017 (and be aware that there may be somespoilers).
For more of the Best of 2017, check out Allison Keene’stop 25 TV showsof the year, Chris Cabin’stop 25, Dave Trumbore’s list of thebest new animated series, Emma Fraser’s look atthe best songs on TV, and Evan Valentine’s ranking of the year’ssuperhero TV.
Best Male Performance: Kyle MacLachlan, ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’
When looking back on the 18 hours of storytelling that makes upTwin Peaks: The Return, one of the truly defining aspects is the tour de force performance from Kyle MacLachlan. Whether it was Agent Dale Cooper, who is now 25 years older and a little wiser, Coop’s Black Lodge evil doppelgänger, a man lacking any remorse whatsoever, or black canvas Dougie Jones, something akin to a newborn in the body of a grown-up, it was a masterful display of acting. In MacLachlan’s skillful hands, each character was a distinct individual with their own physicality and personality traits, and even though I would have gladly taken 18 hours of the Agent Cooper that we grew to love on the original series, Dougie’s innocence was fascinating to witness.
Best Female Performance (three-way tie): Elisabeth Moss, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Carrie Coon
It’s easy to understand whyThe Handmaid’s Tale, about life in the totalitarian society of Gilead, resonated so strongly this year. It is a stark and frightening world that strips you of your individuality and where you must fight for your own survival on a daily basis, and it is a world that we see through the eyes of Offred (played to haunting perfection byElisabeth Moss), a woman torn from her life as a mother and forced to work as the potential host for a child of an elite man. Moss also returned to the role of Robin Griffin, for the intense and engrossingTop of the Lake: China Girl. Now back home in Sydney, Australia and back to work on the police force, a new murder comes a little too close to her personal life, yet again, and she’s forced to look inside and reflect on her own life, in order to keep pushing ahead.
Who would have thought that one of the most interesting female characters this season would have come from HBO’sThe Deuce, a series that chronicles the time when the sex industry went from New York back alleys to a billion dollar business, butMaggie Gyllenhaalbrought the independent streetwalker Candy to life with the perfect blend of heart and ambition. Despite its inherently misogynistic subject matter, the story gave a voice to women that was empowering and inspiring, especially when it came to watching Candy use her intellect, as she evolved from detached prostitute to porn star to feminist pioneer.
Carrie Coonis awesomely talented and 2017 highlighted that awesomeness, in both the third installment of the FX seriesFargo, where she played Midwestern police chief Gloria Burgle, and as emotionally complicated and complex Nora inThe Leftovers, which wrapped up with its final season. To contrast the pain and grief that was always at the ready with Nora, Gloria was a practical woman struggling to understand a world where people are more interested in their phones than those who are directly in front of them. Where Nora seemed, at times, to want to disappear, Gloria felt invisible, but both women were searching for purpose and for a way to make everything make sense, in a way that was always emotionally impactful on the viewer.
Best New Drama: ‘American Gods’
From Starz, the first season ofAmerican Godswas impressive thing to behold, on every level. The way the story unraveled, the performances from the terrific cast, the gorgeous production design and the sound, all blended together in a way that made you feel like you were watching living art.
From showrunners/genius mastermindsBryan FullerandMichael Green, and adapted from the best-selling book byNeil Gaiman, the story weaves a provocative tale of faith and belief, or our lack thereof, unlike anything that’s ever been on TV before. And as a war between the Old Gods and the New Gods started to bubble over in ways that were both horrific and mind-blowing, it opened up possibilities that were simultaneously exciting and terrifying.
I have to admit thatAmerican Godsis the show that I was most excited about seeing more of, but with the recent announcement that Fuller and Green have left over creative differences, I’m definitely concerned about how it will live up to the roadmap it’s set up, thus far.
Best New Comedy: ‘Loudermilk’
Best Comedy Duo: Ryan Hansen and Samira Wiley, ‘Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television’
When you read the description of the eight-episode, half-hour comedyRyan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television, it seems absurd and that there’s no way that it should work. But it not only works, it’s downright hilarious and so much fun.
When the LAPD decides to form a task force partnering actors with homicide detectives, so that they can use their “actor skills” to help solve murders, Ryan Hansen (of course, played byRyan Hansen) is partnered with the no-nonsense Detective Jessica Mathers (Samira Wiley), who is justifiably pissed off to be paired with someone who just can’t seem to take anything as seriously as she does. The surprising delight of watching Hansen and Wiley play off of each other makes the crazy, super-meta idea from creator/writer/director/executive producerRawson Marshall Thurberwork better than it really ever should have, but they are the buddy cop pairing that I never knew I needed and just can’t get enough of.
Best New Sci-Fi Show: ‘Midnight, Texas’
Based on the best-selling book series byCharlaine Harris(author of the novels that inspiredTrue Blood), the NBC seriesMidnight, Texasis a supernatural tale that’s set in a remote town where nothing is what it seems. When Manfred (François Arnaud), a psychic who can communicate with spirits, finds himself in the mysterious Midnight, he quickly realizes that it’s a safe haven for those who are different, and that while they are all dealing with their own secrets, they must also band together if they are going to fight off the evil that is threatening to take over. While this series did have some goofy moments (many of which came from a talking cat named Mr. Snuggles), it also had plenty of romance, heartbreak, bloodshed and heroics to make it a fun sci-fi story that deserves a second season.
Best Horror Series: ‘Mr. Mercedes’
Based on the best-selling novel byStephen Kingand executive produced byDavid E. KelleyandJack Bender, the Audience Network drama seriesMr. Mercedesfollows a retired police detective (Brendan Gleeson) who is being taunted by a demented serial killer (Harry Treadaway). After a series of letters and emails, Detective Hodges decides to undertake a crusade to bring the killer to justice before he can strike again, which leads to a cat-and-mouse game that’s equal parts thrilling and terrifying, and that culminated in a stunning conclusion that should make Season 2 very interesting. With one of the more horrific opening scenes I’ve ever seen – a graphic depiction of a car crashing into a crowd that would be tough to watch, even if it didn’t eerily mirror recent terror attacks – it was the skillful performances of the cast (which also includedKelly Lynch,Mary-Louise Parker,Holland TaylorandBreeda Wool) that made you want to keep coming back, each week.
Best Villain: Alexander Skarsgard, ‘Big Little Lies’
Based on the bestseller of the same name, written for television and created byDavid E. Kelley, and with the season directed byJean-Marc Vallée, the HBO seven-episode seriesBig Little Liesis as highly addicting and entertaining, as it is well done and expertly acted. Set in the tranquil seaside town of Monterey, Calif., where nothing is quite as it seems, the story follows Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and Jane (Shailene Woodley), and their lives and friendships, as rumors, conflicts, secrets and betrayals threaten to compromise everything between husbands and wives, parents and children, and friends and neighbors.
While all of the women on the series were terrific, it was the frightening performance byAlexander Skarsgard, as abusive adulterer Perry Wright, that’s been hard to shake. No matter how much he likely truly did love his wife, the demons inside of him were just too dark to overcome, and Skarsgard was just so good that it will be difficult to ever fully forget.
Best Returning Drama: ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’
Nothing brings out my inner fangirl likeTwin Peaks. As an avid watcher of the original series, who’s also seenFire Walk with Memore than I’d care to admit, there was no show that I was more excited for in 2017 thanTwin Peaks: The Return. While I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t always know or understand what I was watching, and I didn’t necessarily get the answers that I was hoping for, I loved every second of the opportunity to revisit a world that no one other thanDavid LynchandMark Frostcould have brought to life.
Although Showtime initially hesitated, they eventually essentially gave free rein to turn in 18 hours of a vision that was both brilliant and mad. The series was an interesting mix of nostalgia that was wonderfully weird, sometimes frustrating and always challenging, in the best possible way. We got to catch up with so many familiar faces (some of whom are sadly no longer with us now) and meet memorable new ones (including an insane performance fromMichael Ceraas “Wally Brando”), and best of all was the many shades of Cooper that Kyle MacLachlan was able to color throughout. And while I’m not sure that I fully understanding the meaning of the final scene of the 18 hours, I was left with a sense of satisfaction that made me wish for more.
Best Returning Comedy: ‘The Good Place’
From executive producerMichael Schur, the NBC comedy seriesThe Good Placeis one of those rare unicorns that just keeps getting funnier and more brilliant, while still remaining fresh, original and totally weird. After a world-upending Season 1 finale that threw everything up in the air for Season 2 and seemed impossible to live up to, it’s become quite an unexpected and surprising ride, yet again. I have no idea where everything is headed or where it will all end up, by the end of the season, but the chemistry betweenKristen Bell,Ted Danson,William Jackson Harper,Jameela Jamil,Manny Jacintoand show MVPD’Arcy Cardenis so spectacular that I’ll be watching them until the very end.
