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  • Locked thread
Arist
Feb 13, 2012

who, me?


Oh man if I realized I could put Pretty Good on my list

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DivisionPost
Jun 28, 2006

Nobody likes you.
Everybody hates you.
You're gonna lose.

Smile, you fuck.

Arist posted:

Oh man if I realized I could put Pretty Good on my list

You still got time!

Senerio
Oct 19, 2009

Ooh! Are we messing with Adora?



We already had the argument with my list and Pretty Good should be allowed.

Open Source Idiom
Jan 4, 2013
I'm making a Top Twenty this year instead of a Top Ten, mostly because there's a lot of good tv out there right now. For the purpose of this poll, just count the top ten though.

20. Anne (with an E)

Absolutely charming. I know a lot of people would be put off by the gloomier pallet and the tendency to acknowledge the darker side of life, but if anything I think this makes the story of rosy cheeked orphan Annie even rosier. The dirt under the nails and threats of cholera just makes the story more Dickensian, basically, and if people only want cod threatening bullshit in their kids shows they can all flap off and watch those terrible Lemony Snicket starring those young bright smudges who can't act worth a drat.

*cough*

The kids of Anne (with an E) are all pretty amazing, actually -- particularly Anne. The actress moves so quickly between gormless kindness and a flighty haughty quality it's absolutely breathtaking. The other kids aren't slouches either, and Geraldine James provides excellent support as Anne's adoptive aunt. The show also has a lovely golden hue to it, and the entire thing is really quite magical and nostalgic looking.

Shouldn't have ended on a cliffhanger, but whatever, I'm overjoyed that there'll be more.


19. Search Partry
It's funny, and the inevitable escalation from murder mystery to thriller to serial killer drama is going to be a wonder to behold.

(Also, TBS does great comedies. The Detour is hilarious, People or Earth is lovely, and Wrecked's second season ruled after they finally moved on from being a Lost parody. Consider this to be a blanket endorsement of their original comedies, with Search Party singled out as being the greatest.)


18. Shut Eye
Gypsy mob runs a group of fake psychics, one of them develops actual psychics powers. Much better than that sounds. Now in it second season, the show takes the time to finally develop a mythology, while also taking the time to show the lead character slow con himself into thinking he's not the spineless fool he really is. Pretty compelling, though perhaps without the funny/nasty bite of last year's season.


17. Superstore
I think the show is surprisingly bleak for a network comedy, in a way that makes it a better American adaptation of The Office than the one we ended up getting. Sure there are the typically overblown "comedy types" floating around the edges of the narrative (Dina, for instance, isn't what you'd call well-observed), but everyone's largely still grounded at this point, and the sheer amount of heart that the show is pushing makes it a lovable. That the entire cast are working dead end jobs, and are doomed to fail at everything they set out to do is what stops the show going over the edge. (That's also where the "bleak" part of the show sets in.) That the frequent cutaways to the travails of a recurring cast of silent extras are still relatable three seasons is probably my favourite thing about the show.

16. American Gods
Very pretty, very clever, but oh so slow. The frequently gorgeous set-pieces or lovely flashes of dialogue don't hold a candle up to the fact that -- at eight out of ten episodes -- this season is clearly unfinished thanks to behind the scenes drama. The conclusion is fast, but it's rushed, and fails to polish off half the floating plot threads present in this season. (STARZ has had this problem a lot over the years, see: Ash vs Evil Dead Season Two; Black Sails Season One).Maybe a second season will come along to fix this, maybe not, but it's a shame either way.


15. American Vandal
Funny, but not blisteringly so. A mockumentary that makes fun of the way teens inflate minor incidents into national dramas is an old joke, but convincingly employed here thanks to well observed performances from a cast of unknowns. The real test will be replicating that.


14. Big Little Lies
Great music, great acting, and a murder mystery that's crushing in its inevitability.


13. Emerald City
So loving pretty, but with a more than decent story to hold it together, with a powerful climax. Certain early moments that didn't click on first watch held together incredibly well on the rewatch. Vincent D'onofrio's Wizard is an impressive and clever interpretation of the Wizard Of Oz's jovial conman, but Joeley Richardson's overly Oedipal Glinda steals the show.


12. Fortitude
Not popular, but I liked it a lot. The show's slow movement from drama to mystery to sci-fi to horror has been pretty masterfully done over the years. Really gruesome, and far pacier than last season. Hopefully it'll get a third season to close off loose ends, but I'm not holding my breath.


11. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The show's funnier than it's ever been, and more touching. More moving too -- Rebecca Bunch's arc has reached a climax that's been years in the making, and the impact upon arrival speaks a lot to what a slow buildup can achieve if properly managed (and mitigated by other, smaller climaxes). The way the show can turn seemingly irrelevant jokes into characterisation always gets me, and at three years the show still seems to be able to find new wells to draw from in order to push its character studies onward.

So why isn't it higher? If there's anything about this last half a season that's dragged the show down for me, it's the songs. Though still funny, they're frequently irrelevant to the drama of the show., and I honestly don't find them as catchy as I once did.


10. No Offence
Paul Abbot is the writer that makes me want to write. He can take the kitchen sink drama and blow it up to the national scale (State of Play) or bring it down to being small and personal (Shameless). Here, he takes of the police genre, and for its second season continues to impress with bawdy, witty, characterful writing that finds the individuality and humanity within his subjects while also telling breakneck paced stories about


9. The Deuce
It's good, but in a tough gristly way that holds you back from easy sentimental involvement. (David Simon's version of The OC would be a laugh riot of ironic appreciation.) You do end up caring, in the end, but because of a holistic compassion rather than our of any kind of purely aesthetic (or anaesthetic) motivation. Some stunning performances, shot glamorously and unglamorously. Maggie Gyllinhall continues to find a second life on television, with a fantastic performance -- and though not as good as in The Honourable Woman, that blonde wig is going to be a more iconic look for her. Franco struggles to be as effortless in front of the camera, but his direction is excellent.


8. The Sinner
Nothing is ever as good as those opening ten minutes, but what could be. It's a methodical why-done-it about self-inflicted misery that made me cry a lot. The solution isn't clever so much as it's inevitable, but it all works really well. Proves that the words "career best from Jessica Biel" aren't the backhanded compliment you'd think they were.


7. Nathan For You
It's Nathan For You. What else do you want?

Okay, okay. The formula's wearing thin, and the Antony Napoli stuff this year really started wearing on my suspension of disbelief. But it's still good.People will point to that final episode as an example of the show still doing new things but I'm not that impressed -- that was a story without an ending, where a new, tangential ending be manufactured. It's the rest of the stuff that still completely and totally works.


6. The Son
It's a multi generational saga about oil rights that I didn't think was boring. Drawing as much from Dynasty as it does from Dances With Wolves, at its core The Son is a morality tale about structural abuses between various different minorities, and the way that people who suffer from institutionalised abuses will always find an outlet for their own aggression. The season's climax is powerful and surprisingly nasty (at least until I found out that Kevin Murphy -- the grand castkiller of Defiance fame -- was behind the show), and promises some great material for future seasons. I'm particularly excited by the prospect of future seasons incorporating a third timeline into events, following Brosnan's granddaughter in 2012, though it'll be a shame to lose Zahn McClaren in the process.

Oh, and despite what early reviews claimed, Pierce Brosnan is surprisingly good in the show (though he's no conflicted anti-hero, he's a straight-up villain).


5. Girls
The goon favourite returns for a final round. By which I mean, yeah, if your didn't like it early on, you'll still not like it, but if you do then it's still more of the same. It's an excellent black comedy starring absolute fuckups who are closer than ever to maybe sorta (hey can I borrow ten bucks?) getting their lives together. It's also a great example of a well constructed final season, with characters big and small getting clever little goodbyes throughout the season -- some loving and forgiving, some appropriately ironic and nasty (Shoshana thinking that getting new friends is the same thing as growing up being a particular highlight). I'm excited for whatever Dunham creates next -- I'm going to say that she's a strong creative talent, and leave it at that.


4. Futureman
Funny as gently caress, with well shot action sequences and a great deal of 80's homage. The bottle episode (not technically, but whatever) where the crew have to break into James Cameron's house should probably go down in history for being one of the best in the genre. It's basically really excellent popcorn television, made by people who are both good at making the stuff and very aware of how television works best. (In a way that, I think, echoes what happened with American film in the 70's).


3. Mr. Robot
I'm going to preface this by arguing that this is really Season 2, Part 2. I got pretty disappointed in the show's second season, not because it was bad (it wasn't) or hard to follow (it was a little, but that's irrelevant). My problem with the second season is that I don't think the second season had an ending. The entire thing was one twelve episode long liminal experience, as we watched the main characters transition from being in a weird place of uncertainty to a place of even greater uncertainty. It was disturbing, and frequently thrilling, and I can absolutely see what the final was trying to do with its final scene, but I don't think it was a strong enough final save to make the season work.

This season makes that season work. it's clever, climactic, and absolutely thrilling. The midseason pair of episodes -- the single take episode, and the one that cut almost constantly -- are an impressive duo that supply much needed catharsis to a show that was at risk of completely spinning out into complex ambivalence. (That the show was doing this deliberately makes this even more masterful, tbh.) Throw in some great chilly camerawork, powerful acting and some neat twists, and you've got yourself a classic season of tv.


2. Twin Peaks
It's an art film, and I can't pretend to have a holistic explanation for even half of it, but the experience of watching was insane.

I think The Return makes an incredible case against binge watching -- arguments about this series being an 18 hour movie I think completely miss the point. I think what made this season work is that no-one, but no-one -- including most of the actors involved -- knew anything about what the show was going to be from week to week. No screeners, no previews, no binging. Nothing. The sense of community and collaboration achieved by the simultaneous viewing experience was 90% of the appeal here for me. Anyone who caught up later, either by binging or even replicating the slow watching pattern of the original airing, is missing out.

Oh, and Lynch plays with duration masterfully. The show is slow, yes, but deliberately paced, and with something to say about that slowness. Beyond his choices being used to create some very powerful anticlimactic moments, to me this season of television is very much about being methodical, and taking things as they come -- and when they come. A lot of what Lynch doesn't like about the modern world seems to be the speed at which life travels now, and ever present need for immediate gratification. It's a little conservative, sure, but it's fascinating to see a modern television show produced under this kind of an impulse. Oh, and to balance out the grumbling, there are tonnes of little gags throughout -- like Berenice Marlowe taking ten minutes to silently leave a scene, or Kyle McLauchlan apparently spending a real-time week staring at a pair of shoes (between episodes).

It's funny, it's scary, it's Twin Peaks.


1. Patriot
I'm going to wax pretnetious for a moment here, but I think the show holds up against this approach. On one level Patriot is a black comedy about spies and clandestine ineptitude, and it's certainly a very funny one. On another, it's a blinding satire about bureaucratic red tape, that pulls a number of clever and surprising comparisons between what must be one of the most boring jobs on earth -- pipe manufacturing -- and one of the dirtiest -- the spy game. Along the way the show touches on institutional confusion and corruption, the deadening way bureaucratic structures grind down on human beings by failing to account for human error, and the institutional structures of the American bathroom boardroom.

It's also about just how hard it is to move an object from A to B.

On another level, the entire thing is absurdly well structured, fitting together in a way that emphasises the Kafkaesque qualities of the plot. Everything gets paid off, everything clicks, and even the fight scenes are incredibly strong and come together with an impressive mechanical precision. The fourth episode -- in which the lead must complete a number of tasks while carrying an unconscious man on his back, scored to the electronic nagging of his phone's calendar-- is an absolute masterclass in satirical film.

It's loving brilliant, basically, and criminally under watched.

Open Source Idiom fucked around with this message at 06:05 on Jan 8, 2018

Lost Season
Nov 28, 2013

10. American Vandal - What I thought was gonna be just a simple parody of true-crime documentaries ended up being a pretty good mystery series and a fairly touching story to boot.

9. Riverdale - I'm pretty sure this show is actually terrible, but it does what it does with such an unashamed zeal that I can't help but love it.

8. Legion - Noah Hawley created one of the most inventive and visually stunning comic book adaptations I've ever seen.

7. Lethal Weapon - 43 minutes of buddy-cop action movie every week on your tee-vee, what's not to love?

6. Fargo - This season was definitely weaker than the two that preceded it, but that probably should have been expected. Still, when the third season is on its game it provides moments as strong as the first two seasons.

5. The Good Place - An excellent comedy and a pretty good drama to boot.

4. Stranger Things - More Stranger Things goodness, picking up where the first season left off. I understand the problems people had with this season, but for me it all worked.

3. Mindhunter - This show was great, and full of great performances, especially of Ed Kemper

2. Better Call Saul - Yet another masterful season of television from Vince Gilligan and company. Each episode is enthralling in a way very few other shows have matched.

1. Sneaky Pete - My favorite show to debut this year. I love the way the tension ratchets up every episode and I absolutely cannot wait for the second season.

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

Arist posted:

1. The Deuce

I haven’t seen The Wire. I really should, but I just haven’t.

You know this yourself already, but seriously watch The Wire. Yes it gets raved about a lot but with good reason, it really is just that loving amazing.

Open Source Idiom posted:

2. Twin Peaks
It's an art film, and I can't pretend to have a holistic explanation for even half of it, but the experience of watching was insane.

I think The Return makes an incredible case against binge watching -- arguments about this series being an 18 hour movie I think completely miss the point. I think what made this season work is that no-one, but no-one -- including most of the actors involved -- knew anything about what the show was going to be from week to week. No screeners, no previews, no binging. Nothing. The sense of community and collaboration achieved by the simultaneous viewing experience was 90% of the appeal here for me. Anyone who caught up later, either by binging or even replicating the slow watching pattern of the original airing, is missing out.

Oh I absolutely agree, I'd binged through season 1, 2 and Fire Walk With Me and finished those up about 2 weeks into The Return's run. I watched those first couple episodes immediately and loved them, but I was so glad to be caught up and be given the time to actually let each new episode settle and be considered/discussed/argued about etc. And the small break after episode 8 was a relief, because that episode was such an incredible mindfuck that I needed the time to decompress and then get appropriately pumped up for the next episode when it finally came.

Levin
Jun 28, 2005


DivisionPost posted:

9.) Brockmire (IFC)

“Knowledge and assumptions, those are like Loggins and Messina. They seem similar, but time proves one of them to be completely worthless.” -Brockmire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRQ32jnIZ6k

You’d assume that Brockmire would just be eight episodes of Hank Azaria spouting ridiculous poo poo in his old-timey baseball announcer voice because, frankly, that might actually be enough to carry a show. Azaria is loving hilarious in the role, as evidenced by that amazing opening scene embedded up above. But there’s a pain in Azaria’s performance that the show, created by Joel Church-Cooper and directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag, Look Around You), isn’t afraid to shy away from. It’s not BoJack Horseman (which we’ll get to). It’s an absurd comedy from the first episode to the last. But his damage is still taken fairly seriously, forming the basis for his surprisingly sweet relationship with his equally damaged new boss Jules (Amanda Peet). And rather than make it into a stealth drama, it just makes the comedy that much deeper and funnier.

I can't believe I forgot Brockmire, I even made a thread for it! All of your write ups were fantastic, thanks for going to such effort!

Pan Dulce
Jan 4, 2011

Beautiful cinnamon roll too good for this world, too pure



10. iZombie: This show is bonkers. Half the time I don't know how Rose McIver does it, playing different characters each episode as a zombie who eats brains and takes on the personality of the brain she eats. The overarching story just exploded with some pretty big game changers, so next season is going to be something different. I'd take the chance to catch up while I could and watch along with the rest of us addicted goons.

9. Riverdale: Man, this show is pretty. The cinematography is something else. Don't come to it if you're looking for a real life high school drama, but in all actuality, who the hell wants to see that? No, I want to see Cheryl being crazy, Betty planning out schemes, Jughead bouncing from philosophical to tough guy, Archie being near useless, and Veronica being fashion plate perfection. The mystery and the dark themes have you seeing this as a Twin Peaks for a newer generation, so don't miss out on this gem because you judge it for its name or what it looks like it should be.

8. Game of Thrones: This whole season was :tviv: in episodic format. Now that they don't have a book to read off of for their lines, things have to go faster. True, the dialogue suffers some, but the action scenes sure don't. Dragons burning and laying waste to poo poo, people being killed and/or being spared, magic zombies seemingly everwhere in a frozen wasteland, and finally, FINALLY closure with some villains facing a satisfying demise. It's all a girl could wish for in her medieval fantasy show.

7. Stranger Things: They did it. The show creators said they would do a season two only if they could do one that would have audiences questioning which season they preferred over the other as opposed to suffering dreaded bad sequel-itis and they did it. (Personally, I like two better) Apart from that one episode we can all choose to forget in boredom, the rest were solid and did what the first didn't in that they involved everyone a hell of a lot more. I got to know more about the kids, rather than just knowing they were a big loveable group, this time. It was the perfect Halloween show to talk about afterwards.

6. Brooklyn 99: You find yourself down in the dumps, take a second or two to watch an episode of this show. You always find yourself perking up to the wise-cracking of the crew. They're all different but in the end, they're all there for each other and make solid partners and better friends. Sometimes you don't know how they get themselves out of the stupid scrapes they put themselves into and sometimes you don't know how they tackle delicate subjects, like coming out to your parents, so well, but they always manage to do so with a smile at the end of the show just for you.

5. American Gods: This show is loving gorgeous. Every little detail planned, every trick of the light sought after for each shot taken. The gods are a delight to see and when you see the god we're technically bowing at the foot of to watch this show, it's understandable why your eyes bug out at she goes from Bowie to Marilyn; everyone's feeling it, it's called awe. You can't help but feel it with each and every story you see. I never thought a show like this could be made. Tons of Jesuses celebrating Easter with Easter? How was that even allowed?

4. Legion: What a confusing glamourshot of a show. I never found myself bored or texting on my phone like you do with some other "super" shows sometimes. This one is way too much of an acid trip to spend a minute of it with your eyeballs offscreen. The acting is top notch, the villain terrifying, and the moments sometimes utterly confusing. But if you pay attention, you find yourself rewarded with those "Ahhh, that's what's happening," moments, sometimes. The times you're still confused, it doesn't bother you too much because the ride's too fun to question.

3. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The universe is so unfair with the show. Cursed to be one of the first Marvel outings, not as strong at the beginning, so people didn't stick to it, but if you did, then boy howdy were you rewarded every season afterward! It's so smart and dark at times, I find myself as a viewer wondering how the hell the agents are going to pull themselves out of a bad turn, but they always seem to. That's not to say it's a super sunshine-y show. When consequences happen, they tend to be dire and hurt in all those bittersweet ways we viewers hate to love to feel.

2. Steven Universe: So intelligent and so important to have in this day and age, for kids and adults alike. You find yourself opening up to new ideas, seeing things in different perspectives, humming along to the songs even if you can't keep a tune. After every 15 minute episode, I find myself wondering where the rest of it is and when I'm going to get it.

1. The Good Place: This is a great show. With it, the hype is real. You have such a varied, dynamic cast that can keep up with the seasoned vets like Danson and Bell. The jokes have you smiling days afterward and laughing a little to yourself.

Pan Dulce fucked around with this message at 10:03 on Jan 8, 2018

a crisp refreshing Moxie
May 2, 2007


10. Stranger Things – Season one of Stranger Things drew countless praise and acclaim, and for the most part season two earns these same accolades through its strong storytelling, wonderful performances and exemplary mixing of cheery 80s nostalgia and dark, supernatural thriller.

9. Bob’s Burgers – Not unlike its culinary namesake, this is my comfort food in TV form. The Belcher family doesn’t change much: Bob is still exasperated, Linda is still proud and fabulous, Gene is incorrigible, Tina awkward and relatable and Louise is megalomaniacal, but the show consistently captures the heart of this hilarious, close-knit family and ensures I always want to tune in every Sunday to see what they’re up to.

8. Gotham – A show that manages to be somehow greater than the sum of its parts, this season continues to deliver the sheer over-the-top entertainment that put this show on my radar. Loud, unabashed, and unafraid to question itself, Got HAM earns its namesake many times over, in the best way.

7. Brooklyn 99 – The show’s greatest draw is the strength of its ensemble, and this season has been no exception. Brooklyn 99 never fails to draw a laugh from me from week-to-week even if it suffers slightly from Chelsea Peretti’s noteable absence this season.

6. iZombie – Still weird, still snarky, still hilarious. This year’s iZombie delivered on last season’s raising the stakes, and even manages to top itself once again. The show oozes charm, and is not afraid to buck its own formula to tell its story.

5. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – One of my favorite shows of last year returns with an explosive new season that majorly shakes up the show’s setting. As far as superhero shows go, this one avoids many of the pitfalls of the genre with well-written, relatable characters that you can’t help but root for, while delivering on its promise of action-packed developments.

4. Steven Universe – Though the scheduling hasn’t done this show any favors, Steven and the crystal gems continue to demonstrate that same positivity, heart and charm that originally drew me to it. Plus the song are still top-notch.

3. Rick and Morty - Coming off one of the most high-quality seasons of television I've seen period, this season of Rick and Morty certainly had high expectations to fill, and I'm happy to say that it absolutely met them. The show is still as savagely sharp as before and unafraid to explore both the external and internal machinations of its characters. A finely crafted tale of sci-fi rigamarole.

2. The Good Place – Season one was consistently fantastic even without taking into consideration the amazing finale twist, and the second season has followed up with just as many great jokes and moments that build on this show’s amazing central cast.

1. Bojack Horseman – One of the greatest shows at emotional manipulation returns for another great season. Sharp jokes, an excellent voice cast and a willingness to drive home that gut-punch allows this show to deliver another must-watch experience.

a crisp refreshing Moxie fucked around with this message at 09:32 on Jan 8, 2018

HorseRenoir
Dec 25, 2011



Pillbug
Just gonna get my list in here quickly:

10. The Orville - This is more of a catch-all spot for various pulp/popcorn entertainment shows I've watched this year but couldn't justify putting in my top 10, but I want to give a spotlight to Orville for seriously bucking expectations and delivering a really fun, optimistic sci-fi show that gets Star Trek more than the actual Star Trek series this year does. There's not too much stuff like it being made today so I'm glad that someone out there is doing this type of show justice.
9. Happy! - I would rate this higher but only a few episodes have aired. It's Detective Stabler starring in a story written by Grant Morrison and filmed by one of the Crank guys. The season isn't finished yet but this scratches my itch for balls-to-the-wall insane action so I had to put it on my list.
8. The Expanse - My obligatory "serious" sci-fi pick. Fully capitalizes on the promise that season 1 had, and manages to add weirder elements to the show's hard sci-fi premise to exciting results.
7. Better Call Saul - Still really enjoying this show as we start to move towards to depressing end of Jimmy's arc that we knew from day one was coming.
6. American Vandal - This was a last-minute surprise. This show manages to take a shallow concept that feels like a half-baked comedy sketch on paper and fleshes it out into an engrossing ensemble comedy with a lot of things to say. Not sure how they would do a second season but I'm on board.
5. Made in Abyss - My token anime pick. A lavishly animated fantasy show about two kids adventuring in an extremely hostile environment. This show does a good job of being beautifully wondrous and unrelentingly brutal at the same time.
4. Nathan for You - Not every episode this season hit for me, but the ones that did are some of the best television I've seen in ages. "Finding Frances" needs to be submitted for Oscar consideration.
3. The Leftovers - Didn't like the first season and was iffy on the second, so color me surprised for ranking the final season so high. The show shifts from a dull, plodding, and overly cynical show about loss to an exciting, beautiful, and ultimately life-affirming show about loss.
2. Mr Robot - This season fully rewards viewers who stuck through the intentionally obtuse and slow second season, and it's a drat shame that a lot of viewers didn't return for season three because this show was firing on all cylinders this year. Mr Robot is one of the only TV shows to actually give me anxiety while watching because of how oppressive and claustrophobic the atmosphere it creates is. By far the most politically relevant show running on television right now.
1. Twin Peaks: The Return - One of the greatest living artists being given 18 hours to do whatever the gently caress he wants and Lynch doesn't disappoint. Some moments of this season feel game-changing and redefine what a television show can be. I don't know if we'll ever get a followup (or anything else) from David Lynch again, but I feel like people will be discussing and analyzing this for decades to come.

Rarity
Oct 21, 2010

~*4 LIFE*~
All right folks I'm gonna officially close voting when I wake up tomorrow at 6am GMT so this is your last chance to get your votes. There's only 4 points separating the shows ranked #2 - #4 and only 4 points separating the shows ranked #7 - #10 so your list could make all the difference :ohdear:

Metis of the Chat Thread
Aug 1, 2014


Oh man, I ran out of time trying to watch shows I hadn't caught yet! I'm just gonna put my list up, will edit in justifications if I get the chance later.

10. The Crown
Worse than the first season with less depth of character for Elizabeth and failing to make the most of Claire Foy's limited time it the role, it was still a fun show

9. Glow
Funny and compelling characters. Also I loved the wrestling scenes, I'm a sucker for theatrical action.

8. Handmaid’s Tale
Watched the first six episodes of this all at once, and then stopped because I was genuinely too depressed. It's got its flaws, but a worthwhile show with a killer performance from Moss. Also excellent cinematography.

7. Glitch
The Australian version (essentially) of Les Revenants, but don't mistake it for another carbon copy like the American The Returned. Glitch is deeply rooted in small town Australia, and its exploration of the dead come back to life is very specific to Australian history. The mystery box stuff is not great, but the characters and setting are wonderful.

6. Godless
I was a little letdown by this from the marketing, which presented Godless as a Western based around a town entirely made of women after a mining accident killed all the men. That town exists, but the women are mostly secondary characters, which is a shame because they're also some of the most interesting who remain unexplored (the German lady, anyone?). Still, it's a well-done Western, which is hard to accomplish. Gorgeous cinematography too.

5. American Vandal
A show that begins as a standard mockumentary of Serial and other modern true-crime programs but, like all those other shows, becomes a compelling mystery that transcends the boundaries of its form.

4. Legion
Super weird, super fun, super engaging. Some wild setpieces and a fantastic showcase for Aubrey Plaza.

3. Mr Robot
I'm a little sceptical of the overarching story in Mr Robot, but it's the little pieces that I love about it. The characters, the performances, the transformation of New York and America into a realistic dystopian hellscape. It's hard to tell how it will all end up, but I really enjoy it.

2. The Good Place
a) very funny jokes
b) genuinely well plotted
c) interesting meditation on ethics and philosophy

1. Big Little Lies
Absolute perfection. A show easily dismissed as being about the vacuous lives of rich women, it slowly becomes a show about the bonds between women, and how those transcend petty conflict in times of need. Truly truly excellent. I'm wary of the next season though after it ended perfectly.

Edit: v oops I genuinely forgot that was part of the rules! Thank you for reminding me. Hope this edit gets in just under deadline!

Metis of the Chat Thread fucked around with this message at 07:53 on Jan 9, 2018

Rarity
Oct 21, 2010

~*4 LIFE*~

Gluten Freeman posted:

Oh man, I ran out of time trying to watch shows I hadn't caught yet! I'm just gonna put my list up, will edit in justifications if I get the chance later.

10. The Crown
9. Glow
8. Handmaid’s tale
7. Glitch
6. Godless
5. American Vandal
4. Legion
3. Mr Robot
2. The Good Place
1. Big Little Lies

I'm afraid I'm going to need those justifications in by deadline if you want the list to be counted. Even just one line is enough :)

Joose Caboose
Apr 17, 2013
10. Survivor - Definitely one of the weakest years for Survivor in awhile (especially after last year was so great) but still remains one of my favorite shows and one that I need to watch live or within a day of airing.

9. Stranger Things - I really like Stranger Things, but I think most people like Stranger Things a lot more than I do. Still an extremely well put together show with interesting characters. Really liked seeing more of the kids get a chance to shine beyond Mike.

8. Bojack Horseman - Again, felt this didn't reach the as high as some of the previous seasons but still one of the best Netflix shows out there year after year. Always hilarious and heartbreaking.

7. Curb Your Enthusiasm - I know a lot of people weren't as high on this season but goddamn am I always happy to have Larry David back on my tv. The fatwa storyline wasn't the best overall, but still so many hilarious moments throughout.

6. Master of None - Aziz continues to impress me with this show and I adore it. The New York and Thanksgiving episodes were spectacular.

5. American Vandal - I just binged this show this past weekend. I never followed any of the Making A Murdered/Serial/Jinx shows, but wow did I absolutely love this show. It was so ridiculous but yet so addicting and an actual good mystery show on top of tons of funny dick jokes. Also impressed by the performances of a bunch of mostly unknown actors and a great portrayal of some high school dynamics.

4. Big Little Lies - Had low expectations, blew them away. The acting by everyone and the way everything unfolded was really great. Not sure how I feel about them creating a season 2 just because season 1 was popular, but if it's anywhere as good as this then I'm all in.

3. Mr Robot - I've remained a big fan of this through all the seasons although I do agree that S2 at times meandered and spun its wheels. This season really kicked things into gear and from the middle of the season through the end was a fun ride.

2. Better Call Saul - Continues to be one of the best shows on television and baffles me that I have still have difficulty convincing people that were fans of Breaking Bad to watch this. Chuck's downfall was tough to watch and so well executed. Amazing acting and writing all around.

1. The Good Place - Simply the best show on television and one of the best sitcoms in years. S1 was amazing once it got going and then S2 continues to find more ways to blow it out of the water. Easily the show that I most look forward to watching every week.

Rocksicles
Oct 19, 2012

by Nyc_Tattoo
Mentions of shows i haven't finished
Mr Robot, The Leftovers, Strike Back, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,

10: The 100



Genghis Clark, Sky Ripper, Captain Vane. This last season was amazing, so much happened. Octavia went over a cliff to toughen up a bit, she walked it off. Raven's head canon was all out of whack, yet she still made a spaceship work and saved the day for a handful of our favs. The poo poo hit the fan with the Gladiator match of doom. Octavia went full grounder in the bunker. Clarke got a Robin to train. The MOONERS! Man, April 24th... come at me season 5.

9: The Tick




The fluff got me everytime i watched it, everytime. Overkill and Danger Boat stole the show for me. The Terror is just perfect. I'm very much looking forward to adding this to next years list with the back half

8: Happy



Genius at work, would go higher if more had aired.

7: SMILF




Frankie Shaw, nominated for a Golden Globe, that lesbian alcho from Blue Mountain State WTF? It's a fun show, she makes having a kid look like a pain in the arse, which i always assumed it is. Samara Weaving is super hot, aussie, aussie aussie!

6: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D




No explanation required if you have been watching it. Mac and Yo-Yo are the best. She's become a an excellent character, Her speaking Spanish all the time sells it for me. Marvels best show by a factor of 10.

5: The Good Place



Ted Danson deserves all the awards and Kristen Bell is an national treasure. Funniest standard comedy hands down, Janet is the best character.

4: Future Man



I've shoved this down every Rathole i could find. Corey Wolf-Heart has the best character progression of anyone on TV all year. Funny as poo poo. They nailed this show. 5/7

3: Star Trek Discovery



I know didley squat about Trek, i'm not sure a wanna anymore. Discovery hits most of my Sci-Fi buttons, Doug Jones on staff, no brainer. 6/7

2: Patriot



My fav show of the year that wasn't an acid trip. Criminally under appreciated.7/7

1: Legion





My fav show of the year that was an acid trip. Perfect in every way, added perfection with Jemaine Clement and Aubrey Plaza. 8/7.





Ahh... gently caress i forgot about The Expanse.

11: The Expanse



I have nothing, it was awesome.

Rocksicles fucked around with this message at 02:50 on Jan 9, 2018

Heavy Metal
Sep 1, 2014

America's $1 Funnyman

10. The Punisher

This is one of those lists where I don't love the #10, lot of current shows or seasons are still on my to watch list. This does some stuff well, but for me was very formulaic and kind of generic, didn't run wild with the premise. But that said, while I was disappointed with it, I did have fun watching it, and Bernthal's De Niro-ish fidgety with attitude take on The Punisher is a fun one. Thought it was a bit of a step backwards after Daredevil season 2, I could use less slow paced repetitive origin type things, but I enjoy fun shlock, and this is some fun schlock a lot of the time. I know a lot loved it here, just my reaction to it. This is longer than it needs to be probably, much like that season of The Punisher. But perhaps still readable/watchable, like that season of The Punisher.

9. WWE RAW

Talk about fun shlock. I actually thought this year was a dip for WWE overall, but there was some good stuff, I enjoyed some things like say Bayley's wacky wavy tube men and whatnot. What can I tell ya folks, this is one of the shows I watch, I find it highly bad a lot of the time, WWE drops the ball with the booking. But, on the top ten it be, mmm yes Yoda might say. Best for business, it is.

8. The Expanse

Good season, a lot of very well done fun sci-fi drama stuff. Tom Jane is the man. Space!

7. Bojack Horseman

Very good, strong, funny Bojack Horseman action. I liked this better than season 3, overall the show is rock solid and in a good direction. Fun and well realized characters, snappy stuff, some of it a little formulaic, but a lot of it pretty unique. I like it's brand of so depressing it's funny type thing. Cool show.

6. Better Call Saul

Big fan of this show, though I do have some reservations, I'd like to see Saul move along into his sleazy lawyer for scummy criminals kind of role a bit faster. Or in general just moving past the status quo and few characters it has focused on for a while. Since his life seems such an epic journey, and with the show only having a few years left most likely, c'mon, let's move this along! But, that said, I did really enjoy this season, and it did move some things along, and what they chose to do was very well done. Jimmy/Saul is a great great character.

5. Game of Thrones

I still dig it quite a bit, very cool show. Some of those big moments of seeing various things in motion really show up, well, it was cool. And I'm still invested in a number of these great characters. Thumbs up.

4. Impractical Jokers

It may be zany to have a show from TruTV on my list, but Impractical Jokers really cracks me up, and few shows do. And one of the guys, Q, is a hero to me from my fav podcast Tell Em Steve-Dave. It's more about putting themselves in uncomfortable situations and flexing their comedy troupe background than pranking people overall. Great stuff.

3. One Piece

I love One Piece, was fun back in the early 2000s and it's still great 800+ episodes in. Crossed that 800 line in 2017, it's main drawback is it has a bit of DBZ-esque pacing in the anime adaptation, especially these days, but for me it still hits that sweet spot. The characters are great, and it's more clever than one might figure. We are on the cruise!

2. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Incredible show, one of the best comedies ever in my book, and 2017's season was a lot of fun. I noticed it's not coming back on until 2019 so we're going to be missing it this year, might have to pop on some classic episodes. The gang are comedy character legends, especially Dennis.

1. Twin Peaks

Best thing on TV in years. Other really good shows to me felt pretty by the book and less engaging in comparison. There's nobody for me who does it quite like David Lynch (and props to Mark Frost), this felt like a mix of all David's movies and ideas, and of course it's more Twin Peaks. Which I had fun rewatching in preparation. Thrilling, engaging, really funny, affecting, earth-shattering, captivating, dream-weaving stuff. The funniest and the darkest, grim and also kind of hopeful and magical, this is the best. Great to see one of my fav filmmakers doing his thing and going new places along the way, running wild and free for 18 episodes.

Cart
Sep 28, 2004

They see me rollin...

Honorable Mentions:

Sneaky Pete – Flew way too hard under the radar, but a really enjoyable crime romp with some wonderful acting
Santa Clarita Diet – I’d watch strung out Timothy Olyphant in anything
Fargo – Didn’t connect as well as the other seasons (S2 is an absolute masterpiece), but still one of the most stylistically enjoyable shows on TV

On to the countdown:

10. Review
Almost forgot this was 2017, and only ranked this low because it was just 3 episodes. Fantastic series as a whole – Five Stars

9. The Americans
Suffered from a lack of momentum compared to other seasons, but the character moments are frequently the strongest parts of the show. Will likely play better when viewed as part of the whole, and Russell and Rhys continue to sell deep-seated emotional anguish better than anyone else.

8. Patriot
Came out of nowhere and was a real pleasant surprise. I owe it a rewatch – there’s just so much overlap between plot strands that I feel I missed half the payoff the first time around by not giving it my full attention.

7. The Handmaid’s Tale
2017’s most prescient tale. Lost its sense of urgency towards the tail end of the season, but its first three episodes were a masterclass and Moss acted circles around everyone else this year.

6. Game of Thrones
Almost the opposite problem from The Americans – they put so much plot development in such a short time that it beggared belief. I’m not going to argue it’s the highest quality show on the list in this season, but it’s gorgeous, exhilarating, and nothing has me hyped more each week.

5. Future Man
Just zeroed right in on my sense of humor and had more laugh out loud moments than anything else this year. Coked out Corey Wolfhart was the breakout character of the year. If it’s good enough for honorary black belt and certified door expert James Cameron it’s good enough for me.

4. Stranger Things
A slight step down from the first season, but most things would be. Just a pleasure to watch start to finish and let’s pretend that episode in Chicago didn’t almost completely derail the momentum. #justiceforbob

3. American Vandal
Now this was a surprise. I’ve only a passing interest in true crime, but this manages to completely nail the atmosphere and be a hilarious overview of high school culture. Once they started CSIing claims of camp handjobs I was hooked and had to watch the whole thing in one go. Sleep didn’t matter.

2. Better Call Saul
This just feels criminally underrated and in the shadow of Breaking Bad, but season 3 might have been one of the strongest yet. They’re still not too preoccupied about bringing Mike and Jimmy’s worlds together yet, but Chuck’s downfall and the lengths Jimmy had to go to were incredible. Just brilliant all around.

1. The Good Place
If 2017 was The Bad Place, then I’m glad we had The Good Place. An absolute triumph of ambition – a heavily serialized weekly comedy that deserves all the praise its getting.

I need to get around to Mindhunter, because it seems extremely like my poo poo, and would love to get around to Twin Peaks – do I need to go back and watch the original run for it to be worthwhile?

Heavy Metal
Sep 1, 2014

America's $1 Funnyman

Cart posted:

Twin Peaks – do I need to go back and watch the original run for it to be worthwhile?

You would want to for sure, there's discussion on that in the Twin Peaks thread too. If there was somebody who was for some reason only interested in the new series, I'd say watching it is still worthwhile, but it'd be better to see what came before. It follows a lot of the same characters, and a lot of the ideas and places established in the original are very important in the new series. Ditto for the movie Fire Walk With Me. And might as well check out some David Lynch movies too if you haven't. But pretty much, anything that gets your foot in the door is a good thing.

(Short answer, pop on the first few episodes of the original series for starters I'd say, see what you think. Though the new series is very different as well.)

Rarity
Oct 21, 2010

~*4 LIFE*~
Ok fellas that's time, all votes are locked in and I'm not accepting any more. Keep an eye on this thread for details on the results announcement!

IRQ
Sep 9, 2001

SUCK A DICK, DUMBSHITS!

Ok here's mine

1 . The Big Bang Theory


Rarity posted:

Ok fellas that's time, all votes are locked in and I'm not accepting any more. Keep an eye on this thread for details on the results announcement!

oh darn!

Tenzarin
Jul 24, 2007
.
Taco Defender
10. Game of Thrones, Thank god there's only 6 episodes left.

9. The Punisher, Um people talked about it so I figured I should watch it. Boring small netflix shows kinda suck. Soldier bomber sub plotline was so bad.

8. Stranger Things, Only good episode was when Steve and kid walked on the railroad track and talked. Rest of the episodes were boring and the awful episode 7 that was lead into at the start of the season.

7. Walking Dead, Slightly more interesting than the game of the thrones. Slow zombies still rule when they arn't teleporting.

6. Fear the Walking Dead, Interesting season main plus is they move along plot points way faster than above.

5. Squidbillies, I will always love the life of Early Cuyler.

4. American Horror Story, Not as good as other seasons but the plot was simple and pretty good.

3. American Dad, Can't not love American Dad. Abracabra bitch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SECp_FomFqg&t=127s

2. Mr Robot, Show has always been enjoyable and fresh. The episode where he goes to see back to the future 2 was the best episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTYcOQnJaSI

1. Better call Saul, Season 3 was a great season and exicting.

Tenzarin fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Jan 10, 2018

Rarity
Oct 21, 2010

~*4 LIFE*~

IRQ posted:

Ok here's mine

1 . The Big Bang Theory


oh darn!

No #s 2-10, wouldn't have counted anyway :colbert:

IRQ
Sep 9, 2001

SUCK A DICK, DUMBSHITS!

Rarity posted:

No #s 2-10, wouldn't have counted anyway :colbert:

Numbers 2-10 are all Young Sheldon, obv.

Senerio
Oct 19, 2009

Ooh! Are we messing with Adora?



IRQ posted:

Numbers 2-10 are all Young Sheldon, obv.

You're wrong. It's #1 Young Sheldon, 2-10 Big Bang Theory.

fancy stats
Sep 9, 2009

A man's man, wears a lot of denim, tells long stories and has oatmeal saved from this morning.

Senerio posted:

You're wrong. It's #1 Young Sheldon, 2-10 Big Bang Theory.

Where ya Good Doctor at?

Propaganda Machine
Jan 2, 2005

Truthiness!
Everybody in this thread is wrong, best show of 2017 was Ancient Aliens, hands down.

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
Ok when we gettin results

Rarity
Oct 21, 2010

~*4 LIFE*~

Escobarbarian posted:

Ok when we gettin results

Collating data ain't a quick job, son

fancy stats
Sep 9, 2009

A man's man, wears a lot of denim, tells long stories and has oatmeal saved from this morning.

Propaganda Machine posted:

Everybody in this thread is wrong, best show of 2017 was Ancient Aliens, hands down.

Did that Viceland show where Action Bronson gets high and watches Ancient Aliens air this year? Best Ancient Aliens-adjacent show of the year?

Spatula City
Oct 21, 2010

LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING
poo poo, I was going to edit my list to put in Mrs. Maisel. :smith:

nate fisher
Mar 3, 2004

We've Got To Go Back

Spatula City posted:

poo poo, I was going to edit my list to put in Mrs. Maisel. :smith:

I almost did too, but after looking at my top 10 no way I could have replaced anything. Still it would have definitely been in my top 15. With several of my top shows not coming back it could make it in 2018 (just give me less Joel).

Rarity
Oct 21, 2010

~*4 LIFE*~
All right, ladies and gentlegoons! Roll up, roll up, roll up as we prepare for the big reveal of the results TVIV Poll of 2017. It's been a big year for television. All your favourite actors turned out to be sex pests. Finn Jones destroyed Marvel's cachet of good will with Netflix in one fell swoop. The entire population of India pirated the Game of Thrones season premiere. NBC cancelled the Will and Grace revival and instantly started planning a revival of the revival. But most importantly 2017 was a year of transition as televisual media stepped away from the network model and embraced new formats like never before in a surge of creativity that led to a whirlwind of prestige shows.

Despite a slow start this year saw 45 of TVIV's best and brightest (and also Zaggitz) put down their selections with a whopping 124 separate shows being named across 46 networks, 7 countries and 4 continents! All in all 25 different shows were honoured with the #1 spot covering a whole range of quality titles and the loving Inhumans because what the gently caress.

This year's results rollout will cover the top 40 and just like every year ties are settled using the countback rule, i.e. whichever shows received the most top spot places will come out on top followed by most second places and etc. It's like Eurovision except with more television and less drag queens. And just like every year as we head into this year's countdown it's all about that burning question... what is TVIV's best TV show of 2017?

  • With Westword needing to take a year's sabbatical to clean up all the bodies there is a big hole right at the top of the charts. However, in its absence we have the returning heavyweight Fargo. TVIV's best TV show of 2014 and 2015 is back and it wants to go right back to its natural home. With yet another outstanding cast and Noah Hawley's backing will it be able to regain its crown?
  • But Fargo's not the only show with its eyes on the prize. Last year the dominance of Westworld meant that Stranger Things and its brand of earnest 80s nostalgia had to settle for the runners up spot. 2017 saw the show return with aplomb as it developed its story and characters in unexpected ways. With the path ahead clear can it take over at the top of the pile?
  • Every year we see one strong challenge from a show that wrapped up its final season and this year is no exception with the attempt coming from The Leftovers. With a small but dedicated following this show is a very definition of a cult hit. It may not be watched by many but those who do watch love it like few others. Will this following be enough to carry it all the way to the top?
  • Better Call Saul has firmly established itself as one of TVIV's elite shows with two top 3 finishes in a row but this spin-off has yet to match its predecessor's feat of leading our poll. With this year's season seeing Jimmy and Chuck falling further apart than ever and the returned of Gioncarlo Esposito will this be year that it finally takes that accolade?
  • And then there's TVIV's other perennial bridesmaid show. After a divisive second season Mr. Robot re-established itself as one of the most tension-fuelled shows on television with a claustrophobic and opaque series of episodes. With many feeling that the show is firing on all cylinders once more will this renewed focus translate to a first-time top spot?
  • Of course, television isn't all about the dramas. Each year we ask the question 'Is this the year that a comedy will top our poll?' and each year the answer is 'No'. Some might even believe that a comedy will never be able to match the intense stakes of our favourite prestige dramas. Fighting the battle this year is TVIV's Best Comedy of 2016 The Good Place. Can it succeed where all others have failed?
  • But the comedy field isn't as cut and dry as you might think. Last year saw Rick and Morty take a hiatus but this behemoth of a hit has returned with a groundswell of internet support that has taken as many headlines as the show itself. Yet if you put the terrible manbabies aside you're left with a swaggering show drunk on its own confidence that delivered a string of classic episodes. Will it be able to upset the big boys by sneaking into that top position?
  • Comic book shows have been a mainstay in TVIV polls since Arrow was a gleam in Marc Guggenheim's eye and nowhere is this more evident than in the continued success of Agents of Shield. This feel-good popcorn action show has remained a top performer even as it becomes one of TV's elder statesmen. Having carried the superhero genre for the last few years, can it take it all the way to the heights of #1?
  • Meanwhile over on Netflix the Marvel brand continued its relentless output with three separate shows but after Iron Fist and the Defenders proved to be the first real wobble for the company it fell to The Punisher to re-establish dominance. Building on his strong performance in Daredevil John Bernthal returned to slaughter the criminal underworld once more while opening a debate about the treatment and legacy of veterans. But did it do enough to bring back fans who may have lost their faith?
  • Perhaps the biggest Marvel show of the year wasn't even part of the Marvel brand. Loosely tied to the X-Men franchise, Legion told the story of a man losing his mind with superpowers only vaguely being the point. Well, maybe it did but you could never quite be sure. This visual spectacular was a bizarre concoction of moments tied together by one Noah Hawley. Yes, that Noah Hawley. Is his pedigree enough to carry a freshman outing all the way to the top?
  • Although if we're talking about creators with a proven track record then we can't have that conversation without Bryan Fuller. After leading Hannibal to victory in 2014 and 2015 he returned this year in full force with American Gods, an adaptation of a book that just so happened to be written by Neil Gaiman. Does this combination of auteurs have what it takes to lead our poll?
  • 2017 was also the year which saw a big increase in competition between online media platforms. While Netflix remains the heavy hitter we saw Amazon and Hulu both make strong forays into new content. In particular we saw the release of Patriot, a show was missed by television fans and critics alike but which found a home on TVIV. With so many of its fans on the forums can this underdog do the unbelievable?
  • But no summary of this year's television could be complete without the granddaddy of them all. After twenty six years David Lynch brought a new season of Twin Peaks to our screens and the show was as twisted and eccentric as it always had been. While many call it an 18 hour movie there's no doubting that this is television at its finest. The landscape has shifted since it was last on the air, can the show update itself for modern times and take that coveted #1 position?

Yes, there's so many questions to be answered and so many big shows fighting for the win. But before we deal with any of that we've got to take a moment to remember the fallen. Here's to the shows we like but not enough to get them a spot in our final countdown:

117=. (1 point)

Claws (TNT)
Colony (USA)
No Activity (CBS All Access)
No Offence (Channel 4)
Strike Back (Cinemax)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Defenders (Netflix)
You're The Worst (FXX)

109=. (2 points)

Brockmire (IFC)
Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
Love (Netflix)
Preacher (AMC)
The Magicians (Syfy)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
WWE Raw (USA)
Z Nation (Syfy)

99=. (3 points)

Big Mouth (Netflix)
Blood Drive (Syfy)
Bob's Burgers (FOX)
Difficult People (Hulu)
I'm Sorry (TruTV)
One Day At A Time (Netflix)
Red Dwarf (Dave)
Schitt's Creek (CBC)
The Sinner (Netflix)
Voltron Legendary Defender (Netflix)

89=. (4 points)

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Dark (Netflix)
Glitch (Netflix)
Killjoys (Space)
League of Gentlemen (BBC1)
Lethal Weapon (FOX)
Playing House (USA)
Shameless (Showtime)
SMILF (Showtime)
Talking Smack (WWE Network)

84=. (5 points)

Black Mirror (Netflix)
Godless (Netflix)
Neo Yokio (Netflix)
Pretty Good (Youtube)
The Son (AMC)

77=. (6 points)

13 Reasons Why (Netflix)
Black Sails (Starz)
Blue Planet II (BBC1)
Girls (HBO)
Made in Abyss (AT-X)
The Block (Nine)
Veep (HBO)

66=. (7 points)

American Dad (TBS)
Attack on Titan (MBS)
Gotham (FOX)
Happy (USA)
Impractical Jokers (TruTV)
Man Seeking Woman (FXX)
Miraculous Ladybug (TFOU)
Ozark (Netflix)
Taskmaster (Dave)
The 100 (CW)
The Tick (Amazon)

61=. (8 points)

Fiasconauts (Youtube)
gently caress Scientology (A+E)
One Piece (Fuji)
Star Trek Discovery (CBS All Access)
The Americans (FX)
The Chris Gethard Show (TruTV)

55=. (9 points)

Babylon Berlin (Sky 1 Germany)
Broad City (CC)
Channel Zero (Syfy)
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
Vice Principals (HBO)

49=. (10 points)

8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4)
Kingdom (Audience)
Inhumans (ABC)
RuPaul's Drag Race (Bravo)
Sneaky Pete (Amazon)
The Vietnam War (PBS)

44=. (11 points)

My Brother, My Brother and Me (Seeso)
Review (CC)
Survivor (CBS)
Vikings (History)
WWE NXT (WWE Network)

43. (12 points)

Dear White People (Netflix)

41=. (13 points)

iZombie (CW)
Orphan Black (BBC America)

As ever we must recognise the sad achievement of our Biggest Faller which this year goes to You're The Worst. That's what you get for keeping Jimmy and Gretchen apart, show! Now this leaves us with the top 40 to dive into so let's get right into that...










...on Sunday 14th at 1:00pm EST! Come join me in this thread for what promises to be the most exhilarating, exciting and exasperating results rollout yet! It's going to be one hell of a ride!

Levin
Jun 28, 2005


DivisionPost posted:

6.) Pretty Good (YouTube)

“We’re serious about success.” -DeVry

My definition of what constitutes TV is...weird. I'm using a broad definition that includes absolutely free YouTube shows that puts out 15-30 minute episodes whenever its creator feels like it and has thus only released three "episodes" this year. I may or may not be told to revise this list. I kinda hope I'm not, because frankly, more people should know about this series, the guy behind it, and one particular episode he did that I still can't wrap my mind around.

Pretty Good is entirely produced, directed, edited, and researched by Jon Bois, creative director for the sports site SB Nation. As you'd expect, the series mostly tells sports stories but it branches out to pop culture (a couple of years back there was an excellent episode about 24), history, and general weirdness. In these breakdowns, laced with his goofy deadpan sense of humor, Bois finds unexpected poignancy (Larry Walters), sometimes existential despair ("The Dumbest Boy Alive"), and sometimes he catches faint glimpses of what looks like a remarkable, unexpected order to this random, meaningless universe ("Why Do I Choose This For A Living").

As mentioned, this year he put out three episodes: one was about NBA player Baron Davis sinking a buzzer-beater from 89 feet, another was about the Philadelphia Eagles during and after the bitter NFL strike of 1987. Both of these are fantastic; the latter in particular makes me wonder what Bois could do if he had a crew, some money, and a deal with ESPN to do a 30 for 30.

It's the episode he made in-between that forced me to shove this thing on my list: “Troy State 253, DeVry 141.” It tells the story of the highest-scoring basketball game ever on record—a game so wild, he argues, that it may have gone down in the record books with the wrong score. As Bois himself admits in narration, this is not a “story” in the traditional sense. There's no beginning, middle, or end. After some brief setup to explain the road these two teams had leading up to this game, the raw content of the episode is pure numbers. Bois is a stat junkie, and he breaks the game down from every conceivable statistical angle. Sounds boring, right? Of course it does...before you add clever editing, fantastic music cues (both licensed and stock), quotes from The Iliad, clips from 1962's The Fury of Achilles, and surprising comparisons to Biblical-themed works from 16th century Dutch painter Pieter Bruegel.

Once you stop asking yourself "What the gently caress is this," go find thirty minutes in your day and watch Bois sketch a portrait of a basketball game between a team determined to play as fast and as fun as possible and a rival that was determined to keep up, even as they were getting decimated. It is beautiful, original, awe-inspiring, and sometimes even funny as hell (in one memorable moment, one of Bois' co-workers observes that a player may have done the very first dab). It's a video—and in turn, a show, cowtown as it may be—that I kept coming back to all year, even more than the other shows on my list, to watch again and again and again.

Thank you for this! I would likely have never stumbled upon this diamond in the rough myself and I'm already on episode six. This thread always delivers and this might be the most bountiful year yet.

And More
Jun 19, 2013

How far, Doctor?
How long have you lived?

Rarity posted:

55=. (9 points)

Babylon Berlin (Sky 1 Germany)
Channel Zero (Syfy)

49=. (10 points)

Inhumans (ABC)

Now I actually feel bad for bringing these shows up at all. :(

Zaggitz
Jun 18, 2009

My urges are becoming...

UNCONTROLLABLE

Next year I'm making an intentionally lovely list just to spite you, Rarity.

Fast Luck
Feb 2, 1988

Spatula City posted:

poo poo, I was going to edit my list to put in Mrs. Maisel. :smith:
I would have bumped Stranger Things to make room for Maisel on my list but I think my list doesn't count anyway on account of my bravery

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
I don’t think any of my list have shown up yet NICE

IRQ
Sep 9, 2001

SUCK A DICK, DUMBSHITS!

Zaggitz posted:

Next year I'm making an intentionally lovely list just to spite you, Rarity.

Ah, a fellow Young Sheldon fan?

Escobarbarian
Jun 18, 2004


Grimey Drawer
I thought that’s what Zaggitz had done this year tbh

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Zaggitz
Jun 18, 2009

My urges are becoming...

UNCONTROLLABLE

IRQ posted:

Ah, a fellow Young Sheldon fan?

It's the thinking man's comedy.

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