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I rarely watch TV the same year that it aired, so my list skews heavily toward reality/game show programs -shows where I might be spoiled on the winner if I wait too long. 10. Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Had a couple of dreadful installments, but squeaks in on the strength of its stand-outs, which in my opinion are the episodes from David Prior, Panos Cosmatos, and Jennifer Kent; three excellent contributions from directors who don't make enough movies. The less impressive episodes range from merely good to downright embarrassing, but as a horror fan you learn to wade through a lot of garbage and treasure the gems. 9. Murderville The best use of Will Arnett since Arrested Development, and a curiously efficient format that manages to flesh out the Terry character surprisingly well within the strictures of a half-hour party-game. 8. The Traitors (Australia and UK) Speaking of party games - it's televised mafia! Rather than devote two slots to the same format, I'm lumping the aussie and british versions together, although I'd give the slight edge to Australia for having a more astute, competent cast. The real interest with the British version lies in how quickly the game becomes personal for the majority of players; I'm not sure I've ever seen this MANY different people reduced to tears on a single season of television. Because the money tasks are so inconsequential to the greater game, there's a fair amount of filler in this format that you start to feel as the cast dwindles, but both series end with a real barn-burner, and Australia has one of the grimmest, most brutal endings I've ever seen. 7. The Mole (technically Season 6) The resurrection of an excellent format that was too quickly ruined by becoming a celebrity game, this returns to the solid foundation and doesn't overly burden it with twists. A nice mix of rootable and hateable cast, and an early episode (Joi spends almost the entire pot) that made my entire body clench in disbelief. Netflix is never predictable, but I'd hope to see at least a couple more seasons of this get produced. 6. Players The team behind American Vandal once again works their peculiar brand of mockumentary magic to make me care deeply about something I normally wouldn't - in this case a fictional e-sports team. As with American Vandal, the key to their success is having an eye for grounded, flawed characters who read as real instead of dramatis personae, and replicating internet culture to a T. Every episode lasts about five minutes longer than its runtime, because a lot of the fun is pausing and reading the painstakingly crafted tweets and comments flying across the screen. 5. The Rehearsal Not much to say that hasn't been said already: a psychodrama wrapped in a Brechtian nightmare. Fascinating poo poo. 4. Survivor Season 42 Yes, it's still on the air. Yes people still watch it. And this season was probably the best since 2018's 'David v. Goliath'. Unlike the previous season, which felt hamstrung by the the changes implemented due to Covid, Survivor 42 sang along thanks to a stupendous cast, some format tweaks, and the good luck that all the worst twists ended up whiffing. Too often a season boils down to one or two real winner candidates, some weirdos, and filler, but here the final 9 of 20 competitors all feel like they might have a genuine shot at this thing, right up until their own unique downfall. Tons of people here I'd be happy to see back down the line for an all-star season. 3. Taskmaster Series 13 + 14 When Taskmaster clicks, it's the best comedy-variety show out there, and after a few years of lineups and tasks that never quite gelled, both of this year's offerings knocked it out of the park. I don't have much to say beyond 'the show is funny', but it turns out that's enough! 2. We Own This City A grim reminder that watching 'The Wire' didn't actually fix any of the problems. There's a lot to love about the acting and craftsmanship here, but above all else this is one of the most meticulous dissections of just how wholly the institution of American police-work has failed. In my opinion the whole series is encapsulated by the scene where the city can't find 12 jurors who will trust police testimony, but it's endlessly watchable from beginning to end. 1. Barry Season 3 This show could have so easily been awful. There's so many elements that could have been hacky, boring or embarrassing when subjected to baseline TV writing. Instead, invested with increasingly confident creative power, Bill Hader has used his high-concept premise to smuggle one of the darkest comedies of all time onto TV. The show gets better every season, and by this point it barely qualifies as a comedy, which makes for one hell of a series arc. Like most fans, I'm expecting just one more season, and if the trajectory continues, it'll hopefully be one of the best finales of all time.
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Jan 16, 2023 18:59
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 10:33 |
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