THE BEST OF 2016 - The Best TV Of The Year

THE BEST OF 2016 - The Best TV Shows of The Year

- It's old news at this point to talk about Peak TV, but things truly reached a critical mass in 2016. There was not just a lot of TV to watch, but a lot - too much! - *good* TV. It's funny, because in a year in which some very old favorites returned (hello, X-Files), I thought a lot about TV-watching habits now vs. then. There used to be a dozen or so really good shows, and a small handful of really great shows. Now, the number of great TV shows is completely overwhelming. Netflix Originals alone - who could keep up with all of them? 

On one hand, you almost wish that the rate of content production would slow down - at some point, it becomes a zero sum game where nobody watches anything. Already, it's hard to find a real-life fellow fan of most shows, given how fragmented audiences are. And even powerhouse pop-culture sites like The AV Club have been forced to slow TV coverage - overwhelmed by the sheer volume of series that demand weekly reviews. 

On the other hand, the breadth of content that we're getting continues to be pretty exciting. What I love is how outlets like Netflix - that have the freedom to experiment - are continually able to prove conventional programming wisdom wrong. STRANGER THINGS is case in point: so many stories about the series having been pitched to various networks, all of whom rejected it based on assumptions like: "a show for adults can't work if it has kid protagonists." And yet, Stranger Things went on to become *the* buzziest show of 2016. Especially in a Summer where many big-screen blockbusters disappointed, this retro sci-fi series was the pop-cultural event of the season. This wider breadth of content has meant TV that doesn't conform to rigid genre lines, but also more diverse representation. This is still a major issue for both TV and film, but things have been getting better. 2016 series like ATLANTA and BETTER THINGS showcased perspectives that we don't see enough of on TV. But of course, the secret is that (as any writer knows) specific stories are often, ironically, the most universal.

So let's dive in. Obviously there are going to be shows that I miss here (hello, all the Marvel Netflix shows). But by the same token, I'm guessing there is stuff below that you missed. The good news is that we truly live in a golden age where TV can be binge-watched at your leisure. So if you're behind, well, here's a to-watch list that should only last you about thirty years or so. 


DANNY'S TOP TV SHOWS OF 2016:


1. PENNY DREADFUL

- One of the most shocking TV moments of 2016 was the surprise end of Penny Dreadful. For the series faithful, it seemed unfathomable that this cult-fave could end after only three seasons. After-all, the nightmarish, gorgeously-gothic world that series creator John Logan had so carefully crafted seemed so rich, so endlessly filled with storytelling potential - how could it end before every nook and cranny of his universe had been fully explored? But end it did, with no forewarning, but with an undeniable air of finality that left me reeling. This was a show that had gotten better with each successive season, and Season 3 was a true epic - careening between Victorian London, the Old West, and other exotic locales. But what made the show so memorable were the characters - unique spins on literary classics, re-defining the likes of Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Grey, and Dracula with instantly-iconic re-interpretations. In Season 3, Rory Kinnear's take on Frankenstein's lowly and broken Creature - now known as John Clare - was an absolute highlight. An awards-worthy turn that culminated in an all-timer episode in which we learned more about Clare's pre-resurrection backstory, and previous connection to Eva Green's Vanessa Ives. That standalone episode - set in a white-walled asylum - stands as one of the greatest episodes of a TV drama I've seen. Going into S3, Penny Dreadful had already established a tradition of one-off episodes that essentially served as a showcase for the always-amazing Eva Green and her now-immortalized character of Ms. Ives. But to now have her paired with Kinnear - it took the show to new heights, as the two delivered a master-class. Green was the engine that powered the show - a true force of nature, perfectly capturing the show's theatricality in her performance, and helping to make Ives a character for the ages. She was helped by a supporting cast that was absolutely stacked, with players like Kinnear and Billie Piper (delivering a powerfully gripping performance in S3 as the monstrous Lily) doing best-ever work this season. Many of you, I'm sure, are seeing Penny Dreadful as my #1 TV pick for 2016 and wondering how this show that you've barely heard of could be the best of the year. Just trust me - this show's cult will only grow with time. It wasn't always perfect, but when it was firing on all cylinders this show did big, epic, serialized, character-driven, mythology-filled TV better than any other show of the Peak TV age. Farewell, Penny Dreadful - until we meet again. 

2. BLACK MIRROR

- Black Mirror S3 felt like the most vital scripted series of this crazy year - a Twilight Zone for the social media age, this is a series that I sincerely hope continues for a long time to come. The story of how a third season of this show came to be - thanks to Netflix - is fascinating in and of itself - but the biggest revelation here is how great so many of S3's episodes were. Most notably, there were two installments that stand as two of the greatest pieces of television I've ever seen, and may actually surpass anything from the show's first two excellent seasons - the premiere, "Nosedive," and Episode 4, "San Junipero." Nosedive is an absolute must-watch - an alternatively hilarious and terrifying look at a near-future in which today's social media norms dominate our entire lives - real and otherwise. It's also got a career-best performance from Bryce Dallas Howard in the lead role (seriously - who knew she had *this* in her?!). Meanwhile, San Junipero is the rare Black Mirror episode that's actually life-affirming and uplifting - an incredibly-done piece about identity, love, and life-after-death in a digitally-created heaven. If the closing moments of this one don't give you chills, you may be a robot. But seriously, Black Mirror is the TV we need heading into the (cough, vomit) Trump age - a stark reminder of where we are and where we could end up if we're not careful.

3. THE AMERICANS

- The Americans has been so consistently good for so long now that it feels easy to take it for granted. But this past season may have been the show's best yet - delivering Breaking Bad-esque intensity on a regular basis. What could have been a huge misstep - having teen daughter Paige become privy to her parents' true identities - was instead a stroke of dramatic genius, driving a good deal of the season's storytelling. And this was also the season that things with poor Martha finally came to a head. But what we have to talk about with this show is the acting triumvirate of Matthew Rhys, Kerry Russell, and Noah Emmerich - who just kill it year in, year out. They deserve all of the awards. I could go on about this show, but fear doing so for fear of spoilers. If you've not yet watched it though - get on board immediately. This really is the best TV drama going.

4. GAME OF THRONES

- Game of Thrones had one of its best seasons yet in 2016. With the light at the end of the tunnel starting to shine through, we're now starting to see some huge stuff - stuff that's been building for years - start to transpire. Pieces are being put into place. And what fun it is to see the board prepped for the inevitable end game. I mean, talk about epic - this season's finale was one of the most jaw-dropping episodes of TV I've ever seen - a true stunner that ranks among Game of Throne's finest moments. This season also saw the epic Battle of the Bastards. And the rise and fall of Jonathan Pryce's High Sparrow. And the union of Tyrion and Daenerys. And the return of the Hound (featuring Ian McShane!). This season quite simply delivered one epic moment after another, and - after having passed the books in its story - there was a tightness to the narrative that hadn't always been there before. Game of Thrones was flat-out awesome in 2016. 

5. WESTWORLD

- The Best New Series of 2016, no question. I have not obsessed over a show's mysteries like this since Lost was in its prime. Westworld was smart, thematically-rich, challenging, thought-provoking TV. The cast was completely stacked, with a new actor - Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton - seemingly stealing the show each week. The sprawling sci-fi narrative mixed was the perfect sci-fi narrative for 2016 - a prescient mediation on morality in a synthetic age. How do we act in virtual or artificial worlds? Does it matter? At what point does an artificial intelligence become something more? To what extent are we constrained by our own pre-written "narratives," and how can we break away from them. Are we human or are we dancer? Okay, kidding on that last one. But Westworld asked so many big questions in such intriguing ways - you've got to love it. This is a show that had me racing to read reviews and commentary and theories. And it was that rare TV text worthy of all the analysis and think-pieces. Westworld was, deservedly, the nerdy obsession of 2016. 

6. VICE PRINCIPALS

- The most must-watch comedy of 2016. No surprise, given that it came from the same comedic geniuses who brought us Eastbound & Down. And it was a pleasure to have a product of the Danny McBride / Jody Hill team on TV again - these guys were much-missed. Nobody else does dark, &%$*-up humor like they do. And few other comedies would dare go to the depraved places that Vice Principals went. What you've got to admire about McBride and Hill is their total willingness to give us protagonists who terrible and unlikable - and yet, have enough humanity and authenticity to tempt us to root for them regardless. Because, no question, Vice Principals' Neil Gamby and Lee Russell were fairly horrible people - and yet, McBride and the great Walton Goggins brought them to life so well that we can't help but feel like we know these guys, we've seen these guys, and if we're not careful ... we could become these guys. No show was more laugh-out-loud funny or downright shocking this year. Bring on Season 2. 

7. GILMORE GIRLS: A YEAR IN THE LIFE

- Those who dismiss Gilmore Girls based on its title are missing one of the funniest, most moving, smartest, most brilliantly-written and performed series in TV history. That said, as much as I loved the show during its original run, I was definitely a bit skeptical about its Netflix-sponsored return after a ten year hiatus. Could the show really re-capture its old magic? Turns out, the answer is yes. And turns out, creator Amy Sherman Palladino was actually able to create a legit TV epic - something that in some ways surpasses the TV show, given the show's bigger budget and increased creative freedom. Palladino made the choice to center the show around the death of family patriarch Richard Gilmore - after the actor who portrayed him, Edward Hermann, passed away. Richard's death colors the entirety of A Year in the Life, in a way that provides for rich story and character growth. In particular, Kelly Bishop shines as the now-widowed Emily Gilmore, who must come to terms with life without her husband of fifty years, and must re-evaluate who she is and wants to be. But even amidst the drama (including numerous moments that will make you reach for the nearest box of tissues), there is so much humor - the show's trademark banter, nonstop pop-culture references, quirky supporting characters (including a show-stealing return for Liza Weil's one-of-a-kind Paris Geller). It's just a fantastic return to Stars Hollow and a great, satisfying bookend to the original series.

8. BATES MOTEL 

- This one is a surprise. I was not 100% feeling Bates Motel in Season 3 - the show felt rudderless, and had lost a lot of the momentum it had built up in its first two seasons. But then came Season 4, and Bates Motel decided to kick things up a notch. Or three. I don't want to spoil things, but suffice it to say that S4 finally took us much, much closer to the Norman Bates of Psycho - and series stars Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga stepped up to the challenge and did series-best work. Every scene shared by Highmore and Farmiga was a creepy, unsettling joy. If you haven't gotten into Bates Motel or dropped it, just trust me - this is one you want to binge on asap. In 2016, it was one of the absolute can't-miss series.

9. STRANGER THINGS

- I freely love Stranger Things. Sure, this show felt like it was engineered in a lab to appeal to all of my biggest geek sweet-spots: 80's nostalgia, weird sci-fi, underdog heroes ... but the fact is that Stranger Things could have easily been a failure if the execution was not there. You've got to give the show credit for it's fantastic characters, fun story, and for all of the little details it got just exactly right. From the already-iconic opening credits/theme to the spot-on homages to 80's pop-culture archetypes and storytelling tropes, Stranger Things was the sort of homage to 80's movies and TV I've always wanted. Why? Because it reminded us of something we've lost in the years since those simpler times. Meaning: in an age where everything must be darker, grittier, more sophisticated - Stranger Things was a callback to the long-lost but still-potent power of a story about kids on their bikes venturing out into the unknown. And trust me - this could have gone wrong (see: JJ Abram's well-intentioned but ultimately forgettable film Super 8). But Stranger Things melded something old with something new - by reaching into the past, the show felt like the freshest series of 2016. 

10. ATLANTA

-  In the post-Louie era of semi-biographical, socially-conscious comedy - Atlanta feels poised to take the genre to a new level. Donald Glover's FX series almost immediately felt like something special - in large part because it was so hard to categorize. At times hilarious, at times depressingly bleak, and always unpredictable - Atlanta quickly became a must-watch because every episode felt like some sort of pop-culture truth-bomb - anchored by a fantastic performance from Glover as struggling, would-be music mogul Earn. The show was also not afraid to throw curveballs - from an episode that focused solely on an awkward dinner between Van (the mother of Earn's child) and an old acquaintance, to a full-episode B.E.T. parody where series breakout Paper Boi (played to hilarious effect by Brian Tyree Henry) is interviewed about transgender issues. I can't wait to see where this show goes - undeniably a breakout of 2016.


The Next Best:

11. AMERICAN CRIME STORY: THE PEOPLE VS OJ SIMPSON

- A supremely well-acted, constantly riveting account of the biggest celebrity scandal in American history - this one really surpassed expectations, taking full advantage of a loaded cast (including Sarah Paulson destroying as Marcia Clark) to deliver something special. 

12. DOCUMENTARY NOW

- Comedy genius from Bill Hader and Fred Armison. Season 2 of the series delivered some new classics - including the hilarious "Juan Likes Rice and Chicken,"Globesman," and the sublime Talking Heads spoof "Final Transmission."

13. BETTER CALL SAUL

-  Better Call Saul turned in another great season in 2016, continuing to both differentiate itself from Breaking Bad while also slowly and satisfyingly leading Bob Odenkirk's Jimmy McGill down the path that leads to Saul. To me, the hero of this season was Michael McKean, who just killed as Jimmy's brother Chuck. McKean's efforts to overcome his tinfoil-wearing, shut-in ways were a season highlight. Get this man an Emmy, stat.

14. THE UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT

-  In a post-30 Rock world, Kimmy Schmidt continues to be TV's best source for hilarious, eminently-quotable dialogue that is destined for comedy immortality. Not only that, but Kimmy continues to be quietly inspirational - the story of a woman overcoming great trauma who starts fresh and always sees the sunny side of life. Ellie Kemper, Titus Burgess, Jane Krakowski, and the rest of the show's amazing cast continue to shine. There's so much I could say about this great series - but ultimately it boils down to it being one of the flat-out funniest things on TV, with brilliant writing and winning performances.

15. LOVE

- Judd Apatow's latest was an at-times frustrating, at times spot-on, at times hilarious look at a relationship between two insanely broken people. Personally, I was won over by its look at the less glamorous and more mundane side of LA living. I really dug the way it told a relationship story in a complicated way about not-always-likable characters. I sort of loved Love.

16. SEARCH PARTY

- Continuing this year's Showalter-ssance, this awesome little gem of a series came to us from executive producer Michael Showalter, who also hit a home-run this year with his movie Hello My Name Is Doris. In any case, Search Party is a surprisingly dark, often funny mystery series about an aimless woman who finds meaning by devoting herself to the search for a friend-gone-missing (a friend she barely knew, from college). It's got a great central performance from Alia Shawkat. It's a great look at Millennial ennui and I can't recommend it enough.

17. MR. ROBOT

- Following a jaw-dropping first season, Mr. Robot had a tough act to follow with Season 2. And for a while there, things looked a little worrisome - with the show trying to repeat its nothing-is-as-it-seems trick that blew minds last year. Luckily, S2 rebounded as it headed towards the home stretch - delivering Lynchian weirdness, status-quo-shattering revelation, and letting Portia Doubleday steal the show as morally-conflicted Angela. Under the singular guidance of series creator Sam Esmail, Mr. Robot remains one of the most interesting things on TV.

18. CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND

- Crazy Ex is so smart, funny, and consistently inventive that it's hard to believe it exists and is on The CW (not a knock against CW, just that smart, hilarious musical-comedies are not something they've really been known for ... okay, I guess no one is known for them, but you get my drift). In any case, each episode of the show reaffirms that Rachel Bloom - the creator and star of the show - really can do it all. Bloom kills it on the show, but the secret is that her heightened comedy perfectly captures the everyday absurdities and struggles of modern life. Rare is the comedy that both swings for the fences with its humor *and* feels like a dead-on portrayal of the daily grind. This show does it all.

19. BETTER THINGS

- Another spawn of Louie, Pamela Adlon's new series is nonetheless its own, pretty amazing thing. Adlon brings the often-heartbreaking comedy of Louie and meshes it with a unique perspective - that of a single mom trying to raise three kids while balance a career. And as with Louie and Atlanta, FX has given Better Things the latitude to do whatever. Episode structure and themes have been all over the map - and that's the beauty of the show - it's a sharp, unique, unpredictable look into the darkly comic mind of Adlon. 

20. BROAD CITY

- Broad City continues to be a breath of fresh air on TV - two hilarious women being brilliantly stupid. This season saw such highs as Abbi and Ilana meeting Hillary Clinton - the ultimate "yass, queen!" moment for the pair - and emblematic of the show's subtly progressive message that the women we should be admiring are the nasty women who get %&$# done (even if Abbi and Ilana's comedic personas don't exactly fit that mold). But really, what makes the show work so well are all the little moments between its stars - the random banter and anything goes humor that surfaces as they roam NYC in search of adventure.

21. THE GOOD PLACE

- The Good Place was my most anticipated new Fall TV series going into this September - and why not? It was from Parks and Rec / Brooklyn Nine Nine creator Mike Schur, featured Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, and was a high-concept comedy about the afterlife. The show pretty much lived up to its pedigree and potential, giving us a bit of a slow build but really ramping up as it went (shades of Parks and Rec there). What's interesting to me is that Schur has compared the show's slowly-unraveling world-building to the likes of Lost - meaning, we have only just begun to go down the rabbit hole with this one.

22. AGENT CARTER

- Man, am I going to miss this show. Peggy Carter feels like a character that Haley Atwell should play forever - a can-do, kick-ass woman whose pulp adventures mix old-school movie-serial stylings with Marvel U imagination and superheroics. Season 1 of this show was all potential, but Season 2 really upped the show's game - matching Atwell's awesomeness with a fun plot and a great villain. Atwell was so born to play this role - she feels sort of wasted in anything else - certainly, anything more mundane than the two-fisted adventures of Agent Carter. Netflix, can you hear me?!

23. THE GOLDBERGS

- Sure, The Goldbergs is total comfort-food TV - a fairly traditional family sitcom that might as well have been created by me (A movie-loving geeky Jewish kid in the 80's? Dude.). But after some serious slump-age earlier this season, The Goldbergs has been on a real hot streak to close out 2016. How? By toning down mom Beverly's constant overbearingness just a tad, and instead focusing on coming-of-age stories centered around the cast's three teen characters - all played to great effect by the talented cast. And let's give credit where it's due - when was there last a live-action sitcom character with more reliably-funny schtick than Barry "Big Tasty" Goldberg? You might have to go back to Cosmo Kramer to find an answer.

24. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH

- One of the most awesomely weird comedies on TV - I'm still sort of baffled how this continues to be a show on FOX. But what I love about Last Man is how it pretty much gives zero &%$#'s. It dares to be stupid, dares to make its lead character an insufferable moron, dares to spend whole episodes on complete randomness, and dares to go uber-dark and not shy away from the fact that it's a comedy about the end of the world as we know it. Will Forte is so good here - a comedic tour de force. Boom.

25. SUPERGIRL

- I debated what show to give the last spot on my list. Orphan Black had an only-okay season, but damned if I don't still sort of love the show for it's great characters and what Tatiana Maslaney brings to them. Silicon Valley is still one of the best comedies on TV, but this past season was more pretty-solid than great. Maron had a great final season, but it never quite went over the top to become a classic. New Girl and Brooklyn Nine Nine were reliably funny, but both feel like shows that have, perhaps, already peaked. And The Flash stalled a bit in its second season, going out on sort of a whiff and then struggling to regain momentum in S3. But - Supergirl! This show is flawed. It's sometimes cheesy af. It occasionally suffers from serious CW-itis (even now that it's actually on CW!). And yet ... the show is so damn full of heart and good intentions that I can't help but include it. Melissa Benoist is already iconic as Kara Danvers - alternately adorkable and heroic (seriously, was there anything better than her exclamation of "ice cream!" in that first crossover episode with The Flash?). And the move to CW has allowed the show to get geekier - with more DC Comics mythology than before, more action and adventure, and more fun. Supergirl may not always nail the details, but it does 100% "get" what makes Supergirl super. And that alone earns it the last spot on this list.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

- Silicon Valley
- The Flash
- Orphan Black
- Masters of Sex
- Maron
- New Girl
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Portlandia
- Inside Amy Schumer


SPECIAL MENTIONS:

a.) THE X-FILES, "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster"

- I could easily write a whole blog post (or five) on the return of The X-Files and what went wrong. It sucks, because I was so, so excited for the return of my favorite TV series ever. More than that, it felt like the time was right - it felt like in 2016, we needed The X-Files again. We needed to hear Mulder's take on the alt-right and the dark net, on the way in which his brand of conspiracy-theory-thinking has been co-opted by sinister forces. We needed Scully to return and show us again what being an empowered, kick-ass woman was all about. The time felt right - and my excitement was at a fever pitch when, this past summer, I attended an X-Files fan event at the Cinefamily in LA. Hosted by uber-fan Kumail Nanjiani, the event was an X-Files-phile's dream - a screening of six of the best-ever episodes of the show, with appearances and commentary from all the big creators and writers, and then, the capper, a first-look at the new season. Based on that first look - I was pumped. "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" was exactly what I'd dreamed new X-Files could be - a new masterpiece from visionary writer Darin Morgan, in the vein of his quirky classics like "Jose Chung's From Outer Space." If this was what we could expect from The X-Files' return, I was all in baby. But alas, it was not to be. The rest of the six episodes ranged from just-okay to embarrassingly bad (the finale was an all-time head-scratcher, courtesy of the seems-to-have-lost-his-mojo series creator, Chris Carter). I still hold out hope that the show will return with some fresh blood at the helm, and that it can, finally, go out on a high note. Us X-Files fans have had a rough go of it - enduring the underwhelming series finale, the even more underwhelming second movie, and now this. But! "Were-Monster" alone almost made it all worth it - a brilliantly satirical look at modern life's absurdities - with a great guest appearance from Flight of the Conchords' Rhys Darby - it was vintage Darin Morgan, and vintage X-Files. So yeah, even if I'd like to forget most of X-Files 2016 ... hey, we'll always have "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster."

b.) LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER

- The most vital show of the nightmarish 2016 election season was undoubtedly John Oliver's. Oliver grabbed the mantle of "America's truth-teller" from John Stewart, and put things in vital perspective as rational-minded people everywhere tried to sort through the mountains of BS that spewed from the likes of Donald Trump and others over the course of the campaign. Sure, Oliver was likely, often, preaching to the choir. But if nothing else, Oliver reminded us - with humor and smarts - that all of this was not normal - but that, thankfully, there were still sane people out there even in these insane times.

c.) CONAN

- I almost always mention Conan in these wrap-ups, but with good reason: he remains ridiculously funny even as his TBS show gets overlooked by many. Just recently, he's been on fire with his show's hilarious Trump/Obama phone conversation bits - another example of how Conan and his genius writers continually come up with awesome new bits. Also, Conan's increasingly-frequent travelogues are always must-watch. His recent Berlin special was an instant-classic (find it online if you've not seen it!). Point being, I like Fallon, Colbert, etc. - but to me Conan will always be "the man" when it comes to late night comedy.

d.) LUCHA UNDERGROUND

- Finally, I'd be remiss if I did not mention the craziest show in existence, El Rey network's Lucha Underground. A hybrid wrestling show / serialized grindhouse movie, LU is one of the most entertaining things on the air - an awesomely over-the-top melding of high-flying lucha libre - with a stacked roster of talented performers - and comic-book storylines that feel lifted from producer Robert Rodriguez's fever dreams. Seriously - the show gives us undead warriors, serpent-cults, undercover cops, and evil conspiracies. What more could one want? 

e.) CHILDRENS HOSPITAL

- I never know how to rank Childrens Hospital in my Best-Of lists. For several years, it's been one of the most consistently brilliant and hilarious comedies on the air. But with its 15-minute running time and over-the-top absurdism, it feels weird to even compare it to anything else on TV. It was its own little slice of weird-comedy nirvana. And so, man, I am going to miss this show. With the involvement of folks like David Wain and Ken Marino, it felt like a definite spiritual successor to The State. Certainly, Childrens had an absolutely all-star cast, including some of TV's funniest women - Malin Ackermann, Lake Bell, Erin Hayes Megan Mullally, and more. It had some of the cleverest jokes and sharpest writing of any comedy of the last five years. It had an all-star line-up of guest stars. It was unpredictable and unusual. A comedy masterclass. So long, Childrens Hospital - you will be missed.


INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:


The Best TV Heroes of 2016:

1.) Vanessa Ives and John Clare - Penny Dreadful
2.) Kara Danvers - Supergirl / Peggy Carter - Agent Carter
3.) Eleven and her friends - Stranger Things
4.) Delores - Westworld 
5.) Jon Snow - Game of Thrones


The Best TV Villains of 2016:

1.) Cersei Lannister - Game of Thrones
2.) Lily - Penny Dreadful
3.) The Demogorgon - Stranger Things
4.) Phillip Price, CEO of Evil Corp - Mr. Robot
5.) Madame Masque - Agent Carter


The Best TV Anti-Heroes of 2016:

1.) Philip and Elizabeth Jennings - The Americans
2.) Saul Goodman and Mike Ehrmantraut  - Better Call Saul
3.) Angela Moss - Mr. Robot
4.) Neil Gamby and Lee Russell - Vice Principals
5.) Maeve - Westworld


Best Actress in a Comedy:

1.)  - Rachel Bloom - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Runners Up: Alia Shawkat - Search Party, Ellie Kemper - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Gillian Jacobs - Love, Pamela Adlon - Better Things


Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy:

1.) Jane Krakowski - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Runners Up: Claudia O'Doherty - Love, Kristen Schaal - Last Man on Earth, Kimberly Hebert Gregory - Vice Principals


Best Actor in a Comedy:

1.) Donald Glover - Atlanta

Runners Up: Danny McBride - Vice Principals, Will Forte - The Last Man on Earth, Bill Hader/Fred Armisen - Documentary Now


Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy:

1.) Brian Tyree Henry - Atlanta

Runners Up: T.J. Miller - Silicon Valley, Andre Braugher - Brooklyn Nine Nine, Walton Goggins - Vice Principals, Titus Burgess - The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt


Best Actress in a Drama:

1.) Eva Green - Penny Dreadful

Runners Up: Keri Russell - The Americans, Evan Rachel Wood - Westworld, Sarah Paulson - American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson,  Tatiana Maslaney - Orphan Black, Lauren Graham - Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life


Best Supporting Actress in a Drama:

1.)  Kelly Bishop - Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life

Runners Up: Vera Farmiga - Bates Motel, Lena Heady - Game of Thrones, Portia Doubleday - Mr. Robot, Alison Wright - The Americans, Thandie Newton - Westworld, Billie Piper - Penny Dreadful, Liza Weil - Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life


Best Actor in a Drama:

1.) Matthew Rhys - The Americans

Runners Up: Freddie Highmore - Bates Motel, Rami Malek - Mr. Robot, Bob Odenkirk - Better Call Saul, Cuba Gooding Jr - American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson


Best Supporting Actor in a Drama:

1.)  Rory Kinnear - Penny Dreadful

Runners Up: Anthony Hopkins - Westworld, Jeffrey Wright - Westworld, Jonathan Banks - Better Call Saul, Michael McKean - Better Call Saul, Noah Emmerich - The Americans

THE BEST OF 2015 - The Best TV Of The Year

THE BEST OF 2015 - The Best TV Shows of The Year

- Others have said it, but it bears repeating: 2015 was the year of Peak TV. Seriously, every network has good shows now. Really good shows. At least it feels that way. Even if you watched nothing but Netflix in 2015, you still had a potentially full plate. I still have to finish Daredevil. I haven't even started Jessica Jones yet. Or Narcos. Or F is For Family. Or W/Bob & David. Or, probably, the other metric ton of quality TV that Netflix seems to be churning out on a bi-weekly basis. I haven't even mentioned Amazon. Man in the High Castle is supposed to be good. Or how about Casual on Hulu? That's supposed to be good too. It's too much. DVR's across the country are near-capacity. Dinner-table conversations are stuck in an endless loop of "have you seen--?" that usually ends with a round of "nope, but hear it's great!" I routinely see my social media feeds filled with tales of weekend binge-watching in which the watcher has plowed through a solid 13 hours of television over the course of two days. Fear of Missing Out is now the Inevitability of Missing Out. I guess the fun of it is that there's always new stuff to discover. The bad of it is that it never ends.

But really, can one complain about too much of a good thing? A glut of bad TV - that you can complain about. But the stuff that's coming out now is often great. In coming up with my Best of the Year list below, I realized that there are shows that I love - say, Brooklyn Nine-Nine - that despite it being a really solid, really funny show that I look forward to each week - it still couldn't quite make my Top 25 because there was just too much stuff this year that was flat-out awesome. It pained me relegate Children's Hospital - one of the funniest shows ever - to mere honorable mention status (the most recent season was really funny, but not quite up to the standards of previous runs).

What's really encouraging though is how diverse all of these shows are. Not just in terms of casting and points of view (though that's also really great!), but in terms of style, narrative, and genre. I mean, I've watched a lot of TV, and I've *never* seen anything quite like Mr. Robot. The Last Man on Earth is a high concept comedy that, upon its debut, felt completely fresh and different. Nathan For You is just mind-blowingly unique - it wows me and shocks me with each new episode. Rick and Morty is like a direct injection of pure imagination and weirdness and hilarity. How the show even exists I don't know, but man am I glad it does. The risks that cable channels and streaming services are now taking is pretty remarkable. And it's great to see a TV landscape where originality is, increasingly, paying off in terms of ratings and viewer engagement. Where once out-of-the-box series like Pushing Daisies or Veronica Mars struggled to stay on the air thanks to low Nielsen ratings, now they seem like ahead-of-their time forebears of the current Peak TV revolution.

In any case, here are my picks for the Best TV of 2015. Clearly, even though I watched a lot, there's also a lot I didn't watch. So feel free to recommend me your favorites. Just be mindful that my DVR is almost full and I've still got, like, all of Jessica Jones to watch.


DANNY'S TOP TV SHOWS OF 2015:


1. PARKS AND RECREATION

- The final season of Parks and Rec was, quite possibly, the best-ever final season for a TV comedy. Every. Single. Episode was a winning mix of hilarity and heart. And what's crazy is that it made Season 7 of the beloved series the best overall season of the show. When does that happen? I am pretty confident that, years from now, we'll look back on Parks and Rec and think, constantly, "wow, all of *them* were on the same show?" I sort of already do that. Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Chris Pratt, Rob Lowe, Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza, and the list goes on. An all-star comedy cast if ever there was one. The final season of Parks was great even if only viewed as an extended farewell. We got amazing send-offs for Ron Swanson (that Leslie/Ron locked-in-an-office-together episode was an all-timer) and Andy (the Johnny Karate episode was another classic) and the rest of the cast. Additionally though, the final season was the smartest and funniest-ever extrapolation of the show's core theme - diverse people with different views and philosophies coming together to do positive things for each other and for their community. It's this simple message - a vital one in 2015 - that made this little-comedy-that-could the absolute greatest TV series of the year.

2. JUSTIFIED

- Man, am I going to miss Justified. This was another all-time-great series that came to an end in 2015, but it's a show that absolutely went out with a bang. Season 6 of Justified was just plain badass - it featured a fantastically sinister big bad in Sam Elliott's Avery Markham and an equally great turn from Garrett Dillahunt's as Markham's cold-blooded right-hand-man. But more than that, Season 6 was a great distillation of the themes that have permeated the show from its inception. This season finally brought the contentious relationship of Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder to a head, and their final scenes together - with stars Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins in top form - are already the stuff of legend. Boyd's final comment to Raylan, "we dug coal together ...", made for one of the greatest endings to a TV series ever. You might never leave Harlan alive, but hot-damn did we leave it satisfied.

3. FARGO

- The second season of Fargo had a lot to live up to. Coming on the heels of one of the greatest TV seasons in recent memory, how could S2 possibly be as good as Season 1? I was skeptical at first, but as Season 2 wore on I began to realize I was witnessing something truly special. No other show this year did serialized drama with the same kind heady mix of style and substance. Once again, Fargo gave us an unforgettable tale about good people trying to cope with a world in which evil seems to be gaining the upper hand. And once again, the show nailed it - giving us multiple memorable villains (Hanzee! The Gerhardts! Mike Milligan!), fantastically-textured heroes (how good were Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson, and Cristin Milioti?), and lovably in-over-their-head newbie criminals (Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons - both amazing) who fail to realize that, in the world of Fargo, fate is cruel to all but a select few. I watch Fargo and am basically in awe of what creator Noah Hawley does with the show. To do a series based on an all-time classic Coen Bros. movie takes some real chutzpah. But to make a Fargo series that is every bit as good as the film on which it is based, and one of the TV's greatest modern dramas? That takes an enviable amount of talent.

4. NATHAN FOR YOU

- Once again, Nathan For You provided some of TV's most "what-the-hell-did-I-just-witness?" moments of the year. There are so many great comedies on TV at the moment, but Nathan Fielder's boundary-breaking series stands out from the pack because it's so different, so strange, and so consistently shocking and hilarious. In the tradition of Da Ali G Show, Nathan interacts with regular people in a way that exposes them - and in turn all of us - in ways that never fail to be utterly cringe-worthy yet utterly unforgettable. Watching Nathan For You is like witnessing the ultimate life hack in action - a guy who takes ideas to their most extreme in the name of one giant and insane social experiment. Witness the time Nathan makes an entire bar full of people into an avant garde theatrical production. Or the time he literally takes over another person's life, with the guarantee that by the time he's done he will have turned a socially-awkward loser into a local hero. There's nothing else like Nathan on TV. And that's probably a good thing, for the sake of all humanity.

5. GAME OF THRONES

- I think Season 5 of Game of Thrones inspired more think-pieces than any season of any show ever. But if you get past all the somewhat-manufactured controversy, what you're left with is one of the most flat-out epic seasons of TV I've ever seen. It's crazy that a fifth season of a show can provide so many iconic moments and surprises, but they came fast and furious here. The dramatic re-appearance of Daenerys' lost dragon in the fighting pit battle. Circe's already-legendary walk of shame through King's Landing. The beyond-huge Battle of Hardhome - aka the most metal thing to ever appear on TV. Some quit the show this year in frustration, but I found myself more enraptured than ever with it, and can't wait to see what happens next. If nothing else, Season 5 made it clear that this is not fairy-tale fantasy. The world of Game of Thrones is dark, getting darker, and even more bad things are likely on their way. But as long as the show keeps delivering such captivating moments, fantastic characters, and high drama on a scale never seen before on television - then hell yeah, I'm in for the long haul.

6. THE AMERICANS

- Season 3 of The Americans was totally and uncompromisingly brutal. As the focus shifted to the Jennings' daughter Paige, and her growing suspicions about her parent's true identities - the show so easily could have gone off the rails. Instead, the evolution of Paige's relationship with her parents made for extremely compelling viewing. Give credit to this show's incredible cast. I don't know how Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell continue to get snubbed in terms of Emmys - but they are so, so good on this show. Rhys in particular tends to wow me with the multiple identities that his Philip Jennings regularly assumes. Rhys-as-Philip-as-Clark is always fascinating to watch (and Clark's strange and potentially-dangerous relationship with Martha is consistently one of the show's best storylines). Season 3 took the show to often-uncomfortable extremes. We saw the Jennings become increasingly violent, assume increasingly disturbing aliases (Philip forming a relationship with a teenage girl being the most disturbing of them all), and in general cross a lot of lines that I wasn't sure they'd ever cross. Through it all, The Americans remained must-watch, can't-take-your-eyes-off-it TV.

7. RICK AND MORTY

- I was a latecomer to Rick and Morty, so this year I binge-watched through all of Season 1, prior to the start of the newly-launched Season 2. Now, I'm a full-fledged member of the Rick and Morty cult. Somehow, this show feels like the heir apparent to both Community and Futurama. Think on that, for a second, and you get a sense of just how funny, creative, and genuinely imaginative the show is. Anything can and does happen on Rick and Morty, and the show tackles its sci-fi plotlines with a mix of insane absurdist humor, self-referential cleverness, and legitimately interesting science-fiction that would probably be great even if just played straight and not for laughs. The show probably shouldn't work, but it's such an explosion of imagination and creativity and anything-goes humor that it sort of blows my mind in terms of how good it really is. It's also one of the most quotable comedies ever, and it's only on Season 2. I seriously can't wait for more.

8. MR. ROBOT

- I had fallen behind on Mr. Robot, and one day, while stuck at home feeling sick, I decided to binge. Maybe my sickly state added to the show's fever-dream effect. Like some hallucinogenic drug that seeped into my brain, Mr. Robot seemed to take over my entire state of being. I found myself completely immersed in its trippy, mind-bending, reality-is-fluid world, and endlessly obsessed with its many mysteries. Creator Sam Esmail has crafted something really special here - a hacker drama that isn't just about hacking, but about the unreal reality of the way we live today, and the way that our lives can be manipulated - just like computer code - by unseen forces lurking both in the shadows and in the recesses of our own minds. Rami Malek was a revelation here, and the rest of the cast was similarly awesome (and hey, bonus, Christian Slater is back, and he's great!). And what's crazy is that this is only the beginning. Where does Mr. Robot go from here? I have no idea - but it's one head-trip that you won't want to miss.

9. REVIEW

- Review didn't 100% grab me when I first watched the pilot episode last year, but I gave the series another shot ... and holy lord I'm glad I did. The show is pure comedic genius. Andy Daly, it's creator and star, is a genius. This is one of the most gloriously strange, shockingly dark, and laugh-out-loud funny shows I've ever seen. You probably aren't watching Review - but just trust me, you should be. The premise sounds simple: Andy Daly plays an overeager "life reviewer" who hosts a show-within-the-show, where he's tasked with trying out various life experiences as sent in to him by curious viewers. The catch here is that Daly's experiences tend to make *his* life a living hell. So why does he keep reviewing? It's an existential question that the show gamely teases us with. Is Daly *in* hell? Is he trapped in some kind of weird TV show purgatory? Is his character just naive, or is he a complete sociopath and psycho? Review takes you down a rabbit hole, and oh boy does it go deep. Watching Andy Daly completely ruin his life is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I don't know what that makes me, but I do know that it makes Review one of the greatest TV shows of 2015.

10. PENNY DREADFUL

-  Penny Dreadful in Season 1 was one of those shows whose flaws I was sort of willing to forgive because it was so flippin' cool. A go-for-broke Victorian London-set show about all your favorite gothic-horror literary characters co-mingling? Yes please. But Penny Dreadful went from really cool in Season 1 to legitimately awesome in Season 2. The overarching plot - about a vengeful witch, Evelyn Poole (Helen McRory in top form), plotting revenge on Eva Green's Ms. Ives - was better. And the talented supporting cast - including Billie Piper and Josh Hartnett - got a lot more to do and much more compelling storylines to call their own. But it was Green who once again stole the show - as Vanessa Ives, she's pure pulp-fiction perfection. Case in point: the standout episode of S2, a flashback in which we learn of the period where Ives was mentored by an outcast witch (the "Cut-Wife") who makes a mortal enemy in Poole. It was one of the best episodes of a TV drama this year - overflowing with moody gothic atmosphere, filled with wonderfully intense and creepy performances (Green is absolutely killer), and a definitive sign that Penny Dreadful had made it to the big leagues of great TV.


The Next Best:

11. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH

- Season 2 of The Last Man on Earth has lost a bit of luster vs. Season 1. But when the show premiered back in March, it really knocked it out of the park. Episode after episode delivered huge laughs and shocking twists (how many comedies have shocking twists?!), and Will Forte was just on fire - completely hilarious as the last man alive who maybe isn't quite the last. Season 2 became a little too overcrowded and watered down, but I was encouraged by its top-notch finale. When this show is on top of its game, it's one of the best and funniest shows on the air.

12. SILICON VALLEY

- All hail Silicon Valley, which in its second season continued to be both laugh-out-loud hilarious and a scathing satire of the real Silicon Valley. The show is such a spot-on commentary on corporate America and the tech industry that it can be almost painful at times, but just when things get too serious, the show hits you with some incredible line of instantly-quotable dialogue ("this guy - he #%$&'s!") that reminds you how well the show works as pure comedy. My admiration for Mike Judge continues to grow. He just gets it.

13. BETTER CALL SAUL

-  Could Better Call Saul be as good as Breaking Bad? The question sort of hurt my head. Breaking Bad was so singularly amazing that I almost didn't want more. Leave it be. At the same time, Bob Odenkirk is so great that I welcomed the idea of him getting the spotlight. As it turns out, Better Call Saul isn't Breaking Bad, but it is damn good TV. And as Season 1 progressed, you could really sense the show's creative team figuring out how to make Saul its own thing. It's still sort of a work in progress, but when the show is firing on all cylinders - as it did in the already-classic, BB-level, Mike-centric episode "Five-O" it is sheer brilliance. Also: Michael McKean got progressively more great as Saul's older brother. What an amazing comedic actor.

14. THE FLASH

-  The Flash = the most purely fun action/adventure series on TV. I mean, I'm a longtime DC Comics obsessive and grew up reading Mark Waid's legendary run on the Flash comics. And this show makes me completely geek-out with each new reveal of a character or concept that I *never* thought I'd see on TV. Gorilla Grodd, Earth 2, Jay Garrick - what bit of DC Comics insanity won't this show bring to life? The possibilities are endless on The Flash, and it's that sense of anything-can-happen imagination, and total embrace of the fun and sense of wonder of its comic book roots, that makes The Flash so endlessly endearing. Match that with a great, uber-likable cast, and you've got a recipe for success that makes this one of my must-watch weekly series.

15. MASTER OF NONE

- Aziz Ansari's sharply-written, keenly observational Netflix comedy is the rare show that seems to completely capture experience both specific and universal. All of my late 20's/early 30's friends who have watched the show have had multiple moments of "yes, exactly!" - because Master of None is such a funny and painfully truthful look at what it's like to be a young adult in America in 2015. Master of None is like the TV version of a great conversation with friends - silly, reassuring, eye-opening, and cause for some self-reflection. And that "Parents" episode - one of the best episodes of a comedy this year.

16. WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FIRST DAY OF CAMP

- Wet Hot American Summer is one of my favorite comedy movies ever. To me, it's absurdist comedy perfection - the funniest thing that the collective members of The State ever made. So yeah, I was both excited and nervous about the Netflix prequel series. I mean, as awesome as it was that we were getting more Wet Hot - was this a possible legacy-tarnisher? The answer was, thankfully, that while not quite reaching the blissful comedic highs of the film, this series was, to put it simply, funny as hell. There was so much going on here that it was often hard to keep track of it all, but Showalter, Rudd, Banks, Marino, Lo Truglio, Poehler, Meloni, Ian Black, Wain, Cooper, Bell, and the rest of the all-star ensemble delivered a ridiculous number of laughs - so many that this practically demands a re-watch, Many re-watches. Hell, I want to go watch it right now.

17. COMMUNITY

- Six seasons! Yes! Dream achieved, achievement unlocked. Community's final season ended up on Yahoo, of all places. Truly a symptom of too many places trying to distribute too much TV. But also, truly, a gift for fans who have stuck with this underdog cult comedy through thick and thin. The show's new home let it be whatever it wanted to be. That meant that creator Dan Harmon could go hog-wild, crafting extra-long episodes with wildly-random tangents and extreme levels of anything-goes absurdity. Sometimes, it came off as a bit indulgent. But most times, Community's sixth season was a very welcome, very awesome return to form - with some great new cast members (Keith David!), many memorable plotlines (Garrett's wedding was a gut-bustingly hilarious classic), and several classically quotable bits that must take their place in the Community cannon ("you bet your ass I've seen The Lawnmower Man!"). If you somehow missed Community's for-real-this-time finale, track it down asap. We'll not see a comedy as good as this one for a long while. Now bring on the movie!

18. MAN SEEKING WOMAN

- Here's one that many people missed out on, but this was one of the best new series of 2015 - a very creative, super spot-on comedy about dating in the digital age. The twist here is that all of the misadventures of nerdy single guy Josh (well-played by Jay Baruchel) manifest as crazy sci-fi and fantasy flights of fancy. So when a party that Josh is forced to attend feels like hell-on-earth, it turns out that he really is in hell. When a group of girls feels like they might as well be alien beings, it turns out they *are* aliens. It could be gimmicky if done poorly, but Man Seeking Woman does an amazing job of bringing the real sorts of awkward moments and social dilemmas we all face to life in crazy and unexpected ways. And by the way - there's a brilliant episode of the show, "Woman Seeking Man," that totally flips around the formula and gives us all of this from a woman's perspective. If you've yet to get onboard, highly recommended to catch up before Season 2 starts in early 2016.

19. THE UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT

- "Unbreakable!" The series' theme song is a joyously pop-y tune that, immediately gets you in the right mindset for this fun and often hilarious comedy from the creators of 30 Rock. But wait, this fun and hilarious comedy is about ... a woman who'd been kidnapped and held in an underground bunker as part of a religious cult - who now, at 29, has finally been freed and released back into the world? Dude. That's dark. And so it is that Kimmy Schmidt balances upbeat comedy with a real streak of darkness and pain that's often there between the lines of the show. But the brilliance of it is that the smart writing (which churns out 30 Rock-levels of quotable dialogue) works in tandem with star Ellie Kemper (and the fantastic supporting cast) to make Kimmy a unique comedy about emerging from darkness and living life to the fullest. Kimmy is indeed unbreakable, and so too, seemingly, is this show.

20. KEY & PEELE

- And another one bites the dust. Key & Peele was the gold-standard for TV sketch comedy for the last couple of years - bringing social relevance, cinematic production value, and an endless stream of memorable comedy bits and recurring characters to the TV comedy landscape. The show ended right as it was at the height of its powers, as its two stars are off to make movies. But Key & Peele ended with a great final season. Not every sketch hit, but every episode had at least one or two instant-classics. MC Mom? the Gremlins 2 pitch? Just two of the many great sketches from this season. So yeah, Key & Peele was my jaaaam ... and I'm sad to see it go.

21. DOCUMENTARY NOW

- In which Bill Hader and Fred Armisen hilariously skew documentaries. Need I say more? This show is so dryly funny that, at first glance, you might think you're watching an actual documentary. But man, some of the episodes of this show were just instant classics. My favorite? "The Eye Doesn't Lie," a drop-dead hilarious true crime parody where Fred Armisen plays a falsely-convicted man who is so irritating that nobody cares to see him exonerated. Oh, and how about the two-part "Blue Jeans Committee" finale - an amazing homage to / parody of various "whatever happened to that band?" docs. Can't wait for more.

22. iZOMBIE

- I'm still sort of in catch-up mode on iZombie, but this is one of those shows that I'm glad exists. It's the spiritual successor to the likes of Veronica Mars - a noir mystery series with a strong female protagonist, tons of great hard-boiled dialogue, a meaty ongoing plotline combined with tightly-written cases of the week, great characters, and witty pop-culture references a-plenty. Oh, and zombies. Rob Thomas made Veronica Mars into one of the all-time great cult TV series, and he's making iZombie into a more-than-worthy follow-up. It's a show with bite, badassery, and yes ... brains.

23. BROAD CITY

- You've got to love Broad City, Okay, maybe the show's sophomore season was a bit same-y at times in comparison to the breakthrough Season 1. But still, the comedic chemistry between Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer is unmatched, and I could watch these two get into big-city misadventures all day. Hannibal Buress also continues to be a really funny supporting character on the show as well. I can't wait to see where Season 3 takes us. Broad City has a crazy comic energy to it that makes it one of the most refreshingly funny series out there - with a unique voice that is wholly and completely its own.

24. CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND

- Rachel Bloom became a viral video sensation for combining smart ideas with anything-goes, surprisingly subversive comedy. She brings that same sort of killer comedy combo to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a show that's got a lot more going on than you might think at first glance. The show has an authenticity to it that keeps the comedy real, even as it goes crazy (no pun intended) with elaborate musical numbers that make it stand out from the rest of the comedy competition. The songs aren't just catchy though - they're hilarious, smart, and bitingly-satirical - with Rachel riffing on everything from Christmas in California to unrealistic beauty standards for women. So please don't assume that this show is fluff - it's anything but. In a short time, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has become a truly standout series - and Bloom has become one of the freshest voices in TV comedy.

25. MASTERS OF SEX

- Some derided S3 of Masters of Sex as a step-down in quality. I can see where some of the criticisms have validity - overall, the show lacked the sustained narrative drive of Seasons 1 and 2, and suffered a bit through plotlines that felt meandering or disposable (yes yes, we all know about the gorilla episode and how bad it was). But with that said, I still think this is one of the best overall dramas on TV, and even in a weaker season, it's got moments of true gravitas that are high-water marks of serialized storytelling. I mean, Michael Sheen continues to kill it on this show. He makes Dr. Masters a tragic hero, filled with hubris and epically poor judgement, but always charging forward with a determination to prove the world wrong. That determination and drive is what makes him such a great companion and foil for Lizzy Caplan's Virgina Johnson. The two have a captivating on-screen relationship that, for me, continues to make Masters of Sex a must-watch.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

- Children's Hospital
- Inside Amy Schumer
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- The Grinder
- The Goldbergs
- American Horror Story: Hotel
- Maron
- Portlandia
- Agent Carter
- Supergirl
- Orphan Black
- Scream Queens

SPECIAL MENTIONS:

a.) INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, "12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer"

- Inside Amy Schumer didn't quite crack my top 25 series list. But this one episode, "12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer," was one of the best episodes of anything in 2015. Instead of the usual format of a few sketches mixed with interview segments, this one gave us one, episode-length short-film about a jury weighing in on Schumer's viability as a Hollywood actress. Absolutely scathing, incredibly funny, and completely on-point, the episode (filled with an all-star cast of comedy-royalty guest stars) is the best thing I've ever seen from Schumer and an all-time great episode of TV.

b.) THE GRINDER

- This one also didn't make my Top 25, but I have a strong feeling it will be there next year. The show is just getting started, but it's already one of the funniest comedies on the air. Rob Lowe continues his post-Parks and Rec momentum here, just spot-on hilarious as a former TV actor who played a lawyer now trying to be an actual lawyer. A great cast, sharp writing, lots of laughs - this is one to watch in 2016 and beyond.

c.) SUPERGIRL

- I wanted to mention Supergirl because it's still finding its legs, but it's got a ton of upside. Melissa Benoist is fantastic in the lead role, and as long as she's anchoring the show it's got all the potential in the world to be great. Recent episodes have begun to really capture the same sort of heart and comic book-inspired fun that makes The Flash work so well, so I think this is another show to really keep an eye on.

d.) BLACK MIRROR - "White Christmas"

- Black Mirror became a viral sensation in the US last year, when the British series was released on Netflix. Finally, just as 2015 is coming to a close, the series' Christmas special was made available in the US, and it's a hell of a holiday treat. A dark and disturbing Twilight Zone journey into a future-gone-wrong, this series of three interlocking holiday stories - featuring Jon Hamm - is another seminal installment of Black Mirror. This show is so good - I can't wait for the new episodes that Netflix is producing.


INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:


The Best TV Heroes of 2015:

1.) Raylan Givens - Justified
2.) Vanessa Ives - Penny Dreadful
3.) Lou Solverson and Hank Larrson - Fargo
4.) Liv Moore - iZombie
5.) Barry Allen and Kara Danvers - The Flash / Supergirl


The Best TV Villains of 2015:

1.) Boyd Crowder - Justified
2.) Avery Markham - Justified
3.) Hanzee and Mike Milliagan - Fargo
4.) Olivia Poole - Penny Dreadful
5.) Dr. Harrison Wells - Flash


The Best TV Anti-Heroes of 2015:

1.) Philip and Elizabeth Jennings - The Americans
2.) Saul Goodman and Mike Ehrmantraut  - Better Call Saul
3.) The Creature and Lily Frankenstein - Penny Dreadful
4.) The Countess, Liz Taylor, and James Patrick March - American Horror Story: Hotel
5.) Captain Cold - The Flash


Best Actress in a Comedy:

1.)  - Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation

Runners Up: Ellie Kemper - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Rachel Bloom - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend


Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy:

1.) Noel Wells - Master of None

Runners Up: Aubrey Plaza - Parks and Recreation, Gillian Jacobs - Community, Alison Brie - Community, Kristen Schaal - Last Man on Earth, Elizabeth Banks - Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp


Best Actor in a Comedy:

1.) Andy Daly - Review

Runners Up: Will Forte - The Last Man on Earth, Aziz Ansari - Master of None, Nathan Fielder - Nathan For You, Rob Lowe - The Grinder, Michael Showalter - Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp


Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy:

1.) Nick Offerman - Parks and Recreation

Runners Up: T.J. Miller - Silicon Valley, Chris Pratt - Parks and Recreation, Andre Braugher - Brooklyn Nine Nine, Christopher Maloney - Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp


Best Actress in a Drama:

1.) Eva Green - Penny Dreadful

Runners Up: Keri Russell - The Americans, Lizzy Caplan - Masters of Sex


Best Supporting Actress in a Drama:

1.)  Cristin Milioti - Fargo

Runners Up: Emilia Clarke - Game of Thrones, Lena Heady - Game of Thrones, Carly Chaikin - Mr. Robot, Portia Doubleday - Mr. Robot, Kirsten Dunst - Fargo


Best Actor in a Drama:

1.) Matthew Rhys - The Americans

Runners Up: Rami Malek - Mr. Robot, Patrick Wilson - Fargo, Michael Sheen - Masters of Sex, Bob Odenkirk - Better Call Saul, Timothy Olyphant - Justified


Best Supporting Actor in a Drama:

1.) Walton Goggins -  Justified

Runners Up:  Ted Danson - Fargo, Jesse Plemons - Fargo,  Evan Peters - American Horror Story: Hotel, Jonathan Banks - Better Call Saul, Martin Wallström - Mr. Robot


And there you have it, folks - my picks for the best TV of 2015.