Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Favorite TV Shows Reviewed in 2018

It was another AMAZING year for TV shows! There is just SO much available now, between streaming services, cable channels, and networks, that it's impossible to keep up with all the amazing shows - but we gave it our best! In fact, our movie viewing has fallen off in recent years because we are watching so much more TV.

The full list of TV reviews I wrote this year (22 in all) is included below, and these have all been added to my TV Reviews tab (along with the ones previously reviewed). They are sorted by genre. Making this list reminded me of some great shows that I had forgotten about!

As usual, we watched a mix of genres and on a wide variety of platforms. We still watch most of our shows On Demand through our cable service (though all are available elsewhere), but many of them are continued from previous seasons (so you can find their reviews in the TV Reviews tab).

Here are a few superlatives from my 2018 reviews to whet your appetite (click the links to see the reviews) - these were painful choices to make in some cases because there were so many excellent shows (so I sometimes cheated a bit and declared a tie). Just to be clear, I only write reviews of shows that I enjoy, so everything on the list at the end is worth trying!

Best Comedy
The Letdown (N) - Netflix
(a hilarious Australian show about being a new parent)




Best Drama
For the People (A, C, I, H?) - ABC
(a new legal drama by Shonda Rhimes)






Best Dramedy
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (A) - Amazon Original
(tough call but it has everything & even my husband is watching it now)







Best Crime/Mystery/Thriller  
 American Gothic (A, CBS) - CBS (thriller with dark humor)
Killing Eve (A, C, I) - BBC America (straight-up thriller - outstanding)

 

 Best Sci Fi
 11/22/63 (A, H) - Hulu 
(it's also a Drama & Historical, so also Best Sci Fi for those who don't watch sci fi)
 
 

All TV Shows Reviewed in 2018
 
In addition to the reviews listed below, also check out my post, When Good Shows Get Cancelled, a round-up of One-Season Wonders still worth watching!



KEY: Available on:
A = Amazon
C = Cable and/or Cable On Demand
CBS = CBS All Access 
H = Hulu
I = On network’s own website
N = Netflix
Note that Amazon Prime original shows are available free only to Amazon Prime members (just like Netflix or Hulu), but some shows are available on Amazon (A) to anyone for a fee.
Most TV shows are also available on DVD (to buy or borrow from your library), which works well if you want to see a show in a streaming service that you don't subscribe to. That's how we watched 11/22/63.

Comedy
The Letdown (N) - Netflix
Splitting Up Together (C, I) - ABC


Drama
Alias Grace (N) - Netflix
Breaking Bad (N) - AMC
For the People (A, C, I, H?) - ABC
The Resident (A, C, I) - FOX
Rise (A, C, I) - NBC



Dramedy (both Comedy & Drama)
Forever (A) - Amazon Original
Glow (N) - Netflix
Good Girls (A, C, I) - NBC
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (A) - Amazon Original


Crime/Mystery/Thriller
The Alienist (A, C, I) - TNT
American Gothic (A, CBS) - CBS
Goliath (A) - Amazon Original
Instinct (A, C, I) - CBS (also Dramedy)
Jack Ryan (A) - Amazon Original
Killing Eve (A, C, I) - BBC America
Safe (N) - Netflix
You (A, C, I) - Lifetime



Sci Fi
11/22/63 (A, H) - Hulu (also Drama & Historical)
The Crossing (A, C, I) - ABC
The X-Files (A, C, I) - FOX

     

4 comments:

  1. You are so good at keeping track of your TV watching. All my trash shows that I watch seem to be on hiatus right now and I want them to start up again!

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    1. That's only because I write TV reviews, Helen! ha ha When our favorite cable shows are on hiatus, that's when we discover new streaming shows! During the holiday break this winter, we binged Killing Eve and Imposters (an outstanding show I hacven't reviewed yet).

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  2. Of all the shows you listed, I only watch Splitting Up Together. I think I'll check out The Letdown because I love a show that makes me laugh.

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    1. Oh, yes, The Letdown is very funny! Since you watch Splitting Up Together on cable, I also like The Connors, Modern Family, and Life in Pieces (hilarious!) for funny shows on cable. The new Will & Grace is also good. Enjoy!

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