It is that time of the year again
when we find out what will be on TV in the Fall/Spring/Summer 2015-2016 and
what will not be. It is a good time to discuss the best series on television
(or, what is on HBO, AMC, FX, and Netflix).
Let us start with HBO, which
boasts TV’s best lineup of dramas and comedies. Also on HBO are television’s
best two news programs Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Vice (forget your
local and national new coverage, it is pointless and severely lacking by
comparison).
Game of Thrones is the most
popular series in the world and it is maybe television’s only true must-see
series (particularly for fantasy/adventure genre fans). Its popularity has
given HBO the ability to become autonomous with their HBO Now service.
Girls is the brilliantly funny
and resonant dramedy from Lena Dunham. The series began as sort of a Sex and
the City for a new generation, but I think it has become so much more, really
getting at the meat of these characters and what it is like the grow up and
become an adult in a much more substantial way. It is also good fun to watch.
Veep is Armando Iannucci’s
hilarious political comedy (that feels very much like an extension of his film In the
Loop). Sadly, he is leaving the series at the end of Season 4 (its current
season), but the great mix of characters/actors and its sharp wit make it one
of TV’s best comedies.
True Detective is an anthology series,
with new characters, location and a case each season. Season 1 was incredible;
Season 2 looks to be primed to be just as good. Nic Pizzolatto has assembled a
wonderful cast for Season 2 (but it is still hard to imagine it eclipsing
Season 1, which was probably the best thing on television in 2014).
Silicon Valley is a satire from
Mike Judge that seems to perfectly capture the culture of the high-tech
landscape in Silicon Valley, while remaining biting and hysterical. I am really
interested to see where this show with go in the future, as things so far have
moved relatively slowly (in terms of pushing the plot forward in a major way).
The Leftovers is fantastic on a
character level, as it looks into the lives of the people left behind in a
small suburban community after what could be called the Rapture. Opinions are
rather mixed, probably due to the religious overtones associated with the
series, but personally I think it is an excellent series.
Togetherness debuted this year,
telling the story of a couple whose marriage seems to be falling apart. There series
is funny and dramatically engaging, but really it is Season 1’s finally that
really makes this a must. It is electric.
Moving on to Netflix…
House of Cards is Netflix’s
biggest series, but with each season it seems to be losing what made it so good
– its characters. At the end of Season 3, we are left with a bunch of unlikable
people that we do not really even want to root for and thus do not care about.
Watching House of Cards has become more about what will happen next in the plot
and not because we are interested in where the characters will be taken next
(on a character level). That is too bad, but maybe everything will turn around
in Season 4. Otherwise, this might fall out of the top 25.
Orange Is the New Black is
probably the best series on Netflix now. It is different from anything else in
the medium. The only question I have is how do the show’s writers keep it fresh
when the characters are so confined?
BoJack Horseman is a weird and
wonderful animated comedy about a washed up sitcom actor who also happens to be
a horse. It is a bizarre series, but infectiously funny.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is the
new series from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. In many ways it feels a lot like
30 Rock in tone and comedy style, though I would argue that it is superior. It
too is infectious and addictive.
Daredevil is the first of four
planned collaborations between Marvel and Netflix. It is the best superhero
series on television (and better than most of the Marvel films as well). As the
beginning of watch will eventually become the Defenders, I cannot wait to see
how AKA Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist turn out (after the brilliance
of Season 1 of Daredevil).
Moving on to Yahoo Screen…
Community was cancelled by NBC
only to find a new home on Yahoo Screen. The result is a show that is mostly
the same as it was before – very funny, odd and among the greatest things the sitcom-like
format has to offer. Will we get a Season 7 or just go straight to the movie?
Moving on to AMC…
With Mad Men ending this year and
Breaking Bad ending last year, AMC needs to develop some new great show to take
their place (a tall order, given that during their runs both were in the top
five of almost every critic’s list).
Better Call Saul is an easy
answer, being the prequel to Breaking Bad centering on the unscrupulous lawyer
Saul Goodman (or as he is known on this series Jimmy McGill). Thanks to the
tireless work of Bob Odenkirk, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. This series is excellent,
living up to the seemingly high expectations.
The Walking Dead is AMC’s other
heavy hitter, and maybe their most addictive series (I usually wait until it is
on Netflix because every episode is a cliffhanger). It is amazing that this
show has not become tired and boring given that every episode or storyline
seems to go the same way (things kick off and then zombies show up to add extra
tension). It has its slow moments, but it also has it fantastic,
edge-of-your-seats moments.
Moving on to Cinemax…
The Knick is a medical drama that
is also a period piece, and so far that formula is working very well,
especially on premium cable, giving it an edge over what similar networks shows
can even attempt.
Moving on to Comedy Central…
Inside Amy Schumer is hilarious
and has made itself mandatory pop-culture viewing (but I do not really think of
it as a series, thus it is disqualified from this list); however…
Broad City is also mandatory
pop-culture viewing. It is works as a great companion series to Girls, as it
too is about young women making a go of it in New York City. It is not nearly
as dramatic as Girl, but probably stranger and often funnier. I recommend
watching both.
Moving on to FX…
FX is also losing many of its
standout dramas with Sons of Anarchy and Justified (a personal favorite)
ending.
Fargo is their big dramatic
series now, also working as a black comedy. It was promoted as an anthology
series, but I expect to see some of Season 1’s characters show up in Season 2.
Archer is an animated spy series
comedy that just builds on itself to such an extent that it feels like the
whole show has become a series of inside jokes, which is fantastic for its fans
that have been with it since the beginning. The voice-acting and jokes are tops
(and often insane).
Louie is a comedy series from
Louis C.K. that often feels like a drama and seems to resonate on a much deeper
level than one would ever expect. Yes it is funny, but more so it is thoughtful
and shows us life as it is (which is something that seems to be strangely
missing from TV dramas).
Moving on to Masterpiece Theatre…
Sherlock is returning in 2015
with a Christmas Special, and Season 4 in 2016. I cannot wait.
Downton Abbey, everyone’s
favorite period soap opera, is ending with Season 6, which will give Julian Fellows
the ability to do almost anything with his characters, which should make for
great television.
Wolf Hall tells the same story as
The Tudors. You could just watch that, but Wolf Hall tells it so well and has
such a great cast that it is well worth visiting the exploits of King Henry
VIII yet again.
Moving on to NBC…
Hannibal is the only network
series on this list. It is also one of the five best series in any format. It
is incredibly stylish, well-acted and features wonderful writing and directing.
I think it is the best iteration of the characters so far.
And finally, moving on to the
Sundance Channel…
Rectify is a slow burn character.
It is the opposite of most TV series. It asks you to invest in its characters
as it slowly builds the tension without giving you much action or twists or
soap operay moments (House of Cards should take notes, as it has delved into
full on soap opera theatrics).
There you have it. The 25 TV
Series that I think are the best currently on TV for the 2015-2016 season.
