Netflix has been one of the biggest contributors to the Peak TV explosion, releasing a new series just about every Friday of the year (and sometimes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays too, just to keep us on our toes). The streaming giant is loaded down with great series to watch and binge-watch, as you’ll know from ourBest TV Shows on Netflixlist, plus the (more specific) BestCrime Shows,TV Comedies,TV Dramas, andFantasy/Sci-Fi Serieslists as well.
But we wanted to sum up some of the best shows (or new seasons) that came out this year in particular, all of which are Netflix originals or co-productions, except the UK entries, which Netflix has distribution rights to.
The list below has been voted on by the .Com staff, using a weighted system that ultimately found a natural Top 10 out of many, many submitted series (there is a healthy honorable mention list below as well). The overall point totals are also included, and like ourBest Shows on TV Right Nowlist (which needs a little updating but I stand by it), we are starting with the #1 staff pick and going from there:
Point Total: 17
I didn’t want to sound hyperbolic but hell, pro wrestling is all about grand statements:GLOW’s sophomore outing is the best season of Netflix original programming there is, full stop. Count the three, it’s over, new champion. It’s just astounding howLiz FlahiveandCarly Menschtake a show with such a large ensemble and breathe distinct life into every character, something they struggled with in Season 1 (and something the show riffs on ingeniously, withMarc Maron’s Sam Sylvia tellingSunita Mani’s Arthie Premkumar, “I really don’t pay attention to all of you.”). With such a strong cast, it’s almost hard to single in on just one. All respect must be paid toKia Stevens,actual former pro wrestler, for a breakout season as Tammé Dawson, a mother struggling with the overtly racist character she plays in the ring and the effect it has on her pride outside of it. Really, that’s the genius ofGLOW; there is no form of entertainment more wide-ranging in its insanity than pro wrestling, which makes it the perfect mirror to reflect the wide-ranging insanity that is life. As Debbie Eagan,Betty Gilpinmorphs into something very close to a villain this season, but a villain that—thanks to a Hollywood system that was andstill isdesigned to shit on people like her—has every understandable right to be the way she is. Like a wrestling ring, every character here has layers, a thin layer of protection stretched over the hard wood below.
Plus, episode 8—in whichGLOWputs on an entire episode within an episode of theGorgeous Ladies of Wrestling—is a perfect piece of bonkers art. Ignore it at the risk of a piledriver, Emmy voters.— Vinnie Mancuso[Full Review]
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Point Total:16
There is no trick to the treat that isChilling Adventures of Sabrina, Netflix’s adaptation ofRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s comic of the same name, starringKiernan Shipkaas the titular teen. The updated story is a far cry from the days ofSabrina the Teenage Witch, and yet, it encompasses many of the same themes of the original Archie comics and other iterations. It’s just that this time, the story is wrapped up in a moody, dark, funny, and stylishly atmospheric package that could be not be a better herald of fall and the Halloween season.
The series picks up just before Sabrina’s sixteenth birthday, which will be marked not by a traditional celebration, but anoldtradition: a Dark Baptism under a blood moon where Sabrina will sign over her soul to the Dark Lord. Except, Sabrina isn’t so sure she wants to do that. She’s only half a witch (on her father’s side), and she’s spent her entire life living at home with witches and going to school with mortals. But that baptism — and whether or not she’s ready to tether herself to the Dark Lord — is just the start of Sabrina’s adventures, not the end, as she finds a way to honor both her mortal and supernatural heritage. Ultimately, it’s a delight and an obsession, and the scariest thing about it is just how good it is.— Allison Keene[Full Review]
Haunting of Hill House
Point Total:15
Not sinceStranger Thingshas a Netflix show seemingly come out of nowhere to become a bona fide phenomenon. Okay don’t check my math on that (Netflix releasesa lotof content), but the arrival and subsequently obsession withThe Haunting of Hill Housedid seem to come pretty quickly and intensely—and for good reason. DirectorMike Flanagan’s 10-episode adaptation of the classicShirley Jacksonnovel re-contextualizes the haunted house story as a haunted family story, using the horror genre as a vehicle to dissect themes of grief, trauma, and complicated family dynamics. Flanagan understands how to use the Netflix binge model to his benefit, so the structure of the season is set up for maximum binge-ability, and this is a downright masterful horror show. Flanagan pulls off someintensescares courtesy of phenomenal filmmaking (Episode 6!), butHill Houseis also an emotional and crushing character drama. Which is a big reason why it’s left such a lasting impact on its viewers, and why it stands as one of the streaming giant’s best shows of 2018. –Adam Chitwood[Full Review]
Point Total:11
By ditching most of the more Hand-based fantastical elements and returning to the nitty-gritty of Hell’s Kitchen with the core characters that made this show great, newDaredevilshowrunnerErik Oleson(The Man in the High Castle) has created thebest Netflix Marvel season to date.Charlie Coxis, as usual, an absolute force to be reckoned as blind vigilante lawyer Matt Murdock, but what makes Season 3 so special is the quality of the friends and foes orbiting around him. It’s incredible how much crackling energyVincent D’Onofrio’s return as Wilson Fisk brings to this show.Deborah Ann Woll,too, has really found an entirely new balance of rock-hard resolve and barely-held-together nerves for playing Karen Page. But the character I guarantee will spark the most discussion isWilson Bethel‘s arrival as Agent Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter, a name used often by Daredevil archnemesis Bullseye. Bethel’s take on the character is slightly more subdued thanColin Farrell‘s 2003 big-screen version—a performance seemingly fueled 1000% by cocaine and Evanescence—but still bearing delightfully unhinged flashes of insanity. Without giving too much away, Agent Poindexter’s descent into darkness—and with it, the season as a whole—is enthralling, frighteningly topical, and slightly heartbreaking.— Vinnie Mancuso[Full Review]
The Great British Baking Show
Point Total:9
Probably the most serene and happiest show on television,The Great British Baking Show(or its original UK title,The Great British Bake Off) completely up-ends our typical American view of competition series. Here, the contestants clearly bond with one another and form true friendships, often offering to help one another and always being encouraging. The judges are hard but fair, and never seek to humiliate or make anyone feel bad. The worst a contestant might hear is “you are so good, you just let yourself down a little,” and when presented with a disaster, judgesPrue LeithandPaul Hollywoodwill find the positives while still acknowledging what doesn’t work.
This is the second season with new hosts (Noel FieldingandSandi Toksvig), who have continued to grow on viewers and have found a really nice rhythm. And while none of the new pairs can maybe compare to the originals, the banter and overall feeling of being back in the tent is homey and familiar. This particular class of contestants for the ninth season (the sixth available on Netflix) was also full of memorable personalities, with a final three who all absolutely deserved to be there and were always wonderful to watch. Ready, set … relax!– Allison Keene
Jessica Jones
Point Total:7 (tie)
Even though it acts likeThe Defendersnever happened (which is fine),Jessica Jones’ second season starts out a little clunky, and ultimately falls prey to the problems of Marvel’s other Netflix series. But there areplentyof positives, including a new investigation forKrysten Ritter’s Jessica that keeps things personal, and (for the most part) better incorperates others in Jessica’s life. The show is certainly missing Kilgrave as a driving force, but there’s still a lot for Jessica to process, going back to the death of her family as well as her abduction and torture during the illegal experiments that gave her powers. Ritter remains spellbinding in the role, going from kicking ass to being emotionally vulnerable in a head-spinning amount of time. She’s a cool girl who doesn’t care, until she has to — and then she does, deeply.— Allison Keene[Full Review]
Bodyguardshould come with a warning. There are several stretches of this twisty new thriller series that are so anxiety-inducing, with such unbearable tension, that I almost had to leave the room. I could have paused it, sure, but I didn’tactuallywant to stop watching it. I just wanted to grimace and sink as far down into the couch as possible, my heart pounding as I attempted to rationalize that the story couldn’t really do this or that, right? RIGHT? It’sstressful— in the best of ways.
Netflix’s 6-episode series comes fromJed Mercurio, and first aired on the BBC (to staggering viewership numbers). It follows the story of a metropolitan police officer, David Budd (Richard Madden), a war veteran who uses his special training while off-duty to help diffuse a potential terrorist attack in the first fifteen minutes of the series. ButBodyguardis not interested in becoming Jason Bourne or Jack Ryan, at least not yet. What makes the series work — including all of those ultra-tense moments — is how well Madden sells his badass character as a man who also has deep emotional connections and a compassionate heart. As David is tasked with being the bodyguard (hey!) for a Conservative Home Secretary, Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), the show really ramps up its tension (and sexiness). Ultimately, the show offers up an exhilarating ride that truly showcases Madden as a major talent,, one who is capable of not just leading Winterfell’s bannermen inGame of Thrones, but leading this breakout series and others — or even a certainmovie franchise.— Allison Keene[Full Review]
Netflix’s super-NSFW animated comedyBig Mouthtakes an unabashed approach to the teen sex comedy sub-genre. It’s hyper focused on puberty and adolescence, and all the awkwardness that comes with it.Big Mouthsucceeds as a comedy by staying in its lane, mining generations’ worth of shame, guilt, perversion, confusion, rocky relationships and dating disasters to deliver an absolutely bonkers portrayal of what it looks, feels, and even smells like to be a teenager transitioning into adulthood. But it also succeeds as meaningful storytelling by delivering these sex-crazed snippets in an earnest way. That’s a tough line to walk when you have Shame Wizards and Hormone Monsters popping in to channel the inner confusion and chaos of the adolescent mind, but it’s somethingBig Mouthdoes better than any similar story out there, and it takes things up another level in Season 2.
Big MouthSeason 2 cuts uncomfortably close to the quick at times and really makes you feel like you’re reliving your own adolescence. Luckily, the show is sweet enough to take some of the sting out of the close-to-home moments, but earnest enough to make you feel a real connection with these poor unfortunate characters. It’s actually kind of nice to know that there are other people out there whose experiences were as awkward in the moment and hilarious in retrospect as my own, and I’m sure that goes for most of the viewers out there. And if not, like Rick the Hormone Monsters says, “What’re ya gonna do?”— Dave Trumbore[Full Review]
BoJack Horseman
Point Total:6 (tie)
BoJack Horsemangets away with a lot. As a character,Will Arnett‘s perfectly performed anthropomorphic horse-man is a stand-in for a rich, privileged White man who was once a part of the Hollywood elite and has since fallen on relatively hard times. Much like the contemporary face of the patriarchy he represents,BoJackis rarely forced to face his demons, and even when he is, there’s always an out. As a show, the animated Netflix series hides its disdain with accepted sociocultural norms in plain sight, masked only by the fact that its characters are mostly funny-looking animorphs. It’s this thin veneer that allows BoJack Horseman to tackle some of today’s touchiest, most taboo subjects with an earnestness that live-action shows rarely even acknowledge.
It’s easy to recommend jumping intoBoJack Horsemanthis late in the game as long as you’re willing to go back to the beginning and struggle through the first few episodes in order to get to the point where the creative team finds their footing. It’s hard to say just where this animated adventure exploring the depths of the human/horseman soul will ultimately end up, but the journey is well worth the effort. -Dave Trumbore[Full Review]
The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell
Part cooking show, part puppet comedy, and all aesthetic,The Curious Creations of Christine McConnellis one of the more surprising delights to come out of Netflix this year. Based on the baking and design of the titularChristine McConnell– an artist who earned social media fame thanks to her ornate creepy confections and goth-tinged style —Curious Creationslets McConnell be the Martha Stewart of her own twisted kitchen, with the added bonus of Henson puppetry magic. In between cooking segments, the series weaves in murder plots and comedy sketches featuring Rankle the mummy cat and Rose the reanimated roadkill, who are Christine’s oddball right-hand-puppets, and that’s just the tip of the strange, inviting world on display. From the tentacled beast living in Christine’s fridge and the fashionable ghost in her mirror (played byDita Von Teese, no less), McConnell’s wonderland is filled with flourishes of oddity and style that makeThe Curious Creations of Christine McConnella weird, wild and wonderful bit of programming unlike anything else out there. —Haleigh Foutch[Full Review]
