So what do you do when you’re a book blogger who can’t seem
to settle down and read? We all go through those patches where you cannot
finish a book and end up starting ten and only getting a few pages in.
Frustrating, demoralising and incredibly bad for the ever growing to read pile,
I turn to television.
As a result I have been ploughing through a truly crazy
amount of television over the last twelve months. Some absolute duds that I
barely made it through the pilot of, but some incredible shows as well. So
rounded up for your viewing pleasure, here are the top ten tv shows that have
been keeping me sane whilst I haven’t been reading.
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
I love Gilmore Girls, so this was on my radar purely because it was coming from
the Sherman-Palladino camp. I resisted watching the pilot when it came out
earlier this year so I could binge through the entire series when it landed at
the end of November, and I am oh so glad I did. I was interested but not
hooked, right through the first episode until the final fifteen minutes at
which point my jaw hit the floor and it shot straight up to an all time
favourite show. It’s gloriously funny, quick, whip smart, and takes a long hard
look at women, relationships, and life – not just in 1958 when the show is set,
but a lot of commentary is relevant even now. I love this show, I couldn’t get
enough of it, and I am so thrilled that season 2 has already been commissioned.
Stranger Things
Why oh why did I not catch on when the first season came out?! A nostalgic,
terrifying trip of a show, Stranger Things is one of the best things on television,
and it not only came back hard with its second season, some might argue it came
back even better. It’s dark and intense and brilliantly written and acted. The
character arcs are fantastic and involve some truly great evolution and amazing
pairings that had me practically skipping come season 2. This won’t be one you
can hold off watching, once you start you’ll binge straight through, and join
the rest of us desperately wanting season 3.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Oh boy was this one traumatic. It also resulted in a lot of fascinating
conversations surrounding the events of the show and how we would respond if
these things started to happen in real life. For all the trauma (this is not a
show you can easily binge, you need to give yourself a breather between
episodes) it is one of the best shows out there. Incredibly done, with some
truly stunning acting, this show felt real, terrifyingly real, and became all
the more powerful for it. Season 1 covers the entirety of the book, but there
is a second season in the works, and I’m fascinated to see where they take us
next.
Big Little Lies
I’m feeling a bit conflicted about the newly announced second season of Big
Little Lies, because the first season was so perfect on its own. However the
idea of going back to these characters for a second go around fills me with
glee…
It’s a surprisingly funny, dark, and brilliantly constructed who dunnit, that
centres on this group of families and the ways their lives cross and intersect
in all sorts of twisty ways. It’s incredible, with some truly amazing
performances, and one of the best portrayals of an abusive relationship I’ve
seen in a show. Sometimes incredibly hard to watch, but always gripping, this
is a compulsive must watch.
Dear White People
Short, sharp, incredibly relevant, this show explores the racism at fictional university
Winchester, and packs an emotional and truthful punch. It’s dark, it’s funny,
it’s brutally honest and as a result horrifying. It lays out the racism still
far too prevalent in society today, and does it elegantly. Focused on a group
of students, episodes follow storylines for each, interweaving, doubling back
on themselves to fill in blanks, and showcasing a truly astonishing cast of
actors. Watch this show. And then get ready for the second season that’s
already been commissioned.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
This is a show that I’ve ended up having a lot of thoughts about as I’ve caught
up with the two and a half seasons so far available. It’s a completely odd
mismatch of things – a show with mental health at its heart, that’s also got a
musical element with some of the funniest whip smart lyrics around? Not
something that would immediately spring to mind. But somehow this show works,
brilliantly. There are the odd episode mis-steps, but on the whole this is a
surprisingly nuanced and layered look at mental health. Honest, at times quite
dark and hard to watch, this is a surprising show that rewards watching all the
way through. The further in you get the more you realise is going on – plus the
songs will be stuck in your head for days…
Master of None
I will admit, the first few episodes I was not convinced. But a friend of mine
had been raving about this show for long enough that I felt I ought to carry
on, and I was incredibly glad that I did. It’s funny, realistic, tackles topics
like racism and sexism head on, and explores all manner of relationships from
those with family, to friendships and romance. It’s a wonderful insight into
life as a 20 or 30 something and has a freshness to it that makes it even more
charming.
The second season is where it really kicks off – particularly the first
episode, shot entirely in black and white and mostly in Italian. I loved it.
Santa Clarita Diet
Completely insane, a little bit gruesome, but seriously brilliant – this show
took me by surprise. I started to watch it purely because it was Drew Barrymore
and not a crazy number of episodes to work through. The first episode (mostly
due to the ick factor) was not the greatest hook, but it was still off the wall
enough that I kept watching… And watching… And watching… And before I knew it I’d
finished the entire series and had become a lot more invested in these
characters than I’d ever expected to be. It’s funny – the two leads are
brilliantly suited and their down to earth portrayal make the crazy hijinks
that ensue even more entertaining. Just don’t watch it whilst you’re eating
dinner…
The Crown
Who doesn’t love this show?! Gorgeously shot, costumed, scripted, and acted,
this show cannot put a foot wrong. It’s decadent and engaging, completely immersing
you in the upside down world of the royal family and breathing fresh life into
England’s very recent past. The casting for this is absolutely superb, with
some truly incredible performances across the board. If you’ve not had chance
to watch it yet, it’s perfect viewing for the entire family and an excellent
binge watch over Christmas.
Riverdale
Based on the characters from the Archie Comics, this show is much darker than
you’d expect and explores a much more grown up side of Riverdale. The stories
are dark and twisty, the characters are compelling, and it’s shot in gorgeous
dark and neon colours that add an extra ethereal air to the show. Everything
about it is just more and it gives
over to that otherness to great effect. The cinematography in the second season
is particularly brilliant, with a lot of episodes feeling as though they’re
panels that have been lifted straight from a comic. Halfway through the second
season, now is the perfect time to catch up before the show re-starts in the
new year.
Are there any good shows you feel should be bumped onto my
viewing list? Let me know in the comments!
Publication Date: April 1st 2017
