[For more of Collider’s Best of 2016 lists, clickhere]
There aresomany TV shows now on broadcast networks, cable channels, and various streaming services, big and small. Thanks to Peak TV, there is no shortage of comedies, dramas, and some combination thereof, so much so that you could never possibly watch them all, even if you wanted to.
Narrowing down what to highlight for any year is a challenge, and 2016 is no exception. There was compelling storytelling, superb performances, and quirky new worlds to watch and explore. Some shows proved that they get better with age, while great new ones took the place of those others we had to bid farewell to. Given all of that, here are my selections for the biggest stand-outs of this year:
Best Show Creator: Dan Fogelman for ‘This Is Us’ and ‘Pitch’
BothThis Is UsandPitchwere created by writer/executive producer Dan Fogelman and both shows have a tremendous cast of actors bringing their characters and the story to life. Although each pilot had a twist (one more directly affecting the show’s overall season than the other), neither lived or died because of that twist. WhileThis Is Usis a roller coaster of emotions when it comes to the family at its core (Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley are all so terrific), and it’s hard to get through an entire episode without shedding some tears,Pitchalsotugs at the heartstrings. You can’t help but root for the young pitcher who has become the first woman to play Major League Baseball, and Kylie Bunbury has a sensational break-out role here.
Best New Sci-Fi: ‘Wynonna Earp’
Based on the IDW comic created by Beau Smith and developed for television by Emily Andras, the Syfy seriesWynonna Earpfollows the life of the great, great granddaughter of famous lawman Wyatt Earp, who has inherited his mythic abilities and famous gun, along with his legendary old West enemies, known as revenant demons. The series got more and more fun each week, as the kick-ass female cast of characters, led by Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) and including younger sister Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) and Officer Nicole Haught (Katherine Barrell), provided endless amounts of trouble for the mysterious Agent Xavier Dolls (Shamier Anderson) and notorious gunslinger Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon). And then, it all ended on a huge cliffhanger that left fans (myself included) counting down the days for Season 2, to see who survived and what is coming next.
Best Returning Sci-Fi: ‘12 Monkeys’
The Syfy series12 Monkeysis one of the most thought-provoking, well-written, and expertly acted science fiction shows currently on television. Its excellent second season was an emotional whirlwind, with enough twists and turns that you almost need a chart to keep track. And yet, they also came to a satisfying conclusion that provided hints for where things could head next in the show’s third season. As we finally got to more fully explore the romance of Cole (Aaron Stanford) and Cassie (Amanda Schull), and delve more deeply into the chaotic mind of Jennifer Goines (Emily Hampshire), there was a heightened sense of urgency as the mysteries continued to unravel until viewers were gasping at the final reveal.
Best Weird New World: ‘Dirk Gently’
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agencyis a wonderfully weird world inhabited by the fast-talking, eccentric Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett), who is hired to investigate the case of a murdered millionaire. Dirk’s philosophy hinges on the interconnectedness of all things and, as a result, he believes that he and Todd Brotzman (Elijah Wood) – a bellhop at the hotel where the body was found – are destined to untangle the mystery together, even though Todd may not be as willing to embrace that notion. Along the way, Dirk crosses paths with countless quirky characters, including a holistic assassin and Todd’s hallucinating sister, an adorable little kitten, and a Corgi. It’s all wacky and odd, but a lot of fun, and we’ll get to explore it further in Season 2.
Best New Anti-Hero: Mac “Quarry” Conway
If you haven’t discovered the Cinemax seriesQuarryyet, it’s worth taking the time to check it out. Created by Michael D. Fuller and Graham Gordy and based on the best-selling books by Max Allan Collins, U.S. Marine Mac Conway (Logan Marshall-Green) returns home to Memphis from Vietnam in 1972, only to find himself demonized for the actions he witnessed and took part in while he was there. As a result, Mac, who evolves into Quarry, is lured into an underground killing network of powerful criminals that turns his life upside down. Quarry is a flawed anti-hero who just wanted to return home to the wife that he loved, until he realizes that because of the war and everything that he’s been through as a result, that likely isn’t possible.
Best Family Relationship: Kara and Alex Danvers (‘Supergirl’)
It’s really hard not to love Supergirl. As a character, she’s such a positive role model, always wanting to do good and help others. She’s a great friend to the family that she’s chosen to surround herself with, as she and they work to hide her true identity while she spends her days working as journalist Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist). Further, she and her equally kick-ass sister Alex (Chyler Leigh) share a bond that shows you don’t have to be blood to be family, as they both work to save the world. Alex would and does lay her life on the line for Kara, and can do so knowing that Kara always has her back, whether it’s in fighting aliens or in encouraging her to be herself while she explores her own sexuality. There’s no denying that The CW seriesSupergirlis a superhero story, but at its heart, it is a drama about family and figuring out who you are in a world that can be pretty scary sometimes.
Best Case of Nostalgia: ‘Stranger Things’
Stranger Things, from Matt and Ross Duffer, had everyone talking this year, whether it was the feeling of nostalgia for the ‘80s that it brought, the excellent performance from Winona Ryder, the brilliance of the young cast, a mysterious but kick-ass character named Eleven, the Upside Down and the Demogorgon that lives there, or Barb. With just eight episodes that left fans wanting more and anxious for a second season, one of the biggest strengths of the series was what is quite possibly the most talented and most believable young ensemble – including Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp – on television, and it will certainly be exciting to see how the world continues to expand.
Best Socially Relevant Series: ‘Sweet/Vicious’
Although it started out as a show for and about empowered women,Sweet/Viciousis so much more than that. It is an edgy, offbeat superhero story that’s viciously funny and deeply relevant, as it tells the story of two young women, Jules (Eliza Bennett) and Ophelia (Taylor Dearden), hell-bent on bringing justice to those who get away with abuse on their college campus. They’re living double lives as vigilantes who kick a lot of ass while hiding their secret life from best friends, parents and love interests, all so that they can give something back to those who often feel voiceless.
Best Final Season: ‘Rectify’
The SundanceTV seriesRectifyhas consistently been one of the best dramas on television since it premiered in 2013, making you fall in love with its characters, feel sympathy and understanding for them, and have your heart broken by them, in the most human of ways. Knowing that its fourth season was also its final season made the last eight episodes that much more bittersweet, as we bid farewell to Daniel Holden (Aden Young), the man who returned to his small hometown in Georgia after wrongfully serving 19 years on death row, hoping that he could finally get to a place of happiness and purpose in his life. And while Daniel struggled to figure out his place in the world, we were also gifted with the journeys of his sister Amantha (Abigail Spencer) and his mother Janet (J. Smith-Cameron), as well as his step-brother Teddy (Clayne Crawford), the latter of whom had the rockiest road but with the biggest pay-off. The series may have left as quietly as it started, but those who watched are all the better for it, and it is one of those shows that people will continue to discover for years to come.
Best Female Performance: Sarah Paulson (‘American Crime Story’)
Whether it’s the multitude of characters she’s magnificently brought to life on any season ofAmerican Horror Storyor the way she expertly brought humanity to Marcia Clark inThe People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, Sarah Paulson has easily become TV’s MVP. She can lift up any material and make any character compelling. Even though we all thought we knew who Marcia Clark was during the O.J. trial, she showed us just how wrong we were. Although Paulsontold methat she was initially afraid that she wasn’t going to be able to pull off the role, she went on to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
