Best Shows I Missed in 2016
- Dr. Ken (Season 1)(ABC)
Synopsis: Dr. Ken Park (Ken Jeong) tries to avoid pissing off his money-grubbing boss (Dave Foley) and his long-suffering staff, while also trying to help his wife Allison (Suzy Nakamura) parent their two precocious kids.
There just aren’t enough eyes to go around these days. The rise of prestige TV, beginning (arguably) with Game of Thrones before exploding (again, arguably) with True Detective, coincides with the fall of the standard multi-cam sitcom. Established properties like Two-and-a-Half Men and Big Bang Theory keep on trucking, but new shows that don’t immediately set themselves apart are basically just being sent out to die by their uncaring networks. Which is a shame, because while Dr. Ken may not be formally innovative, its multi-generational take on the Asian-American experience would certainly be new to most audiences, and a solid supporting cast (heck, even the kids are good) makes up for Ken Jeong’s hamminess. Maybe it was just a case of poor timing, getting beaten out by the 2015 premiere of Fresh Off the Boat, which is still on the air while this year’s season of Dr. Ken was its last. - Search Party (Season 1)(TBS)
Synopsis: 20-something Dory Sief (Alia Shawkat) feels stuck in a purposeless job and a boring relationship, so when she finds out that Chantal Witherbottom (Clare McNulty), a college acquaintance, has gone missing, and later sees her at a cafe, she throws herself into the search. Joined by her boyfriend Drew (John Reynolds) and friends Elliott and Portia (John Early and Meredith Hagner), Dory dives headfirst into a world of confusion, conspiracy, and even a cult or two.
Although it is ostensibly a murder-mystery with a humorous tilt, Search Party’s real draw is its relatability as a story of young people trying to find purpose in their lives. Darkly funny (with the ultimate punch-line coming right at the end), the show tempers its unflattering representation of stereotypically self-involved millennials with moments of real humanity that make it more than just cringe comedy. - Stranger Things (Season 1)(Netflix)
Synopsis: When young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) goes missing, his friends Dustin, Lucas, and Mike (Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Finn Wolfhard) and his mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) refuse to accept that he might not be coming back. In the course of their search the kids find a mysterious young girl known only as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), while Joyce tries to convince Sheriff Jim Hopper (David Harbour) that she’s receiving messages from her son, and Mike’s sister Nancy (Natalia Dyer) deals with a mystery of her own with the help of Will’s brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton).
I don’t particularly like the 80’s or horror movies, so I assumed that there was no reason for me to watch Stranger Things. Turns out I was wrong. The child stars have been deservedly lauded—their fun, heartfelt performances keep the series grounded, and the vision of writers/directors Matt and Ross Duffer makes the show feel fresh despite its throwback veneer.
Best Shows of 2017
- A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 1)(Netflix)
Synopsis: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire (Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes, and Presley Smith) have their world turned upside down when Mr. Poe (K. Todd Freeman) comes to tell them that their house has burned down, their parents are dead, and they’re being sent to live with someone they’ve never met, the sinister Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris). They soon learn that they can’t rely on grown-ups to protect them from Olaf’s schemes and must instead rely on each other.
I’d forgotten how in love with language Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) is. Not just vocabulary (though I specifically remember learning “misnomer” and “lachrymose” from The Reptile Room and The Wide Window, respectively) but by putting the focus on the nuanced and accurate use of language. There are actual plot points that hinge on a specific usage of a word (or in one case improper grammar and spelling), and the narrator constantly interjects with “a word which here means….” A more specific example: In “The Bad Beginning,” Mr. Poe says, “Perished means killed” in referring to the Baudelaires’ parents “perishing in a fire” — except, of course, perish doesn’t mean “killed,” it more accurately means “died,” especially in the case of an accidental death, EXCEPT AGAIN the fire was started with malicious intent so they were in fact killed. That’s two layers of dramatic irony packed into one definition in the very first scene. Certainly one of the best series for teaching kids (or anyone really) that words matter…and also that happiness is a myth. Yay!
Also, it should be pointed out that the plot is rather timely. It’s a story about people who find their lives upended by a seemingly freak accident that was actually the result of years of planning and the interaction of many complex factors of which they were blissfully unaware, and who now find their world constantly threatened by a washed-up actor with bad hair who just wants their money. Sound familiar?
Also also, the Netflix show is fun/depressing (funpressing?) with some great performances: Neil Patrick Harris as a ridiculous but actually sinister Olaf (soooo much better than Jim Carrey); Olaf’s troupe (the Hook-Handed Man and the Henchperson of Indeterminate Gender are standouts); K. Todd Freeman as a hilariously clueless Mr. Poe; and Patrick Warburton as the appropriately world-weary (though slightly too noirish but maybe that’s just me) Lemony Snicket. And the kids are fine I guess. (That was a joke, they’re great.)
- American Gods (Season 1)(Starz)
Synopsis: Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) gets out of prison only to discover that his wife and his best friend were having an affair—before they both died in a car accident. With nothing to lose, Shadow throws in his lot with Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) and soon finds himself in a world of gods and monsters.
Another literary adaptation, and one so long in the works I was taken by surprise when it actually happened. Ricky Whittle has a hard job in portraying Shadow Moon. Though he is ostensibly the main character, Shadow often has things happen to him without getting the opportunity to express his own agency. Rather than fading into the background because of this lack of action, Whittle manages to keep us interested in Shadow’s reactions. Ian McShane is, of course, perfect as world-weary, wise-cracking Wednesday, and Emily Browning (who, coincidentally, played Violet in the 2004 Series of Unfortunate Events) is—well, let’s just say her performance is surprisingly lively. Also, for those who critique shows like Game of Thrones for a lack of gender equality when it comes to nudity, American Gods has got you covered. So to speak. - Archer (Season 8)(FX)
Synopsis: Spy-for-hire Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) lies in a coma, unaware of the death of his butler, Woodhouse (George Coe). Meanwhile, in a 1950s dreamland, private detective Sterling Archer searches for whoever killed his partner, Woodhouse. Along the way he gets tangled up with two feuding crime bosses (Jessica Walter and Jeffrey Tambor), a bartender with a mysterious past (Lucky Yates), a lounge singer who’s not what she seems (Aisha Tyler), two slightly crooked cops (Chris Parnell and Amber Nash), and an heiress trying to fake her own death (Judy Greer).
For most shows, the death of an actor whose role was relatively minor would merit, at most, a single episode with a dedication at the end. Archer: Dreamland, while still engaging in the usual character-driven zaniness of previous seasons, is infused throughout with Archer’s grief for his dream-world partner and real-world butler/ersatz father figure Woodhouse, and through that, the show’s grief for actor George Coe. This melancholy tints the whole season, making what might otherwise be ridiculous elements play as real human moments. That melancholy, the lack of real stakes, and the noir pacing make for an overall quieter run of episodes, which feels like a welcome breather after the high-octane shenanigans of the past few seasons. - Billions (Season 2)(Showtime)
Synopsis: Following their official declaration of war, hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) and U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) break out the big guns, and it soon becomes clear both will stop at nothing to bring down the other. Meanwhile, those around them wrestle with their own complicity in Axe’s and Rhoades’s increasingly illegal and immoral actions. Wendy Rhoades (Maggie Siff) wonders if she can keeping working for Axe, while Lara Axelrod (Malin Akerman) wonders if she can keep living with him; Bryan Connerty and Kate Sacker (Toby Leonard Moore and Condola Rashad) must decide what they’re willing to do for Rhoades to get a coveted promotion.
I have a pro-Paul Giamatti bias and that is 100% the only reason why I started watching Billions, but it’s not the only reason I’ve kept watching. The show is a kind of fascinating exploration of how hyper-masculinity manifests itself, in men, women, and in Season 2 favorite Taylor (Asia Kate Dillon), the first non-binary TV character played by a non-binary actor. Aside from that thematic throughline, the key to the show’s enjoyability is that Billions doesn’t take itself too seriously. For example: When Rhoades goes to a swanky party hosted by political kingmaker Jack Foley (David Strathairn), upon seeing a certain piano-rocker sit down to play a few songs he turns to his dad (Jeffrey DeMunn) and says, “Foley doesn’t f**** around—that’s Ben Folds.” - Bob’s Burgers (Season 7)(Fox)
Synopsis: Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin) just wants to run a successful restaurant but keeps finding himself drawn into the antics of his wife Linda (John Roberts), their kids Gene, Louise, and Tina (Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, and Dan Mintz), his friend Teddy (Larry Murphy), and his landlord Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline). This season those include getting lost at sea, trying to win (or rather, lose) a gingerbread house contest, and trying to remember where he and Linda hid the Easter eggs.
Apparently Bob’s Burgers had so much fun with the season 6 musical finale that they just couldn’t wait to do it again, because Season 7 kicks off with a ridiculously charming musical fever dream in which a flu-addled Louise goes on a hero’s journey to forgive her family for breaking her favorite toy. The episode functions as a mission statement for a show that is constantly pitting its characters’ cynicism and anxiety against their inherent kindness and generosity, yet never comes off as overly preachy or saccharine. With such a solid run this late in the series, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bob’s Burgers joined Cheers and Frasier at the 11-season benchmark. - BoJack Horseman (Season 4)(Netflix)
Synopsis: After the death of his former co-star Sarah Lynn (Kristen Schaal), BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett) retreats to his grandparents’ lake-side cabin in Michigan. Meanwhile, Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) runs for governor of California, Diane (Alison Brie) tries to get used to her new job, Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris) thinks about starting a family, Todd (Aaron Paul) learns about what it means to be asexual (and launches another business venture), and a young girl (Aparna Nancherla) shows up looking for BoJack.
I really thought Season 3 was peak BoJack Horseman. I figured, at best, they could try to match Season 3’s surprising and delightful experimentation, strong character work, and piercing, emotional moments (and also hilarity; this is technically a comedy after all). But holy crap did they surpass that standard. Whether it’s the explosively funny first episode, the simply staggering amount of fake movie titles that rhyme with Courtney Portnoy, the second episode taking its structure in part from Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia (it’s a brilliant play, you should definitely read it and see it if you have a chance), an episode on guns that’s right up there with last season’s abortion episode, or just the onslaught of brilliant, punch-in-the-gut, tear-jerking (not in a pejorative sense, I mean I literally almost cried multiple times) writing in the final four episodes that still left room for some top-notch wacky Todd antics—I specifically order these lists alphabetically so that I don’t have to rank things because I am terrible at doing that, but this is the easy one—BoJack Horseman was my favorite show of the year. - Broad City (Season 4)(Comedy Central)
Synopsis: Ilana Wexler and Abbi Abrams (Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson) are just two best friends trying to make it in NYC, whether that’s by working a cutthroat waiting gig, selling christmas cards in front of the Met, or just wandering through the city on shrooms.
You know your sitcom’s made it when the stars get to direct. It probably helps that in this case the stars also created and write the show, but still. That the four episodes in question are the strongest of the season (in addition to the shrooms episode) suggests that the show will only keep getting better. - Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (Season 2)(BBC America)
Synopsis: In the land of Wendimoor, Panto Trost (Christopher Russell) and his secret lover from an opposing family, Silas Dengdamor (Lee Majdoub), hatch a plan to get Panto to the other world in order to find Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett) and bring him and The Boy back to Wendimoor to fulfill the prophecy and defeat The Mage (John Hannah). Meanwhile, Dirk and three fifths of the Rowdy 3 have been captured by the re-formed Blackwing program. As Amanda Brotzman (Hannah Marks) and Vogel (Osric Chau) follow Amanda’s visions to find their friends, the search for Dirk brings Todd Brotzman (Elijah Wood) and Farah Black (Jade Eshete) to a small town in Montana where strange things have been happening.
This season has felt in a lot of ways like Season 1, Part 2. Though the story arc is entirely new, the character arcs complete what was set up in Season 1: Dirk, Todd, Amanda, and Farah all come out of it with a better sense of who they are and what they’re meant to do, while Ken (Mpho Koaho), in probably my favorite arc of the season, stops getting pushed around by one force or another and, for better or worse, actually takes control. Fittingly, it’s Bart (Fiona Dourif), the only one who seemed pretty satisfied with her lot in life in Season 1, who ends the season questioning her place in the universe. Though it led to an overall slightly weaker season (which, for this show, was still very good), clearly the show needed these eighteen episodes to fully establish its world and its characters. Unfortunately, BBC America seems to disagree, as they recently canceled the show. SO I GUESS THAT’S THAT THEN UGH WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN GOSHDARNNIT ARGH I MEAN WHO DOESN’T LIKE ELIJAH WOOD WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE GWARGH— *door slams, sounds of further cursing and things breaking*. - Fargo (Season 3)(FX)
Synopsis: Brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy (Ewan McGregor and Ewan McGregor) have never gotten along, but when parole-officer Ray and his ex-con girlfriend Nikki Swango (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) try to steal a rare stamp from Emmit, who has suddenly found his parking lot business turned into a money-laundering firm for criminal mastermind V. M. Varga (David Thewlis), things quickly spiral out of control. Meanwhile, soon-to-be-former Chief of Police Gloria Burgle (Carrie Coon) deals with the creep of modernity and, perhaps more importantly, the murder of her stepfather.
Despite the familiarity of many of the elements in the third and likely last season of the Coen-bros-inspired show, it doesn’t feel like Fargo is in a rut. Rather, it feels like the third part of a triptych, the final variation on a theme. There’s a dichotomy, then, between the satisfaction of seeing Noah Hawley and team’s vision be fully realized (in a way that many shows don’t get) and the somewhat unsatisfying final episode. That’s not to say the ending doesn’t fit—while this season certainly doesn’t lack some of the whimsy of the first two, it has a desperate tinge to it, and the darkness that takes over in the last shot can be felt creeping in throughout. - Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (Season 2)(TBS)
Synopsis: Comedy about news.
Samantha Bee’s voice is undeniable, and Full Frontal continues to dish out the sharpest news commentary on TV. More than any of the other late night shows, Bee knows how to keep her audience informed and angry (instead of informed and depressed), often coupling her withering critiques of the latest congressional monstrosity with calls to action. - GLOW (Season 1)(Netflix)
Synopsis: Ruth Wilder’s (Alison Brie) acting career is stalled, so when she gets a tip for an audition at rundown L.A. gym, she can’t afford to turn her nose up at it. Turns out it’s for a new show called G.L.O.W.: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Directed by B-movie auteur Sam Sylvia, the show aims to be a cross between WWE and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. But for the ragtag group of women who make it through the cuts, at least it’s a job.
It’s an ingenious use of the show-within-the-show setup: the characters care about wrestling because that’s what their show is about; giving the characters something to care about that’s so easily identifiable makes the audience care about the characters and want them to succeed. Perhaps an unintended consequence (or perhaps not) is that the audience ends up caring about wrestling too. - Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (Season 4)(HBO)
Synopsis: Comedy about news, but with a bigger budget.
The show’s use of / engagement in in-depth reporting is impressive and important, but there’s nothing more enjoyable than John Oliver gleefully taking advantage of HBO’s connections and buttloads of money to do ridiculous, stupid stunts. Sometimes they’re just silly (like the salmon cannon bit), but at their best they make a point and call others to action. In this season he provoked a corrupt coal tycoon into suing him for defamation (by reporting verifiable facts), which means in a courtroom somewhere sometime soon a bunch of people might be watching a guy in a squirrel costume hold up a giant check that says, “F**** you Bob,” and if that’s not something to be happy about I don’t know what is. - Legion (Season 1)(FX)
Synopsis: David Haller (Dan Stevens) thinks he has schizophrenia, but when he meets fellow patient Syd Barrett (Rachel Keller) and has an out-of-body experience (out of his body, anyway), he starts to wonder if maybe it’s not all in his head. His suspicions are confirmed when he gets taken by a secret government agency only to be rescued by Syd and a band of mutants who tell him that he, too, is a mutant, and a powerful one at that. Still, there’s clearly something wrong with him, something to do with a scary kid’s book, a druggy friend, and a nightmarish figure hiding at the corners of David’s world.
Noah Hawley (again) and team understand that the episodic nature of television, though it might lend itself to familiarity and formula, can also allow a show to be dynamic without throwing off the viewer. Where other shows might take limited advantage of this (e.g. “The Musical Episode”), Legion sees every TV tool as a valid option for any given scene. For example, three of my favorite scenes from the show are actually dance scenes. There’s no “musical episode” or anything like that; these scenes are spread throughout the season (episodes 1, 4, and 6). Nor are they all the same: the first is a surreal ensemble piece that’s a manifestation of David’s crush on Syd; the third is a fun, character-based solo piece starring the main villain; and the second is a beautifully choreographed, moving trio piece that doubles as a fight scene. Or take the 3-or-so-minute sequence in episode 5 with no dialogue and very little soundtrack. Or the subtle horror of “The Angriest Boy in the World” being seen in the mirror as Syd closes the door, not as a jump scare or even an imminent threat but just as a reminder that things are not ok. Or Jemaine Clement suddenly showing up in the cold open of episode 4. Seriously, this show is amazing. - Love (Season 2)(Netflix)
Synopsis: After Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) confesses her problems with addiction, she and Gus (Paul Rust) take a step back to try to actually get to know each other, discovering that they both have a lot to learn about healthy relationships. The tension isn’t helped by both getting unexpected career opportunities and the added responsibilities that come with them.
Season 2 sees Love maturing along with its characters, losing some (though certainly not all) of its sillier elements in favor of more difficult but ultimately rewarding moments. In return we feel more invested in Mickey and Gus’s success, both as a couple and as individuals. The show also expands its stylistic possibilities; for example, after Randy (Mike Mitchell) has an argument with Mickey at the mall, they go to the food court (which Randy fondly calls the “food terrace”), and we get a sequence with Randy staring at all the possibilities as the camera circles around him, film shorthand for a character experiencing awe and wonder. It’s at once funny and poignant, the kind of moment that the show now gives itself permission to take time for. - Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 4)(ABC)
Synopsis: After the signing of the Sokovia Accords, S.H.I.E.L.D. can step out of the shadows. But with both Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) believed dead, they need a new public face. Enter Inhuman Jeffrey Mace (Jason O’Mara). Though Coulson voluntarily steps down as director to let Mace run the show, May (Ming-Na Wen), Mack (Henry Simmons), and FitzSimmons (Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge) are chafing under the new policies. Meanwhile, a guilt-ridden Daisy (Chloe Bennet) is tracking down the Watchdogs, an anti-Inhuman terrorist group.
After watching Winter Soldier, Age of Ultron, and Civil War in one weekend a few months ago, my hot take on those films is that they were poorly paced and should have instead been three(ish) 22-episode seasons of a TV show. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is my proof of concept. The stories it tells are just as big as (maybe even bigger than) the movies, but it takes the time to work out the nuances and to actually make us care about these characters. Yes, the show has some occasional writing problems, but I’ll stack any episode from the recent “Agents of Hydra” run of episodes over any six minutes of the Avengers / Cap’n ‘Murica movies and I guarantee there will be fewer moments of poor writing in the former than in the latter. All that being said, I think the real reason for Agents’ renewed quality is that it’s getting back to its roots as primarily a sci-fi show that happens to have superheroes, a move that they seem to be doubling down on with season 5’s post-apocalyptic space setting. - Master of None (Season 2)(Netflix)
Synopsis: After spending some time in Italy discovering his passion for food, and getting lessons from an Italian pasta-maker and her daughter Francesca (Alessandra Mastronardi), Dev (Aziz Ansari) moves back to New York to try jumpstart his television career and his dating life. He can’t seem to shake his feelings for Francesca, though, so when she comes to New York to visit (along with her fiance), things get complicated.
Season 1 of Master of None was fun and charming and a little sad at the end. What we got in Season 2 was more fun, more charming, and more sad, with superb writing, directing, and cinematography all around. And a black-and-white first episode which is *chefkisshandmotion* perfecto. I will say that it’s going to be hard for Season 3 (if, indeed, Season 3 even happens) to meet this new standard, especially since Dev has lost some of his “aw shucks” charm. - Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Season 4)(CW)
Synopsis: Magicians from around the world travel to L.A. to try to fool two of the world’s best magicians, Penn & Teller.
Yes, other reality shows will occasionally have magic acts on them. But often those tricks are done not just with the magician’s skills, but with the skills of the producers and editors. Fool Us is practically a masterclass in sleight-of-hand, a celebration of real magic. - QI (Series N)(BBC)
Synopsis: Each week host Sandi Toksvig quizzes her three guests and regular panelist Alan Davies on some quite interesting facts about things starting with the letter N.
Series N of QI marks the first without founding host, and British national treasure, Stephen Fry. Frequent guest Sandi Toksvig takes over the hosting duties with aplomb, and after a short settling-in period it’s business as usual. Still a fun show for those who enjoy sharp wits and quite interesting facts. - Review (Season 3)(Comedy Central)
Synopsis: After surviving his fall (cushioned by the body of his now-paralyzed producer, Grant (James Urbaniak)) Forrest MacNeil (Andrew Daly) returns to reviewing life’s most important experiences, from putting a pet to sleep to getting struck by lightning. But will he even do the most important review of them all?
Season 2’s ending, while certainly tragic, was too dramatic and spectacular to really fit as an end to the show. Season 3 does it right, with not a bang, but a whimper. - Rick and Morty (Season 3)(Adult Swim)
Synopsis: Summer (Spencer Grammer) and Morty (Justin Roiland) deal with the effects of their parents’ separation, Beth (Sarah Chalke) deals with her daddy issues, and Jerry (Chris Parnell) deals with the pain of being Jerry. Meanwhile, the Citadel of Ricks experiences political upheaval, and the U.S. doesn’t (barely).
With Rick’s dramatic flip from the seeming self-sacrifice of the Season 2 finale, the show quickly does away with any thoughts that perhaps it might not spend as much time wrestling with its own nihilism. Which is good, since it’s in that wrestling that we get Rick & Morty’s funniest, darkest, and most human moments. Perhaps the most interesting change in this season is the backdrop of an Earth where aliens and mad scientists are now the norm, and a Smith family for whom the question of why Grandpa Rick turned himself into a pickle can be engaged with earnestly, on its own terms. - Sherlock (Season 4)(BBC)
Synopsis: Mary’s (Amanda Abbington) past catches up with her, and John (Martin Freeman), Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch), and Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) find themselves in the clutches of their most dangerous enemy.
For a show that has always struggled with scheduling issues due to it being essentially a side-project for everyone involved, it’s nice that they still managed to commit and deliver 2.5 of some of the best episodes since the series premiere, with some amazing visual storytelling and truly emotional moments. Utterly crap ending though. Just gonna rip that band-aid right off. It’s really bad. Maybe just stop halfway through the last episode and just assume they all die, because that would be a better ending. - Silicon Valley (Season 4)(HBO)
Synopsis: Unable to get funding for Pied Piper’s video chat app, the gang must pivot once again, this time with help from the most unlikely source. Meanwhile, Jian Yang (Jimmy O. Yang) finds unexpected success with an app of his own and can finally get out from under Erlich’s (T. J. Miller) thumb.
The big surprise this season was not the moral fall of Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) or the professional fall of Gavin Belson (Matt Ross), but rather the rise of Jian Yang, who suddenly moved from comic-relief background character to power player (and indirectly the savior of Pied Piper). Now that he’s gotten his nemesis out of the way once and for all, there’s no way to know how his dynamic within the show will change, but it may actually be the best thing the show has going for it right now. - The Daily Show With Trevor Noah (Season 22)(Comedy Central)
Synopsis: Comedy about news but also interviews.
The correspondents are still the best part of the show, but Trevor Noah is certainly starting to come into his own, and there have been a few moments this year when it’s clearly been his voice coming through, not just the writers’ room. - The Good Place (Season 1 )(NBC)
Synopsis: Recently deceased Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) finds herself being welcomed by Michael (Ted Danson) to The Good Place, where there’s fro-yo on every corner and each person is paired with their soul mate for the rest of eternity. There’s only one problem—she’s not supposed to be there. Faced with the alternative of spending eternity in The Bad Place, Eleanor seeks help from her supposed soul mate Chidi (William Jackson Harper), a scholar of ethical philosophy who takes on the task of trying to teach Eleanor how to be a good person.
Man is this show good. There’s no weak link in the cast, the writing is smart and witty and effortlessly avoids the obvious potholes. - The Opposition With Jordan Klepper (Season 1)(Comedy Central)
Synopsis: Comedy about news but also interviews but also it’s satire.
Every successful Daily Show spinoff has succeeded on the strength of a single star: Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver all launched their shows with a singular voice at their center. Though Bee, unlike Colbert and Oliver, has gone on to incorporate some correspondent pieces, she did so only after firmly establishing the show. One of the problems with the failed Nightly Show was relying right off the bat on a disparate group of relatively inexperienced correspondents to create the voice of the show, with host Larry Wilmore often drowning under the chaos.
So, with all that being said, it would seem that Jordan Klepper was taking a huge risk starting his show with six regular correspondents—but I guess the risk paid off, because from night one The Opposition has picked up The Colbert Report’s torch and run with it. Where Colbert was satirizing conservative blowhards like Bill O’Reilly, Klepper is taking on the Alex Joneses of the world, and doing so with, I think, a sharper edge than Colbert ever did.
Perhaps the most impressive moment of the show so far has been the cold open to the episode following the church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in which an increasingly exasperated Klepper manages to both stay in character and communicate his deep-seated anguish around the gun problem in the U.S.; although he gives the audience room to laugh, the emotion of the bit still comes through. It’s a masterful piece of writing and performance, and the show’s comedy reaches equal heights. - Trial & Error (Season 1)(NBC)
Synopsis: When poet Larry Henderson (John Lithgow) gets charged with his wife’s murder, his brother-in-law, Jeremiah (Bob Gunton), pays for the finest New York law firm to represent him. However, Larry soon lets slip some evidence that makes even his brother-in-law think he’s guilty, and without Jeremiah’s funding, junior lawyer Josh Segal (Nicholas D’Agosto), who’s been sent to prepare the case, is left on his own. With a team comprised of a face-blind assistant (Sherri Shepherd), an ex-cop who was fired for shooting his own car (Steven Boyer), and Larry’s adopted daughter (Krysta Rodriguez), Josh takes on a bloodthirsty prosecutor (Jayma Mays) and a small South Carolina town convinced of his client’s guilt.
If you’re looking for a fun show about murder (and really, who isn’t?), this is the show for you. Lithgow’s charmingly eccentric performance steals every scene he’s in, to the point where you’re rooting for him whether he did it or not, while D’Agosto and Mays play off each other brilliantly.
Honorable Mentions: @midnight, Animals, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Powerless, Con Man, Doctor Who, HarmonQuest, Myth or Monster, The Blacklist, The Great Indoors
Certain of Eventual Failure 